Dodgers co-owner eyes $15 million for famed W.C. Fields estate
Hollywood history is up for grabs in Los Feliz, where the W.C. Fields estate — a 101-year-old Italianate mansion where the namesake comedian lived in the 1940s — just hit the market for $15 million.
Built in 1920, the architectural gem has housed multiple celebrities since Fields including “Pay It Forward” actor Gary Werntz and “Grace and Frankie” star Lily Tomlin. Today, it’s owned by Bobby Patton, the Texas oil magnate who co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. Records show he picked up the property for $7 million in 2013.
The leafy residence covers two-thirds of an acre in Laughlin Park, a gated enclave home to stars such as Angelina Jolie, Casey Affleck, Emma Roberts and Kristen Stewart.
It centers on a romantic home still in touch with its original design; across 8,000 square feet are carved stone columns, stained glass windows, arched doorways, colorful tile and coved ceilings. According to the listing, the antique mahogany panels come from a Spanish monastery.
“The original owner outbid William Randolph Hearst for the wood, who wanted it for Hearst Castle,” said co-listing agent Michael Maguire.
The home’s main highlight comes in the solarium, a dramatic combination of copper and glass that takes in views of the surrounding gardens and Griffith Park. Elsewhere are four bedrooms, five bathrooms and modern amenities such as a gym, wine cellar and movie theater.
Terraces, balconies and courtyards extend the living space outside, taking in views of the landscaped grounds that descend to a swimming pool and cabana at the edge of the estate.
Patton is part of Guggenheim Baseball Management, the ownership group that purchased the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in 2012. Other members of the group include businessman Mark Walter, film producer Peter Guber and Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Michael Maguire and Victoria Massengale of Compass hold the listing.
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