By CANDACE TAYLOR
May 27, 2016 10:35 a.m. ET
The longtime home of early Hollywood actor John Barrymore is returning to market for $29.95 million.
The Spanish-style estate had been owned since the 1990s by “Top Gun” director Tony Scott,who died in 2012 at age 68. His widow, Donna, first listed the Beverly Hills home and several nearby vacant parcels in September 2015 with Westside Estate Agency for $42.5 million, then took it off the market in December. The house—but not the vacant parcels—is now returning to market with David Kramer of Hilton & Hyland.
Actor John Barrymore lived in the home until he died in the 1940s. PHOTO: HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
Known as Bella Vista, the house was built in the 1920s and purchased several years later by Mr. Barrymore. The eccentric actor lived there until he died in the 1940s, according to historian Gregory Mank, author of “Hollywood’s Hellfire Club.” Mr. Barrymore added a number of structures to the property, including an aviary where he kept a pet vulture, Mr. Mank said.
The five-bedroom main house measures approximately 10,000 square feet and contains a pub for entertaining, Mr. Kramer said. Above the master suite, there is a hidden room that can only be accessed by a ladder. There are two guesthouses on the grounds, which span about 1½ acres and include a pool, a koi pond and an outdoor fireplace.
Mr. Scott purchased the property in 1992 for $279,545, according to public records. The Scotts connected the aviary to the main house and turned it into a two-story living space with a kitchen and bedroom on each floor. “We wanted to create separate living areas for our twin boys to have when they grew older,” Ms. Scott wrote in an email. They also added a four-car subterranean garage for Mr. Scott’s vintage Porsche and motorcycle collection.
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