Pickfair, The Haunted Estate Of Hollywood Royalty
Bettmann/Getty ImagesPickfair mansion in Beverly Hills.
Pickfair was once the crown jewel of early Hollywood, the combined namesake of screen royalty Mary Pickford (“America’s Sweetheart”) and the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks.
Purchased by Fairbanks in 1919, the modest hunting lodge in Beverly Hills was transformed by architect Wallace Neff into a sprawling, mock Tudor mansion. It included elegant amenities like parquet floors, mahogany paneling, gold-leaf details, a saloon-style bar, an extensive art collection, and reportedly one of Los Angeles’ first private swimming pools.
Pickford and Fairbanks hosted numerous high-profile guests at their estate, including people like Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Joan Crawford, Amelia Earhart, and many more. At the time, Life magazine touted it was “a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House… and much more fun.”
Their marriage ended in divorce in 1936, though the mansion remained Pickford’s home — with her third husband, Buddy Rogers — until her death in 1979. As she got older, though, Pickford became increasingly reclusive, hosting guests in the wings while remaining separated from them by phone.
Bettmann/Getty ImagesMary Pickford outside the Pickfair estate in 1933.
In 1980, Lakers owner Jerry Buss acquired Pickfair and restored it, but he only kept the home for a few years. In 1988, singer and actress Pia Zadora and her husband, Meshulam Riklis, took ownership, announcing in 1990 that the mansion would be demolished to make way for a Venetian palazzo. Zadora initially blamed termites — but she later claimed the decision was prompted by paranormal activity.
Zadora and Riklis’ daughter allegedly saw a pale, ghostly woman laughing above her bed, and Pickford and Fairbanks themselves were said to have spotted a servant’s spirit during their own time in the haunted mansion. Others reported seeing a male spirit near the entrance and another apparition carrying sheet music. Eventually, it all became too much for Zadora and her family to handle.
“If I had a choice, I never would have torn down this old home,” Zadora said. “I loved this home, it had a history, it had a very important sense about it and you can deal with termites, and you can deal with plumbing issues, but you can’t deal with the supernatural.”
After this look at some of the most haunted mansions in the world, explore seven of the world’s most haunted hotels. Then, learn about the history of 11 of the world’s most haunted places.
