Category: Hollywood Blog

This is an excerpt from a letter to H. J. Whitley in 1916

My Dear Mr. Whitley,       April 20th, 1916

I could have told them that you caused millions of bales of cotton to grow where none grew before by buying the first seed cotton, shipping it into that new country and distributing it free to the few doubting farmers there. How the cattlemen declared that grass was the best asset of that Country. How the “nester” from Texas declared that it was too far north to grow corn or wheat – (weevil would eat it).

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Here is a copy of a letter written by HJ Whitley to his daughter grace:

My Dearest Grace:
I have written your mother twice about the movies. Hoot Gibson and his company of 48 are here at the hotel getting ready to take a picture on our lands centering most of their scenes at the “Homestead”. They all seem to be very high class people. I have met the Directors, the Art Director and Hoot Gibson.

The pictures they are taking in many ways carries out many of the points of my method of development through my life’s work. They expect to be here most of this week. This picture should be a big ad for the sale of the lands we want to sell.

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Here are the gravesites for HJ and Gigi Whitley. Notice what is stated at the gravesite in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Again I say a picture is worth a thousand words.

HJ hosted a dinner-party in which all the important business men of the area were invited. The event allowed him to announce the grand opening of his new subdivision, Whitley Heights. Dinner for more than 1000 was prepared for the opening. The feast consisted of barbequed meat, delicate mountain turkeys and other dainties just as appetizing. After dinner the assembled guests drove to the commanding summit of the tract. For nearly a year HJ had been grading roads, building retaining walls, and making sure that each residence would have a magnificent panorama of hills, city and Pacific Ocean.

This picture show the construction of the first electric lit sign in Hollywood. In the center of the picture right below the Whitley Heights Sign is the office of A. A Barnes the architect who worked for H J Whitley.

The final touch to the evening occurred when a monstrous electric sign was turned on saying “Whitley Heights”. It was so large that it could be plainly seen as far as Wilshire Blvd. At the closing speech HJ said, “Whitley Heights will be my last subdivision. I look upon it as the culmination of a life-time of development and frankly the most beautiful piece of property ever developed. I have owned and held it for with the idea that it should be my last piece of development work and even promised Gigi that it would be.” The opening of Whitley Heights marked a historic mile-stone in the life of HJ, his last great development enterprise.

William Powell and Carole Lombard’s home at 6861 Iris Circle was a romantic, private and gated, historic celebrity hideaway located in Whitley Heights. You enter this landmark home from the private gated courtyard. It leads up to the grand formal entrance. This unique home still showcases much of its original details and elegance. The entryway leads to an open concept layout perfect for entertaining. The wood-beamed, step-down living room features gorgeous hardwood floors, a stunning fireplace, and an oversized picture window offering a perfect vantage point of the iconic Hollywood sign.


In the 1920s Whitley Heights was Hollywood’s first neighborhood hideout for Golden Era celebrities. Carole Lombard and William Powell, two of the day’s brightest stars, lived in this swanky four-bedroom, four-bathroom Spanish villa on the quiet side of Iris Circle. Carole Lombard was best known in the 1920s and 1930s for her starring roles in hit screwball comedies like Howard Hawks’ pioneering screwball comedy Twentieth Century, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and My Man Godfrey, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. William Powell was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett.

Once Carole Lombard married William Powell, they both became the highest paid stars at Paramount Pictures. Despite their differences – she was 22, carefree, and famously foul-mouthed and he was 38, intellectual, and sophisticated, Lombard said at the time their relationship allowed for a “perfect see-saw kind of love.” This is very similar to HJ and Gigi Whitley’s marriage.

I find I enjoying reading historical books that have recorded the correct history about H J Whitley.

It should also be noted that a few years ago, in order to close up affairs, Mr. Whitley took over the balance of unsold lands and assets of the Suburban Homes Company, taking over a large amount of land and other assets, supplying the capital and making it possible to wind up the affairs of the company. This was another of his generous acts, in line with his desire to ensure that his policy of giving the land buyer who improves his holding proper accommodation and support should be continued.

Link to purchase:
Los Angeles From the Mountains to the Sea

Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea: With Selected Biography of Actors and Witnesses to the Period of Growth and Achievement; Volume 3
The American Historical Society
New York 1921

I find I enjoying reading historical books that have recorded the correct history about H J Whitley.

H. J. Whitley’s responsibilities and the continuous strain of business effort brought about a breakdown in health, and on the advice of his physicians he came to California in 1893. He was soon afterward employing his talents and means in local constructive enterprises, although his interests elsewhere have always continued large. His greatest task and the scene of his best work has been in the district of Hollywood and the contiguous territory of the San Fernando Valley. From an open country he developed the modern Hollywood, having as his associates some of the most prominent business men of Los Angeles. Individually, however, he owned the principal interests and had the chief burdens of management. He was the first to conceive the idea of making Hollywood a suburb of Los Angeles. Largely through his efforts water was distributed throughout the Hollywood Hills. He donated five tracts of lands, two reservoir sites and other grounds which today are valued by the water company (1921) at nearly two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He also gave nearly the entire site for the Hollywood Hotel and the First National Bank property and organized the bank. He was a large stockholder in these and other institutions which developed Hollywood. He put in the first electric light and telephone systems. It was his influence that attracted the assistance of E. P. Clark and Gen. M. H. Sherman in the building the electric line through Hollywood. The splendid boulevards, Sunset and Hollywood were conceived in his original plan for the development of Hollywood. Up to that time surburban development around Los angeles had encountered baffling obstacles, and it was the sheer will, force and able management of Mr. Whitley that brought about the first real suburban success.

Link to purchase:
Los Angeles From the Mountains to the Sea

Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea: With Selected Biography of Actors and Witnesses to the Period of Growth and Achievement; Volume 3
The American Historical Society
New York 1921

I find I enjoying reading historical books that have recorded the correct history about H J Whitley.

H. J. Whitley. While there is a generous and widespread appreciation of the magnificant results achieved in developing many of the beautiful districts around Los Angeles, it is not generally understood how much of the credit is due the guiding genius and inspiration of a few far-sighted and public spirited individuals. Some of the best examples of this development, notably at Hollywood, have not proceeded from the haphazard and undirected enterprise of a community and its inhabitants, but from a powerful connection of effort originating largely in a single man or organization.

Those intimately informed as to the history of progress and development in the wonderful section of Los Angeles north of the city proper, including Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, are aware that the results acheived are due largely to the silent workings, plans and energies of H. J. Whitley. Mr. Whitley exemplifies in an eminent degree that broadly constructive spirit and genius for development which makes communities and cities. Mr. Whitley’s forte has not only consisted in town development, the usual scope of his enterprise having extended over much greater area than that prescribed in any single town site.

Link to purchase:
Los Angeles From the Mountains to the Sea

Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea: With Selected Biography of Actors and Witnesses to the Period of Growth and Achievement; Volume 3
The American Historical Society
New York 1921