The real estate company is extra cautious after threats of a lawsuit by Houdini historian and collector Manny Weltman of Van Nuys. “We don’t say it definitely was Houdini’s, we say it is “ ‘known as,’ ” said Harry Polim, Merrill Lynch vice president in West Los Angeles.
The hillside land can be divided into three large lots for homes, said Snyder, Rod’s sister.Ī release by Merrill Lynch Realty calls it “the Harry Houdini Estate” and urges prospective buyers to “build your dream house on this magnificent estate and own a part of Hollywood’s history.” But they have just added a disclaimer. “It’s like someone doesn’t want us to sell the property,” she said. The mystery for Merrill Lynch real estate agent Linda Snyder is why her “For Sale” sign keeps getting destroyed. “We found no sound evidence he ever lived there, so I’m skeptical,” said Hitchens, who added that ghosts hampered his film crew at other Hollywood locations. This year, “In Search of Haunted Hollywood,” scrapped filming at the ruins because producer Neal Hitchens couldn’t confirm that the magician lived there. “Houdini resided in Hollywood for about two years, yet I’ve never been able to discover where he lived,” Zolotow said.Ī Halloween television special two years ago in which William Shatner played host was filmed at the Houdini ruins. Another Hollywood writer, Maurice Zolotow, in 1979 researched Houdini’s life for a Los Angeles Magazine article. Schessler insists that Houdini lived at the house in the early 1920s and refuses to change any reprintings of his Hollywood guide. “I heard about the controversy, but I proved it by finding it in a directory of some sort,” Schessler said. The oldest of the books, “This Is Hollywood,” was written by Kenneth Schessler, who lives in LaVerne. Half a dozen tour guide books of Hollywood mention 2398 Laurel Canyon Blvd. High brick walls and thick grottoes make it easy to get lost. The maze of walkways often lead to nowhere, or to cold stone meditation areas draped with poison oak. “It looks like seances go on pretty regularly around here,” Snyder said. High up on the hill was a large wooden cross with half-burned candles and strands of beads. Deeper into the gardens, mounds of candles were melted over a broken stone bench. In one cave, pentagrams and triangles were drawn on pillars in orange crayon. On a recent stroll through the labyrinth of stone bridges and pagodas, workers were cleaning up the three flights of stairs and empty waterfalls. “When I was a kid, I climbed around this place and heard it was haunted by Houdini-it was just something everyone knew,” said Rod Snyder, 42, who is now the real estate listing agent for the 3 1/2 acres for sale at $2.5 million.
The spirit of the victim is said to frequent the grounds. Sightings of the lady in green lingerie stopped years ago, but some say they still see the tall dark man with suit and bow tie.Īnother legend about the grounds involves the son of a large department store magnate accused of throwing his lover off the balcony of the house in an argument.
Tenants in the servants’ quarters in the back told Pearson how Houdini’s ghost wanders the grounds quietly.
Instead of a traditional first dance, Dre and Dan surprised Dre’s parents, who eloped due to racial tensions, by serenading them with Al Green’s classic “Let’s Stay Together.Although there is little evidence that Houdini lived in the house, legends and believers abound. After Dre struggled not to trip over her shoe and bustle, she got help from Dan for the recessional, when he threw her over his shoulder as guests cheered.Īs a fun detail, Dan stitched the neck of his suit with a joke: “If you are reading this on September 15, then I guess the visa was approved.”Īs a surprise for guests, Dre and Dan express-printed a photo of their first look onto copies of The Sun, the British newspaper where Dan works.ĭre carried white lisianthus, garden roses and delphiniums down the aisle, but she calls the “main star” of the bouquet the king protea.
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“We just wanted everything to look polished and gorgeous.” After the ceremony at the wishing well, guests from California, Dre’s home state, and the United Kingdom, Dan’s home country, snacked on barbecue and tacos, sipped cocktails as they listened to a live band and, in the spirit of Houdini, enjoyed magic tricks courtesy of California-based magician Jax Ridd.įor the ceremony, Dre wore a custom lace gown and veil, plus a vintage Cartier brooch. The pair let the century-old venue call the shots, choosing minimal décor. Not only did they meet by the magic of “booze and serendipity,” as Dre calls it, but five years later, they planned a magical wedding-in the most literal sense of the word-at The Houdini Estate, picked for its “quirkiness and history,” Dre says. Dre Smith and Dan Jones believe in magic.
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