2238 El Contento Drive

2238 El Contento Drive was built in 1924 by architect Harley S. Bradley by owner Hargrave Hills Association.  Hargrave Hills Tract was opened up in 1924 by B.H. Hargrave and was primarily Creston Drive.  It was advertised as a "Hollywood Greenwich Village".  Hargrave built a one-story Spanish style home on this property which had eight rooms.  The house was on the market several times during the 1920s.

In 1932, actress Ethel Clayton rented 2238 El Contento Drive with her brother, actor Donald Clayton and her mother, Mary Blum.  During this time, Ethel was in the midst of a divorce with actor Ian Keith.  The two had met during a stage production and married in 1928.  The divorce was messy and higly publicized, an article appeared almost daily in the LA Times.  Keith wanted to get a quick divorce because he was already onto wife #3-Fern Andra.  Clayton was probably bitter and being vindictive; she kept postponing court dates and contested the divorce when it became final in February 1932.  She had the divorce voided and then dragged her feet again.  Ian Keith got impatient and married Andra, but the divorce may of not been final.  Though all of the court dates and drama, the divorce became final of end of the year.  

Above:  #1: Clayton with her brother, Donald.  #2: Clayton and Keith in 1927 at the El Captian Theater .

Ethel Clayton lived in several homes in Los Angeles between 1918 to the 1950s.  In 1918, she was renting a house in Venice Beach while working on the film "The Girl Who Came Back or Women’s Weapons" with director Robert Vignola.  They used both her house on the beach and his Hollywood home form some of the scenes.  In January 1919, she rented a bungalow in Whitley Heights at 6662 Odin Street (relocated to Reseda) after moving from NYC after her first husband died during the flu pandemic.  After returning from a trip to the Orient, Clayton stayed at the Hollywood Hotel.  Between 1919-1921, she lived with her brother and mother at 6928 Hawthorn Avenue (demolished).  In 1922, Clayton purchased 2119 Fairfield Avenue in Whitley Heights, where she remained until 1927.  Clayton married Keith in 1928 and resided at the Alto Nido Apartments at 6350 Franklin Avenue.  After living here, the trio returned to 6928 Hawthorn Avenue until 1940.  She spent several years living at a home at 4112 Stansbury Avenue in the valley and then returned to Hollywood to stay at an apartment building at 1759 Orchid Avenue.  She lived in Thousand Oaks with her brother during the 1950s.  (Below the Hawthorn residence and Fairfield home in Whitley Heights.)

The Spanish style residence locate at 2238 El Contento Drive has a total of 2,400 interior square feet with four bedrooms and two bathrooms and was built on a lot of 7,490 square feet.  The kitchen is open to a family room and a pool and spa is outside on the patio and cabana area.  A detached two car garage sits in front of the gated residence.  The property last sold in 2003 for $749,000 and currently assessed at under $2 million.