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Building History

In 1942, the French actress Michèle Morgan, (née Simone Renée Roussel, [1920-2016]), a star for RKO Radio Pictures, purchased this residence in 11/1941. A notice in the Los Angeles Times stated: "The early American farm-type dwelling at 10050 Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills, has been bought by Michele Morgan from J.F. Wadkins & Co. With addition of a pool and rustic recreation cottage now being built, the investment totals $32,000, according to Harry H. Kem Co., Beverly Hills realtors, who represented the buyer and seller." (See "Michele Morgan Buys Residence," Los Angeles Times, 11/23/1941, p. A7.)

Several sources have credited the house's designer as Robert Byrd, although this has not been corroborated.

After the original owner, Morgan, other movie stars resided here, including, Cary Grant (1904-1986) and Dyan Cannon (b. 1937 in Tacoma, WA), who inhabited it in 1965, Henry Fonda (1905-1982), and Candice Bergen (born 1946 in Beverly Hills, CA) and record producer Terry Melcher (1942-2004). Hollywood agent Rudolph Altobelli (1930-2011) owned the property in 1968 and rented it beginning in February of that year to the film director Roman Polanski (born 1933 in Paris, France) and his wife, the actress, Sharon Tate (1943-1969) . On 08/08/1969, Tate, her unborn child, and four other people in or near the house, Wojciech Frykowski (1936-1969), Jay Sebring (1933-1969), Abigail Folger (1943-1969) and Steven Parent (1951-1969), were murdered by Charles "Tex" Watson, and abetted by Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel.

The last owner was musician Trent Reznor (born 1965 in New Castle, PA) of Nine Inch Nails, who moved from it in 12/1993. A subsequent owner demolished the property in 1994.

Building Notes

A neighboring residence at 10048 Cielo Drive had a very similar appearance to that of 10050 Cielo Drive, and may have been built by Wadkins. In 2019, 10048 Cielo had 5,749 square feet, three bedrooms and four baths.

Demolition

This residence, where the murder of Sharon Tate and four others occurred in 1969, was raised in 1994. A new and much larger residence at 10066 Cielo Drive was completed in 1996.

PCAD id: 7106