Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Zsa Zsa Gabor Lists Bel Air Mansion


SELLER: Zsa Zsa Gabor
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $15,000,000
SIZE: 6,393 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Listen chickens, Your Mama is well aware we're far from the first cowboy to this celebrity real estate rodeo but we just can't resist the opportunity to discuss the Los Angeles, CA mansion of aged Hungarian hottie turned Hollywood icon Zsa Zsa Gabor and her rather eccentric publicity hound huzband Frédéric Prinz van Anhalt.

It's been a difficult few months for the ancient and increasingly infirm Miz Gabor who was crowned Miss Hungary way back in 1936 and became partially paralyzed in 2002 after a car accident. In January (2011) the beautiful and sometimes volatile Miz Gabor had one of her legs removed and a month later Prinz Freddy, bat in hand, (allegedly) chased a couple of intruders from the couple's gated mansion in Bel Air.

A few month later Z.Z.G.'s 67-year old whackadoodle ninth husband–she is his seventh wife–gabbed and yammered to the tabs and gossip glossies about how he planned to conceive a child with a surrogate and thus make his 94-year old wife a mother. Your Mama imagines that is just what every 94-year old woman with with one-leg and a feeding tube wants: a goddam infant. In mid-May Z.Z.G. was taken to a Los Angeles hospital where she slipped into an unresponsive coma. It looked like the diamond-lined road was finally at its end for Z.Z.G. but a week later the ever-feisty ol' girl came out of the coma. It is our understanding that as of this very moment Miz Gabor remains laid up in the hospital.

Some of the children will recall that back in January 2011 Prinz Freddy revealed via gossip juggernaut TMZ that the estate had become unpleasantly expensive to maintain and too large for their immediate daily needs. He planned, he said then, to list the estate for a hefty $25-28,000,000 and move into a much less expensive and simpler to maintain condo near Westwood. We're not sure about plans for a condo in Westwood but this week Z.Z.G.'s track-suit wearing "prinz" of a husband has officially foisted her frou-frou but faded Bel Air mansion on the open market with an asking price of $15,000,000.

It should be noted that Miz Gabor's daughter Francesca Gabor Hilton, who has been in a bitter and ongoing feud with Prinz Freddy, says that her mother would never want to live in a condo in Westwood and questions Prinz Freddy's legal right to sell the house due to the pre-nup he signed with her famous mother. In fact, at least one report quotes Miss Hilton as saying, "My mother is not aware that von anhalt is selling her house. I am not aware if von anhalt has the legal right to put my mother's house up for sale as he claims." She went on to add, "I am sure the Realtor has done his research (due diligence) concerning his legal right to sell my mother's house."

Listing information for Z.Z.G.'s somewhat threadbare crib–the the black top driveway is cracked and the vibrant yellow and red color scheme a la McDonalds is trés declassé–shows that it measures 6,393 square feet and includes 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms including a master suite with celebrity-size bathroom and two-room walk-in closet/dressing room. The house includes an additional staff suite with 1 bedroom and 2 bathrooms and a second floor with family room, party room and additional bedroom and bath.

A well-patinated copper mansard roof provides scant cover from rare inclement weather over the recessed front door that sings opens into an über-glam if dated oval entrance hall with custom-laid parquetry floor, over-scaled crystal chandelier and blood red walls with fluted pilasters that do not, for some strange and disturbing reason, reach all the way to the ceiling. As for the miniature Louis the Something upholstered chair in which sits some sort of doll, we refer the children to Rule No. 17 in Your Mama's Big Book of Decoratin' Dos and Don'ts that states that doing up day-core with dolls is strictly verboten in the home(s) of grown folks. Young children may have dolls in their rooms but at the age of 12, hunnies, they get shipped off to the Goodwill.

Anyhoo, the generous formal living room has inlaid hardwood floors, a black and white marble fireplace surround, a gilded console or two and a handful of blackamoors atop which balance crystal light fixtures. We recognize that these blackamoors were once decoratively de rigueur but they a chill runs up and down Your Mama's spine every time we see one. Of course Your Mama barely knows red from yellow but as far as we're concerned the banquet hall sized dining room is sort of magnificent with its long table topped by a pair of candelabra and gilded horse head, hand-painted screen, pair of card/breakfast tables near the window and cabinet filled with porcelain curios and fussy tchotchke. Since we could never afford such an decorative extravagance, Your Mama would chop off our own pinky toes toes for the then orange barrel-backed Neoclassical Bergere chairs that surround the table.

In between the living and dining rooms a paneled library room with wet bar spills into a sitting area with black and white checked floor and, regrettably, walls mirrored from floor to ceiling that visually multiply the mismatched pair of sofas and coffee tables topped with various breakable knick-knacks and paddy-whacks.

Listing photos don't show the kitchen nor any of the many bathrooms on the property so perhaps they are less than pretty and/or in need of a serious spit and polish to bring them into the 21st century.

The 1.05 acre estate has a long gated drive that curves as it climbs to the aforementioned cracked blacktop motor court and a two-car attached garage. The backyard entertainment areas, located on the view side of the house, include a swimming pool surrounded by an expansive basket weave pattern brick terrace. A sizable roof terrace ringed by a stone balustrade offers the property's best views over the rooftops and canyons towards the glittery lights of Tinseltown.

According to Z.Z.G. herself the house was built in the 1950s by billionaire recluse Howard Hughes and occupied by hound dog rock legend Elvis Presley for a number of year while he made his mark in the Hollywood movie scene.

There have been reports that Prinz Freddy has put some unusual stipulations on the sale of the mansion. One report even said that Prinz Freddy wanted to remain in residence–with the new owners–until his death, which is just ludicrous of course. Your Mama contacted listing agent Christophe Choo who assured Your Mama that this is quite simply not the case and that Z.Z.G.'s mansion will be delivered 100% vacant upon the closing.

listing photos: James Butchart for Coldwell Banker Previews International

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I keep hoping that by some miracle Prinz Fred will get hit by a bus in the near future allowing ZsaZsa to outlive this wingnut.

Howard Hughes, Elvis, & ZsaZsa - too bad those walls can't speak

Anonymous said...

The whole thing is sorta marvelously zany like its owner.

"A well-patinated copper mansard room(!) provides scant cover from rate(!) inclement weather over the recessed front door that sings(!) opens..." [Need to watch those gin and tonics, Mama.]

Anonymous said...

the house is a metaphor for it's mistress, once an object of desire and great beauty, now faded with age and infirmity. How sad the loss of legendary ladies, and the legendary houses that leave us one by one. If walls could talk indeed. It pains me to see her reduced to her present circumstances: old, helpless and at the mercy of a cheap hustler.

Anonymous said...

"swings open," Mama, not "sings open"...........

Anonymous said...

he's not really a prince of any kind. he is a 100% fraud.

"In 1980, Von Anhalt (whose real name is Hans Robert Lichtenberg) bought his title of ‘Prince’ from an elderly German princess of Anhalt, who made her living with these kinds of transactions under the guise of an adoption (he was 47-years old.) For the record, there have been no German titles of nobilty assigned since 1919. ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ is his chosen name and it carries no connection with the Anhalt dynasty. That didn’t stop chronic bride Zsa Zsa Gabor from marrying the man in 1986. "

Trixie von Trott said...

I have a bad feeling about this property. Remember that movie, Moneypit? I think the only thing keeping this wreck from falling to the ground are a family of comfortable termites that have been in residence since 1962.

I would suggest wearing a gasmask or at least a nosepeg to poke around those boudoirs.

midTN said...

Zsa Zsa made her choice to marry this nut and perpetuate the nonsense of his being a "Prince" ad nauseum....but....to be a 94 year old amputee forced to live like a prisoner with "Prince von A-hole" is truly a fate worse than death.

The house? It's a tear down.

***

Anonymous said...

An interesting property but surely it's a teardown? The house itself is like a Pizza Hut.

Anonymous said...

$10 million overpriced. It's a tear down

Rosco Mare said...

Sadly, the place probably will be demolished. However, this place could once again be an incredible house for entertaining with its over-sized rooms and great flow. One of Mama Dearest's nice gay decorators could truly restore the magic here (inside and out). Love the dining room and the library.

Anonymous said...

This home has a real "Norma Desmond" feel to it, in the sense that once upon a time, a rich and glamourous person lived here.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I wouldn't say it's a teradown, though that is probably it's fate. I love that Hollywood Regency style. I would love to see it restored.

Anonymous said...

A tear down, really? Why, what am I missing here? Looks like a lovely home with big rooms, nice floors. Looks very clean from what I see on the pictures.

Ernesto said...

You people that brand this a tear-down are utterly laughable! I understand a small overhaul might be in order, but a tear-down??? Is there no sense of history anymore or do y'all have to 'keep up with the jones', and erect a supersized architectural monstrosity...how far away from your loved ones do you want to be in a 30000sq.ft. house?

micanichi said...

The dead child doll in the foyer doesn't seem out of place in a place that saw its peak in 1975. I can almost smell the cigarettes...

The disturbing quality of the photographs is due to the unfortunate and amateurish use of the Shadow/Highlight filter in Photoshop. One would think an agent listing a 15MM dollar property would be able to secure the talents of a qualified Photoshop power user in this economy, and in Los Angeles, no less.

lil' gay boy said...

Note to Christophe: Put the mouse down and back away from the keyboard ––– at least until you learn to use Photoshop® correctly...

Right, micanichi?

;-)

Hughes, Elvis, & ZsaZsa ––– ZanyCentral, indeed. Too bad it appears to be, wait for it ––– an obvious teardown. Although it's room flow & sequence are fit for fine Holly Regency decor & entertaining ("...paging Billy Haines, paging Billy Haines..."), any house built in the 50s and added to over the years is bound to need some serious & expensive structural & appurtenance work, probably making it, in the long run, cheaper to demolish than rehab. Too bad, but as Anon 10:50 so poignantly pointed out, it is indeed a metaphor for her life.

But as her ninth & his seventh spouses, respectively, I'd like to think that in their twilight & cuckoo years that a fading Hungarian beauty queen found companionship & solace with her prince ––– bogus or not.

Anonymous said...

It looks like Prinz Ahole already sold the Persian carpets while Zsa was in hospital. Those floors are strangely barren, no?

Anonymous said...

Ernesto well said my thoughts exactly

RHC said...

I tried to click on the link to the agent's listing and the page is GONE! Then I went to his website and this house is not among the homes he has listed in Bel Air... Maybe her daughter got involved?

I love the floors in her house. I hope someone saves them.

Anonymous said...

I looked up classic french regency colors and I believe the house is painted one, though I would try a nice grey and white theme.

midTN said...

Ernesto:

I didn't say I would tear it down.

I love old Hollywood, historic homes and public buildings, and I think remodeling is FAR better than total demolition of most structures. I despise Mcmansions.

My gut feeling is that most "developers" in southern Cal will see this as a demo house.

Anonymous said...

His Fairy Highness Prince is awful! Poor Zsa Zsa.

Yes, as many may or may not know this house is in close proximity to Nancy Reagan's abode, close to the Liz Taylor casa, and surrounded by 20 + million dollar homes. This house will more than likely be bulldozed. Easier to bulldoze and build up!

Maybe the Prince will end up as a gardener at the great Zsa Zsa's old home.

The Prince is often seen in West Hollywood in his large Grey Rolls Royce Phantom with a big ding in the passenger door at the "gay" Starbucks. I am not saying the Prince is gay but he likes to watch while all dressed up in equestrian outfits.

pollylanda said...

Please , Please , Please.... go with caution with that term "tear down" its so over used by realtors in this town , realtors who live in 600sq ft studios but love to grandly waltz into multi million dollar homes and quickly shout out TEAR DOWN as they stand next to the owner... "Frick and Frack" as I call them , the past middle-aged male couple duo realtors from la pressa area love to do this, in matching 80s brooks brothers , I watched as they flew by the owner at an open house and insync turned to each other....shouted out "tear down" and quickly left the house in matching step...yes the house was tacky but so were their actions............

Anonymous said...

The City will be glad when it sells. She owned the house so long, probably paying minimal taxes. Wonder if they have any assets besides the house.

Anonymous said...

While it is a nice house that needs some updating,the late and great Elizabeth Taylor's house is just down the street (700 block of Nimes-do not be bothering them) for almost half the price and in better shape (not as nice of view but grounds are impeccable and is slightly larger by 600 sf)

Otherwords overpriced by 6-8 million (lowside).

Anonymous said...
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