2085 Mound Street

Director/actor James Cruze hired architect Charles David Grolle and contractor Bruce McCaskill to build a two-story, six room English Tudor style house in 1923.  Cruze always put his daughter, Julie, who was only ten at the time, as the owner, perhaps to avoid paying taxes.  The original address of this home was 6347 Longview Avenue.  Cruze moved in with his wife, silent screen actress, Marguerite Snow, who he married January 1913, probably because she got pregnant with Julie, who was born in October that same year. 

The 4,300 square foot house consists of 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, formal dining room and a living room with vaulted ceilings with a stained glassed window in the rear of the property which overlooks the city view.  A chef's kitchen opens to the breakfast area and family room with french doors leading out to the courtyard. Also on the first floor is a study, wine cellar, and guest suite bedroom with a fireplace and private patio. 

Upstairs, the master suite contains high ceilings, a sitting area, master bath with a tub and 2 closets. Across the hall are 2 additional guest rooms and laundry room. 

James Cruze was born in Ogden, Utah in 1884 and began his acting career in vaudeville before transitioning to film in 1914, both acting and directing for Jessie Lasky and Paramount.  "Too Many Millions" was his directing debut in 1918 starring Wallace Reid.  Cruze would direct Reid in several more films before Reid's death in 1923.  Cruze is credited for acting in 120 films until 1923 and directing 74 films until 1938.

Baby Julie Cruze appeared films as an infant beginning in 1914, when she appeared in "The Million Dollar Mystery" in which both James Cruze and Marguerite Snow appeared in.  

By October of 1923, Marguerite filed for divorce due to Cruze's excessive drinking.  Marguerite remained at 2085 Mound Street with baby Julie while James moved out.  Two years later, Marguerite married actor Neely Edwards who moved into her residence where they remained until 1930.   Edwards appeared in almost 200 films and television shows between 1915 to 1959.  He started in vaudeville with actor Edward Flanagan as the "Hall Room Boys" which became short films for Columbia Pictures.  He later played minor roles in films including; "Show Boat" and "The Jazz Singer".  Marguerite and Neely remained married until her death in 1958. 

Meanwhile James Cruze married actress Betty Compson in 1925 and he built a home in Flintridge, under Julie's name again.  Julie moved in with them.  In 1930, she underwent spinal surgery from an injury she suffered a year earlier.  She was playing with a friend who accidentally struck her at the base of her spine and a growth developed in the area of her back.  She quickly recovered and started singing and playing the piano in an orchestra during the 1930s.  She even wrote lyrics including the song "I'd Like to Be the Buttons on Your Vest" for the film "The Gold Racket" in 1937. 

In 1938, at the age of 24, Julie was indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the Harrison Narcotics Act.  She testified against her drug dealer.  She and her roommate, Marcelle Harris, were both in possession of drugs.  According to the police, both women stated they were scenario writers, admitted to being drug addicts and had been receiving narcotics through the mail at the apartment on Holt Street.  To avoid jail time, Julie testified against several drug dealers in Los Angeles.  Cruze told the court that she became addicted to morphine because she was always nervous; she met one drug dealer at a Hollywood night club where she played the piano.  Cruze testified, "I use drugs occasionally, but I am not an addict".  

In October of 1938,  Julie was back in court when her father filed a lawsuit against her in an attempt to recover $150,000 in property.  Julie testified that her father gave her 9 pieces of residential property in her name in 1933 in order to defraud his creditors, including the IRS and the county of Los Angeles.  Cruze claimed he deeded all his property to his daughter because he was having heart trouble and feared death but now requested the property back to his name.  Julie did not want to give the property back because her mother was practically homeless, living in a trailer and working in carnivals, which contradicted her father's testimony, who indicated he had previously put the property in his ex-wife's name.  Julie won the lawsuit a few days later. 

A few months later, Cruze filed another lawsuit indicating his daughter was a drug addict and incompetent to keep the property in February of 1939.  Julie indicated that she denied that she was a drug addict and the charges against her had been dismissed last year.  It is unknown unknown who had won this lawsuit as the media stopped covering the incident.  In November of 1940,  Julie Jane Cruze Bosen, 4051 Radford Street, Studio City,  was involved in a serious car accident and arrested for drunk driving when she crashed into the rear of another vehicle of an expectant mother and was reportedly in serious condition.  She pled guilty and was fined $30 in 1941.  The family sued her for $14,000 in a separate lawsuit, blaming her history with narcotics.  They got $2450.

On August 6, 1942, James Cruze died; his estate was worth only $1,000; he left $10 to Julie, now a flight attendant.  Julie died in San Diego in 1946 at the age of 33; there was no obituary in any newspaper regarding her death-drug and alcohol related?