Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo’s former LA townhouse hits the market for $900,000

An iconic Hollywood property that was reportedly once home to some of the industry’s brightest stars – including Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo – has hit the market for $900,000, decades after it played host to the on-screen sirens. 

Chateau Beachwood is a 10-unit French Normandy-style complex located near the Two Stone Gates entrance to Beachwood Canyon, which was originally known as Hollywoodland. 

Before they went on to own luxury mansions of their own, iconic stars like Marilyn and Greta were housed in the 1930s townhouse by the film studios they worked with, which, in those days, often contracted actors and actresses to work solely on their projects.  

Now one of its two-bedroom units has hit the market for $899,000, much to the delight of those interested in owning a slice of old Hollywood history.

Iconic stars such as Marilyn Monroe (left) and Greta Garbo (right) were reportedly housed in a stunning 1930s Hollywood townhouse by the film studios they worked with

Chateau Beachwood is a 10-unit French Normandy-style complex, and the property where Monroe lived in now on the market

Back in the Golden Age of Tinsel Town, young film stars who had been locked into multi-year contracts with the top studios would often be given places to live near their places of work.

For the likes of Monroe, Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, they reportedly found themselves living in the idyllic complex while churning out projects for the studios.

With its convenience to the movie and television studios, Beachwood Canyon has been the current or former neighborhood for many celebrities over the years, including Humphrey Bogart, Kevin Bacon and Anna Kendrick.

Thanks to its location in one of LA’s older areas, the neighborhood homes retain much of the atmosphere of the glamorous mid-century Hollywood era with the well-manicured lawns, huge willow trees and colorful gardens. 

According to the listing agent and TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, Chateau Beachwood — located beneath the Hollywood sign — is the exact residence where Monroe once lived.

In the years that followed, Madonna, Sean Penn, John Cusack and the late Anne Heche have also reportedly been Chateau Beachwood residents.

The two-bedroom property is drenched in natural light, and both feature wedding cake relief plasterwork

The 1,199 square feet unit was designed by architect Walter C. King in 1936

The town house, where Marlene Dietrich (right) was also reportedly housed, still features beautiful green magnesite stairs

Elsewhere, the bathroom also features a striking green bathtub with a matching toilet, and sink

The 1,199 square feet unit was designed by architect Walter C. King in 1936 and is located just a few blocks from the Monastery of the Angels, Franklin Village and The Hollywood Sculpture Gardens. 

Monroe’s townhouse has been updated in the years since she lived there, but still retains many features that today’s buyers would love, including the beautiful green magnesite stairs and the original Art Deco balustrade.

Both bedrooms feature wedding cake relief plasterwork and the colorful bathroom has a walk-in shower and original yellow and purple tilework.

Meanwhile the bathroom also features a striking green bathtub with a matching toilet, and sink.

The property, which is drenched in light from the oversized casement windows, is currently available with Marlena Maidhof at ACME Real Estate.

Marilyn Monroe is arguably the biggest star in the history of Hollywood, with her name and look transcending the film industry to make her a household name before her untimely death in August 1962 at the age of 36.

Monroe began her career with simple six-month contract with FOX studios, who didn’t want her to get signed by their rivals RKO Pictures. She then signed briefly with Columbia before eventually getting a seven-year contract with Fox.

During that time, the actress began extremely frustrated with the quality of work she was being given and often took issue with the fact she remained underpaid by the studio compared to other starlets of the era. At one point in 1954, she fled to New York as a way to break free from the studio and set up her own production company.

The colorful bathroom has a walk-in shower and original yellow and purple tilework

Monroe’s townhouse has been updated in the years since she lived there, but still retains many features that today’s buyers would love

The chic property benefits from oversized casement windows

The complex is located just a few blocks from the Monastery of the Angels, Franklin Village and The Hollywood Sculpture Gardens

In 1955, Fox finally awarded her with a new contract which included her salary being boosted to $100,000 per film. Sadly, she died before getting to create a film with her company.

Greta Garbo grew up in Sweden and started appearing in commercials for women’s clothing after college. In the 1920s, she landed a few Swedish roles before she was discovered by Louis B. Meyer, vice president of media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

Meyer believed he could turn her into a big star and had her relocate to Hollywood, where he did just that. The actress soon got into a contract dispute with MGM after the stellar success of her first few films.

In fact, Garbo threatened to return to Sweden and eventually landed a new contract that paid her a record $270,000 per movie and gave her unprecedented control over her roles and the films she starred in.

She went on to become one of the most well-known actresses of her time, but after starring in 28 feature films across 16 years, she retired in 1941.

With its convenience to the movie and television studios, Beachwood Canyon has been the current or former neighborhood for many celebrities over the years, including Humphrey Bogart, Kevin Bacon and Anna Kendrick

Thanks to its location in one of LA’s older areas, the neighborhood homes retain much of the atmosphere of the glamorous mid-century Hollywood era with the well-manicured lawns, huge willow trees and colorful gardens

During her career, Monroe famously became frustrated with the quality of work she was being given by Fox Studio and often took issue with how much she was being paid during her sever year contract

Garbo once threatened to return to Sweden in order to land a record contract with MGM, while Dietrich became Paramount’s answer to Garbo and used this to leverage her contract terms

Greta – who was best known for her roles in A Woman of Affairs, Anna Christie, Romance, and Camille – died in 1990 at the age of 85, after leading a private life in her New York apartment for 50 years.

German-born star Marlene Dietrich was a Hollywood icon and a bisexual beauty whose style and intoxicating sex appeal endured through the ages. 

In her first Hollywood film for Paramount Pictures in 1930, Morocco, she acted alongside Gary Cooper, and in quick succession she appeared in several movies including Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress and The Devil Is A Woman. 

Dietrich became Paramount’s answer to Greta Garbo and she used this to leverage a contract which saw her become the world’s most highly paid actress in the 1930s. She died of kidney failure in Paris at the age of 90.