Chateau Elysee
Encyclopedia
The Château Élysée is a former hotel located at 5930 Franklin Ave. in the Franklin Village section of Los Angeles
, California
. It was originally built as a luxury long-term residential apartment for movie stars by Eleanor Ince, widow of Thomas H. Ince
, the highly successful pioneer silent filmmaker who died in 1924. Designed by eminent architect Arthur E. Harvey as a prominent seven story replica of a 17th Century French-Normandy castle it is the most impressive of all the Hollywood chateaux built during the booming 1920’s.
In 1927 the firm of Luther T. Mayo, Inc. began construction on the four-story, seventy-seven unit turreted castle and its formal gardens on the three-acre former Ince family estate on the southwest corner of Bronson Avenue. The property included a bubbling stream, a tennis court, and a pair of rubber trees that are more than a hundred years old.
In a spirit echoing her husband’s contributions in the formative period of the film industry, Mrs. Ince provided a home for many of the artists that were then being drawn to Hollywood. Residents included some of the most famous names of the 1930’s and 40’s. Most notably Bette Davis
, Errol Flynn
(room 211), Edward G. Robinson
(room 216), Carol Lombard (room 305), Edgar Rice Burroughs
(room 408), Humphrey Bogart
(room 603), Clark Gable
(room 604), Ginger Rogers
(room 705), Ed Sullivan
(room 501), Gracie Allen
and George Burns
(room 609) along with Lillian Gish
, Katharine Hepburn
, George Gershwin
, and Cary Grant
.
The Élysée operated like a hotel with daily maid service and meals served out of a formal dining room. As the center of the film world’s “chateau life” in the 1930’s, the Manor, as it became known, was often the scene of glamorous parties and saw frequent visits by Hollywood nobility dwelling in nearby estates.
Since 1973, it has been owned by the Church of Scientology
, which calls it the Celebrity Centre
. On September 23, 1987, the City of Los Angeles declared the building as Historical National Monument #329. In 1992, the buildings and grounds were restored.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was originally built as a luxury long-term residential apartment for movie stars by Eleanor Ince, widow of Thomas H. Ince
Thomas H. Ince
Thomas Harper Ince was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer of more than 100 films and pioneering studio mogul. Known as the "Father of the Western", he invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, introducing early Hollywood to the "assembly line"...
, the highly successful pioneer silent filmmaker who died in 1924. Designed by eminent architect Arthur E. Harvey as a prominent seven story replica of a 17th Century French-Normandy castle it is the most impressive of all the Hollywood chateaux built during the booming 1920’s.
In 1927 the firm of Luther T. Mayo, Inc. began construction on the four-story, seventy-seven unit turreted castle and its formal gardens on the three-acre former Ince family estate on the southwest corner of Bronson Avenue. The property included a bubbling stream, a tennis court, and a pair of rubber trees that are more than a hundred years old.
In a spirit echoing her husband’s contributions in the formative period of the film industry, Mrs. Ince provided a home for many of the artists that were then being drawn to Hollywood. Residents included some of the most famous names of the 1930’s and 40’s. Most notably Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
(room 211), Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
(room 216), Carol Lombard (room 305), Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
(room 408), Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
(room 603), Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
(room 604), Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
(room 705), Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
(room 501), Gracie Allen
Gracie Allen
Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen , known as Gracie Allen, was an American comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns...
and George Burns
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
(room 609) along with Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
, Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, and Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
.
The Élysée operated like a hotel with daily maid service and meals served out of a formal dining room. As the center of the film world’s “chateau life” in the 1930’s, the Manor, as it became known, was often the scene of glamorous parties and saw frequent visits by Hollywood nobility dwelling in nearby estates.
Since 1973, it has been owned by the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
, which calls it the Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centres are Church of Scientology facilities that are open to the public but serve mostly artists and celebrities and other "professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government", as "those are the people who are sculpting the...
. On September 23, 1987, the City of Los Angeles declared the building as Historical National Monument #329. In 1992, the buildings and grounds were restored.