Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia's home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930's.

After Rudolph Valentino died in 1926, two of his homes in the Hollywood hills went up for sale. 

One, the famous 4,700 square foot, Falcon Lair, home of Valentino and Natacha Rambova in Benedict Canyon

  

Rudolph Valentino at his home in Whitley Heights.

and the other in the Whitley Heights section of the Hollywood hills. Valentino lived in this house while he and his fiancee were building Falcon Lair.

Tom Lyle Williams and Emery Shaver on the
 Balcony of the Villa Valentino.

Tom Lyle and Emery with TL's 1934 Packard Victoria
 at the Villa Valentino.

After Valentino’s untimely death, Tom Lyle and Emery rented than bought the home in Whitley Heights...named it The Villa Valentino and concentrated on Maybelline's Advertising...

while brother, Vice President Noel James Williams ran the business at hand for the Maybelline Company in Chicago.

Picture of Tom Lyle Williams from the article
 in Drug Topics Magazine, 1929.

In May of 1929 in one of the few article written about Tom Lyle’s life and his success story came out in a cosmetic journal called the drug topics and portrayed a young entrepreneur’s genius in advertising.

This fascinating period of Hollywood history is featured in The Maybelline Story... buy a signed copy today...

Want to read more on The Villa Valentino, chick here 

Maybelline Story brings Romance back to life.

Rudolph Valentino was every woman's Romantic Idol, in the 1920's and even more so after his untimely death in 1926.  Tom Lyle Williams, bought the Villa Valentino, around 1930 and like Valentino, loved beautiful automobiles, architecture and the exotic Hollywood stars, who represented Maybelline.

Tom Lyle, at the Villa, with his new 1940 Packard, 

Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova, lived in the Villa Valentino, while their home, Falcon Lair, was being built. 

The Villa Valentino.

Maybelline model and Hollywood star,  Gloria Swanson, and Valentino

.

"The Romance."

Tom Lyle and Emery Shaver, with Tom Lyle's new 1934, Packard, Victoria.

Tom Lyle and Emery Shaver, lived together at the Villa Valentino, and were together for over 50 years.

Read more about Tom Lyle and Emery's life together at the Villa Valentino, in The Maybelline Story.

The Latin Lovers Villa becomes the Maybelline King's private estate in the 1930"s.

Here is a picture of The Villa Valentino in the Hollywood Hills, owned by Rudolph Valentino when he was engaged to Natacha Rambova. They lived there while their home in Beverly Hills, Falcon Lair was being built. Sadly, Natacha divorced him shortly after he bought the property and he was forced to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous alone.  After Valentino's untimely death in 1926 Tom Lyle Williams, Maybelline's founder bought it and did a complete  renovation inside and out. 

The Villa Valentino was located in the Whitley Heights section of Hollywood at 6776 Wedgwood Place, but was eventually razed to make room for the Hollywood Freeway in 1949.  When Tom Lyle bought the Villa he loved it's old world feeling, but didn't like the lack of privacy, so hired a gardener who planted over a hundred Italian cypress, Palm trees and exotic tropical plants to hide the Villa from curious spectators.

An arrow points to the Villa exposed to the public and you can just imagine how a good pair of binoculars might cause gossipy neighbors to spread unwanted rumors.  Check out Tom Lyle's brand new 1937 Packard parked on the street where he shot this photograph with his Kodak.  What a life he must have had in Hollywood in the 1930's, working with major motion picture studios, preparing contracts with the biggest stars and entertaining at the Villa Valentino.

Stay tuned for more pictures of the Villa Valentino before the restoration and after. You can also read about Tom Lyle in Hollywood and the Maybelline company in my book The Maybelline Story.  Purchase an autographed copy from me at maybellinestory.com.