Carole was born in Wisconsin but she spent most of her life in California. Sixty years after Carole's death her fans can see some of the most important places from her life. Many of the homes she lived in and places she went are still there. Take a tour of Carole's life in Hollywood -
In September 1936 Carole rented an apartment at 1933 Bronson Avenue in Hollywood. She was seventeen years old and had just moved to Hollywood from San Francisco. The five story apartment building was in an undesirable part of town. Her one bedroom apartment cost $45 a month. When Carole signed her first movie contract in 1937 she invited her mother, Clara to move in with her.
In April 1940 she attended the premiere of Turnabout at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Carole brought along her mother and her fiance Willis Hunt. Her 1944 movie Four Jills In A Jeep also premiered there. Unfortunately Carole was never asked to place her footprints in the theatre's famous forecourt. Grauman's Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.
In 1940 she started taking classes at Hollywood High School. Carole studied English and French. She had dropped out of high school when she was just fifteen years old. Many other stars have attended Hollywood High including Carole Lombard and Angelina Jolie. It is located at 1521 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood.
From January 1941 until February 1942 Carole lived at 12424 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. She rented the Colonial style house from Edna Mae Oliver. It had ten rooms, a pool, and bars on all the windows. Carole built a bomb shelter under the cellar. In her bedroom she had two white bearskin rugs and an autographed photo of Franchot Tone that said "Yours without protest". She lived here with her mother, a maid, and several dogs.
From February 1942 until November 1943 Carole lived at 703 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. The two-story stucco house was located right on the beach. Carole turned it into a canteen and invited soldiers to stay there every weekend. She shared this home with her mother and her beloved Great Dane, Donner. The living room and dining room had a Chinese motif. Carole's bedroom was decorated in pink and green.
From September 1945 until February 1946 she lived at 621 N. Hillcrest Road in Beverly Hills. Carole rented this home from violinist Jan Rubini. The Spanish-stucco mansion had ten rooms. Her close friend Don Loper decorated it. After Carole moved out actor Richard Greene rented the house.
In February 1946 Carole rented 232 S. Mapleton Drive in Westwood. She didn't spend much time there because she was living with her husband, Horace Schmidlapp, in New York City. The French colonial mansion had fourteen rooms and a four car garage. There were two tennis courts, a marble veranda, and a pool. Her neighbors included Jane Withers and Sonja Henie.
In March 1947 Carole and Horace Schmidlapp bought 1465 Capri Drive in Pacific Palisades. The thirteen room mansion cost $100,000. It had a landscaped yard and a pool. While Carole was working in England she rented the house to Lana Turner. She put the house up sale in the summer of 1948. Tragically Carole was found dead in an upstairs bathroom on July 5, 1948.
On July 10, 1948 Carole was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. Her grave is plot 814 in the Everlasting Love section. It is at the top of the hill right next to the road. There are dozens of other celebrities buried at Forest Lawn including Jimmy Stewart, Jeanette MacDonald, and Jean Harlow. The cemetery is located at 1712 S. Glendale Avenue.
Carole has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. It was awarded to her in the late 1950's when the walk of fame was created. Her one-time boyfriend George Jessell has the star next to hers. There are more than 2,000 stars on the walk of fame. You can find Carole's star at 1765 Vine Street in Hollywood.
In 1945 Carole went to New York City to star in the Broadway musical A Lady Says Yes. From January 10 until March 25 she appeared at the Broadhurst Theatre. During this time Carole began a romance with her female costar Jacqueline Susann. Unfortunately the show closed after only eighty-seven performances. The theatre is located at 235 W. 44th Street.
