Holiday traffic in L.A. is a bitch. Rush hour starts right after lunch. So today I tried to avoid traffic by diverting through the streets of Beverly Hills, and I happened to drive by the Witch's House. So, I totally paused today because half the house (I'd always called it the Gingerbread House) is covered in plywood. Many of you will remember a shot in Clueless where Cher strolls by it on her cell phone after she flunked her driver's test. (By the way, when it's winter everywhere else, it's autumn in 90210. Somebody clue me in. Is it faux?)
The house was originally built in 1921 miles away on a movie set in Culver City (most likely MGM) and transported to its upscale neighborhood in the midst of a long avenue of ornate Greek revival mansions (the Beverly Hills flats) in 1926. It couldn't look more out of place. The current owner, Michael Libow, is a real estate agent who tried in vain to sell the house but couldn't find anyone who didn't want to tear it down. So he bought it himself and vowed to restore it. I suppose that is what's underway, though records say he bought it in '98. If anybody else knows what's going on, chime in.
The house features rickety shingles, sloped roofs, scruffy landscaping, and an actual moat. It's steps away from the Beverly Hilton where the Golden Globe and many other awards ceremonies are held. I personally think it would make a nostalgic pied a terre for Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. It's so kind of Arkansas, and walking distance to all the boutiques on Rodeo Drive.
Walking. As if.
