Once Upon a Time in Sherman Oaks

Once upon a time, the San Fernando Valley was a relaxing hideaway for Los Angeles residents, with lush orange groves, fragrant meadows, horse ranches and spacious country properties owned by movie stars.

A tiny bit of that gentler Valley still remains, right in the middle of Sherman Oaks. It’s called Horace Heidt’s Magnolia Estates, a sprawling 10-acre community of large apartment homes and every amenity, including an 18-hole golf course!

Sherman Oaks Patch found owner Horace Heidt Jr. in his offices at the historic complex. The lively musician and businessman, a very youthful 65, now runs the complex created by his visionary show-biz father.

“My dad was '30s bandleader Horace Heidt Sr., who was a very innovative star of radio, television and live shows," he said. "He was famed for many ‘firsts’—like his Depression-era radio show Pot ‘o Gold, in which he randomly phoned someone somewhere in America every day, and if they answered the phone, they won $1,000. It was the very first money giveaway show, copied ever after to this day.

"It not only caused a nationwide sensation at the time, but also helped a lot of people survive the Depression," Heidt said.

“In 1939, my dad came to Hollywood to co-star with Jimmy Stewart in a movie about the show, and of course, he brought his whole 30-piece orchestra, including Art Carney, who had joined the band right after high school. Dad had no place to put up his band, so his agent, Jule Styne [later president of MCA] told him about a horse ranch for sale in the Valley. Styne said, ‘You could put up your whole gang there, and it would be a great investment.’

“And that’s how Magnolia Estates started," Heidt said. "It was such a great spot that he started adding big, roomy apartments, swimming pools, tennis courts, a gym and even an 18-hole golf course, just like a resort. Dad loved resorts, and so that’s what he built, right around the main house, where we lived."

At first, Magnolia Estates catered only to people in show business, he said. Famous residents have included Dick Van Patten and his family, actors Robert Cummings and Ed Begley, bandleader Sy Zentner, singer Barbara McNair and even Neil Diamond. "We still have many show-biz residents," Heidt said.

“Dad was such a showman, and he loved talented people. He created the first televised traveling talent show in the early 1950s. Nobody knows that Johnny Carson was on the show and lost to an accordion player named Dick Contino. Obviously, both of them went on to great things. But Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Ken Berry, Dean Jones—a whole generation of entertainers came out of that show, decades before American Idol," he noted.

“These offices are the original ranch house, which was our home. In fact, I was born right here in one of these rooms,” he said.

Heidt's pride and joy, he said, is the wing built to house the Horace Heidt Museum.

"We have all the amazing memorabilia, photographs, awards, music and history of Dad’s long and productive life and career, including the original 1930s Pot o’ Gold wheel he spun. There’s another wheel just like this from the show, and that one is in the Smithsonian! And here’s a picture of my mom and dad at their 1939 wedding reception, sitting with Basil Rathbone and Spencer Tracy.”

Heidt reflected, “This is really a museum of Hollywood history. To immortalize all of it, I wrote a picture-packed book called Horace Heidt, Big Band Starmaker.”

Heidt still leads the big Horace Heidt Orchestra. He noted, “I had the best musical training anyone could have. All Dad’s musicians gave me my lessons!

“After Dad died in 1986 at age 85, luckily, thank God, I’ve been able to keep it all going—the orchestra and this great place. In fact, I’ve added a whole new section with a Hawaiian feel, called Haleakala. In Hawaiian, that word means "house of the sun"—and since I’m the son, I thought it was pretty apropos."

Horace Heidt’s Magnolia Estates is at 14155 Magnolia Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Telephone: 818-784-8211. Or visit www.horaceheidtestates.com.