Teri Garr�s California Cottage

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on AUGUST 12, 2008

Actress Teri Garr�s charming California cottage has 2 bedrooms, 3 baths. She just sold it for an undisclosed amount, but it was on the market for $3.99 million. According to the listing:

Beyond the gates and gardens lies an irresistibly charming California cottage. Dramatic and private, this light filled home originally built in 1924 is in the heart of Brentwood Park. There are two bedroom suites, the master is glorious and fills the entire second floor. There is a cozy office, warm and wonderful living room and inviting kitchen. Several sets of French doors open to the rear garden with pool/spa + guest house above the garage.

Garr began her career as a dancer, becoming a regular performer on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Her first big film role was as Inga, the beautiful assistant in Young Frankenstein (with Gene Wilder):

She then had some career-making roles in movies like �Mr. Mom,� �Close Encounters of the Third Kind,� and �Oh, God!�

She snagged an Oscar nom for best supporting actress in Tootsie as the people-pleasing actress Sandy (with Dustin Hoffman) in �Tootsie.�

When I was in college, everyone used to gather on weeknights in the dormitory lounge to watch Letterman, and Garr was a frequent�and very funny�guest.

Big Time Listings broke the story that Teri Garr was selling her Brentwood house, explaining:

The enormously likable Garr, who sadly suffered a brain aneurysm in 2006 and also in 2002 had announced that she suffers from multiple sclerosis, told the Daily News of Los Angeles in an article that ran on April 21, 2008 that �the other day, a guy came to fix my computer, and I told him, �I�ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is I�ve got to sell my house because I can�t work. The good news is I�m walking.� He said, �I think the good news is much better than the bad news.� I have to look at it that way.�

In October 2002, Garr went public with her MS on �Larry King,� saying, �I�m telling my story for the first time, so I can help people. I can help people know they aren�t alone, and tell them there are reasons to be optimistic because today treatment options are available�.

She has become a leading advocate in raising awareness for MS and the latest treatments for the disease and a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Gull Cottage in the Movie �The Ghost and Mrs. Muir�

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on SEPTEMBER 12, 2011


The classic 1947 Academy-Award nominee The Ghost and Mrs. Muir featured an unforgettably romantic seaside house in the (fictitious) English village of Whitecliff-by-the-Sea. Gene Tierney starred as Lucy Muir, a young widow who rents Gull Cottage, only to discover that the handsome sea captain who died there is still haunting it.

The movie was actually filmed entirely in California. Steve told Movie Real Estate it was built by the production department of 20th Century Fox in Palos Verdes and taken down after filming ended.

The set had no running water or electricity, and the ceilings were removable to accommodate lights and sound equipment.

The famous Monkey Puzzle tree in the front yard�which Rex Harrison�s Captain Daniel Gregg planted himself and is unhappy to see taken down�was real. It was found on the back lot of Fox studios and transplanted for the shoot. You can read more about Monkey Puzzle trees here.

They built a greenhouse on the side of the house that they didn�t end up using in the movie. You can see it in this production photo taken during filming:



In the front hall, these double doors lead to the living room, where Lucy first sees the Captain�s portrait and becomes intrigued by it:

The word muir (and Lucy�s last name) is Gaelic for �the sea.�

Real estate agent Mr. Coombe tells Lucy that Captain Gregg committed suicide, which is why he�s haunting the house. But the Captain insists he didn�t kill himself�hekicked the gas heater over in his sleep.

He has run everyone else off the property within a day or two, but Lucy isn�t as easily frightened. She loves the cottage and is determined to stay�ghost or no ghost. An unconventional romance ensues.

The Cottage Kitchen was kind of primitive but cozy:

Gene Tierney starred in several memorable classics besides this one, including Laura(1944) and Leave Her to Heaven (1945).



Despite her beauty and fame, Tierney had a difficult life marked by tragedy and mental illness.

She had a daughter with husband Oleg Cassini in 1943 who was born with multiple special needs after Tierney was exposed to Rubella during her pregnancy. She had to drop out of later film roles because of mental instability and personal troubles and died at the age of 70 from emphysema.

The movie was based on a popular 1945 novel written by British author Josephine Leslie under the (unfortunate) pseudonym R.A. Dick. It was adapted by American screenwriter Philip Dunne.



The upstairs hallway:

Lucy�s daughter Anna was played by Natalie Wood. Here�s a photo of her with the dog taken during filming:

We only got a brief look at Anna�s bedroom when Lucy tucks her in one night, but you can see a little more of it in this production still:

The Captain�s bedroom was captured in this panoramic view on set:

Lucy pays the rent on the cottage with dividends from a gold mine. When the mine shuts down, she�s afraid she�ll have to move back in with her bossy in-laws.

The Captain isn�t about to let her go, though. He comes up with a plan to dictate a rough and tumble book about his seafaring life called Blood and Swash. Lucy finds a publisher and it becomes a bestseller.

The painting of Captain Gregg that he insisted Lucy hang in the bedroom was actually a photo of Rex Harrison that they painted over.

In this production shot you can see how the ceiling panels could be removed for lights and cameras to come down:

Looking into the Captain�s (and Lucy�s) bedroom window at night from the outside:

Lucy (stupidly) falls for children�s book author Miles Farley (George Sanders) after meeting him at her publisher�s office. He turns out to be a charming cad, but it takes her a while to notice.

The Captain says goodbye to Lucy while she�s sleeping, telling her she needs to move on and experience real-life love. When she wakes up, she�ll think he was just a dream (I hate that part! Don�t go, Captain Gregg!).

This production shot shows the back door of Gull Cottage:

The Captain and Lucy in the front yard:

And a view of bathers on the beach below:

In the final scene of the movie (spoiler alert!), Lucy and the Captain walk out of the house together, arm in arm:

Did anyone else think it was sad that she spent so many years alone, believing the Captain was nothing but a strange dream she had when she first moved there? He should have come back when she kicked Miles to the curb, IMO.

Two weeks ago I posted photos of the real house used in the 1960s sitcom �The Ghost & Mrs. Muir,� which was based on this movie. It�s beautiful, too, and was also filmed in California instead of England. You can see it here if you missed it!