A visit to King Gillette Ranch

[jmudrick]

King C. Gillette spent the last three or so years of his life at the ranch home he had built in the rolling hills of Calabasas west of Los Angeles. Designed by Walter Neff, it was for Gillette a retreat reflecting his greater interest in philosophy and horses than in industry at that stage of life. Gillette died there in July 1932. Though all the buildings are not open to the public, the ranch is a state park and makes for a wonderful place for a spring stroll around the grounds..until you feel at home.

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[Old beard]

Very nice.

 

[sarimento1]

Amazing! What took him to California?

 

[fast shaver]

Thanks for the pics!

 

[polishaver]

Amazing! What took him to California?

A train presumably![emoji16]

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[sarimento1]

A train presumably![emoji16]

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Of course!

 

[GearNoir]

Amazing...but not a single razor statue anywhere, so disappointing at the same time...

 

[jmudrick]

Amazing...but not a single razor statue anywhere, so disappointing at the same time...

There's actually nothing there reflecting its Gillette origins other than a book about his architect in the bookshop.

There's quite little in the historical record about this period of his life, apparently he and the Missus were not big party animals. Quite understandably as Mr. Gillette's health was not good.

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[Adam18]

Beautiful photos of some wonderful history.
Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[santamariasteve]

Amazing...but not a single razor statue anywhere, so disappointing at the same time...

If there were, which razor would be chosen? Probably a double ringed Old Type, the original Gillette razor from circa 1903.

Second choice would be a silver New Improved from the 1920's.

And third choice would be one of the Aristocrat razors, maybe the one with the fluted handle from the early 1900's.

But definitely not one from the current plastic selection of multi-bladed claptrap!

 

[supertrunker]

7 blade cartridge for the ROI and marketing success.

T

 

[santamariasteve]

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A train presumably![emoji16]

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I think the warmer weather, and he was in poor heath.

 

[YKMV]

Lovely.
When was the house built?

 

[santamariasteve]

Brother jmudrick,

You mentioned Walter Neff as the architect. You may mean Wallace Neff. Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) was the insurance salesman in the 1943 movie, Double Indemnity.

 

[jmudrick]

I think the warmer weather, and he was in poor heath.

He had relocated to California two decades earlier, soon after the 1910 sale of 90% of his (minority) share to investor John Joyce.

Using those proceeds he bought then subdivided property in Santa Monica in 1913, now the tony Gillette's Regent Square neighborhood. He built a home in the Desert Hot Springs Area and in 1924 co-authored "the People's Corporation" with prominent socialist author Upton Sinclair.

It was only after a world tour as sort of a good will ambassador for Gillette while the Calabasas house was under construction that his health went dramatically south, and it was thought to be complications from earlier intestinal surgery that ended his life in '32.

 

[santamariasteve]

Lovely.
When was the house built?

According to the book, King C Gillette, the Man and His Wonderful Shaving Device, by Russell Adams, the house was built in about 1927.

 

[jmudrick]

Brother jmudrick,

You mentioned Walter Neff as the architect. You may mean Wallace Neff. Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) was the insurance salesman in the 1943 movie, Double Indemnity.

Hehe yes, Wallace Neff.

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[jmudrick]

According to the book, King C Gillette, the Man and His Wonderful Shaving Device, by Russell Adams, the house was built in about 1927.

Construction of the residence took place during 1928 and 1929 according to the research done prior to its historic designation that I reviewed there. It was completed just in time for the Gillettes to return from their one year sojourn to a house completed, furnished, and according to Neff's biographer, with dinner on the table.

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[YKMV]

Interesting that at the start of the Great Depression, or should I say at the edge of the cliff of the Great Depression, King Gillette had the wherewithal to finance and build such a beautiful home.
I'm sure that as the Depression deepened, it became a refuge for them from the horrors of that time.

 

[jmudrick]

Interesting that at the start of the Great Depression, or should I say at the edge of the cliff of the Great Depression, King Gillette had the wherewithal to finance and build such a beautiful home.
I'm sure that as the Depression deepened, it became a refuge for them from the horrors of that time.

Gillette was heavily invested in real estate, was mortgaged up the wazoo and got killed with the market crash which took place a few months after the ranch home was completed . He sold most of his remaining share in Gillette to cover debts, lost the desert house (Palm Springs not Desert Hot Springs) and barely managed to hang on to the Calabasas home. His wife would sell the property in '35.