Citizen Kane Mystery Solved!

Last week for Temple Tuesday I posted screenshots from “Now and Forever” (1934) and “Citizen Kane” (1941), showing that footage from the Temple film was re-used in the Welles film. After reaching out to Robby Cress (expert supreme on finding film locations), I had an answer within a few hours as to where this poolhouse is located. Yes...is. It still exists!

 

Compare the contemporary shot with the vintage screenshot from Shirley’s “Now and Forever.”

 

By the way: this place is apparently for sale! Any “Citizen Kane” fan with a spare $115 million could be the proud owner of this historic film location. Or maybe you could split the cost with a Shirley fan; with 10 acres of property, there’s plenty of space for both!

  

I did a little bit of internet digging, with the most useful info coming from the Hollywood Reporter site. Built in 1932 at a cost of $150,000, this mansion has been lived in by Joseph Drown (Bel Air Hotel owner), movie mogul Joseph Schenck (who had an alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe on the property), actor Tony Curtis (whose wife thought the house was too big: “You could starve to death getting to the kitchen!”), and Sonny and Cher. 

 

In 1976, owner Ralph Mishkin dubbed the estate “Owlwood,” after the birds that proliferated the property, and the name has stuck ever since.

 

Here’s an overhead view:

 

And, in a final little piece of “Citizen Kane” location interest…years ago I posted this screenshot of the Cupid/Diana statue from the film. The statue has since been removed and placed inside the museum in Balboa Park.

 

I had forgotten that back in 1995 before it was moved, I posed with it. Here is that photo:

  

And that is the end (for now!) of the story. I am still willing to tour Owlwood with anyone that can get me on the property for photos!

See more photos at my main website.