Los Angeles is a city built on change, especially when it comes to real estate. Tear-downs, overhauls, and remodels are all too common in this vast skyline – as blatantly evidenced by the recent razing of mid-century gem LACMA. So, to come across a spot that has remained largely intact for decades is rare, to say the least. Such is the case with the West Hollywood bungalow Natalie Wood called home while on the cusp of early stardom. I gleaned the residence’s location from “Natalie Wood: The Complete Biography,” Suzanne Finstad’s recently updated tome (originally published as “Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood”), which I devoured in about a week and then immediately went back and re-read.
One look at the pad on Google Street View showed it in a heavily fenced-off and foliage-covered state. Outside of some mauve trim and a small crenelated section of roofline peeking above the hedges, not much appeared to be visible to passersby, so I didn’t especially take note of it. But while later perusing some of Wood’s early photoshoots, I was astonished to spot the very same roofline behind Natalie in a 1945 “Life” magazine image! Further digging led me to some 2014 MLS pics that gave me more up-close-and-personal views of the place. I was thrilled to see that, despite a vibrant paint job, the facade looks pretty much the same as it did when Natalie resided there more than seven decades ago!
Natalie, then known as Natasha Gurdin, moved to the tiny bungalow with her parents and older sister, Olga, in early 1945. The youngster hadn’t done much in the way of acting at the time, but after landing a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stint dropping an ice cream cone in the opening scene of 1943’s “Happy Land,” shot in her native Northern California, her mother, Maria, and father, Nick, sold the family home, packed up their belongings, and headed straight to Hollywood, where Maria was convinced Natalie would become a star.
Upon arriving in Tinseltown, stars firmly set in Maria’s eyes, the group bunked in the Fountain Avenue apartment of a former dance teacher of Olga’s for about six months before eventually settling into the two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,091-square-foot WeHo pad.
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Image Credit: Lindsay Blake It was while living in the Spanish-style house that Natalie landed her first big role as Austrian refugee Margaret Ludwig in 1946’s “Tomorrow Is Forever” and where, at the insistence of International Studio execs, she went from being Natasha Gurdin to the much more marquee-friendly Natalie Wood. And, it was also here that, in late 1945, she was famously captured by “Life” magazine photographer Martha Holmes for one of her first publicity shoots. The young sprite was still a few months away from the release of “Tomorrow Is Forever” and two years from her star-making turn in “Miracle on 34th Street,” but she lit up Holmes’ camera nonetheless.
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Image Credit: Lindsay Blake Donning pigtails and various girly ensembles, Natalie gamely posed swinging from a rope in her backyard, drawing on a chalkboard in her bedroom, romping in the backyard with her cat Voska, and, in the one that caught my eye, watering her front lawn with her mother looking on from the porch. As evidenced in the image, aside from the fence and hedge additions, few changes have been made to the property since the “Life” shoot. Though a portico is now attached to the eastern side of the house, it is otherwise still very recognizable as the spot where 7-year-old Natalie stood, hose in hand, 75 years ago!
The Gurgins vacated the property in the fall of 1946, relocating to a larger pad in Burbank. With Natalie’s star on the rise and the recent arrival of Maria and Nick’s youngest child, Lana, the family needed more room.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Today, the 1923 dwelling sits on a tiny 0.08-acre lot and boasts hardwood flooring, plantation shutters, a security system and motorized skylights. Inside, there’s a den, a master bedroom with two closets and a guest suite with a private patio. And outside, in the rear garden, there’s a built-in BBQ, a storage room, a garage-turned-guest-house, and built-in A/V equipment (for nights in watching Natalie Wood movies, perhaps?).
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The kitschy pad exudes a decidedly Southwestern aura, with sundials, teal accents, and cacti peeking around virtually every corner.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The 2014 listing notes the place as being “eclectic” and “whimsical.” That’s certainly one way to put it.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com There is definitely a lot going on there, including an out-in-the-open toilet situation in the converted garage.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The bungalow was much more subdued during the Gurgins’ tenure. Per a 1995 “Los Angeles Times” ad, the home was “completely redone and modernized” sometime in the early ‘90s. During the reno, the kitchen appears to have been opened up and the original built-ins removed, as you can see in this photo from the “Life” shoot as compared to the MLS image above taken from virtually the same angle.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The unique property actually boasts another claim to fame! It is currently owned by none other than cutie country crooner (and, ironically enough, “Tomorrow Is Forever” singer) Dolly Parton, who purchased it in 2007. Though she tried to offload the place in 2014, the listing was removed after just a few months. So it appears she is responsible for the colorful furnishings visible in the MLS pics. She certainly worked longer than “9 to 5” on that decorating job!
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Image Credit: Lindsay Blake Despite the scant size, Realtor.com estimates the home’s current worth at over $1.6 million! Some people would shell that out just for the Dolly Parton/Natalie Wood connections alone, though! No? Just me?
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