Imagine standing on a winding street in the sun-drenched hills of Los Feliz. You look up, and instead of a typical Spanish Colonial mansion, you see something that looks like it belongs in an ancient civilization, yet feels undeniably modern. The oxidized copper accents catch the light, and the geometric concrete blocks hint at a fortress of privacy. You have arrived at the Ramon Novarro house.
Also known as the Samuel-Novarro House, this architecture marvel isn’t just a building; it is a piece of living sculpture. Designed by the legendary Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), this home captures the drama, the glamour, and the secrets of the Roaring Twenties. It is a place where silent film history meets avant-garde design.
House Overview: A Mayan Revival Gem in Los Feliz
Before we get lost in the artistic details, let’s get our bearings. The Ramon Novarro house is situated at 5609 Valley Oak Drive in the exclusive “The Oaks” neighborhood of Los Feliz, Los Angeles. It sits dramatically on a roughly 13,267-square-foot hillside lot, allowing it to command impressive views of the city below while maintaining an air of seclusion.
The structure itself spans approximately 2,700 square feet across four distinct levels. While that might sound modest compared to today’s mega-mansions, the layout is a masterclass in spatial efficiency and theatricality. It generally features three bedrooms and three bathrooms, though the configuration has shifted slightly over decades of renovations.
A Historic Landmark
This isn’t just any expensive piece of real estate. The property is designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #130. This status protects its unique character and ensures that future generations can appreciate its contribution to the city’s visual landscape.
Here is a quick snapshot of what makes the Ramon Novarro house stand out:
- Mayan Revival Style: The home is a prime example of this rare architectural style, utilizing patterned concrete blocks (textile blocks) and copper detailing to evoke the feel of pre-Columbian temples.
- Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Long before it was a standard real estate buzzword, this house mastered the concept with terraces, a central courtyard, and a swimming pool that feels like part of the living room.
- The “Fortress” Vibe: From the street, the house appears impenetrable, designed to protect the privacy of its famous inhabitants.
- High-Value Real Estate: The home has traded hands for millions in recent years, with 2019 listings hovering around $4.3 million, reflecting its status as a collector’s item.
The house is perched in a way that makes it feel like a citadel. It dominates the landscape without overwhelming it, blending the raw materials of the earth with the glitz of Hollywood history.
Architectural Design: Lloyd Wright’s Vision
When we talk about the Ramon Novarro house, we have to talk about the genius behind it: Lloyd Wright. Being the son of the most famous architect in American history, Frank Lloyd Wright, comes with a lot of pressure. However, with this project, Lloyd Wright stepped out of his father’s shadow and created something distinctly his own.
The Mayan Revival movement heavily influences the design. But what does that actually mean? In the 1920s, archeological discoveries in Mexico and Central America were capturing the public’s imagination. Architects began incorporating the heavy, geometric forms of Mayan temples into modern buildings. Lloyd Wright took this ancient inspiration and adapted it for a modern, hillside dwelling.
Exterior Features
The exterior of the Ramon Novarro house is striking. The first thing you notice is the use of oxidized copper. Over time, copper turns a beautiful verdigris green, allowing the home to visually blend into the surrounding vegetation.
Wright used reinforced concrete blocks, often called “textile blocks,” that feature intricate pressed patterns. These aren’t just smooth grey walls; they are textured surfaces that catch the California sun, creating shifting shadows throughout the day. The house hugs the hillside, using the terrain to create multiple levels and terraces that feel organic rather than forced.
Interior Highlights
Inside, the drama continues. The interiors were designed to be sleek and minimalist, contrasting with the rugged exterior.
- Concrete Floors: Polished concrete floors were ahead of their time, providing a cool surface during hot LA summers.
- Art Deco Influence: While the shell is Mayan, the interior detailing—heavily influenced by later renovations—leans into Art Deco interiors. Think geometric shapes, metallic accents, and a sense of verticality.
- Light and Space: Large windows frame specific views of the canyon and city, turning the outdoors into living art.
To help you understand the distinction between the father’s and son’s styles, here is a comparison:
FeatureRamon Novarro House (Lloyd Wright)Frank Lloyd Wright Style (General)
Year Built 1928 1900s – 1950s
Primary Style Mayan Revival / Expressionist Prairie School / Organic Architecture
Key Materials : Patterned Concrete, Oxidized Copper Stone, Wood, Brick
Location Context Steep Hillside (Los Feliz, CA) Often Flat or Rolling Landscapes
Vibe Theatrical, Hollywood, Enclosed Horizontal, Grounded, Open
Lloyd Wright’s designs were often more theatrical than his father’s, perhaps fitting for a client base of actors and artists. He understood that a house in Hollywood needed to be a stage set for its inhabitants’ lives.
Construction History: A Tale of Betrayal
The history of the Ramon Novarro house is as dramatic as any movie script. Interestingly, the house wasn’t initially built for Ramon Novarro. It was commissioned in 1928 for Louis Samuel.
Who was Louis Samuel? He was Ramon Novarro’s personal secretary and business manager. Novarro, being one of the highest-paid stars of the silent era, trusted Samuel implicitly with his fortune. Samuel hired Lloyd Wright to build this extravagant hillside home, presumably using his own earnings.
The Scandal of 1931
However, the plot thickened in 1931. Ramon Novarro discovered that his finances were in ruin. It turned out that Louis Samuel had been embezzling massive amounts of money from the actor to fund his lavish lifestyle—and to build this very house.
The betrayal was immense. Novarro had a choice: press charges and drag his name through a public trial (which could expose his own private life, a dangerous prospect for a closeted gay man in the 1930s), or settle quietly. He chose the latter.
In a dramatic turn of events, Samuel deeded the house over to Novarro as restitution. The star took possession of the home that was built with his stolen money.
The Expansion
Once Novarro moved in, he decided to make the house truly his own. He rehired Lloyd Wright to expand the property.
- Music Room: Novarro was a talented singer, so a dedicated music room was added.
- Garden Perfection: The gardens were expanded to create a lush, private paradise.
- Cedric Gibbons: Novarro also brought in Cedric Gibbons, the famous art director (who designed the Oscar statuette), to help with the interior decor. Gibbons brought a sophisticated Art Deco flair that complemented the Mayan exterior.
Timeline of Events:
- 1928: House constructed for Louis Samuel.
- 1930: Embezzlement discovered.
- 1931: Ramon Novarro takes ownership.
- 1932-1935: Major renovations and expansions by Wright and Gibbons.
- Late 1930s: Novarro eventually moves out, though the house retains his name forever.
Ramon Novarro Biography: The Star Behind the House
To truly appreciate the Ramon Novarro house, you have to understand the man whose name is carved into its legacy. Born José Ramón Gil Samaniego in Mexico in 1899, he came to Los Angeles with dreams of stardom.
He adopted the stage name Ramon Novarro and quickly ascended the ranks of Hollywood. By the mid-1920s, he was promoted as a “Latin Lover,” a direct rival to the legendary Rudolph Valentino. His fame skyrocketed with the release of the 1925 epic Ben-Hur, where he played the title role. This film made him an international icon and one of the wealthiest actors of his time.
Life at the House
During his time at the Samuel-Novarro House, Novarro was at the peak of his career. The house served as a sanctuary. In the 1930s, Hollywood was a place of immense pressure. For Novarro, who was gay, maintaining a public facade of heterosexual romance while living his private truth was a constant balancing act.
The high walls and fortress-like architecture of the house provided the privacy he desperately needed. It was a place where he could entertain close friends, practice his music, and escape the prying eyes of the tabloids.
A Tragic End
While his time in the house was glamorous, Novarro’s life ended in tragedy years later. In 1968, long after he had left the Valley Oak Drive residence, he was brutally murdered in his home in Laurel Canyon. It was a sad, gruesome end for a man who had brought so much beauty to the screen.
However, when we talk about the Ramon Novarro house, we focus on his golden years—the era of silent film grandeur, artistic collaboration, and the creation of a home that reflected his complex, dazzling life.
Virtual House Tour: Step Inside the Legend
Let’s fire up our imaginations and take a walk through the property. Imagine you have just parked on the narrow street. You walk up the steps, flanked by those imposing concrete textile blocks.
The Entryway
As you enter, the first thing that strikes you is the transition of light. The entryway is designed to compress, a technique Lloyd Wright used to make the transition into the main living areas feel more expansive. The heavy front door swings open, and cool, smooth surfaces greet you.
The Living Room
Stepping into the living room, the space opens up. The ceilings are high, and the walls feature the interior side of those patterned concrete blocks. It feels like being inside a modern cave—safe, enclosed, yet sophisticated. The fireplace is a central focal point, geometric and bold. This is where Hollywood history happened; imagine Novarro hosting intimate gatherings here, the room filled with smoke and jazz.
The Music Room
Moving through the house, you find the music room, added during the Novarro expansion. The acoustics here were designed specifically for his voice. It is a space of creativity, with windows that frame the greenery outside, blurring the line between the structure and nature.
The Bedroom Suites
The bedrooms are sanctuaries of their own. They aren’t massive by today’s standards, but they are intimate. The main suite offers views of the canyon, allowing the resident to wake up to the California hills. The bathrooms feature vintage tiling and fixtures that transport you back to the 1930s.
The Gardens and Pool
This is the showstopper. In many homes, the pool is in the backyard. In the Ramon Novarro house, the pool is integrated into the architecture. It sits in a central courtyard, surrounded by the house’s concrete walls.
- The Vibe: It feels like a secret lagoon.
- The Design: The water reflects the copper and concrete, adding a kinetic element to the static architecture.
- The Function: It serves as a cooling mechanism for the house and a social hub.
Walking through the terraces, you see agave plants, vines crawling up the copper trellis, and the distinct feeling that you are in a private world, miles away from the bustle of Los Angeles.
Modern Restorations
It is worth noting that various owners have lovingly restored the house over the years. Famous residents like Christina Ricci and Diane Keaton have lived here. Diane Keaton, in particular, is known for her passion for historic preservation and helped restore some of the original Lloyd Wright design elements that had been altered over time.
Hollywood & Cultural Significance
The Ramon Novarro house is more than just bricks and mortar; it is a cultural touchstone. It represents a specific moment in time—the transition from silent films to “talkies.”
When Novarro lived here, Hollywood was growing up. The studio system was becoming a powerhouse. This house symbolizes the wealth and influence that stars began to wield. It also stands as a testament to the Art Deco and Mayan Revival movements that defined Los Angeles’s visual language in the interwar period.
A Survivor of Eras
The house has survived earthquakes, market crashes, and changing tastes. In the mid-century, many ornate houses were demolished to make way for simpler designs. The fact that the Samuel-Novarro House survived is a miracle of preservation.
It has also become a part of local lore. Tour buses (the smaller ones that can manage the hills) often point it out. It appears in books about Los Angeles architecture and serves as a pilgrimage site for students of Lloyd Wright.
The house also holds a place in the narrative of “Hollywood Babylon”—the mix of beauty and scandal that defines the city. From the embezzlement that birthed it to the parties held within it, the house has seen it all.
Visiting & Modern Day Status
So, can you visit the Ramon Novarro house? The short answer is: generally, no.
It remains a private residence. It is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood where people live their daily lives. There are no ticket booths or public guided tours.
How to See It
- From the Street: You can catch glimpses of the exterior, the copper fascia, and the imposing walls from Valley Oak Drive. However, the design is intentionally private so that you won’t see much of the inner sanctum.
- Real Estate Listings: The best way to “tour” the house is when it goes on the market. Real estate websites often publish high-resolution photos and video tours.
- Architecture Tours: Occasionally, Los Angeles preservation groups will organize special home tours that might include historic properties like this, though access is rare.
Current Value
In recent years, the house has been a hot commodity. It has been listed for rent (sometimes for upwards of $15,000 a month) and for sale in the multi-million dollar range. Its value lies not just in the square footage, but in the pedigree. Owning the Ramon Novarro house is like owning a Renoir or a Picasso; you are the custodian of a piece of art.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where is the Ramon Novarro house located?
The Ramon Novarro house, also known as the Samuel-Novarro House, is located at 5609 Valley Oak Drive in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is situated on a hillside in “The Oaks” section.
Who designed the Ramon Novarro house?
Lloyd Wright, the son of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the house. He created the original structure in 1928 and later returned to complete renovations and expansions for Ramon Novarro in the early 1930s.
Can you visit the Ramon Novarro house?
No, the house is a private residence and is not open to the public for tours. It can be viewed from the street, but privacy walls obscure much of the interior. The best way to see inside is through real estate listing photos when the property is on the market.
What architectural style is the house?
The house is a prime example of Mayan Revival architecture. The use of textile block concrete, geometric patterns, and heavy, temple-like forms characterizes this style. It also features Art Deco elements in the interior design.
Did Ramon Novarro die in the house?
No, Ramon Novarro did not die in the Samuel-Novarro House. He lived there during the 1930s. He was tragically murdered in 1968 at his later residence in Laurel Canyon.
Which celebrities have lived in the Ramon Novarro house?
Aside from Ramon Novarro, the house has been owned or rented by several celebrities, including actress Christina Ricci and actress Diane Keaton. Diane Keaton is credited with helping to restore the home during her ownership.
Why is it sometimes called the Samuel-Novarro House?
It is hyphenated because it was initially built in 1928 for Louis Samuel, Ramon Novarro’s business manager. Novarro took ownership in 1931 after discovering Samuel had embezzled money from him, making Novarro the second, but most famous, owner.
Where Does Ramon Novarro Currently Live?
Ramon Novarro is deceased and does not have a current residence.
Ramon Novarro house photo
