Sunday, May 5, 2024

The Houses Frank Sinatra Called Home

frank sinatra house palm springs

Except for his music and his family, Sinatra loved the desert community at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains longer than he loved anything or anyone else. Although he maintained residences in Los Angeles and New York, they were way stations. Twin Palms Frank Sinatra Estate became a reality when Frank Sinatra purchased his very first home at 1148 East Alejo Road (between Caballeros and Sunrise in Palm Springs). Sinatra had been quoted as saying that in his life he always felt the need “to get away from it all, but not too far away.” The desert estate he built in 1947 seemed to fit the bill.

frank sinatra house palm springs

Twin Palms

Entertainment included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Danny Thomas, Andy Williams, Red Skelton, and Gene Autry. You would find Frank at one of the last dinners before the Beachcomber would close for the summer in June of 1955, hanging out with Bing Crosby, singer and actor Tony Martin (highest paid Las Vegas performer in 1958), and dancer Cyc Charisse. In September of that same year, Frank would perform at the Plaza Theater every Wednesday night for his weekly broadcast, often with a full band, to a crowded audience. However, Sinatra’s show was announced over the CBS network as coming from the 21st Ferrying Group, Palm Springs Army Airbase.

The Plaza Theatre – 128 South Palm Canyon

frank sinatra house palm springs

Sinatra began frequenting Palm Springs just after World War II, at about the time he won his first Oscar—for a short film on intolerance called The House I Lived In. He was introduced to the desert by composer Jimmy Van Heusen (“Here’s That Rainy Day,” “But Beautiful”). Legend has it that Van Heusen, a pilot, had stopped for fuel in Palm Springs and later, over dinner in Los Angeles, told Sinatra of the beauty of the desert. Sinatra insisted that Van Heusen fly him there that very evening. With 4500 square feet, 4 Bedrooms, 7 Bathrooms, and a piano shaped swimming pool, this is perfect for luxury vacationing or events.

Mid-Century Architecture Self-Guided Tour

If you have any questions or ideas to share about Palm Springs, I'd love to hear from you. One of our last stops, is a massive garage that still houses several vintage vehicles. While Sinatra was a bit of a car buff, the details of this collection are unfortunately lost on me. The kitchen isn’t what anyone would imagine would be inside a world icon’s home; it’s a massive industrial kitchen, all stainless steel appliances, massive prep tables, cherry-red gleaming floor tiles and bright industrial lights.

Frank Sinatra’s home has been lovingly preserved

Shulman’s stunning images of Twin Palms capture the allure and simplistic grace of Williams’ design. Sinatra was convinced by Williams’ renderings, and he handled over $150,000 for the air-conditioned Desert Modem house. He chose the Palm Springs Movie Colony neighborhood, where names like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Jack Benny, and Cary Grant all had houses at one point or another.

He then stayed at songwriter friend Jimmy Van Heusen’s home in Thunderbird Heights ‘hiding from reporters’ when he was in town. Van Heusen had introduced Sinatra to the desert in the 1940s. Sinatra’s ‘Twin Palms’ home in Palm Springs by famed architect E. Stewart Williams (1947) is well-known, but it was his base for only five years. It can be hired for events, photo shoots, vacation rentals and tours, e.g. during Modernism Week.

He was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. Initially, the plan was to have the wedding and reception around the pool at the estate. Still, because of the onslaught of the press and media, Elvis’s manager, Colonel Parker, arranged for Elvis and Priscilla to be married in Las Vegas.

Let's Get Away From it All - Palm Springs Life

Let's Get Away From it All.

Posted: Tue, 01 Sep 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]

They bought this home in the Las Palmas district, which served as a getaway from Reynolds’ work on such movies as “How the West Was Won” and “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” for which she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Reynolds is known for her role in 1950s musicals, including Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words. In the end, it seems fitting that he died from a massive heart attack, having given so much of his own heart to the world. His final words were, “I’m losing.” But that night, under an orange moon, it was the world that lost.

Frank Sinatra house - Explore the singer's Desert Palm California cabin hideaway - Homes & Gardens

Frank Sinatra house - Explore the singer's Desert Palm California cabin hideaway.

Posted: Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow’s Former NYC Brownstone Hits the Market for $4.45 Million

The 50s and early 60s were among the most productive periods of Frank’s life. Between engagements Frank gradually expanded his property in the desert to two and a half acres. Having secured privacy with a fence between his house and the golf course, he added a pair of two-bedroom cottages, one off either end of the pool. The her baths were equipped with Helene Curtis professional salon hair dryers. Frank also expanded the main house, adding a dining room for 24 and a restaurant-size kitchen with a commercial range, a walk-in refrigerator and freezer, and a wine closet. The four-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate was constructed by architect E.

“The her baths were equipped with Helene Curtis professional salon hair dryers. Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms estate was designed in 1947 by architect E. Stewart Williams of the firm of Williams, Williams & Williams.

You can see his signature on the right side of the driveway. Not an early riser, Sinatra welcomed audiences by bidding them good morning, excusing himself for finishing his breakfast while they finished dinner. In fact, he wielded the ultimate power in Hollywood by dictating what time production began. Unlike Vegas, where there were no clocks, Palm Springs, where the bars closed at 2 a.m., was an early-ish town. Not for Sinatra, who thought nothing of making a pot of spaghetti at 3 a.m. He liked having it his way, which meant “putting it in the bag” (as he called going to sleep) sometime around daybreak.

Given the iconic stature of the house’s owner, it’s only natural that the history of the place has become clouded by myth and gossip. One delicious tale suggests that Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo used the famous piano-shaped swimming pool for lesbian trysts. Sinatra commissioned the place after he made his first million dollars as a testament to his success as a crooner, heartthrob and rising star of the silver screen. Twin Palms is a single-story residential building, 4,500sq ft in size with 4 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, constructed around long horizontal lines framed with steel and aluminum and windows that stretch to the ground.

The estate was named after the two large palm trees that still grace the site. The residence has a number of notable architectural features including tongue-in-groove Douglas Fir for the soaring sloping ceilings, generous use of glass, Arizona flagstone for the chimney stacks, etc. There is also a large swimming pool sheltered on three sides by the main house, pergola and cabana. The house and elements of the site were designated a city of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Site in 2011.

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