In 1923, Beverly Hills real estate mogul George Read was both developer and builder of Falcon Lair and the homes first occupant. In 1925, Rudolph
Valentino felt it was time to upgrade his home and lifestyle by buying his last home located in the hills above Benedict Canyon overlooking Beverly
Hills.at 2 Bella Drive/1436 Bella Drive/10051 Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills, California.
George Reed would sell the home to Rudolph Valentino only on the condition that the movie studio would guarantee the loan. So for $175,000 and additional upgrades done on both the main property and surrounding acreage the house was officially his. At the time of this purchase, Rudy and his wife were estranged so all of his efforts were put into making this house a home. The house had 4700 square feet of space, on 4 acres of land and designed in “California Style” with Mediterranean stucco and red-tiled roofing. Rudolph named his new home after a never completed movie called “The Hooded Falcon”. Rudy felt that his dream home should be a retreat from the outside world a place that reflected who he was and filled with things that interested him such as horses, cars and dogs. So this was accomplished by filling it with European furnishings, expensive artwork and antiques purchased from numerous trips made to Europe by him and Natacha. Library shelves filled with leather-bound books, drapes of red velvet, hand carved furniture and closets filled with clothes this home was considered a showplace where dinner parties were held where famous guests such as Charlie Chaplain, Pola Negri, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Vilma Banky and others would come by and enjoy Rudolph Valentino’s hospitality. Gloria Swanson would sometimes stop by and go riding with Rudy. Also one of nearest neighbors was another famous silent film star John Gilbert. For added privacy, he had a very high wall erected around the property and his dogs were let loose at night as additional protection. Also, he purchased 6.5 acres of adjourning property. In 1926, Rudolph Valentino died and left his estate to his brother Alberto, Maria and Teresa Werner. Falcon Lair was bought by Doris Duke who died there 1993. Since that time, the house has been sold a few times, gutted with the intent of re-building. Falcon Lairs story has been covered in numerous websites and in newspapers with far more accuracy than depicted here. The purpose of adding Falcon Lair to this blog is to show readers that this house is apart of All About Rudolph Valentino. Falcon Lair is another legacy that has been left in the dust however the memory lives on in pictures and other website posts on the Internet.
All About Rudolph Valentino 
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