Hollywood Home Tour - James Stewart

"Today we're going to take a short spin three blocks west of Rodeo Drive and head on over to Roxbury Drive to catch a glimpse of the beautiful English tudor home of James Stewart.....

918 North Roxbury Drive

"Coming up on the right you'll see the house. The ivy-covered home is accented with a wide lawn, long stone walk and birch trees lining the sides. James Stewart purchased this house in 1949, shortly after he married Gloria and before he began filming on Winchester '73 and Harvey. 

"The 6,300 square foot house was originally built by director King Vidor in 1928. It features a spacious entrance hall, living room, large library, dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, and five bedrooms upstairs. In the backyard a walled English garden adds a touch of privacy. 

Both Jimmy and his wife had green thumbs and enjoyed growing flowers and vegetables in their garden. Whenever they had a bountiful harvest they shared their crops with the occasional giant rabbit and with their neighbors. I do believe some of these neighbors you are quite familiar with....anyone ever hear of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz? How about Jack Benny? Jeanne Crain, Rosemary Clooney, the Gershwins, and that acerbic wit Oscar Levant also lived further down the street. We'll take a closer look at these homes further on in our tour folks." 

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Up-to-date Note: During the 1970s James Stewart purchased his neighbor's property and tore down the house so that he could expand his garden. He could be seen walking his dogs along Roxbury up until his death in 1997. After his death, his house was purchased by the founder of a brokerage service who called it a "dump" and tore it down within weeks. You can view photographs of the inside of Stewart's house over at the Architectural Digest website. Obviously, Stewart had a great home and was an avid reader too.