Hollywood's Guaranty Building was built in 1923, with Gilbert Bessemyer as the owner[1] and Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B. DeMille included as investors.

[2] The building features Beaux-Arts architecture and was designed by John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley, with John Austin and his partners noted at the time for their work on Los Angeles City Hall, Griffith Observatory, Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, Shrine Civic Auditorium, and Hollywood Masonic Temple.

[1] Upon completion, the building was appraised for $1,325,000 ($23.7 million in 2023)[3] and over the years, its tenants have included Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. Demille, Hedda Hopper, Al Jolson, Rudolph Valentino, and others.

[4][5] The building was hit hard by the Great Depression, with its primary tenant Guaranty Savings declaring bankruptcy in 1930, an event that had ripple effects throughout Hollywood.

[1] Inside, the lobby features marble floors and walls, and the elevator doors are brass with a textured quilted pattern.