Back on August 18, the Arlen family held a farewell tribute to the late Dr. Harold and Mary Arlen, and an estate sale benefiting charity. The event was held at the Arlen’s family home of 49 years, an historic property located at 1265 Amalfi Dr., and was ‘a ‘swan song’ to an era gone by,’ said the Arlen’s son, Michael. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to Breathe-LA, the Museum of Tolerance, the City of Hope, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and KCET. ‘My parents owned one of the first great mansions to be built in the Palisades Riviera,’ Arlen said, ‘and it survives as one of the last of its era to remain true to its original design and elegance.’ Originally built and occupied by the owners of the White Sewing Machine Company (predecessor to Singer Sewing Machines), this rare 1920’s Mediterranean is located on what is now known as the Amalfi Drive “Rim”. ‘Archival pictures at Will Rogers State Historic Park show the house, majestically overlooking the polo field, from across Rustic Canyon,’ said Arlen, a 1971 graduate of Palisades High. Unique features include a ballroom (speak-easy during prohibition), complete with huge glass brick bar, art deco etched mirrors and glass cabinets and projector room; wrought-iron window treatments, gates, railings and fences; mahogany doors, floors and moldings; floor to nearly ceiling art deco raised-relief tiles in the bathrooms; Malibu tile accents, floor runners and murals throughout the house and gardens; and original silver leaf and hand-rubbed ceilings, magnificent painted murals and wooden beams with hand-sculpted details. The library has a wet bar, fireplace and wood-paneled walls and beautiful wooden beams surrounded with original painted murals reminiscent of works by Remington. Arlen listed ‘other things I love about the house,’ which was sold shortly before the estate sale: * The house is set back from the street, the front yard and enclosed garden, providing both privacy and a sound barrier from the street. * The back yard has a large pool, with diving board, an outdoor fireplace and an unobstructed view of the Santa Monica Mountains. The ocean is visible from some of the upstairs windows. * The thick stucco walls help keep the house naturally cool in the summer, warm in the winter. * The house has a multitude of one-of-a-kind features. The tiles, the murals and the rod-iron artwork are not only things of exquisite beauty, but aren’t matched in luxury or condition, even in the Southland’s historic homes or museums. * The house’s original door, window and lighting fixtures, which were imported from Germany during the 1920’s, still function and are in excellent condition. * A multitude of fruit trees and berry plants help provide homegrown food all year long. Arlen recalled magical times growing up in the Amalfi home. ‘Even before we moved to California, my parents were the quintessential party throwers,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen 16 mm films of the parties they threw at the ffficers’ barracks at Fort Lejeune, North Carolina, and at our redwood house adjacent to the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. My dad was a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry and my mom, who studied law, specialized in raising my sister and me and, of course, throwing great parties. ‘On Halloween, my sister’s birthday, the house was always decorated and my parents, in costume, would serve Hawaiian punch from a punch bowl and homemade waffles wrapped around a scoop of ice cream. Needless to say, our home was one of the most popular places to go on Halloween. ‘My real relatives were all back East, so close family friends, who were also East Coast transplants, would gravitate to our house during the holidays. On Thanksgiving, my mom would prepare food for a core group of family friends, no less than 24. On Christmas, the group would more than double; and for New Year’s–my father’s birthday–our house would be open and literally hundreds would stop by to celebrate.’ ‘My dad loved music,’ Arlen continued, ‘and since we often hosted musical receptions at the house, some people assumed that he was in the music industry, or even the other Harold Arlen’ (who wrote ‘Over the Rainbow,’ ‘The Man That Got Away,’ ‘That Old Black Magic’ and other classic songs). ‘Actually, Dad was a medical doctor specializing in psychoanalysis,’ his son said. ‘Karl Malden played him in the movie ‘Call Me Anna,’ about Patti Duke’s struggle with a bi-polar disability (one of my dad’s specialties). In addition to his private practice in Century City, he also taught at USC’s School of Medicine. Visiting composers included Rustic Canyon resident Alfred Newman, Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, who would sit down at the piano and set the mood. Solo performances often gave way to impromptu jazz ensembles and the guests would entertain each other with new interpretations of their better-known works. ‘In 1966,’ Arlen recalled, ‘my parents opened our house for a fundraiser for the incumbent governor of California, Pat Brown, when Ronald Reagan decided to enter the race. At that time, he lived across the street with Jane Wyman; he later moved up the street into a house on San Onofre Drive, after he married Nancy. In a rare meeting on the campaign trail, Mr. Reagan came over to our house and paid his respects to the governor. Mr. Regan caught a friend of mine putting a ‘Vote for Brown’ on Mr. Regan’s limo and while he shook my friend vigorously, we yelled out to the media to take a picture of the incident.’ During the Malibu fire in the early 1960s, firemen set up a command post at the Arlen house, utilizing a fire hydrant at the foot of the driveway. ‘My mom made two huge lasagnas and fed the firemen who were stationed at the house,’ her son recalled. ‘She also provided them with coffee and homemade donuts the next few days. I also remember the firemen placing a big water canon on the edge of our back-yard pool. The canon would siphon water out of our pool and shoot it clear across the canyon to the houses that were threatened on the other side. With each pulse of the canon, the pool’s water level would drop about six inches!’ Michael Arlen, who has been a successful businessman and entrepreneur, lives in Mar Vista with his wife, Phebe, and three children: Bobby (14), Emily (11) and Mary (8). His sister Elizabeth is an actress who has appeared in numerous movies, including ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ ‘European Vacation,’ and ‘In the Company of Spies.’ She lives in Brentwood and is involved with TV and movie project development.
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