Celebrity Style

Home Owned by Both Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. Lists for $6.129 Million

The Hollywood Hills home was built in 1941 by architect to the stars John Elgin Woolf
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The large dwelling is the product of additions and renovations, but some original details from the 1940s still remain inside.Photo: Todd Goodman/Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

A Hollywood Hills home with quite the celebrity pedigree is back on the market for $6.129 million. The stunning hillside house, built back in 1941 by architect to the stars John Elgin Woolf, was once home to Judy Garland and her second husband, film and stage director Vincente Minnelli (and their young daughter Liza Minnelli), and later to Rat Pack entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. The Band also briefly lived at the home and recorded their classic 1969 album in the pool house.

Garland and Minnelli lived there from 1944 to 1948 and definitely left their mark. Even today, a secret bedroom tucked behind bookcases is referred to as the Judy Garland suite. The hidden suite was originally the master, but a top floor with an even larger master was later added. Many of the Hollywood Regency–style home’s original Art Deco details still remain, including the intricately detailed railings that were considered Woolf’s trademark as well as the original mirrors in the Judy Garland suite’s dressing room.

A bedroom in the guesthouse.

Photo: Todd Goodman/Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

TV actor and comedian Wally Cox owned the place after the Minnellis, and Sammy Davis Jr. purchased it from him in 1955. Multi-hyphenate entertainer Davis made several drastic changes to the outdoor area of the home when he owned it, designing an entertainer’s haven with a swimming pool, a 1,100-square-foot pool house with two bathrooms, and plenty of lush foliage, including bamboo, banana-leaf trees, and tropical plants. There is also a firepit, which was a more recent addition.

One of two secret doorways inside the home.

Photo: Todd Goodman/Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
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Today, the home comprises five bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms spread out over 4,999 square feet. The front foyer opens onto an expansive great room with maple floors and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the hills. From there, there is a living room with a fireplace, a step-up dining room, and a home office situated between floors. A remodeled kitchen with oval stone backsplash and high-end appliances is accessible from both the living and dining rooms. Down past the mid-level office space is where Garland and Minnelli had their living quarters, with a second living room with a retractable screen that could easily be converted into a media room for movie nights.