Perched at the top of the Hollywood Hills, off of Mulholland Drive, is a property that commands what might be the highest and most expansive view of any home in the area: 7430 Pyramid Pl.
7430 was the long-time home of one of the most famous crooners of the early 20th century, Rudy Vallee, who clocked an impressive four decades at 7430. It also has a tangent with a semi-high-profile L.A. rape case in 1937.
Ann Harding at 7430
In January 1930, a M.C. Pasker filed a permit to build a house at 7430 Pyramid: for $15,000.
From 1930 to 1940, 7430 Pyramid was owned by actress Ann Harding and her husband Harry Bannister. That is, until 1932, when the two divorced.
Miss Harding may have been the nervous type or maybe the divorce put her on edge. On May 25, 1932, she placed a frantic call to the police about “mysterious sounds, like someone being murdered.” Four police cars raced to the Pyramid property and finally found the cause of the murderous sounds: a dog locked in the private theater.
Bonnie Wrankle Rape Attempt
Strangely enough, there would be a repeat performance five years later, and this would be the real thing. Thirteen-year-old Bonnie Wrankle, who lived at 903 North Edgemont Drive, south of Santa Monica Blvd., found herself at 7430 Pyramid Place.
A 58-year-old family friend named Raleigh Fremont told Bonnie’s mother that he was going to take her to a movie. Instead, Fremont drove Bonnie up into the Hollywood Hills “and attempted to attack her.”
“He grabbed me and choked me,” she said. “I fought with him, but he told me to shut up or he’d kill me.” Bonnie was a fighter. He kicked him and managed to hit him over the head with a rock at some point.
Bonnie Wrankle escaped from Fremont’s car and hid at 7430 Pyramid, where staff member George Seaton later found her hiding in a chimney.
Raleigh Fremont was sentenced to one-to-fifty at Folsom State Prison. Bonnie Wrankle and her mother would also sue Fremont for $200,000.
Fremont must have done more one than fifty, because in 1940 we hear from him again. He’s living in the Yankee Hill Feather River, California area, and he’s arrested on statutory rape charges for making advances on a 17-year-old girl.
Rudy Vallee Redevelops 7430
Around the same time, Ann Harding sold 7430.
Singer and bandleader Rudy Vallee would eventually live there for 45 years. All we know of Vallee’s 1941 purchase of 7430 Pyramid is that the previous owner was a woman who received it as a wedding gift from her father but the newlyweds “didn’t know how to enjoy it,” according to Vallee. Possibly this was Los Angeles contractor P.F. Martter, who in 1940 successfully argued down the original land and house assessment from $19,320 to $11,500.
Vallee developed 7430 Pyramid into a 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom 6,000 square foot house with a resurfaced tennis court, game room, theater, and heated pool.
In 1960, Vallee tried to build a pair of 54-foot shortwave radio towers at 7430 Pyramid, a move that met fierce opposition from neighbors. The application was denied. RCA would have paid Vallee $75 per month for allowing them to erect the towers.
In 1971, Vallee tried to have “Pyramid Drive” changed to “Rue de Vallee.” Six neighbors supported him, but Vallee’s move was blocked by 13th District Councilman Robert J. Stevenson. Vallee claimed that as his reason for trying to unseat the incumbent councilman in 1973.
Rudy Dies, Ellie Takes Over
Rudy Vallee died in 1986. The house, a pink and garish relic of another time, went to Eleanor Valle, who had lived there for 40 years with husband Rudy.
Ellie eventually moved to Brentwood with her new husband, attorney Edward F. Hustedt. But before doing so, she put on a few commercial live theater performances in the movie theater, calling it Rudy Vallee Theater.
On April 3, 1987, for example, anyone from the public could buy a ticket and see the play “Tribute” by Bernard Slade, starring Bo Sabato and Ellie Vallee.
By 1990, Elllie was ready to put the estate behind her. Anyone scouring the tiny print of the classified ads on July 28, 1990, could have snagged Rudy Vallee memorabilia for garage sale prices:
Memorabilia, Burl coffee table, furniture, clothing, pictures, & antiques–all good stuff! (213) 876-5423, 7430 Pyramid Place
7430 Pyramid Today
In 1990, comedian and late-night talk show host Arsenio Hall bought 7430 Pyramid practically sight-unseen for $3.5 million (he flew over it in a helicopter).
The property had first been listed by Ellie Vallee for $10 million in 1986, then was dropped to just about half that ($5.5 million) barely nine months later.
Now, 7430 Pyramid is owned by a doctor who cleared the hilltop and built
a new, 10,320 square-foot, two-story, single-family residence (including an attached, 2,178 square-foot, six-car garage, a 2,237 square-foot basement, and 3,726 square feet of covered porch or patio or balcony area), on an 87,270 square-foot lot.
And on and on, according to the permit documents from 2015 to 2018.
