Across the street from Paramount Studios on Van Ness stands and amazing edifice. Alexander, Ruler of the World is an apartment complex owned by Greek immigrant George Panousis, who started giving the building its gaudy makeover in the 90s.
According to Weird Hollywood, it is rumored that Rudolph Valentino once kept a love shack there, as did Divine. Of course, that’s not what makes this complex tawdry. It’s not even the insane fuscha spirals. It’s the fact that there are 60 apartments and no parking. Now, that’s madness!
I have stopped to tell the owner how much I admire his handiwork (which stops 1/4 around the building, like all good Hollywood fronts.) Once when I was doing so, a tenant yelled out, “Try living here!”
PS. And the Olympic rings are upside down.
Hi Elise, I’m the author of the Weird Hollywood book you mentioned. Hope you enjoyed it. Another great L.A. home is “El Bordello Alexandra” (Venice Beach Bordello Apartments) on Westminster Ave.
For some reason that one got left out of the book, but it’s a must see. The building is a muddy purple with gold trim, but the best part is the 2 dozen or so large than life sized gargoyles and demons crawling on the roof and along the outer walls.
Gotta love this town.
Feel free to read some gratis stories here:
http://joeartistwriter.wordpress.com/
Oh, by the way, fellow poster, Donna Lethal, is a great writer. Buy her new book, “Milk of Amnesia.” Darkly funny.
-Joe
Yeah, I”ve lived in this bldg. for years… The owner is an actor/director/producer of films in Greece. The Hollywood tour vehicles stop out front and say things to their tourists like “…And here’s the ugliest bldg. in Los Angeles” and ” If you want to live in a birthday cake..” Mostly artist types live here.
It’s not ugly at all. I guess that’s why they are tour guides and not artists.