For many years I would drive by a large, dilapidated house that sits on the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Crescent Drive–the house is angled so as to be literally facing the Beverly Hills Hotel across the street–and wonder why the hell somebody didn’t buy it and fix it up. Deep research on my part (in other words, screwing around on-line one afternoon) revealed to me that it was once Vincent Minnelli’s home, purchased by the director in 1956. He died there in 1986 of emphysema (a very popular disease for old directors–think of John Huston, William Wyler etc.) and willed the house to his then wife Lee Minelli. But Liza with a Z was in charge of the estate and after Lee continued to live on past her natural expiration date, Liza apparently grew frustrated and wanted to sell the place. She offered her step-mother a condo. Step-mother passed on the offer. Liza turned off the electricity. Stepmother stayed there in the dark and sued Liza’s ass, saying: ” “While defendant is honeymooning all over the world, having fed 850 of her closest friends a 12-foot cake, plaintiff is alone in a cold, dark house, at age 94.”

Above I’ve posted an incredibly creepy video. It’s a tour of the abandoned and vandalized house. The video is all the more creepy given the circumstances it was made under; whoever our hosts are trespassed on the property to shoot the video. I don’t know about you but one of my worst nightmares is the one where I realize that the house I’m walking around in doesn’t belong to me and I’ve broken into somebody else’s home. I both admire the commitment of the videographer who captured the Minelli disaster and am appalled by his blatant trespass.

After Lee died in 2002 (age 137?) Liza sold the place to some people who planned to pull it down and put up what would have no doubt been a large, Persian-esque palace, the kind of house that has been gradually de-charmifying the so-called ‘flats’ of Beverly Hills over the last twenty years. I’ve driven by the site since but the new house is hardly worth a look. Somehow I prefer the Hollywood Gothic version…