I received E-Mail that said:
Here is a wonderful one called Wolf's Lair.....dating from the 20's, sitting way up high overlooking the Hollywood Sign.....beautifully maintained however the best view is from far away.....the color photo is the entrance and garage, but the b&w photo shows more of the main house....it is a mere hop, skip and jump from Madonna's "Castillo DeLago" and is on Durand Street......Charles Boyer, Doris Day and Erfrm Zimbalist were known to have lived here....
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
Wolf's Lair was also the home of Shelley duVal the actress and her then beau Patrick Reynolds heir to the R.J. Reynolds fortune. They were my neighbours when I and my fiance Baron Patrick deSelys-Longchamps owned the 9 story castle which you refer to as Madonna's Castillo del Lago.. Located at 6342 Mulholland Highway.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
I have plenty of information about Wolf's Lair. It was built, I believe in 1928, by my grandfather, L. Milton Wolf as his family home (hence the name). For the record, neither Doris Day nor Charles Boyer ever lived there, but Zimbalist, DuVal and Reynolds did.
I also have a request. I am looking for archival and other photos of the house (like the ones you have on your website). If there is a source for any that you know of, I would appreciate it very much.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
The guest house was designed by architect Charles Lautner. It has a "speakeasy" room below it which most likely was used during prohibition. The property sold last year for $2,900,000 and is currently selling for $3,500,000. It is on 3.32 acres and overlooks the Hollywood sign, downtown Los Angeles, Griffith Park Observatory, the Hollywood Reservoir, and the Ocean to the far West. It's not truly a castle by any means.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
Wolfs Lair was owned by Bob Crane for many years....he is a renowned dealer and restorer of landmark properties, and the author of the book..."Hollywoodland". Bob's preservationist eye and attention to meticulous detail restored this home to it's original splendor. It was built by one of the 3 developers of Hollywoodland. It is small by castle standards, but rich in detail reminiscent of Hearst Castle.
Now, Mr Wolf was a chaser of aspiring starlets, hence the secret apartment under the gatehouse. It still has the original southseas decor of the 1920's, including a bamboo piano and a couch that turns into a bed at the touch of a button. Wolf would woo the lovelies while his unsuspecting wife slept in the Castle a few hundred feet away. He would tell the cuties that he had connections in the big house and coulld possibly help their careers. What a guy.
The gatehouse is a 2 bedroom beauty inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. The living room has green rough marble floor to ceiling columns and floors that continue outside, with huge seamless panes of glass between the columns, so you feel that you are floating above the city view of Los Angeles skyscrapers and Griffith Park Observatory. The rest of the outside of the Gatehouse is in keeping with the architecture of the big house. It has its own courtyard {and privacy} with a fountain. The inside of the turret is a huge "lazy susan" storage area and pantry off the kitchen. The walls are varying colors of teak(I think) and have a foot high geometric design as the crown molding. A secret passageway leads down to the front door of the secret apartment.
The main house is just beautiful, with carved beamed ceilings (very reminiscent of H.C.) lovely winding staircases, fabulous views from every open window. Outside the dining room is a grotto waterfall (and bridge) that empties into a pool painted black so the water looks like a rich teal lagoon. A sunny, happy poolhouse and a long covered patio complete the other sides around the pool. This area looks over the lake and toward Santa Monica and the ocean. A narrow stone staircase sneaks off behind the water fall and meanders to the top of the hill, where a helipad sized lawn appears for spectacular 360 degree views. A footpath off the lawn leads down to a deer pond with a sitting area to watch the wildlife. This edge of the property is contiguous with Castillo del Lago. The grounds are rich with flowering plants and many differing bushes and trees. It is a stunning property, quiet, peaceful and spirit renewing.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
It was owned by Bob Crane for many years....he is a renowned dealer and restorer of landmark properties, and the author of the book..."Hollywoodland". Bob's preservationist eye and attention to meticulous detail restored this home to it's original splendor. It was built by one of the 3 developers of Hollywoodland. It is small by castle standards, but rich in detail reminiscent of Hearst Castle.
Now, Mr Wolf was a chaser of aspiring starlets, hence the secret apartment under the gatehouse. It still has the original southseas decor of the 1920's, including a bamboo piano and a couch that turns into a bed at the touch of a button. Wolf would woo the lovelies while his unsuspecting wife slept in the Castle a few hundred feet away. He would tell the cuties that he had connections in the big house and coulld possibly help their careers. What a guy.
The gatehouse is a 2 bedroom beauty inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. The living room has green rough marble floor to ceiling columns and floors that continue outside, with huge seamless panes of glass between the columns, so you feel that you are floating above the city view of Los Angeles skyscrapers and Griffith Park Observatory. The rest of the outside of the Gatehouse is in keeping with the architecture of the big house. It has its own courtyard {and privacy} with a fountain. The inside of the turret is a huge "lazy susan" storage area and pantry off the kitchen. The walls are varying colors of teak (I think) and have a foot high geometric design as the crown molding. A secret passageway leads down to the front door of the secret apartment.
The main house is just beautiful, with carved beamed ceilings (very reminiscent of H.C.) lovely winding staircases, fabulous views from every open window. Outside the dining room is a grotto waterfall (and bridge) that empties into a pool painted black so the water looks like a rich teal lagoon. A sunny, happy poolhouse and a long covered patio complete the other sides around the pool. This area looks over the lake and toward Santa Monica and the ocean. A narrow stone staircase sneaks off behind the water fall and meanders to the top of the hill, where a helipad sized lawn appears for spectacular 360 degree views. A footpath off the lawn leads down to a deer pond with a sitting area to watch the wildlife. This edge of the property is contiguous with Castillo del Lago. The grounds are rich with flowering plants and many differing bushes and trees. It is a stunning property, quiet, peaceful and spirit renewing.
On 11-11-07, I received E-mail that said:
My name is Steve Lundeen, and I am presently working to archive the photographs of my late father-in-law, Nick DeWolf.
Most recently, I have finished working on a set of pictures from 1958 that includes several photographs of Wolf's Lair Castle in the Hollywood Hills. I have just posted these pictures at flickr, and thought you might have an interest.
The link:
http://flickr.com/photos/dboo/sets/72157603065596316/
On 6-4-11, I received this link:
Back to "Castles of the United States"
Second photo courtesy of Paul Ford. Third photo courtesy of Jay Press.