After about a year on the market, director Allan Dwan’s one-time home has sold. Listed with an initial asking price of $35 million, the estate in Holmby Hills fetched $18.8 million when all was said and done. Its asking price at the time of the sale was $19.999 million.

Dwan commissioned the home with architect Robert Finkelhor in the late 1930’s; it was constructed in 1939, and designed in the Colonial Revival style. It measures 6,055 square feet, and contains six bedrooms and five baths.

Featuring an elaborate, column-supported, two-story portico entry, and a façade whose symmetry is nicely subverted by a chimney and a mix of window shapes, the house looks the part of old Hollywood. The double-height foyer continues the grandiose feel, with a central floating staircase rising toward a domed ceiling and a very formal crystal chandelier. Narrow-plank hardwood floors and staircase treads are finished natural, adding to the bright and open first impression.

The interior uses arches extensively, giving it a soft, inviting feel. Tones are understated, tending to the warm side. The kitchen and library may be the most appealing common living spaces; the former is country-cottage style, with nice tiling and a spectacular hood, the latter is hardwood paneled, and features a hardwood ceiling and marble fireplace. A bathroom with elaborately tiled floor and malachite wall panels is also very striking.

The property exterior features a long stretch of lawn, and a pool with a pavilion and guest house, and a tennis court. The 1.66 acre property is beautifully laid out, for an optimal sense of expanse.

Allan Dwan’s career in the motion picture industry spanned five decades, and comprised an oeuvre of a hundred and thirty feature films. The director has been cited as a strong influence on the French New Wave.