Most film aficionados don’t likely consider the 1981 movie “Stripes” a trailblazer. But that’s the fact, Jack! The Ivan Reitman-directed comedy, which just celebrated its 41st birthday in June, tells the story of indolent taxi driver/“typical low-life character” John Winger (Bill Murray), who joins the United States Army on a whim along with his best friend, inept ESL teacher Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis).
Though silly, raunchy and certainly problematic at times, especially when looked at through a 2022 lens, the film, as described by Military.com, was one of the first of its kind, “released at a moment when theaters were still flooded with angsty dramas focused on the fallout from the Vietnam War.” Showcasing the Army in a positive light while hilariously poking fun at its many bureaucratic protocols along the way, “Stripes” became a veritable hit, earning a whopping $85 million at the box office, thereby paving the way for countless others like it, from “Good Morning, Vietnam” to “Renaissance Man” to “Sgt. Bilko” to even “Tropic Thunder.”
“Stripes” also has the distinction of being one of the first films to make use of a Steadicam! Invented by Garrett Brown in 1975 and now a standard fixture on productions of every kind, the then-revolutionary camera was utilized to capture the flick’s famed graduation sequence, with Brown seamlessly shooting right alongside Murray and his fellow castmates as they completed a rousing and rapidly-moving two-and-a-half-minute marching step routine. Yes, “Stripes” was indeed a trailblazer!
And now a house from the comedy classic has just hit the market!
Set at various far-flung locales, including Italy, Germany, Czechoslovakia and the fictional Fort Arnold military base, filming mainly took place in the Louisville, Kentucky area. Fort Knox, a historic base situated on the outskirts of Muldraugh, stood in for Fort Arnold, the movie’s central location where John and his fellow recruits attend basic training. The Czechoslovakia segment, where John and Russell daringly rescue their comrades, was lensed at the former Chapeze Distillery (now owned by Beam Suntory, of Jim Beam fame) in Clermont. And the early scene in which Winger abandons both his cab and its ornery passenger mid-ride was captured on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in Louisville.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light A handful of scenes were also completed in Los Angeles. The German castle that John and Russell vacate their Italian post to visit is the oft-filmed Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The exterior of the Pom Pom bar can be found at 512 S. Main St. in downtown L.A. And the brick Colonial-style home belonging to General Barnicke (Robert J. Wilke) in the film, though purported to be situated on the grounds of Fort Arnold, is actually located at 801 Devon Ave. in Westwood, just steps from the Los Angeles Country Club and a few blocks from both The Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. And it can now be yours!
Featuring five bedrooms (all en-suite) and six baths in 4,720 square feet, the pad, repped by Ari Afshar and Kira Gould of Compass, is priced to sell! While Zillow estimates its current worth at a mortar’s shot above $8 million, it is being offered for a cool $7,995,000. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light Along with the dwelling’s celebrated film history comes quite a Hollywood pedigree! Per the listing information, the pad was initially built in 1931 for Edmund Lowe, the acclaimed actor with more than 120 films under his belt best known for playing 1st Sgt. Harry Quirt in 1926’s “What Price Glory?” At the time of its construction, Lowe was married to Lilyan Tashman, a movie star/fashionista whom newspaper articles of the day dubbed “the screen’s sartorial queen,” “the sartorial arbiter of Hollywood,” and “Hollywood’s best-dressed woman.” Tashman, who passed away at the young age of 37 just three years after the home was completed, was also famous for her weekly dinner parties. As journalist Adela Rogers St. Johns chronicled in a San Francisco Examiner write-up, “An invitation to one of Lil’s Sunday night suppers, where you would meet a few – a very few always – of the most brilliant artists in America if they happened to be in Hollywood, were more coveted than invitations to Pickfair.” It is unclear how long Edmund continued to live on the premises following Tashman’s untimely passing, though a 1941 Los Angeles Times real estate advertisement reported that “an actor moved out” of the property in January of that year. That actor was most likely Lowe.
The stately Colonial has only changed hands on a few occasions since, with the current listing marking the first time it has been up for grabs in over a decade! Following its last sale in 2009 for $2.6 million, the residence underwent an extensive remodel and expansion. The updated property offers an exquisite mix of historic charm and modern comfort.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light Razzle-dazzle abounds inside, with high ceilings, sweeping archways, broad moldings and hardwood flooring peppered throughout. The oversized and abundant living spaces include a family room lined with a gorgeous custom built-in, an office, a den with a bar set-up, a step-down living room with a retractable glass wall that offers access to a covered dining patio and a formal dining room that sits open to both the entry foyer and the kitchen.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light The latter, an eat-in enclave complete with Miele appliances, a professional Wolf cooktop and a center island, is awash with flush white cabinetry and sleek black and gray counters.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light Outside, the tiered backyard is a true retreat featuring a built-in BBQ, a custom-designed pool with a water feature and plenty of lawn and patio space.
There is also a three-car garage on the premises with bonus space for storage – and you know what that means! There’s plenty of room to house any EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicles you may have on hand!
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Image Credit: Google The residence only appears once in “Stripes.” It is there that John and Russell venture late one night to party with their love interests, Military Police officers Stella Hansen (P.J. Soles) and Louise Cooper (Sean Young), while General Barnicke is out of town.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light The film made use of the estate’s handsome exterior, as well as its interior, including the entry, the kitchen and the living room.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light Though the latter has since been remodeled, the brick fireplace partially visible in the scene in which Russell and Louise play a game of Force Field remains intact, as does the decorative boiserie lining the walls, rendering the room thoroughly recognizable from its cameo four decades ago!
Incredibly, the red and white velvet damask couch and floral curtains featured in the segment were also still in place up until the 2009 sale and can clearly be seen in the MLS images from the time!
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Image Credit: Columbia Pictures Don’t go looking for General Barnicke’s bedroom on the premises, though. In an unusual twist, the segment purported to take place in that space was actually repurposed from a cut bit in which John, Russell and the girls are shown frolicking at the German castle. This becomes immediately clear to anyone watching the extended cut of the movie, which includes the complete German scenes and features John and Stella cavorting in the very same floral-wallpapered spot that posed as the General’s bedroom just a few minutes prior!
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light The home’s actual owners’ suite is much brighter and far more contemporary than its onscreen counterpart. Lined with single-sash windows, the serene space is outfitted with thick moldings, a private terrace and his-and-her walk-in closets.
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Image Credit: Todd Goodman, LA Light Frosted to perfection thanks to an abundance of white marble, tile and cabinetry, the attached bath offers a spa-like experience with an oversized double vanity, standalone tub and walk-in shower with bench seating.
801 Devon Ave. is a star through and through! As Afshar tells Dirt, “Houses like these don’t come along very often. This property is filled with Hollywood history, offers incredible curb appeal and a superior location. It’s a shining star in a market starved for a really special home.”