The Ravenswood

Last updated
Ravenswood Apartments
The Ravenswood apartments view from north 2015-04-19.jpg
Location570 N. Rossmore Ave.
Coordinates 34°04′52″N118°19′37″W / 34.081069°N 118.326985°W / 34.081069; -118.326985
Built1930
Architect Max Maltzman
Architectural style(s) Art Deco
DesignatedNovember 2003 [1]
Reference no.768
U.S. - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Ravenswood Apartments in the Los Angeles metropolitan area

The Ravenswood is a historic apartment building in Art Deco style at 570 North Rossmore Avenue in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was designed by Max Maltzman, and built by Paramount Pictures in 1930 just five blocks from the corner of Paramount's studios on Melrose Avenue. [2]

Mae West lived in the penthouse from its 1930 opening until her 1980 death. [3] [4] [5] West, who invested in property throughout the Los Angeles area, bought the building when the management barred her then-boyfriend, African American boxer William "Gorilla" Jones, from entering the premises. [6] James Timony, West's long time manager, close friend, and one-time boyfriend (pre-1930s), lived in the building until his death in 1954. [7] Other residents have included Anna Faris, Clark Gable and Ava Gardner, at different times. [3] [8] [9]

The Ravenswood was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2003. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Office of Historic Resources. "Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List" (PDF). Department of City Planning. City of Los Angeles . Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  2. Cooper, Suzanne Tarbell; Hall, Amy Ronnenbeck; Cooper, Frank E. (2005). Los Angeles Art Deco. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN   978-0738530277 . Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Hartmann, Lawrence (2014-09-20). "Mae West Lived in Hollywood's Ravenswood Apartments". ChicagoNow . Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  4. "Mae West, Stage and Movie Star Who Burlesqued Sex, Dies at 87". The New York Times . November 23, 1980.
  5. Lord, Rosemary (2003). Hollywood Then and Now. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press. p. 77. ISBN   978-1592231041.
  6. Watts, Jill (April 17, 2003). Mae West: An Icon in Black and White. Oxford University Press. p. 207. ISBN   978-0195347678 . Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. Eels, George; Musgrove, Stanley (1982). Mae West: A Biography . William Morrow & Co. pp.  55–61, 39–146, 188–191, 241. ISBN   978-0860515807.
  8. "The Ravenswood: Luxury Apartments". Commercial Property Management, Inc. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  9. Arnold, Shayna Rose (September 23, 2013). "Anna Faris – Los Angeles Magazine". Los Angeles Magazine. Lamag.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.