STACK #155 Sep 2017

EXTRAS FEATURE

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Horowitz, his neo-Gothic fantasy was loosely styled on a magnificent castle he had seen in the Loire Valley whilst on vacation in France. Designed as a residential apartment complex, constructed entirely of steel and concrete, it was Los Angeles' first earthquake proof building. Erected on a hillside above Sunset Boulevard (which at the time was just a dirt road), its angular slated roof, spires and turrets dominated the skyline. The complex’s wide driveway opened onto For over eight decades, the L-shaped "hotel to the stars" bore silent witness to innumerable wild parties... and more than a few tragedies an unkempt side road; hidden amongst the sagebrush and tumbleweed was a signpost which identified the road as Marmont Lane. Horowitz thought it sounded suitably French, and christened his multi-storey apartment building The Chateau Marmont. In fact, the narrow lane had been named after the silent screen actor Percy Marmont, who had enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom during the early days of Hollywood. Little remembered today, the handsome London- born actor had starred opposite a number of 1920s leading ladies including Clara Bow in Mantrap .  The Chateau Marmont officially opened for inspection in February 1929. Its rich interiors

HISTORY The of

CHATEAU MARMONT 8221 Sunset Boulevard

Part 1

The Chateau Marmont as it looks today

C olumbia Pictures studio head, Harry Cohn, was a notorious figure in Hollywood, known for his ferocious temper, offensive language and general crassness. Summoned to Cohn’s office in early 1939, two newly contracted young actors were left waiting for over an hour in an outer office – a conscious intimidation tactic that Cohn used on all visitors. Finally, a secretary admitted William Holden and Glenn Ford into the movie mogul’s inner sanctum where he proceeded to bark at them the do’s and don’ts of their movie contracts. In conclusion, Cohn then famously said “If you must get in trouble,

do it at the Chateau Marmont”. What he was referring to was the Los Angeles celebrity hotel of choice, which stars would use as a safe haven to escape intrusive media surveillance. With its incredibly thick soundproofed walls, discreet private entrances and highly protective staff, this luxurious hotel became the ideal hangout for Hollywood’s A-list. For over eight decades the L–shaped “hotel to the stars” bore silent witness to innumerable wild parties, hundreds of assignations, and more than a few tragedies. A dream project conceived in 1927 by prominent Los Angeles attorney Fred

The man who unknowingly lent his name to the hotel – actor Percy Marmont, seen here with Clara Bow in Mantrap  (1926)

of rare woods, extravagantly tiled floors and stained glass windows attracted many of Los Angeles’ business elite. Subsequently, over the following months, most of the seven floors of apartments had been signed up as

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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