There really is no film or tourist camera that hasn’t captured Sunset Strip's infamous Comedy Store while pounding one of LA’s most famous Boulevards. Sited on the West end of the Strip the notably black, signature-adorned locale is beloved by residents and visitors alike. So when next standing in line glance up, and there you will see Cresthill, a stunning Spanish Colonial Estate, a property that truly rounds out this comedy duo, the Stan Laurel to Oliver Hardy as it were, a home with an illustrious past who’s walls don’t just ‘talk’ but echo belly laughs throughout the already notorious streets below.
Originally built in 1925, and acquired along with the Comedy Store by owner Mitzi Shore in 1978, this remarkable residence has played host to comedic luminaries such as Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and many others who shaped the entertainment landscape of the 1970s and 1980s. Rich with the legacy of Hollywood's comedy renaissance Cresthill sheltered, literally, a slew of Shore’s stand-ups, lovingly described as a ‘crash pad’ㅡalbeit one with unmatched balconies and city viewsㅡthis unlikely property peacocked above the Strip yet shared a reputation perhaps only out-matched by the antics on display at the Château Marmont...
In the 40s-50s the property was reportedly part of Ciro's, William Wilkerson’s famously revered supper club (which later became the Comedy Store), and was rumored to have hosted after-parties for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Milton Berle, and Redd Foxx. While this glitterati shined urban lore touts that Wilkerson’s more unsavory friends, the Mob, often used the home for illicit poker games and general debauchery, even posting a lookout for cops enacting raids. While unfounded, it is during this time that talk of a secret tunnel from the house to the club swirled, while no escape route remains, a trap door does, and seeing as Wilkerson went on to open The Flamingo in Las Vegas which was then wrestled from him by Bugsy Seigel, a tunnel doesn't seem too far fetched.
Cresthill isn't just a home; it's a lovingly restored piece of Hollywood's past, where the magic of the entertainment industry still lingers in the air. The home's architectural integrity pays homage to the era with classic arched doorways, coved ceilings, a unique bank of ribbon windows, and an original fireplace anchoring the great rooms. Cresthill is ready for its new steward, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create your own history in this storied Hollywood home.
5BD 7BA, 4,629 sqft on 7,514 sqft lot | Offered at $3,699,999. View More
8420 Cresthill Rd is represented exclusively by James Harris, Michelle Ficarra & David Parnes | Bond Street Partners at Carolwood Estates.
