Just a Nice Family Home in Beverly Hills ...

I have read about and seen photos from the November, 1938 "House and Garden Magazine" article on Bob's then new colonial style home for some years.  It was only recently that a light bulb went on in my head and I decided to actually hunt down a copy of the magazine.  Anyway, it is a very nice article with loads of pictures and Elizabeth discussing the interior design.

All of the photos are included below.  There are a few Bob portraits identified as being from this article, but they aren't actually.  I'm guessing MGM sent over their own photographer for the portraits.  

One of the very few family photos ... nifty doggie. 

The other side of the house, the formal front of the home.  Inside the bay window is a breakfast nook.

An inside look of the nook, part of the dining room.  Betty points out that it is Bob's breakfast nook and he eats there by himself.  Hmm..

The article points out that the revolutionary war mural that covers the dining room walls is actually wallpaper.  The mural must have been a great topic for their dinner discussions (or not!)

One side of the living room ... I like the small child's chair back by the piano. 

The other side ... the antique cobbler's bench being used as a coffee table was a house-warming gift from Edward Everett Horton.  (Horton was in three of Bob's movies ... But the Flesh is Weak, Biography of a Bachelor Girl, and Here Comes Mr. Jordan.) 

This library shot is the most-often seen photo from the shoot.  I'm not sure how comfy the couch looks, but at 10 feet it is certainly a long one.  That's Bob way at its end.  I've enlarged that part for you ... the best part ...

This is a reading room off the library, more books, of course.  The bookcase has a dual purpose ...

... cleverly hiding the bar.  The small enclave also leads to the wine cellar.  Betty points out that a bar would not be true to a colonial home ... but a necessity for Hollywood parties!



The master bedroom.  Well, the twin beds are an improvement over the separate bedroom arrangement they had before! 

Another shot of the bedroom.  Bob and Betty had individual dressing rooms.  Betty's included a bathtub and Bob's a shower and a day bed.  (And what am I missing here ... why a daybed in his dressing room?)

The outside of the house that is always shown, including the main entrance door with the rounded arch. 

And the photo that becomes the famous postcard.  Such a nice home and gorgeous setting.

A closer look at the garage ... I think that's Bob 1935 Bentley sports car in the open bay of the garage.  Yeah, nice home.  Nice everything.

And, of course, the pool with pool house.  One can pretend that they're still back east, but the pool is the essential part of a Hollywood estate. 

There is no mention of the servant's quarters ...