The former Palm Springs retreat of famed silent film star Harold Lloyd is on the market for $3.29 million. A spokesperson with the Louise Hampton Team, which is listing the property, says the five-bedroom, six-bathroom home was built for the star of "Safety Last" in 1925.
The 1-acre estate sits squarely in Palm Springs' famed Movie Colony. The area became popular with Hollywood heavy hitters in the 1920s and '30s. Stars including Cary Grant, Jack Benny, and Gloria Swanson and studio moguls such as David O. Selznick, Darryl F. Zanuck, and Harry Cohn built retreats there. The colony is within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs, yet the ficus tree hedges screening many of the colony's homes from public view provided the privacy early Hollywood stars desired.
The Lloyd home was extensively remodeled from 2004 to 2006 with an eye toward the Chinese philosophical system of feng shui, which seeks harmony with the surrounding environment.
The house, which now sports Asian accents, includes amenities such as a master suite with his-and-her dressing rooms and baths, a chef's kitchen, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar and tasting room, and hand-painted beams. A guest cottage shares a common area overlooking the pool and spa.
Lloyd enjoyed fine real estate. Greenacres, his 44-room mansion in Beverly Hills, is considered one of the most impressive homes ever built for a movie star. It follows that his Palm Springs getaway would also be a stunner.
Lloyd's most famous silent movie stunt saw him dangling dangerously from a clock on the side of a tall building, his future looking very uncertain. The only uncertainty the buyer of this former Lloyd home is likely to face is which part of the mansion to enjoy first.