| Falcon Lair | |
|---|---|
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Location | 1436 Bella Dr., Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°05′45″N 118°25′56″W / 34.09593°N 118.43227°W |
| Construction started | 1924 |
| Demolished | 2006 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 4,700 sq ft (440 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Wallace Neff |
Falcon Lair is an estate above Benedict Canyon in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The estate was built in 1925 by Rudolph Valentino, who named it after his unproduced film, The Hooded Falcon.[1] It is better known as a residence of heiress Doris Duke.[2][3]
Valentino bought the 4-acre (1.6 ha) estate in 1925 for US$175,000 (equivalent to $3,040,000 in 2023).[4] He filled the house with antiques and memorabilia from his travels. Shortly after the purchase, he and Natacha Rambova divorced. Valentino retained Falcon Lair, hosted parties, and kept horses in his stable. After his death in 1926, the estate was auctioned off to settle his debts.[2]
- ^ Kotowski, Mariusz (2014). Pola Negri: Hollywood's First Femme Fatale. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 131–2. ISBN 978-0-8131-4490-0 – via Project MUSE.
- ^ a b Hill, Donna. "Falcon Lair Tour". The Rudolph Valentino Homepage. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ Brown, Gordon; Myres, Scott (June 16, 2008). Administration of Wills, Trusts, and Estates (4th ed.). Delmar. p. 450. ISBN 978-1-4283-2176-2.
- ^ Soares, Andre (January 6, 2006). "Rudolph Valentino's Falcon Lair for Sale". Retrieved March 27, 2010.