Charlie Chaplin was, and remains, an important icon of motion picture history. His on screen antics are classic, and his contribution to the industry in a variety of ways cannot be underestimated. One way he sought to improve production at his studio, which he built in 1917, was to provide housing for employees close to the studio. Beginning in 1923 Chaplin built three courtyard style apartments, the third and final of which is now a luxury hotel that pays homage to Chaplin, as it is dubbed The Charlie.
There have been lots of stories written about The Charlie, and the notable celebrities who have crossed the thresholds of small collection of quaint English style units, such as Betty Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, and Gregory Peck. However each article failed to mention one person, one of my favorite musicians, Gram Parsons. Much like last year’s birthday getaway, where I stayed at another one of Gram’s old haunts, Chateau Marmont, this year we stayed in his old apartment.
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The area now known as The Charlie was first owned by Elizabeth Gordon, mother to screenwriter and Oscar winning actor Ruth Gordon. Here Gordon had a farmhouse and stable, where Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino kept horses. Chaplin later purchased the property in 1924. Like Chaplin’s studio and previous two apartment units, he redeveloped the old farm into a English Tudor style property a few years later. Chaplin parted with the property sometime in the 1940s and it continued on as an apartment complex.
Located just blocks from Route 66 and the famed Sunset Strip, 821 1/4 N Sweetzer Avenue seemed the perfect spot for burgeoning musician Gram Parsons and his girlfriend, Nancy Ross, when they arrived in March of 1967. Previously Gram and his group The International Submarine Band had called New York home, but Gram felt New York was a dead end, and began to work on convincing the band to move to Los Angeles. While Gram and Nancy nestled into their cozy English style apartment, band members Ian Dunlop, Mickey Gauvin, and John Nuese got a home together in Laurel Canyon.
While in LA, the International Submarine Band would go on to open for The Doors, Iron Butterfly and Love. But the band could see Gram’s commitment wasn’t there anymore due to a variety of things, including the separate living situations, Gram’s relationship with Nancy, and unlike the rest of the band, Gram didn’t need to work to keep a roof over his head or eat. He had his trust fund to fall back on. Twice a year Gram was given somewhere between $30,000 to $40,000. That’s roughly $662,000 a year in 2024 money.
Eventually the International Submarine Band fell apart (their one and only album, Safe at Home, released after their breakup), and Gram moved onto bigger things, The Byrds. Gram continued to push the work that Chris Hillman started of taking the Byrds in a country direction. The result was Sweetheart of the Rodeo. After deciding he wasn’t going to continue on tour with the Byrds to apartheid South Africa, Gram was promptly kicked out of the Byrds.
Later Hillman quit the Byrds, he and Gram reconnected and reconciled. Gram’s relationship with Nancy was becoming rocky, and she, along their daughter, Polly, moved back to Nancy’s hometown of Santa Barbara. Today Polly is a force in preserving her father’s legacy while also helping end what was his downfall, by opening Hickory Wind Ranch, a recovery center in Austin, Texas, and her unique shop, Sound as Ever, which sells repros of Gram’s iconic Fallen Angels tee.
Gram and Hillman moved into a house together in Reseda, where they would flesh out their new band, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Ironically Gram would find himself walking in the footsteps of Chaplin again, as the Brothers would go on to record part of their first album, Gilded Palace of Sin, at the old Charlie Chaplin studios, which at the time was the location of A&M Records. Today it is home to the Jim Henson Company, and you can check our our visit there here.
The collection of English cottages began to fall into disrepair and were slated for demolish in the early 2000s, but in 2002 Menachem Treivush bought the property and spent years renovating it, opening The Charlie in 2008. The hotel leans into its old Hollywood vibe, naming each room after a famed former resident, framed photos of stars throughout, and Chaplin motifs scattered about.
Our room, dubbed “Ruth” in honor of Ruth Gordon, still has remnants of its apartment days, including a kitchen and washer and dryer. The spacious downstairs features the living and dining rooms, kitchen, and a half bath. Upstairs there is a large bedroom and full bath. Both floors have amazing built ins, providing ample storage for the tenants of decades past.
The Charlie also has a collection of lovely communal spaces, such as a small garden with an outdoor table and fireplace, and an expansive deck allowing guests to bask in California’s sunshine.
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Curious about the other two Charlie Chaplin courtyard apartments? They are still standing and still apartments! The Formosa Cottages, built in 1923 and designed by Arthur and Nina Zwebell, are located at 1328 N. Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles. Legendary stars Douglas Fairbanks and Rudolph Valentino once lived there. The second is Normandie Towers, built in 1924, and located at 7219 Hampton Avenue in West Hollywood. Famous former residents include Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, James Dean, Douglas Fairbanks, Jean Harlow, Buster Keaton, Marilyn Monroe, and Norma Shearer.
Rest your head in one of the charming bungalows at The Charlie at 819 N. Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood. For more information, including booking your stay, visit their website.
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Sources
“About.” The Charlie.
Bishop, Bob. “Charlie Chaplin’s Courtyard Cottages Leave Their Mark on West Hollywood.” West Hollywood History, 23 October 2020.
Fedeli, Mark. “Marilyn Slept Here.” The Agenda, 20 October 2023.
Meyer, David N. Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music. Villard, 2007. Print.