The Wall St.Journal 28Feb2020

M2| Friday, February 28, 2020 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

selling the

property be-

cause he is not

spending

enough time

there. He said

he has been

based primarily

in Europe over

the past year,

thanks to work

and family com-

mitments. He said he feels a re-

sponsibility to make sure the prop-

erty remains in responsible hands.

“They’re living art pieces and

it’s important to keep them in mint

condition,” he said of Mr. Neutra’s

remaining homes. “They’re a part

of the soul of the city.”

Listing agent Billy Rose of The

Agency said there is plenty of de-

mand in the Los Angeles area for

historically significant homes. An-

other Neutra house, owned by de-

signer Tom Ford and located in

Bel-Air, sold for roughly $20 mil-

lion last year, he noted.

FOR SALE

$15

MILLION

Three

bedrooms,

ocean views,

swimming pool,

guest house

with yoga room

MARC ANGELES (4); LAUREN HURLEY/PA WIRE/ZUMA PRESS (FORSTER); EVERETT COLLECTION (STEN)

I

n the early 1930s, American

movie mogul Samuel Gold-

wyn spotted Ukranian ac-

tress Anna Sten in a series

of German films and re-

cruited her to Hollywood, where

he hoped she would become a ri-

val to screen siren Greta Garbo.

Billed as the “Russian Garbo,”

Ms. Sten never rose to the same

levels of fame as the Swedish

Garbo. But she and her husband,

film producer

Eugene Frenke,

left a perma-

nent mark on

Hollywood in

the form of a

modern house

on the Santa

Monica coast

designed by fel-

low emigre Richard Neutra, then a

rising star in architecture.

That house, owned today by

German-born Hollywood director,

writer and producer Marc Forster,

is now coming on the market, ask-

ing $15 million.

At the time of its completion

around 1934, the simple Euro-

pean-style modern house sat on a

double lot but

occupied only

half of it. The

white stucco

property had a

silver-gray

trim and de-

signers mar-

veled at the

amount of con-

tinuous rib-

bons of glass

that sur-

rounded the home’s balloon

frame, giving it the look of mod-

ern concrete houses in France and

Germany.

It won first prize in the 1934

House Beautiful competition—the

first modern house ever to win

that award, according to the book,

“The Architecture of Richard Neu-

tra: From International Style to

California Modern,” by Arthur

Drexler and Thomas S. Hines.

The property also appeared in

the 2002 movie “Laurel Canyon,”

which starred Christian Bale and

Kate Beckinsale, as the home of

Mr. Bale’s character’s music-pro-

ducer mother, played by Frances

McDormand.

The home has undergone sev-

eral renovations over the years. A

previous owner tapped the cele-

brated architecture firm Marmol

Radziner to update it. Mr. Forster,

who bought the house for $4.7

million in 2009, said he spent an-

other roughly $4 million to reno-

vate the main house and build an

additional guest house on the

property, designed by Johnston

Marklee.

The three-bedroom main house

has a large living room with a

brick fireplace and wraparound

windows, an

ovular dining

room that juts

out into the

garden, a mas-

ter suite with

sweeping

ocean views

and an office.

The property

also includes a

large pool.

Mr. Forster’s design of the

guest house, which includes a hot

yoga room and two additional

bedrooms, took its cues from the

original Neutra house, with a long

ovular design with windows that

wrap around the structure; Mr.

Forster examined Mr. Neutra’s

original architectural plans for the

house to determine the best mate-

rials to use. He also drilled into

the ground to provide thermal en-

ergy for the home.

“When I visited the house for

the first time, the sun was setting

over the Pacific and it was so

magical,” Mr. Forster said. “You’re

exposed to so much stress every

day and coming home here is like

coming back to a sanctuary. It has

this calming effect.”

Mr. Forster said he was also in-

spired by the home’s origin story.

“She was an immigrant and so am

I,” he said of Ms. Sten. “You come

here to pursue your dreams.”

Mr. Forster, who grew up in

Switzerland and has directed

blockbuster films like the James

Bond film “Quantum of Solace,”

“The Kite Runner” and “World War

Z,” starring Brad Pitt, said he is

A Historic Home With Ocean Views

Paid $4.7 million in 2009.

Spent $4 million to renovate.

BYKATHERINECLARKE

Director Marc

Forster bought

the house in

partbecauseof

its origin story.

First owner

Ukranian

actress Anna

Sten was an

immigrant like

him.

The home

dates to 1934.

This property is listed for sale by Darren Weiner (#BK3186150) of Celebrity Advisors (#CQ1053011) – 450 Alton    

  

   



 



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AUCTION

NO RESERVE

Previously Offered for $9.875M.

SELLING TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER,

REGARDLESS OF PRICE.

In cooperation with:

Listed by Darren Weiner (#BK3186150) of Celebrity Advisors

ConciergeAuctions.com | +1 646.760.7823

LAKEFRONT

LUXURY ESTATE

211 CAPTAINS WATCH

LEXINGTON, SC

This property is listed for sale by Rhett Kelly, sales associate, (LIC # OFC 283), with SV Real Estate (LIC #86844), PH: (803) 359-9571. Elite Auctions is a marketing service provider for auctions and is not a licensed real

estate broker. The auction services referred to herein are not available to residents of any state where prohibited byapplicable state law. Elite Auctions, its agents and affiliates, broker partners, auctioneer, and sellers do not warrant

or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information and shall have no liability for errors or omissions orinaccuracies under any circumstances in this or any other property listings or advertising, promotional or publicity

statements and materials. This is not meant as a solicitation for listings. Brokers are protected and encouraged toparticipate. All bidders are required to pre-register for each property auction in accordance with the Terms and

Conditions. Equal Housing Opportunity. James Gall, Jr., is a South Carolina-licensed auctioneer (LIC # AUC 3535).

PREVIEWS EVERY WEEKEND

1-4 PM

AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE

SATURDAY, MARCH 21 | 11AM

844.94.ELITE

EliteAuctions.com

LUXURY ESTATE

14 BINGHAM HILL RD

RUMSON, NJ

This property is listed for sale by Bruce Germinsky (LIC # 0675636), Broker-Owner with BG Realty Services(LIC # 1112528), PH: (732) 963-9813. Elite Auctions is a marketing service provider for auctions and is not a

licensed real estate broker. The auction services referred to herein are not available to residents of any state whereprohibited by applicable state law. Elite Auctions, its agents and affiliates, broker partners, auctioneer, and sellers do

not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information and shall have no liability for errors oromissions or inaccuracies under any circumstances in this or any other property listings or advertising, promotional

or publicity statements and materials. This is not meant as a solicitation for listings. Brokers are protected andencouraged to participate. All bidders are required to pre-register for each property auction in accordance with the

Terms and Conditions. Equal Housing Opportunity.

PREVIEWS EVERY WEEKEND

SAT & SUN | 1-4 PM

BEGINNING THIS SATURDAY

AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE

SATURDAY, APRIL 2 | 11 AM

844.94.ELITE

EliteAuctions.com

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