F
alcon Lair, the former Beverly Hills estate of silent‑film icon Rudolph Valentino, is re‑listed for $10.99 million. The 4‑acre hilltop property, once home to an 11‑bedroom Mediterranean villa designed by Wallace Neff in 1925, was purchased by Valentino that same year for $175,000—roughly $3.3 million today. He named the house after his unrealized film “The Hooded Falcon,” furnished it with antiques, imported six European falcons, and kept Arabian horses in the stables before his untimely death in 1926 at age 31.
In 1953, tobacco heiress Doris Duke acquired the estate and resided there until her death in 1993. The Duke estate sold the property in 1998, and the original villa was demolished in the mid‑2000s. The current grounds still feature the original caretaker cottage, a two‑car garage, Italian cypress trees, gardens, and remnants of the former home’s crests, pillars, and gates. A multi‑faith place of worship also occupies the site.
The listing, handled by Josh Flagg of Compass and “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” includes approved plans for a 17,000‑sq‑ft mansion by Appleton Partners LLP, with interior design by Mark D. Sikes. Flagg describes the project as a modern tribute to the original classic that helped shape Beverly Hills’ California luxury aesthetic.
The sellers, Jennifer Westphall, CEO of Emmy‑ and Tony‑winning production company Wavelength Productions, and her husband Jeff Westphall, bought the property for $15 million in 2021. The estate’s sale price reflects its historic significance and prime location overlooking Benedict Canyon, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
