The Sol Wurtzel House at 10539 Bellagio Road is a house designed by

Wallace Neff Edwin Wallace Neff (January 28, 1895 – June 8, 1982) was an architect based in Southern California and was largely responsible for developing the region's distinct architectural style referred to as "California" style. Neff was a student of ...

for the film producer Sol M. Wurtzel and his wife, Marian. It is situated on Bellagio Road, in Bel Air, Los Angeles. Neff received the commission in 1930 and the house was completed in 1932. It was set over a 1.5 acre site, and was 9,000 sq ft in size in 1991. The house is designed in a semicircle which fits the natural contour of the terrain. The house has two distinctive staircases which lead from the principal rooms of the house to a large terrace and tennis court. The main entrance to the house is framed by an elaborate a pair Corinthian columns two storeys in height topped with a broken

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

and urn. Neff designed all rooms to "have at least two exposures opening onto wide loggias and terraces which overlook the gardens and on beyond to the sea" to enhance the views from the property. The house is 180 ft in length and situated on a 1.5 acre site that overlooks the

Bel-Air Country Club The Bel-Air Country Club is a social club located in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. The property includes an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. The golf course is the home course for the UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic team ...

. A large terrace and loggia with swimming pool was added by Neff to the west side of the house in 1939. A library and four bedrooms were situated on the second floor at the time of its construction, it had five bedrooms and seven bathrooms at the time of its 2019 sale with separate staff and guest rooms. The house was modelled by Neff on the

Villa Giulia The Villa Giulia is a villa in Rome, Italy. It was built by Pope Julius III in 1551–1553 on what was then the edge of the city. Today it is publicly owned, and houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, a collection of Etruscan art and artifacts. Hi ...

Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola ( , , ; 1 October 15077 July 1573), often simply called Vignola, was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Churc ...

for

Pope Julius III Pope Julius III ( la, Iulius PP. III; it, Giulio III; 10 September 1487 – 23 March 1555), born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 February 1550 to his death in March 155 ...

. Kevin Starr praises the "splendiferous theatricality" of the house in his 1991 book ''Material Dreams: Southern California Through the 1920s''. Wurtzel's wife, Marian, decorated the house with reproduction antique furniture and English silver and crystal chandeliers sourced from Italy. The physic and astrologer Anthony Norvell acquired the house for $125,000 in 1953 (). It was the home of the British actor

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

in the 1950s; Owen sold it to Dolly Green in 1962. Green was the last surviving child of Burton Green, the co-founder of Beverly Hills. Green lived in the house from the early 1970s until her death in 1991. It was sold for $4.78 million in 1991 () to the television producer

William J. Bell William Joseph Bell (March 6, 1927 – April 29, 2005) was an American screenwriter and television producer, best known as the creator of the soap operas '' Another World'', ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. Ea ...

, having previously been offered at $6.9 million. It was bought by businessman

Jay Stein Jay Stein was the Chairman and CEO of the MCA ( Music Corporation of America) Recreation Services Group. He was responsible for expanding the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour, opening the Universal Amphitheatre, and founding the amusement park Uni ...

in 2019 for $31 million having been on the market since 2018 with an asking price of $37.5 million.

References

External links

Huntingdon Library - Maynard L. Parker's images of the Sol Wurtzel House
{{Coord, 34, 5, 0, N, 118, 26, 32, W, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Houses completed in 1932 Houses in Los Angeles Wallace Neff buildings Bel Air, Los Angeles