Movie Houses That We Love

A little something you may or may not know about me…. I am a huge movie buff. I also love well made TV, Theater, Books, and really any good storytelling in a variety of formats. In addition to loving a great story, I have always been swept away into the settings within films. While set design and decoration is truly a fantastical art form, in this months blog I am going to focus on some of the movie houses that I have fallen in love with over the years that actually exist in real life beyond a soundstage (although I may need to sneak in a few honorable mentions of fictional houses at the end… and if there is interest in a part two focussed on homes designed JUST for movies let me know!). Location scouting is an enormously important part of film making, and one that we as the audience often overlook. Sometimes however the home is SO perfect that it becomes a character in the story in its own right, or draws you in so much that you can imagine yourself living in that space. Here are a few of my favorites, let me know what are some of yours!

Back To The Future

Before his family mansion burned down and Doc Brown had to move into his garage, he lived in a breathtaking Arts & Crafts style home in Hill Valley California. In reality, the setting for Doc Browns home is the Gamble House in Pasadena CA. Built from 1908-1909 and Designed by Greene & Greene (two of the most influential architects of the Arts & Crafts movement) this 8000 square foot home served as a winter home for David and Mary Gamble (Proctor and Gamble) but is now a California Historic Landmark and is open to the public for tours.

CLUE

Hill House, a mysterious manor in upstate New York and the setting for Clue (1985) is actually the Max Busch House in Pasadena California. While most of the interiors from the movie were shot on a soundstage, I fell in love with this house as soon as Prof Plum’s Purple Pontiac (say that 5 times fast!) pulled into the driveway. This 21 bedroom Tudor Manor house was built in 1929 and was designed by Paul Revere Williams who was the first black member of the American Institute of Architects. Sadly in 2005 the Max Busch House was destroyed by a fire (I am pretty sure it was Mrs Peacock with the candlestick)

Home Alone

This 5,400 brick colonial was built in 1920. With 10 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms it’s not surprising the Mccallisters could host the entire extended family before boarding their flight to Paris. In reality, the Mccallister home is located in Winnetka IL just 20 miles north of Chicago and was most recently sold in 2012 for $1,585,000. In todays market this property is worth almost $2,500,000

Under the Tuscan Sun

I’ll be honest… Under the Tuscan Sun is not my normal type of movie, that said by the end of it I was ready to hop a flight to Italy and to live my best life in the Italian countryside. Villa Laura, the traditional Tuscan estate where UTTS was filmed dates back to the 17th century and is just outside of Cortona Tuscany. There are three buildings with 10 bedrooms on the property and is currently available to rent for retreats or vacations (who wants to go?)

Mrs. Doubtfire

With 3,300 square feet of space, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 kids and a job as the CEO of her company it’s no wonder Miranda Hillard needed to hire extra help to manage this beautiful San Francisco Victorian. This 1893 home does actually sit in S.F. on Steiner St and is still a private residence. It sold in 2016 for just over $4,000,000 and still attracts fans taking their pictures outside daily.

The Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby’s epic jazz age mansion was brought to life in the 1974 film at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport RI. Rosecliff is currently one of the cliffwalk mansions open for regular tours as well as being available to rent for private events. It has the largest ballroom in Newport and expansive gardens overlooking sheep point cove.

The Big Lebowski

The Sheats-Goldstein Residence has shown up in many films and television shows over the years but received the most attention in The Big Lebowski. This modernist home was designed and built in the early 1960s in Los Angeles by architect John Lautner to be an “extension of nature” to the surrounding landscape.