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Primary Residences

 

From
To
Address
Notes
3/27/1931 (birth) 1932/3 Walnut Street near Jefferson, Naponee, NEBRASKA

David was born in this house (pictured here in 1992) during a severe late winter snowstorm.

Dr. Vernon Talcott battled the weather and drove from nearby Republican City to deliver the 8 lb. 4 oz. baby at 10am.

The iron bed had been moved into the dining room and near a floor register for heat.

1932/3 Fall 1936

various homes in Alma, NEBRASKA including one at 1st and Lincoln.

moved to Alma when the Naponee bank where David's father worked closed and he lost his job.

After separation of parents, David lived with maternal grandparents while mother found work in Kearney, Nebraska.

He also would have spent time at the Alma house of his paternal grandparents at 310 North Brown.

Fall 1936 early 1937 Goodland, KANSAS lived in a basement under a bank with his mother.
1937 1937 Alma, NEBRASKA returned to Alma for a short time before relocating to Wyoming.
1937 1938 Casper, WYOMING

lived in an apartment with his mother Berniece above a tavern.

Weekends were spent at the Wyoming ranch his grandfather was foreman of. It was located near Casper, but out of town.

1938

1938 Union & Seventh Street
downtown Los Angeles

first apartment in California.

1809 11th Street was an address that uncle Lyle Graf lived at and was near a school that David is believed to have attended. Berniece and David may have lived here also.

1938 1939 629 1/2 North Alexandria Avenue
Los Angeles

The boarding house of Leila Countryman. Berniece lived here as a working single mom with David.

Mrs. Countryman, a widow, provided caretaking services. The home, north of Clinton, was demolished to make way for the Hollywood Freeway.

Berniece is believed to have had several other addresses during her early years in Los Angeles:

She lived at 328 1/2 N. Alexandria at some point (near Mrs. Countryman's).

In a driving tour of her old neighborhoods in 1991, she recognized a building at 219 N. Ardmore as the place she was living when prospective suitor Gene Janssen picked her up for their first date.

She also recalled a cupola apartment which had prostitutes living downstairs-location unknown.

These addresses may have been Berniece's during the time David was sent back to Casper for 3rd grade (see below).

1939 9/1940 Casper, WYOMING

David was sent back here to live for 3rd grade while his mother tried to get settled in California and was, as she put it, 'husband hunting'.

9/1940 6/1941 McKinley Home For Boys
13840 Riverside Drive
Sherman Oaks, CA
David was placed in boarding school when mother Berniece married Gene Janssen in September 1940.


While David was boarding at school, Berniece, his mother, lived at:
late 1940 3/1941 1527 W 4th Street
Los Angeles
apartment when first married to Gene with a pull down bed in the front room
3/1941 5/1943 4416 1/2 S. Gramercy Place
Los Angeles
a Spanish neighborhood/lived over garages


Janssen moved home after boarding school:
6/1941 9/1941 4416 1/2 S. Gramercy Place
Los Angeles
see above
9/1941 6/1942 McKinley Home For Boys
13840 Riverside Drive
Sherman Oaks, CA
return to boarding school


Janssen moved home after boarding school:       
6/1942 5/1943 4416 1/2 S. Gramercy Place
Los Angeles
see above
5/1943 1/7/1944 351 1/2 62nd Street (at Avalon)
Los Angeles

Berniece's parents, W.D. and Vern Graf arrived in California by early 1942. After moving around a bit while W.D. changed jobs, they moved in April 1943 to this address which Berniece called "the slum apartment".

David lived here with them from May 1943 while his mother and half-sister Teri went to Oregon for 3 months of Gene Janssen's military duty there.

in July 1943, Gene was transfered to Santa Ana and then to Whipple, AZ with a TB diagnosis. The Graf grandparents left California, and Berniece, infant Teri, and David occupied the address until they could find more permanent housing.

1/7/1944 5/59/1950 6021 Colgate Avenue,
Los Angeles  (Park LaBrea)

apartment where David lived most of his Junior High and High School years-rent started at $79 monthly.

This 2-story garden apartment was in a just completed complex built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

5/29/1950 9/1950 Ogunquit, MAINE boarded at the Ogunquit Playhouse during summer stock at age 19.
9/1950 12/3/1950 New York, NY Janssen spent 3 months in NYC trying to make it on the "Great White Way" after his Maine Summer Stock. He lived at 66 Barrow Street and 32 W. 72nd Street.


Janssen moved home:
12/3/1950 1/9/1951 6021 Colgate Avenue
Los Angeles (Park LaBrea)
parents' apartment
1/9/1951 5/1952

7600 Keystonian Avenue (current name)
Burbank

his parents' new house was in the Grandview Hills section of Los Angeles which was not yet annexed to Burbank when they lived there. The address then was 2800 Keystone and it became David's home base.

David had his room painted green and had a snake acquired as a child in Yellowstone on his white oak dresser.



Moved in and out of parents' house several times while they lived in Burbank (he'd usually move back home broke):
8/11/1951 9/26/1951 636 S. Cochran Avenue
Los Angeles
a red brick building called the Stanford Apartments. Roomate may have been Sam Davis.
10/9/1951 10/10/1951 Stanley & Romaine
Los Angeles
just for a few days
10/11/1951 11/26/1951 1413 1/2 Alta Vista
Los Angeles
 
11/26/1951 2/5/1952 a new room location not known-possibly roommate a Jerry Elliot
2/5/1952 3/31/1952 Norton & Fairfax
Los Angeles
 


Janssen moved home for a month:
3/31/1952 5/8/1952 7600 Keystonian Avenue
Burbank (Benmar Hills)
 


Moved out of his parents' house in Burbank again:
5/8/1952 6/1952? 840 N. Hudson
Los Angeles
lived with with actor/restaurateur Nicky Blair. May have been 849-1/2 Hudson #28 (which was Nicky's address in Feb.) Was only here a short time because of induction into Army.


David's parents move:
5/31/1952 6/1956 4447 Finley Avenue
Los Angeles
a new apartment


Janssen called up for military service (Northern California):  
6/1952 3/1954 Fort Ord, CA  

military service in Northern California.

David bunked at the base initially, but was eventually allowed to find housing elsewhere. With actor Marty Milner, who was also doing military time in the same Special Services division, and another L.A. friend Dick Vertlieb, they got an apartment in scenic Carmel on Dolores Street. One had to walk down several steps to reach it. Nicknamed "Beaver's Basin" for reasons best not explored here, the 3 shrewdly recuited a cook from the base as the 4th roommate.



Janssen moved home:
3/1954 6/1956 4447 Finley Avenue
Los Angeles
parents' home and David's base for the next 2 years


Janssen moved out of parents' Finley house:
3/28/1955 5/1/1955 address unknown moved in again with actor Marty Milner. May have been a building in North Hollywood torn down to make room for a freeway onramp.


Janssen moved home:
5/1/1955 10/1/1955 4447 Finley Avenue
Los Angeles
 


Janssen moved out of parents' Finley house:
10/1/1955 1/13/1956 11506 Moorpark Street
North Hollywood
cross street Camellia


Janssen moved home:
5/1/1955 10/1/1955 4447 Finley Avenue
Los Angeles
 
6/1956 1/24/1958  4349 Clarissa Avenue
Los Angeles
parents move to a new apartment nearby and stayed here to 10/1960. Janssen lives at home with them until he is 27 and in his at 2nd season of RICHARD DIAMOND!


Janssen moved out of parents home forever!
1/24/1958 11/22/1958 10609 Landale Street
North Hollywood
David's duplex-bachelor pad. Fellow U-I actors Richard Long and Mara Corday lived in another unit. A partially-furnished studio for $150/mo. rented from Lillian Barrett. Lived here a short time with wife Ellie after wedding before they found their own place.
11/22/1958 4/15/1961 8911 Cynthia Avenue #11
West Hollywood
2-bedroom unfurnished apartment for $245/month. Rented from Nathan Juran, who was art director on David's1st U-I film. First place rented with Ellie after their marriage. Located off the Sunset Strip.
4/15/1961 3?/1967 2002 Loma Vista Drive
Bel Air (Trousdale Estates)
house bought from RICHARD DIAMOND wages and the quick succession of movies he did after. Interior design Eddie Doster. Sold at end of THE FUGITIVE series to producer Don Fedderson. Was on the market for $225,000. Sold for $202, 000. After Fedderson, Dean Martin owned house. Featured in Architectural Digest in 1965.    
4?/1967  8/1968 9255 Doheny Road #1906 (Sierra Towers)
Los Angeles

SE corner of the building - rent $765/month. Nicknamed "the Heartbreak Hotel." Co-residents Buddy and Dani Greco (his wife-to-be) lived 2 floors up in unit 2106 in an identical floor plan. Patti Duke, Willie and Babs Shoemaker, Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin, Dean Martin's parents, and Ted Mann of Mann's Theaters were also residents. Janssen stayed here until his separation from Ellie. Ellie stayed here until she moved to an apartment on Bedford. Located on the Sunset Strip.

8/1968 ? 290 Strada Corta Road
Los Angeles
friend Ralph Stolkin's house where Janssen first went for a short time after marital separation.
late 1968   Beverly Hills Hotel moved here for a few weeks while his secretary Victor looked for a longer-term place for him.
late 1968 9/1969 1240 La Collina Drive
Beverly Hills

David's temporary digs during the filming of MAROONED and GENERATION.

Previously owned by Lorena Hepple and designer Hannah Grover. Eartha Kitt lived in front of Janssen and Phil Spector down the street.

The house, featured in the Spring 1968 issue of Architectural Digest, had an L-shaped living room/dining room with a red and black glazed brick tile floor. A swimming pool off the living room was accessable via a set of sliding glass doors which flanked the fireplace.

Property could be seen from the Sierra Towers where estranged-wife Ellie remained after the separation.

Girlfriend and frequent overnight guest Rosemary Forsyth officially lived at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (rm. 615) in Nov/Dec 1968 and then rented a small house at 513 Roxbury before she and David officially moved in together. This Roxbury house was owned by Lily Messinger, who had worked for Louis B. Mayer. Joan Crawford had lived there in the late 20's.

9/1969 8/1971 1196 Cabrillo Drive
Beverly Hills

cabrillo smallJanssen's rental house with Rosemary Forsyth. House was built for actor Lawrence Harvey and British director Jack Clayton. Rent was ~$3000 to ~$3500 a month. Was a 1-bedroom house with 2 maids rooms, one occupied by Rosemary's daughter Alexandra and one by a governess. Built by architects (Conrad) Buff & (Donald) Hensman, with associate (Cal) Straubt in 1962, this was the architectural firm's 1st celebrity house. They would go on to do homes for James Garner, Paul Anka and many others. Harvey owned the undeveloped lot off Coldwater Canyon and was looking to find an archtect. His BUTTERFIELD 8 costume designer Helen Rose had worked with the team and made the introduction.

The house is sold in 1977 to Totie Fields and her husband. After her death a year later, the house is sold to a Mexican industrialist, Felix Mechoulam.

Later owners are:

Joan Collins, composer Jerry Herman,"Will and Grace" creator Max Muchnick, and as of late 2007, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi, who have substantially altered the original structure.

8/1971   2/1972 bungalow 113 at Universal  Homeless after his breakup with Rosemary Forsyth, Janssen moved to his Universal Studios dressing room for several months while filming O'HARA, US TREASURY at the studio. Dani still lived at the Sierra Towers.
2/1972 5/1972

625 Avenita Granada

Palm Springs

after finishing his TV series and having nowhere to live in Los Angeles, Janssen goes to Palm Springs. He stays temporarily at the Gene Autry Hotel (mid-March) finally finding a rental at this address from Lorena Heppel. On the Canyon Country Club, it was 5 blocks from the house he used to own on Yosemite.
5?/1972 2/1980 (death) 2220 Avenue of the Stars #2803
Century City (Century Towers)

moved in with Dani Greco into this penthouse condominium. First rented from Mrs. O'Connor for a year then bought in 1973. Bought unit #2804 next door as a rental unit later.


Janssen lived in a variety of places while working on various filming locations including:
Spring 1968    

Villa Angiolillo

via Appia Antica

loc. Torricola

Rome

David and wife Ellie's accomodations in Rome during THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN was a villa on the via Appia Antica 10 minutes from Cinecitta Studios in the Rome suburb of Torricola. It was designed by Attilio Lapadula in 1954 and built for the Roman Senator Renato Angiolillo after his term in office from 1948-1953. Angiolillo was also the founder of the Italian newspaper Il Tempo and, in 1942, the writer of a story for a movie "Un Garibaldino Al Convento" directed by Vittorio de Sica, Janssen's FISHERMAN co-star.

This may or may not be be the same villa (called Pappa) that Elizabeth Taylor and husband Eddie Fisher rented during her CLEOPATRA filming. Taylor's affair with Richard Burton during her occupancy were well publicized. Janssen's Italian dalliances were less so.

7/1974   11/1974

2502 Ocean Front

Del Mar

While based in San Diego filming HARRY O. This was a rented beachfront house later owned by Major League baseball player Steve Finley.


Janssen moved out during marital problems before getting his own Malibu house 2nd home in 5/1977: 
12/1976    L'Ermitage Hotel lived here during a separation with wife Dani and while seeing Carol Connors




Second Homes

childhood   Big Bear Lake, CA Parents had a vacation property in this vacation town.
9/1964 12/12/1968 2220 Yosemite Drive
Palm Springs, CA

On the 14th hole of the Canyon Country Club near the clubhouse.

House was originally built by Chuck Dwight and decorated by Noel Birns though Ellie had a strong hand redoing the interior after the Janssens bought it.

Neighbors were actors William Demarest (at 2290) and Richard Krisher (at 2250)

Sold to Milton/ Toni Holt Kramer.

8/1965 1971

Southridge Lot 2, tract 2928
Palm Springs, CA

 

Bought this hilltop residential lot on the side of Smoke Tree Mountain from Sam Broomfield in 1965. The land cost $95,000. Talks about building a home on it in 6/68. Grading is done and in 1971 intends to start construction on the home designed by Edward Giddings. Abandons plans due to financial problems. Bob Hope would have been his neighbor. Others who lived in this gated and guarded community were Steve McQueen and William Holden.

Business manager Fred Barman recalls that there was a model done of the house and seeing it pointed out to Janssen that the pool was designed in such a way that a pool man couldn't access it except by going through the house.

Escrow # 50179 (Southland Escrow)

Parcel Tax ID: 297 000 177.

12/1976 2/1980 21958 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu (Carbon Beach)


2 bedroom-2 bath house bought for $400,000. 55 feet of beachfront. Evidently, David liked this beach house much more than Dani. They may have rented it before buying it as the transaction date on the property was 5/16/1977. It is here that Janssen suffered his fatal heart attack on the morning of February 13, 1980.

Dani sold the house in early 1998 for $2,275,000. It was demolished in 2002 along with neighboring 21962 PCH to make room for a 4700 square foot beach retreat for billionare and philanthopist Eli Broad, the 42nd most wealthy man in the world according to Forbes Magazine's survey of 2006.




Offices

9/19/1966 1973 9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1110
Los Angeles
(Sunset Strip)
David Janssen Enterprises headquartered here. $93.80/month rent to Buckeye Realty. Other people in the Janssen team were in the same building:

- publicist Frank Lieberman (510)
- business manger Fred Barman (1114)

1976 ? CBS Studio Center
Studio City, CA
Janssen had offices here after making a production deal with CBS.


Investments

The Fred Barman investments (Coachella Valley, CA)

these investment were suggested by David's business manager Fred Barman and were made as early as the RICHARD DIAMOND era

1958/1959   Shadow Paseo partnership

This was the first real estate Mr. Barman started and got Janssen involved in. David's participation was as early as 1958 or 1959. Barman, Janssen and actors John Saxon and Peter Graves, were all 25% owners.

Barman pooled the investments and bought and sold desert real estate beginning with the purchase of 80 acres in Indio in late 1957.

1960   Sahara Sands partnership

Another Barman-formed and coined real estate partnership. Janssen had 12-1/2% stake in this one and it too was comprised of Saxon, Graves, and Barman. CBS casting director Ethel Winant also had a stake in this one at one point.

Various parcels of land were bought and sold during the life of the partnership--many in Palm Desert along Highway 111 and the nearby streets El Paseo and Panorama Drive.

3/1964 9/1967

60 acres La Quinta, CA

(a cove)

location: Washington Avenue, just N of the La Quinta Country Club.

Bought for $241, 000 from Harboe ($10,000 down, $67,500 a 1st TD for 6% and $163,500 a 2nd TD @ 9%).

Escrow 134-6181.

Plans in late 1965 to perhaps develope into a residential tract,

but as early as January 1966 Janssen discussed with Barman his interest in selling this purchase and Richard Kite was asked his opinion of the selling price.

Sold to Roy Ash for $243,000 in September, 1967.

12/1964  

18 acres

Indian Springs Estates, Indian Wells

(at the time of purchase this land was approved for subdivision and was to be liked to the main Highway 111 at Miles Avenue)

location: N of Indian Wells Country Club and E of the former Arnaz Hotel on Highway 111 (now the Indian Wells Resort Hotel).

Alternately described as "an unrecorded S1 lot subdivision (unimproved acreage) on Mt. View Drive on the East boundary of the new Sandpiper development." (letter 1/66, Richard Kite)

Bought for $216,000 from Mitchell-Mohn-Kite ($10,000 down, $82,000 a 1st TD for 7.2% and $124,000 a 2nd TD @ 7%).

Escrow # 50011 (Southland Escrow)

As early as January 1966 Janssen discussed with Barman his interest in selling this purchase and Richard Kite was asked his opinion of the selling price.

12/1964   18 acres Palm Desert, CA

location: west of the College of the Desert on 44th Avenue (now Fred Waring Drive) and near the main Highway 111.

AKA the "Kapp deal".

Bought for $243,000 ($10,000 down and the balance a 1st TD @ 7%).

 

Discussed plans in late 1965 to construct a shopping center on the land facing Highway 111 and apartment houses on the land facing Park View Drive.

Escrow #5797.

10/1965   78 acres Thermal, CA

location: across the street from the airport on Airport Avenue.

Bought for $234,000 ($10,000 down and the balance a 1st TD @ 6%).

Bought from seller Harboe. Mortgage holder was Loma Linda University,

Escrow #50237.

This was an income property leased out for cotton production at $8000 a year.

Parcel Tax ID: 254200056 and 25420195 (crossed off)

 

The Ziffren investments (ordered by value)

these investments came in the year just following THE FUGITIVE and were at the behest of his legal counsel.

6/26/68   L-V Properties aka Vallejo Plaza

this was 10% investment in the redo of an older shopping center, the Larwin Plaza, in Vallejo CA. Located in Northern California in Solano County, this was worth $90,000 according to an asset statement dated the end of 1968.

It was a 20 acre wetlands-adjacent mall which is no longer open.

8/1/67   T & C Property Investment another shopping area, this time in Los Angeles at 3rd and Fairfax. Ironically it was very near the Park La Brea housing complex that Janssen grew up in. Called Town and Country, its value to Janssen was $78,750 according to the 1968 asset statement.
6/20/68   Huntley House (now the Huntley Hotel) this was an investment in a building in Santa Monica at 1111 Second Street. It was worth $52,500 according to the 1968 asset statement. This building featured an 18th floor penthouse restaurant with spectacular ocean views where Janssen could perch and brag about ownership--which he did on at least one occasion.
    Huffington Oil

this was worth $18,960.72 according to an asset statement dated the end of 1968. Not known if this was a real estate holding or an actual oil investment.

 

 

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