A Beverly Hills estate with ties to two Hollywood legends has returned to the luxury property market, offering a rare glimpse into the residential history of Old Hollywood. Built for horror-film icon Boris Karloff in 1941 and later owned by Academy Award-winning actor Gregory Peck, the property is now listed for $6.5 million by Robert Guza Jr., the former head writer of General Hospital. The listing was reported by Mansion Global in a July 2026 article by Casey Farmer, with property details attributed to listing agents Holly Hatch and Chris Johnson of Coldwell Banker Realty. Set along Mulholland Drive, the house stands apart from the contemporary mansions that have increasingly reshaped Beverly Hills. Its appeal lies not only in its celebrity connections but also in the preservation of a period home that has retained much of its original character.
A home shaped by Hollywood history
The property was originally constructed for Karloff, the British actor whose portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein helped establish him as one of cinema’s most recognisable horror stars. He also became familiar to television audiences as the narrator and voice of the Grinch in the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas.Karloff subsequently sold the Cape Cod-style residence to Peck, another major figure in American cinema. Peck won the Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and appeared in films including Roman Holiday, Spellbound and The Yearling.The house later passed to Guza and his late wife, Meg Bennett, an actress and television writer. Property records cited by Mansion Global indicate that the couple acquired it in 2003. The publication reported the current asking price at $6.5 million, although it could not independently establish the couple’s original purchase price.
Preserving a piece of Old Hollywood
The estate measures approximately 4,585 square feet and sits on a half-acre lot. Its two-story main residence and guesthouse provide five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, while a room currently used as a gym offers the possibility of creating an additional bedroom.The layout includes a distinctive connection between the primary suite and the guesthouse through a concealed closet. The guesthouse also has its own entrance, giving it a degree of independence from the main residence.Inside, the property features spacious living areas, a home office with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves, and a kitchen with an island and breakfast nook. Large windows and glass doors connect the interiors with the surrounding gardens, allowing natural light to filter through the house.The grounds are equally central to the property’s appeal. A kidney-shaped swimming pool and adjoining deck overlook the canyon and cityscape, with views extending towards Catalina Island on clear days. A trail from the property also provides direct access to Fryman Canyon, a popular hiking destination in the Santa Monica Mountains.The estate’s relatively intact period character is particularly notable in a neighbourhood where older homes have frequently been replaced by larger, contemporary constructions. Its history, combined with its established landscaping and hillside setting, gives it a different appeal from the newer luxury properties that dominate much of the local market.
From a $2.8 million purchase to a $6.5 million listing
Guza and Bennett purchased the house in 2003 for approximately $2.8 million, according to a contemporaneous Los Angeles Times real estate report published on June 29 that year. The report also documented the property’s earlier connections to Peck and Karloff, establishing its celebrity history well before the current listing.The couple’s purchase was motivated in part by the home’s access to hiking trails. Bennett, who worked in television and had previously acted, and Guza subsequently maintained their connection to the property for more than two decades. The current $6.5 million asking price represents an increase of approximately $3.7 million over the reported 2003 purchase price, or around 132%. That is a nominal comparison and does not account for inflation, maintenance, improvements or other ownership costs.The property was listed in July 2026, according to real estate records and the listing information published by Mansion Global and property platforms including Zillow. Its combination of celebrity provenance, preserved architecture and canyon-facing grounds places it among the more distinctive historic homes currently being offered in Beverly Hills. For prospective buyers, the appeal extends beyond the names associated with its past. The house offers an opportunity to own a surviving example of the residential architecture and Hollywood culture that helped define the area more than eight decades ago.
