William O. Jenkins House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William O. Jenkins House |
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“The Phantom House”
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| Alternative names | J. Paul Getty Mansion |
| General information | |
| Type | Residence |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival, Renaissance Revival |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Address | 641 South Irving Boulevard (intersection of Crenshaw and Wilshire Boulevards) |
| Town or city | Windsor Square, Central Los Angeles |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 34°03′44″N 118°19′08″W / 34.0622°N 118.3189°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1922 |
| Completed | 1923 (or ’25) |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Demolished | 1957 |
| Cost | $250,000 (in 1923) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Steel, concrete, brick-lined interior |
| Floor count | Two |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | T. Beverley Keim |
| Main contractor | William A. Larkin |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | (14 bedrooms) |
The William O. Jenkins House was a large, beautiful home in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1922 and 1923 for a rich businessman named William O. Jenkins. People also called it the "Phantom House" or the J. Paul Getty mansion.
This house was built in a Mediterranean style. It became famous because it was used in two well-known Hollywood movies. These films were Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955). The house was torn down in 1957.
Contents
History of the Phantom House
The William O. Jenkins House was designed by an American architect named Thomas Beverley Keim, Jr. It cost about $250,000 to build in 1923. That would be like $3.7 million today!
William O. Jenkins was a very wealthy American who lived in Mexico. He and his family lived in the house for only one year, from 1925 to 1926. After they moved out, the house stayed empty for ten years. Because it was empty for so long, local people started calling it the "Phantom House."
The Getty Family and Hollywood Films
In 1936, a very rich oil businessman named J. Paul Getty bought the house. One of his former wives lived there when the movie Sunset Boulevard (film) was filmed in 1950.
As part of the deal to use the house, she asked the movie studio, Paramount Studios, to build her a new swimming pool. This pool became famous in the movie. It was where a character's body was found floating at the beginning of the film.
Later, in 1955, another movie studio, Warner Brothers, got permission to film scenes at the house. They paid $250 per day to use the property. They filmed parts of the movie Rebel Without a Cause there in April 1955.
The same swimming pool was used again in Rebel Without a Cause, but this time it was empty and dry. The filming had to be done quickly. This was because the house was going to be torn down soon.
J. Paul Getty wanted the house destroyed quickly. He had just won a lawsuit against his neighbors who tried to stop the demolition. He wanted to make sure they couldn't try to stop it again.
In 1957, Mrs. Getty sold the property. Developers then built a new office building there. This building is known as the Tidewater Oil Building.
Other Getty Homes
There was another house nearby that also belonged to the Getty family. It was at 605 South Irving Boulevard and is known as the "Getty House". This house is a Tudor Revival style mansion built in the 1920s.
Today, the Getty House is the official home for the Mayor of Los Angeles. J.P. Getty's son, George, gave this house to the city.
See also
In Spanish: Casa William O. Jenkins para niños
