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Later, the home was acquired by Sammy Davis Jr., who expanded the property to its present size. Throughout the home, traces of these famous inhabitants have been preserved and put on display so that their presence can be felt throughout. Coined Twin Palms, it was also known as Frank Sinatra’s home in the desert (if those walls could talk, honey!). Located at 1148 East Alejo Rd, it is a mid-century modern house in the Movie Colony–El Mirador neighborhood of Palm Springs, California according to this website.

The structural integrity of the pool and pool house remains; they carry the same footprint as when Davis designed them. The pool is an unusual round yet rectangular shape because he insisted there not be any sharp edges or any square corners. Davis was known for being an extremely detailed and conscientious planner and, as such, there is no aspect of his architectural creation that was left to chance. Right off of this downstairs living room is a bedroom that was originally occupied by Liza Minnelli when she lived here with her parents. On the opposite wall are built-in, floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
Welcome to Hollywood House, Home to Some of Tinseltown’s Most Iconic Stars
Tom McDonald agreed to drive Helen’s car, at least as far as possible. On or about November 18, 1954, Thomas paid for his share of the trip, thanked the ladies, and departed. From the great room, a living room with a fireplace leads to steps up to the dining room. Both the living and dining rooms have substantial windows so that the view below is never out of sight.

It’s a fancy car, with all kinds of chrome and bullet-shaped decorations, including a large one in the center of the steering wheel’s horn ring. Once Frank arrived on the scene, so did most of the other Rat Pack members, including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Soon all sorts of Hollywood socialites, movie stars, heads of state, mafia bosses and more followed and the town was never the same. And to other cyclists I’m guiding through the neighborhoods. I didn’t want to run up to the gate and stick my phone through the fence to get a better photo. Just trust me, this house is everything you’d expect of Katharine the Great.
The Road to Fame and Fortune
Everyone from Lucy and Desi to Ginger Rodgers to Bing Crosby to Liberace all owned vacation homes in the area during their prime. Being as how it’s a short jaunt from Los Angeles, Palm Springs and its surrounding areas gave celebrities respite from the bright lights of cameras and flashbulbs. Bannister and his guides sweeten these outings with stellar bon mots and an authentic desire to share a wealth of the valley’s celebrity history.
There’s actually a great big wall around this place, bigger than what you’d find at most prisons. But I jumped really high, held my phone up in the air and hoped for the best. I’ve heard a lot of people say this home is tacky, but I think it’s a charming, unapologetic throwback. Living here would be like having Tomorrowland in your living room. I already knew this central Palm Springs neighborhood is home to swanky digs and architectural gems.
Oro Grande Days 2016: A Ghost Town Comes Alive
The desert is the setting for my next book – found your blog while doing some research. I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour of iconic tour of Celebrity Homes Palm Springs Edition, and look forward to visiting other celebrity homes very soon. Since this desert city was famous for having many celebrity residents, Elvis would often run into other entertainers in Palm Springs. “We’d find ourselves hanging out for a night at Liberace’s house, or riding around in a Rolls-Royce Elvis had borrowed from Sammy Davis Jr., at Sammy’s insistence,” Jerry Schilling recalled.

The eccentric singer was said to have taken to living in the garage at one point. Doctor Hill continued to practice well into his 80s, and regularly received gifts from the very grateful singer, dancer, Hollywood actor and Las Vegas celebrity. After being rushed to San Bernardino Community Hospital, Sammy was attended to by Doctor Fredrick Hull, the best eye specialist in town. Realizing her mistake, Helen put her car in reverse, and drove backwards, off Kendall Drive, and onto Route 66.
The Day Sammy Met Helen: Destiny in San Bernardino
The overall look of the pool house is modern yet classically chic. Black and white photos on the wall sit well with the monochrome interior. In this space, you can easily imagine being at a fabulous party attended by the Rat Pack and the glamorous Hollywood set.

When Francis Albert, “Frank,” Sinatra talks, everybody listens. The dancer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, impressionist, comedian and member of the legendary "Rat Pack" once lived here.
Through the front door and down a few steps, the foyer opens into the great room, a large open space with maple floors and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the hills. A balcony off the great room provides for sweeping vistas of the hills around and the city below. Throughout this space and the rest of the house, as much of the original ironwork, flooring and design has been preserved. The original owner, Judy Garland, would still feel very much at home here. This five bedroom, seven and a half bath home has 6, 100-square-feet of living space and is nestled on a 13, 000-square-foot lot. Built in 1944, it was first occupied by Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli.

They passed by Devore Heights, approaching the community of Verdemont, as they headed to San Bernardino and then Van Nuys. Ever since Helen’s husband, a former Akron Chief of Police, died in 1940, she shared her time between Ohio and California, with a few pleasure cruises thrown in for good measure. Sammy Davis Jr. was on his way to an unscheduled meeting with a 72-year-old widow by the name of Helen Boss, in the small San Bernardino community of Verdemont, along the Mother Road. It’s a cool desert evening on November 18, 1954, and the day’s show is over at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the emerging Las Vegas Strip. Built in 1966, Lord Fletcher’s was another place Sinatra couldn’t stay away from.
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