Grand Neoclassical villa in Holmby Hills sells for $20.75 million

A Holmby Hills mansion owned by the late Elizabeth Keck, the former wife of Standard Oil Co. heir Howard B. Keck, has sold for $20.75 million.

Set behind gates and hedges, the Neoclassical villa-style opens to a marble-lined foyer anchored by a curving artistic staircase. Beyond the entry is a receiving room that opens to a living room with a fireplace.

A library, an office, a formal dining room and a lower-level family room also lie within more than 10,000 square feet of refined living space. The master suite — one of six bedrooms and nine bathrooms — is on the first floor and has doors that open to a lush garden setting.

An additional two bedrooms are situated in the guest house, which sits across from the swimming pool. Spouting fountain features, reflection pools, lawn and specimen trees complete the manicured grounds.

Elizabeth Keck, who died last year at 96, appeared in a handful of films in the late 1940s under the stage name Bettye Avery. Later in life, she was known as an ardent Francophile and collector of French tapestries, paintings and other rare antiquities.

She acquired the property in 1991, records show. Prior to that, it was owned by Verna Harrah, the late widow of hotel and casino magnate William F. Harrah.

The sale is among the highest publicly recorded in the area this year, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

Jeff Hyland and Rick Hilton of Hilton & Hyland, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, were the listing agents. Drew Fenton, also with Hilton & Hyland, represented the buyer.

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