Although razed in 1957, it lives on in movie memory owing to its use in location shooting for two celebrated Hollywood films — Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

The house was designed by American civil engineer and architect Thomas Beverley Keim, Jr. (1884-1926), who committed suicide soon after its completion.

As a condition for the rental of the property, she requested that the studio build her a new swimming pool, which became the site of the famous scene with William Holden's floating corpse at the beginning of the film.

On 21 February 1955, Warner Brothers was granted permission — for the sum of $250 per day ($2,843 in 2023 dollars [2]) — to film scenes for Rebel Without a Cause on the site on April 16, 18, 20 and 21, 1955.

Having only recently won a lawsuit brought by 169 of his Windsor Square neighbors (which had sought to prevent demolition), Getty was keen to have the place destroyed before the locals had a chance to successfully seek alternative legal avenues.