Marilyn Monroe Home Sells Above 'Asking Price'

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The Brentwood home where iconic actress Marilyn Monroe died has sold above its asking price for $3.85 million. Listed in July at $3,595,000, it was in escrow within two weeks.

Described as "sprawling and authentic," the 1929 hacienda sits behind gates on more than half an acre with a kidney-shaped swimming pool, citrus trees and an expansive lawn. Walls are thick, the ceilings are beamed, the hardware is period and the floor is terracotta tile.

The one-story house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and an office in 2,624 square feet of living space. Times reports from the time of Monroe's death described the house as a rambling Spanish-style home that she had recently purchased for $75,000 and only partially furnished.

The singer, actress and model died in 1962 at age 36 with a list of leading-lady roles in films that included "Some Like It Hot" (1959) and "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" (1953).

Public records show the seller had purchased the house in 1996 for $925,000.

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Where Garbo Talked, Walked

The Malibu property known as La Esperanza, the beach retreat of actress Greta Garbo in the 1930s, is listed for $12.6 million.

Completely restored in 2000, the Mediterranean villa has been a local landmark for decades.

Designed for entertaining, it includes a great room with a 30-foot-wide panoramic window, a commercially equipped kitchen, five bedrooms and 51/2 bathrooms in 5,350 square feet of living space. An outdoor bar sits off the ocean-view deck.

Garbo's successful transition from silent films to talkies was promoted by the MGM '30s catch-phrase "Garbo talks." The Swedish actress was nominated for Academy Awards for her leads in "Anna Christie" (1930), "Romance" (1930), "Camille" (1936) and "Two-Faced Woman" (1941). She received an honorary Oscar in 1955 and died in 1990 at age 84.

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Malibu View Turns Their Heads

TV and movie executive Paula Hart and her husband, Leslie Gilliams, have bought a Malibu estate for $2.6 million.

The couple had been renting and was already in escrow on another house when they saw the ocean-view contemporary Mediterranean. Drawn by the high-tech and green features, including a central vacuum, solar power, tankless water heaters and well-water irrigation, they canceled the other purchase.

Built in 2007, the house includes a den, media room, four bedrooms and six bathrooms in 5,000 square feet. The 1{-acre property has a seasonal stream, mature eucalyptus trees, a saltwater swimming pool and a fire pit.

A five-car garage has glass doors, and a long driveway extending to the rear of the site provides more parking.

Hart has been an executive producer on such television series as "Melissa & Joey" (2010) and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (1996-2003) and was a producer on the 2010 horror film "Nine Dead," for which Gilliams was executive producer.

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Home is Quite a Production

A gated estate that was once home to producer David Wolper and then to composer Jerry Herman has come on the market in Bel-Air at $23.45 million.

The compound sits on an acre overlooking the 16th hole of the Bel Air Country Club. Built in 1951, the French-inspired house has been redesigned with extended families in mind.

Its 19,000 square feet of living space include a kitchen with great room, a formal dining room, a library, a bar and cocktail area, a catering kitchen, a gym, a sauna, a screening room, nine bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.

Wolper, who died in August at age 82, produced feature films, documentaries and television shows -- a body of work that included "Roots" (1977), "The Thorn Birds" (1983) and "L.A. Confidential" (1997). He was executive producer of the Academy Award-winning "The Hellstrom Chronicle" (1971). Wolper owned the property from 1977 to 1993.

Broadway composer-lyricist Herman, who wrote the songs for musicals including "Mame," "La Cage aux Folles" and "Hello, Dolly!" bought the house from Wolper in 1993 and sold it in 2000 for about $6 million, according to Times archives.

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Comcast Honcho Sells Condo

Comcast Entertainment Group president and chief executive Ted Harbert has sold a condominium in the Azzurra high-rise in Marina del Rey, Calif., for $1.63 million.

The corner unit offers unobstructed north and south views of the marina, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastline. It has an open floor plan, two balconies, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,171 square feet of living space.

The 19-story building, built in 2003, is known for its art collection. Paintings, sculptures and photographs from artists including Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha and Roy Lichtenstein adorn the lobby and other public areas.

Harbert, 55, bought the condo in 2006 for $2.1 million, according to public records.

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