A Peek Inside Liza Minnelli’s Abandoned Mansion In Beverly Hills

When you think of Beverly Hills you imagine glamorous homes. Among these lies a derelict villa that was once Vincente Minnelli’s home. Let’s have a peek inside and see what’s become of this building.

Successes In The Movie Industry

During the mid-20th century, Vincente Minnelli was a well-known name in the movie industry. He directed many classic musicals such as “An American in Paris,” and “Gigi.” He won an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director.

Early Days

Vincente was born in 1903 in Chicago but spent most of his childhood moving around. His parents moved around in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana, but eventually settled in Delaware. After graduating from high school, Vincente decided to return to Chicago.

The Theater Life

When he moved back to Chicago, he immersed himself in the theater. He took jobs designing sets and costumes. That then sparked an interest in directing and he soon landed his first directing gig for a musical called “At Home Abroad.”

Leaving His Mark In The Industry

In 1940 he landed a job at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and that was when his name became known in the industry. In 1945 he married his first wife, Judy Garland, who was an accomplished singer and actress who was also involved in movies.

Judy Garland

They met while Garand was working on the set of a film he was directing in 1944, called “Meet Me in St, Louis.” She collaborated with him on two other occasions and also found success with her music and produced some studio albums.

Two Became Three

On March 12, 1946, Garland gave birth to their first child, Liza Minnelli. She took after her mom and became a singing star as well as an actress. She received an Academy Award for her role in Cabaret, a 1972 film she starred in.

A Short-Lived Romance

It seems Garland and Minnelli were not meant to be, and the pair divorced in 1951. It was believed that Garland’s extramarital affair, her insecurities, and her self-destructive behavior led to her nervous breakdown and ultimately to their marriage falling apart.

A New Love Interest

Vincente married two more times before finally marrying Lee Anderson in 1980. Sadly, after suffering from emphysema and pneumonia, the renowned director passed away in 1986, at the age of 83. After his passing, there was some controversy regarding ownership of his mansion.

A Valuable Inheritance

Vincente had left his $1.1 million property to Liza but stipulated that Lee should have lifetime use of the property. Liza paid the bills while Lee lived there. In 2000, Liza sold the house and offered Lee a $450,000 condo but she refused to leave.

Lawsuit Against Liza

Lee refused to vacate the property in order to hand the house over to the new owners, so Liza stopped paying the electricity bill. She fired the staff who were taking care of the house, and that’s why Lee filed a lawsuit against Liza.

A Short Legal Battle

Lee alleged that Liza had brought emotional anguish on Lee and breached a contract. As if the lawsuit wasn’t enough, Liza married David Gest in 2002, and that just added fuel to the fire. How far would this lawsuit go?

No Longer Invited

Because of the lawsuit, Liza withdrew Lee’s invitation to the wedding. Lee’s lawyers even added in the court papers that while Liza was honeymooning all over the world, Lee, the 94-year-old victim, is all alone in a dark, cold house.

A Response To The Lawsuit

Liza only responded to the lawsuit a month after her wedding, in 2002. She spoke to Amy Archerd from Daily Variety and explained how her father had left her the house to do as she pleased. She offered Lee a condo but it was refused.

A Short-Lived Lawsuit

Thankfully, Lee dropped the lawsuit a month after Liza reached out to Lee and invited her for dinner. They agreed that Lee could continue living in the mansion and Liza would pay rent to new owners. They could then move in when Lee passed away.

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Time To Move In

Four years after an offer of $2.75 million was made, in 2006, the house closed escrow. Lee passed away three years later so it was finally time for the new owners to move in, but they wanted to renovate the property first.

Plans Fell Through

For some reason, their plans fell through and no renovations took place. There were rumors that they wanted to demolish the house and build a new estate, but that never materialized either. What ended up happening was that squatters moved in instead.

The Property’s History

The mansion was first built in 1925, around the time when Spanish Colonial architecture was in fashion. That included flat roofs, terra cotta features, and smooth plastered walls. Then around 1944, the house was renovated in a French Louis XV style.

A Magnificent Property

The house boasts 19 rooms in total. There are six bedrooms and six bathrooms. The building itself is 5,900 square feet and it is situated on a 42,500 square feet lot. It is an enormous property that’s fit for any celebrity.

Split Between Her Parents

Vincente had bought the house shortly after he divorced Garland. That meant that Liza had to split her time between both parents. She lived half the year with her father at the mansion and the other half with her mother.

Every Little Girl’s Dream

Vincente built a playhouse in their backyard for Liza and had many dress-up outfits made for her. “Murphy Brown” actress, Candice Bergen recalls always wanting to play at Liza’s house because it was every little girl’s dream to have so may dress-up outfits.

Feature Story On Lee’s Life

In 1999, The Los Angeles Times did a feature story on the life of Lee Anderson and they painted a picture of the mansion. The article described the vast dressing rooms, the python-covered-walls, and the designer dresses in her closet.

Keeping The House As It Was

It was reported that even after Vincente’s passing, Lee didn’t make any changes to the house. She even left his art equipment, paints, and easel exactly where he had left them. She also left his study the way it was displaying his Oscars.

An Impressive Sight

The way the house looks now it’s hard to believe that it was once an impressive sight. But it really was a magnificent mansion in 1950 when Vincente bought it. Unfortunately, nowadays it is a mere shadow of what it used to be.

A Different Picture

Since Lee’s death, the house is deteriorating more and more each day. The house that was featured in the article written by the Los Angeles Times is no longer existent. Today, the house is abandoned and the grass and trees are overgrown.

A Shell Of Its Former Self

There used to be a magnificent swimming pool in the back garden. Just like the rest of the house, the pool is a shell of what it used to be. It is devoid of water and its walls are covered in graffiti.

Derelict Property

Everywhere you look, there’s rubble and debris. Nothing is how it used to be anymore. There are marble columns that lie toppled and strewn around the yard. It’s hard to imagine that one of the biggest names in Hollywood once lived there.

The Interior Is No Different

The same image that you get from the backyard is echoed inside the house. The kitchen is in a terrible state, with cupboard doors off their hinges, and drawers strewn all over the floor. There are broken dishes and the sink is filthy.

State Of Abandonment

The entire house is in a state of sheer abandonment. Parts of the carpet have been ripped off revealing the old flooring, and the parts that are intact are just filthy. There’s a sense of eeriness as you walk through the house.

Graffiti Or Autograph?

In one of the upstairs rooms, the words “Judy Garland” are written on the wall. No one knows if she actually wrote it herself, or if it’s graffiti. Either way, it’s a reminder of the caliber of people that this house was associated with.

Not Just Abandoned

As you walk through the house it’s sad to see the state of every room considering how lavish and glamorous they once were. The house is not just abandoned, but it’s as if it has been vandalized as well.

A Look Upstairs

As you walk into one of the upstairs rooms, you see some furniture that was left behind. There are holes in the doors and in the walls. Some doors are coming off their hinges and there are papers and trash all over the floor.

The Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is unrecognizable compared to the image published in the Los Angeles Times. There is graffiti on the walls and mirrors and an old dirty mattress lies in the middle of the room. There’s even a fire extinguisher in there.

No Running Water

When people realize that the property is abandoned, they want to go and look around. In 2014 a YouTuber decided to explore the house and found that there’s no running water. It’s no surprise though because no one has lived there since 2009.

More Destruction

There are broken items in every room in the house. In one room there’s an old television set and VHS player that looks to be from the 60s. The is an old broken telephone and VHS tapes scattered all over the floor.

Unwanted Items

It seems Liza must have retrieved the things she wanted from the house after Lee had passed away and left the unwanted items. The paint is peeling off the walls in the living room. Sofas were left behind to gather dust.

Desperately Needs Attention

The new owners were supposed to renovate the house, if not demolish it and build a brand new one, that’s why everything was left as is. Because there were no renovations there are plenty of things that are in desperate need of attention.

The Tour Continues

As the YouTuber continues his tour of the house he finds even more abandoned pieces of furniture and other items. The fact that there was a television set in every room is a testament to the high life that Lee had lived.

Some Possible Work Done

Aerial photos show a utility truck as well as a dumpster parked outside the property but there’s no evidence of any work done. It’s believed that the authorities are preventing the new owners from demolishing the mansion to start afresh.

Possible Reason

No one knows for sure why the local authorities wouldn’t allow the new owners to tear down the house to build a new one. So it is unclear if the house will ever be renovated or if it will continue to decay with every passing day.

Remembering The Good Old Days

What was once a magnificent home to some of Hollywood’s most iconic directors is now a derelict property. It is a pity that because of a family feud and the legal battle that ensued, this once idyllic property is now in ruins.