Hollywood of Roman Polanski Tour
About the Tour
The “Hollywood of Roman Polanski” is an original, private tour with a private tour guide. It is a project of the non-profit corporation, Autism Unites, Inc. (d.b.a. The First Guild) and all proceeds from this tour directly support the mission of our organization.
The tour creator, Elena Alexandra who has a formal education and background in psychology has been avidly researching and writing about arts, culture and exceptional individuals on her blog site The Elite Palate.
The infamous movie director, Roman Polanski is the enigmatic figure to whom fate has doled out equal portions of talent, success and tragedy. He continues to perplex, fascinate, incite controversy and fuel extreme emotions in the press, political arena, public eye and his own industry. Elena has been intrigued with this individual for over a decade, studying the mind and work of this unique character, which resulted in her creating the original tour “The Hollywood of Roman Polanski”.
Through the story of Roman Polanski you will get an inside look into the lives of legendary Hollywood figures including one of the most influential and richest people in the world, Howard Hughes, Princess Grace Kelly, silent screen legend Norma Talmadge, actors Cary Grant and Jack Nicholson, Hollywood theater mogul, Sid Grauman, and more.
The tour can last from 2 to 4 hours depending on your option choice and covers the main Hollywood attractions. It starts at 10 am from Santa Monica. 2-hour option ends at the Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles where you can explore the area including famous Chines and Japanese theaters. 4-hour option brings you back to Santa Monica where you can explore 3rd Street Promenade and famous Santa Monica pier.
There are many Hollywood tours, but none can compare with this one. Through the fascinating story of Polanski, you will have a chance to explore Hollywood and its characters in the most memorable way. We invite you to take this original, private tour and embark on a truly unique adventure!
Tour Summary
We would like to share with you Hollywood through the fascinating story of infamous movie director, Roman Polanski who has marked a whole era of Hollywood. This is the original tour, which is not offered anywhere else.
We will drive by the historical Santa Monica Beach House and tell you the story of its famous residents including Polanski who created there his award-winning movie “Rosemary’s Baby”.
We will drive you to Cielo drive, Polanski’s one-time residence, where on August 9, 1969 Charles Manson’s cult family took the lives of 5 people including Polanski’s pregnant wife actress, Sharon Tate.
We will drive along most scenic parts of Mulholland drive and stop at several scenic outlooks where you can observe from above the stunning scenes of Los Angeles.
We will drive by Chateau Marmont, tell you about its famous residents and even show you a shot video created by our team about the history of Marmont and its residents.
We will show you several locations where filming of “Chinatown” took place and tell you about the California Water Wars, which was connected to the plot of this movie.
We will cruise by the famous Hollywood attractions including Avenue of the Stars, Chinese and Japanese theaters, Laugh Factory, and more.
Santa Monica Beach House
Cary Grant and his wife, Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton lived there. The house was the residence of the actor, Brian Aherne, who bought it from Grant & Hutton in the 1930’s.
Another resident of the house was the famous aviator, Howard Hughes, an American record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and one of the most influential and richest people in the world. Princess, Grace Kelly, and film director, Roman Polanski with his wife Sharon Tate, were the residents of this house.
The original owner of the house was silent screen legend, Norma Talmadge who appeared in more than a hundred silent films.
Famous Residents of Beach House
We will cruise by the Santa Monica Beach House and will tell you fascinating stories about its famous residents. We will tell you how to get to this historical Hollywood landmark.
Charles Manson’s Murders on Cielo Drive
On August 9, 1969, members of Charles Manson’s cult kill five people in movie director Roman Polanski’s Beverly Hills, California, home, including Polanski’s pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. Polanski was out of town at the time of the murders, but his wife and her friends, including coffee heiress Abigail Folger, were shot or stabbed to death. The savage crimes shocked the nation and turned Charles Manson into a criminal icon. Manson has been the subject of numerous movies and books, including the best-seller Helter Skelter.
Cielo Drive Scenes after Manson’s Murders
Polanski & Tate house on Cielo drive- Police at Cielo house after murder took place
- Polanski at the gruesome murder scene looking at the door where the word “PIG” was written with the blood of his wife
We will drive you to Cielo drive and show you the place where these murders took place.
Mulholland Drive
A hillside drive famous for its viewpoints over the town of Los Angeles and for the mansions of Hollywood stars who have decided to settle in this quiet and exclusive area. Celebrities such as Madonna, Jack Nicholson, John Lennon, Roman Polanski, Marlon Brando, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, and David Lynch live or have lived on Mulholland Drive. VIIEW CLIP (1 min) TAKEN FROM MULHOLLAND SCENIC OVERLOOK
We will drive along most scenic parts of Mulholland and stop at several scenic outlooks where you can enjoy scenes of Los Angeles and take photos.
Chateau Marmont
Chateau Marmont, the legendary Hollywood hotel perched on the edge of the Sunset Strip, was one of the few places in the middle of movieland where celebrities could carry on like civilians without the press, their bosses, or their spouses finding out what they were up to… As a result, Chateau Marmont retains an air of mystery, even though every day’s news brings paparazzi shots of celebrities coming and going from the place.
Famous Guests of Chateau Marmont
- Marilyn Monroe
- Led Zeppelin
- Roman Polanski & Sharon Tate
- Johny Depp & Moss
- Helmut Newton
- Robert Mitchum
We will drive by Chateau Marmont, tell you about its famous guests and even show you a short video about the history of Marmont and its residents.
Chinatown 1974 & California Water Wars
Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
In 1991, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and it is frequently listed as one of the greatest films of all time.
At the 47th Academy Awards, it was nominated for 11 Oscars. The Golden Globe Awards honored it for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. The American Film Institute placed it second among its top ten mystery films in 2008.
California Water Wars facts
- Threats to Mulholland as reported in Los Angeles Examiner, August 29, 1906
- William Mulholland, Historical Photo Collection of the Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles
- William Mulholland, taken in the field with a surveying instrument. Historical Photo Collection of the Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles
The film was inspired by the California water wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley. The plot of the movie is directly connected with the history of Los Angeles and William Mulholland, who was Los Angeles Water Superintendent at the time and wanted to secure water for Los Angeles’ growing population. We will take you to several locations where the filming of Chinatown took place and tell you about the scenes filmed there.
Rosemary’s Baby movie 1968
Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Mia Farrow. The film follows a young (soon pregnant) wife who comes to suspect that her elderly neighbors are members of a Satanic cult, and are grooming her in order to use her baby for their rituals.
Though set in New York City, the majority of principal photography of Rosemary’s Baby took place in Los Angeles throughout late 1967. It was released in June 1968 by Paramount Pictures. , The film received multiple Golden Globe Award and Academy Award nominations. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time.
We will tell you the story of Rosemary’s Baby, which was created when Polanski resided at the famous Santa Monica Beach House. We will show you a short video created by our team about Polanski working on Rosemary’s Baby.
Roman Polanski Sexual Offense Case
In 1977, Polanski, then aged 43, was accused of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, 13-year-old Samantha Jane Gailey (now Samantha Geimer). This took place on March 10, 1977, at the home of actor Jack Nicholson in the Mulholland area of Los Angeles.
Polanski’s lawyers expected that Polanski would receive probation with the probation officer, examining psychiatrist, and the victim all recommending against prison time. Instead, the presiding judge, Laurence J. Rittenband, suggested to Polanski’s attorneys that he would send the director to prison. On February 1978, before he could be sentenced by a Los Angeles judge, Polanski fled to France and and has lived abroad ever since. Polanski remains a fugitive and still has a warrant out for his arrest that would be served should he return to the US. In 2022, Polanski’s defense attorney, Harland Braun, told The New York Post: “We’ve got a conspiracy among the judges where they’ve agreed to put him in jail, even though he no longer owes any time … so why would you come back to that system.”
On July 12, 2022, more than 40 years after the director fled the US, Los Angeles County District Attorney, George Gascón said transcripts from the testimony of retired Polanski prosecutor, Roger Gunson, should be released, which is necessary to conduct an investigation into alleged judicial misconduct in the decades-old case. This case has been described by the courts as ‘one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history.
SOURCES
Chinatown description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown_(1974_film)
Chinatown poster: https://www.etsy.com/listing/968060082/chinatown-movie-poster-print-a1-a2-a3-a4
Rosemary’s Baby description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary%27s_Baby_(film)#:~:text=The%20film%20follows%20a%20young,same%20name%20by%20Ira%20Levin.
Mulholland Drive description
https://www.travelinusa.us/mulholland-drive-los-angeles/
Santa Monica Beach House – Howard Hughes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes
THE HISTORY OF SECRECY AT CHATEAU MARMONT
https://magazine.tablethotels.com/en/2020/01/l-a-confidential/
Charles Manson’s Murders on Cielo Drive
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/manson-cult-kills-five-people
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/jul/10/julian-wasser-my-best-shot-photography-manson-murders
CHINATOWN
Self-guided car audio tour through Owens Valley: https://www.kcet.org/project/there-it-is-take-it (There It Is—Take It!) is a self-guided car audio tour through Owens Valley, California along U.S. Route 395 examining the controversial social, political, and environmental history of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system
When California’s Water Wars Turned Violent: https://www.kcet.org/shows/american-experience/when-californias-water-wars-turned-violent
Article “Is the Roman Polanski rape case finally coming to an end?”
https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/56558/1/45-year-old-roman-polanski-rape-case-court-los-angeles
New York Post as of July 12, 2022 “Sealed transcripts in Roman Polanski child sex abuse case should be released: LA County DA George Gascón”
https://nypost.com/2022/07/12/sealed-transcripts-in-roman-polanski-child-sex-abuse-case-should-be-released-gascon/