A Los Angeles estate with a putting green, a bowling alley and a list of previous residents that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood is now asking $19.995 million after a $3 million discount earlier this week.
The gated compound, designed by Paul Williams, was built in 1941 for Bert Lahr, who is best known for starring as the Cowardly Lion in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.”
In the decades after, actress Betty Grable; musician Harry James; Paul McCartney; Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith; and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, have all reportedly called the property home.
“When you have such a Hollywood history, it really is a part of its legacy,” said Aaron Kirman, who has the listing with colleagues Kirby Gillon and Bryce Lowe of AKG Christie’s International Real Estate.
Many of those big names rented the property from owner Guy Attal, the head of fashion label Fabrizio Gianni, who acquired the 15,505-square-foot spread for $2.55 million in 1999, records show. He couldn’t be reached for comment.
After years of being a landlord—and bringing in anything from between $120,000 and $300,000 per month, Kirman said—Attal is ready to part with the home, having first listed it in June for $22.995 million, listing records show.
“The house has been very emotional to let go of, he loves the house,” Kirman said. “Today he’s ready to let it go, it’s why he’s agreed to reduce it.”
The seven-bedroom main house is fitted with features including a living area with vaulted ceilings, a media room with a wet bar, a wine cellar, two staff rooms and two primary bedroom suites.
There are plenty of amenities outside, too, like the outdoor kitchen, pool and spa, tennis court, koi pond, sports court and putting green. Nestled next to the tennis court is a structure that holds the games room and vintage-inspired two-lane bowling alley, plus there’s a separate guest house with a private entrance and two bedrooms, the listing said.
Not only does the property have a Hollywood history but also an architectural one.
“The fact that it’s Paul Williams [designed] is super significant,” Kirman said. “He has a legacy like no other, especially in L.A.” In 1923, Williams became the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects.
Plus, the well-equipped compound delivers “that true resort lifestyle that you don’t often get in L.A.,” he added. “It’s really hard to get all of that, and that leads to its je ne sais quoi.”