The Former Site of Mulholland Farm

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (7 of 7)

Another locale that fellow stalker E.J., of The Movieland Directory, mentioned in Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites was the spot where Mulholland Farm – the former home of actor Errol Flynn – once stood.  And while I knew next to nothing about Flynn at the time I read the book, the blurb caught my eye due to a macabre practical joke that was allegedly played at the property involving John Barrymore (grandfather of Drew), which I thought would interest my friend Ashley, of The Drewseum website.  So I dragged the Grim Cheaper right on out to stalk the place way back in mid-February while the two of us were in L.A. for a weekend visit.

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The Tasmanian-born Flynn, who became an overnight sensation and Hollywood’s original bad boy after playing a swashbuckler in 1935’s Captain Blood, purchased an 11. 5-acre plot of land hidden away at the top of a ravine off of Mulholland Drive in 1941 and proceeded to build a two-story, country-style home there.  He dubbed the $125,000 property, which he helped design, “Mulholland Farm.”  The residence was a virtual den of iniquity, boasting a black marble pool, a tennis court, a barn, circular stables, a casino, a master bedroom with a mirrored ceiling, an obscene mural involving fish genitalia that ran behind a set of humongous fish tanks that lined the walls of his den, and a bar that covered a secret passageway leading to a hidden viewing area overlooking the women’s guest bathroom.  The estate became a popular party pad (for obvious reasons) and such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Jack Warner, Mickey Rooney, Tyrone Power, and Flynn’s longtime friend and drinking buddy John Barrymore all hung out on the premises.  There were also plenty of female visitors.  Just a few of the starlets Flynn “entertained” at the home include Hedy Lamarr, Ann Sheridan, Linda Christian, Ida Lupino, Faith Domergue, and Dorothy Lamour.  It should come as no surprise that the phrase “In like Flynn” came about thanks to the actor and his propensity for getting women into bed.

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (4 of 7)

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (5 of 7)

Flynn loved practical jokes and legend has it that, on May 29th, 1942, several of his drinking buddies pulled a whopper on him at the Farm.  As the story goes, on the night that John Barrymore passed away, Flynn’s friends bribed a mortuary worker to let them “borrow” the corpse for a few hours.  They drove it to Flynn’s house where they propped Barrymore up in a chair with a cocktail in his hand.  When Errol returned to the Farm later that night after several hours spent drinking, he walked in to find the dead actor sitting in his living room.  Of the event, Flynn wrote in his autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways, “My God, the light went on and I stared into the face of Barrymore!  His eyes were closed, and he looked puffed, white, bloodless.  They hadn’t embalmed him yet.  I let out a delirious scream.”  With friends like that, who needs enemies?  Flynn took the experience in stride, though, offering the pranksters a drink and cordially refusing to help them return the body to the funeral home.  And while several sources claim that the Barrymore anecdote is pure fiction, it sure makes for one heck of a story!

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (1 of 7)

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (2 of 7)

In 1953, Flynn left Mulholland Farm and moved to Europe in order to avoid paying back taxes to the government and alimony to two ex-wives.  At some point thereafter, he lost the property to his first wife, Lili Damita.  She sold off some of the acreage, on which new homes were eventually built (one of which, at 7740 Mulholland Drive, is the dwelling featured in the photographs that appear in this post, but more on that later).  In 1959, Errol’s former residence and the surrounding 7.5 acres of land were purchased by gospel singer Stuart Hamblen and his wife, Suzy.  They lived there for the next twenty years.  And while the couple reported no strange goings-on, when pop star Ricky Nelson purchased the site in 1980, his family witnessed all sorts of odd behavior, leading them to believe that the pad was haunted by Errol.  I’d venture to guess, though, that it was Barrymore’s ghost who had come back to terrorize the place.  Winking smile  Sadly, in 1988, Mulholland Farm was sold to a real estate developer who bulldozed Errol’s former residence and subdivided the remaining land.  Helen Hunt purchased one of the parcels (at 3100 Torreyson Place) in 1997 and proceeded to build a mansion on it.  She never lived there, though, and in 2002 sold the estate to none other than Justin Timberlake for $8.2 million.

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (6 of 7)

  The address of Mulholland Farm during Flynn’s tenure there was 7740 Mulholland Drive, as you can see in this 1942 newspaper article.  At the time, his was the only house in the vicinity.  (The 11.5 acres that comprised the Farm are roughly denoted by the orange circle below.)

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Today, there are seven different residences located on those 11.5 acres.  The house which now stands at 7740 Mulholland Drive, on what looks to have been some sort of horse riding arena in Flynn’s day, was built in 1967 on a parcel of land that had been sold off by Lili Damita.

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You can watch a video about Mulholland Farm by clicking below.  And you can click here to purchase a book written about the property titled Errol Flynn Slept Here.

For more stalking fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And you can check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

Big THANK YOU to E.J., of The Movieland Directory, for writing about this location in his book Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites! Smile

Erroll Flynn's Mulholland House (3 of 7)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Mulholland Farm, Errol Flynn’s one-time home, was formerly located at 7740 Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.

26 Replies to “The Former Site of Mulholland Farm”

  1. I didn’t add the year it was torn down. It was May 11 1988. I went up again with my high school pal on Sunday May 12 and took photos of what was left. I called Tony and the next day Monday May 13, 1988 we went up there again and that is when I met Nora Flynn and Deirdre Flynn. I was in the house close to a year from April of 87 to May of 88.

    When Lili got the place she sold the acre of land that was on the corner of Mulholland and Torreyson Dr where Errol’s corral/riding ring was. His original address was 7744 Mulholland was up on the MAIN house. When Lilli built that house on that plot of land they moved the address to that house 7744 and the main house became 3100 Torreyson Dr. The house in this article was NOT Mulholland Drive it was up on the bluff above the estate.

  2. Ricky owned the house until he died in that plane crash. The estate went into his will and his ex wife got the house. It took from 85 to 87 to put the house up on the market and she listed it for 1.6 mill and then she dropped the price to 1.3. I have the 1.3 brochure for the place. I got up into the house in April of 87 and I took hundreds of photos. The lower part of the ten acres were subdivide by Ricky before 1985 since he bought the house in 1980 from the Hamblin family. I was up their on a weekly basis sometimes more and I brought all my friends up there and we would hang out. Around July a guy named Weiss bought the estate for one million cash, since the Nelson family wanted to get rid of it. I met Weiss and because friends and he let me shoot more pictures of the entire place. He improved the grounds he spent over a million added trees, sod the whole place, and he gutted the inside of Flynn’s house. I have photos of the place all gutted. There was never a black bottom marble pool up at Mulholland. Ricky heard that rumor and have the pool painted black. Errol painted it all turquoise, as he did the front doors and the walls in the home that didn’t have knotty pine. On May 10, 11 and 12 the house was turned down. I was there for those days, I had to leave on the 11 I couldn’t take it anymore. I brought up Tony and my friend Flo to the house on May 13 and that was the day we all met Nora and Deirdre. They drove into the driveway before us. Nora was all upset that the house was flatten and all the debris was cleaned up. When the Nelson’s put the house on the market I knew the real estate broker that is how I got into the place anytime I wanted. There was no other owner from 1985 until Weiss bought the house. Rick did sell off the lower land to build four homes and that is where Flynn Ranch Road is now. When I was there I didn’t feel any presence, the house wasn’t musty at all. I wanted to spend the night up in Flynn’s bedroom, my wife was 8 months pregnant and she wouldn’t. If she wasn’t with our son, she would have in a heartbeat. I couldn’t get anyone to stay with me since I wanted witnesses in case something happened. The timeline of ownership was in 1959 the moment Errol died, Lilly sold the house and 9 acres that were left. Stuart Hamblin bought the place and he lived there from 1959 to 1979 and sold it to Ricky nelson who always wanted to own the house and fix it up to how Errol had it. He sold off the bottom half of the estate to pay for the loan for the house and he then went on tour to make money to fix up Mulholland. He died in 85 and the place one went to his X wife meanwhile the twins lived up they’re recording their music until the house was put on the market. There were a few potential buyers that wanted the place but it was Weiss the bought it and he had problems with the City of LA with permits and he torn it down to cut his losses. None of this is from any research it was from me being up there and talking to all the parties involved.

  3. I was up there in 1988 and felt protected. Flynn would never hurt anyone , the presense has to do with old burial grounds, it would have been in Flynn’s best interest if he would have not moved there in the first place. It was conflicting presences I sensed , but nothing too scarey. Tracy Nelson mentioned a woman , parfume and I wonder to this day about her. The Twins Gunnar and Mathew mentioned the house going dark in a spiritual way after the plane crash.

  4. We lived across the street from Flynn at 7750 Mulholland .Pat Winemore(spelling) watched us when we were kids swimming in Flynn’s pool ,And do I have stories about what took place at Flynn’s property.

  5. I use to go up there with friends to the tennis court and to broken up foundation thinking there were secret rooms in the rubble ..this was 1990 ..

  6. With all the sensationalism about Errol’s house and lifestyle, there is a reality the children enjoyed that was nothing like the adult world around them. After all there was a barn with horses and other animals to play with and a property to explore. The kids had a different viewpoint of the Mulholland experience…Im sure!

  7. Hello:

    I purchased the property from Ricky Nelson in 1985 and took title through the courts in 1986 (Ricky died 12/31/85).
    It consisted of 3 acres at that time, the house, pool and tennis court. The lower portions had been sold off by then and subsequently developed. On the lower portion was a Octagonal building which was used for poker games. I was told this belonged the previous owner to Flynn who was (or may not have been) a Mr. Mullholland.
    I have photos of this house, the grounds and house, which myself and my friends took as well as the secret up stairs “viewing attic” which provided entertainment for Flynn and his friends when other people where using the bedroom below.

      1. I was at the house or property in the early 1990s. It was at night. It was pouring down rain (lol, I kid you not). I was hired along with about a half dozen others as background actors for a very small movie shoot. They were having trouble with their equipment and they were uneasy. The electricity was going off (probably due to the rain). I had such a bad feeling being there and I didn’t know why. I felt compelled to get out of there. I left the shoot (something I had never done in the 3 years I did background work). Years later I read Tracy Nelson’s story and it blew my mind. There definitely was a presence there and it wasn’t a friendly one. It was a get out or you will be hurt kind of presence.

    1. Are you the owner who tore Flynn’s house down, Craig? My friend Jack Marino, Flynn’s daughter Deirdre Flynn, and Flynn biographer Tony Thomas were there the day it was torn down after being gutted. It was a sad day for them. I wish I had seen the house before it was destroyed, so do many Flynn fans.

    2. do you possibly have thany pictures of the house where the casino or chicken fighting ring was? I am trying to rebuild a copy of the farm house for a client and am in need of something to go off of, thanks 409-658-1970

        1. David, i fell in love with that house and the story. I am in the process of rebuilding a replica of the house. Switching up some minor details. To make
          It more functional. But mainly about 90% the same.

    3. It also appears from google earth that the house I am questioning about is still standing its the one with the round center room, thanks in advance

      1. Hi, the house Errol Flynn built was bulldozed down in the presence of Flynn author Tony Thomas, filmmaker Jack Marino, and Flynn’ s daughter, Deirdre Flynn. To see great photos and learn its history Google Errol Flynn Slept Here … Part of a book title and available from Amazon.

    4. Hi Craig,

      First, I’d like to introduce myself – Sabrina Sieck, Researcher at Ripley’s Believe it Or Not! I am interested in the story of the former Mulholland Farm and would love the chance to speak with you and take a look at your photos. I can be reached at sieck@ripleys.com.

      Looking forward to hearing from you!

      Best,
      Sabrina

  8. Drew told that story the first she ever went on David Letterman’s show, back in 1995. I’ve heard a couple different versions of it, and who knows if any of them are true! Hilarious though 🙂

  9. Just a little added “trivia” if you want to call it that. That former resident, Ricky Nelson’s plane crashed happened here in my hometown. My parents drove by the scene while the plane was still smoking the next day.

  10. In the 1994 movie Jimmy Hollywood, there’s a scene where Joe Pesci is standing in the hills overlooking Hollywood and remarks “This was supposed to have been Errol Flynn’s house.” The property was vacant but had remains of an old chimney and maybe a wall. Do you know if that was filmed at the original location?

    1. Dan back from 1980-1990 I used to go up to this crumbling estate which only had the remains of a old thick brick chimney and a big portion of a broken wall. Plus the foundation was in broken pieces as well. I will never forget those days. I was 18-28 back then. I was fearless and scared of nothing. Boy I sure miss those days. William Yakel

  11. Wow, I didn’t know all the lurid details for Flynn’s life. Pretty fascinating. Now I want to see that new film about his life called, The Last of Robin Hood. Kevin Kline stars as Flynn and Dakota Fanning plays the part of the teenage girlfriend Flynn had at the time of his death at age 50.

  12. I didn’t know all the lurid details of Errol Flynn’s life. Pretty fascinating! Now I want to see that movie that was just made about his life; The Last of Robin Hood. Kevin Kline stars as Flynn and Dakota Fanning plays the role of Beverly Aadland, the teenage girlfriend Flynn had at the time of his death at age 50.

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