#queens county

Roxbury, New York, United States 

by Sam 

Лонг-Айленд-Сити, Нью-Йорк, США 

Крис Карри | Фотография | Карта

If you look at a map of New York City, you can easily miss the town of Whitestone in Queens County. Sometimes, the name not even shown, obstructed by the much bigger Flushing and Bayside. Why am I mentioning this particular place? There are two very specific reasons. First, it was a place where some of the top movie and stage stars of the 1910s or 20s were known to live or congregate as well as the birthplace and home of other stars. Second, it is my hometown. I take great pride in coming from Whitestone, because of its suburban ambiance, as well as its seldom spoken place in the annals of entertainment. This post is devoted to those legends who at one time lived in this small, yet bustling place in The Big Apple.

The most famous of the early residents was Walt Whitman. During his time in Whitestone, he taught English in a one room schoolhouse. One of his famous poems had the passage “every morning, I am kissed by the sun coming through my window by the bay of Whitestone.” His house still stands on 150th Street and 6th Avenue. Interestingly, many years later, famous comic book illustrator Tex Blaisdell lived across the street.

(Update: 5/2024, the Walt Whitman house has sadly been demolished)

Even going back to the late 19th Century, many prominent entertainers were drawn to the serene waterfront beauty of Whitestone; especially the upper class enclave known as Beechhurst towards the northeast. There are two particular names that come to mind. The first is Gussie Davis, the first successful African American involved in the Tin Pan Alley circle of songwriters. His songs such as “Down On Poverty Row” and  “We Sat Beneath the Maple on the Hill” were tearjerking ballads about being down and out of luck. His influence would be felt on future performers such as Leadbelly and Josh White. His time in the Whitestone area was during the last 6 months of his life as he succumbed to a longtime illness at the age of 35. 

The second name is Alexander Herrmann, a French born magician. who was a pioneer in the art of daredevilry and illusionary slight of hand tricks. He lived with his wife in a mansion dubbed “Herrmann Manor where he performed for his guests and operated his yacht. Unfortunately, Herrmann died of a sudden heart attack in 1896 and his wife would continue the legacy as a performer in her own right. “Herrmann Manor” is shown below.

The next wave of residents are definitely household names. Mary Pickford, one of the legends of silent films lived on Powells Cove Boulevard which is one of the top addresses in the area. One of her next door neighbors was legendary magician Harry Houdini (I guess magicians were drawn to the area as well). Her home still stands today, but its hidden away from view. Luckily there is a good photo made available to me. Houdini’s house was demolished in 1995, and replaced with other estates. His house is also seen here.

Rudolph Valentino’s house originally had a birds eye view of Little Neck Bay. With the construction of the Cross Island Parkway, that view is obstructed. He was not the only celebrity to own that house. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (the namesake for the famous airport) would use the home as his summer residence. After his death, the house remained abandoned until it was turned into a restaurant (below) that has changed names so many times in the last 30 years. One of those names appropriately was “Valentino’s” . Some sources have it as Bayside, but if one looks at a map, the home is right on the border of the two communities, but more towards the Whitestone side. The view of the house from the shore is seen in the second photo. Notice how in the present state, the building was expanded in both directions to accompany restaurant seating.

Arthur Hammerstein may not be as famous as his nephew Oscar II today, but he was one of the most successful Broadway producers of his day. His house which he shared with his actress wife Dorothy Dalton, was called “Wildflower” after his most famous show. The mansion would later be a catering hall called “Ripples on the Water" where many a wedding would take place. After a period of abandonment, the estate was turned into condominiums that still retain the name “Wildflower”.

Harry Richman was a stage legend who wore many hats as an actor, director, musician and comedian to name a few occupations. His claim of fame was being the first performer to sing Irving Berlin’s “Puttin' On The Ritz”, made famous by its use in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” and as a Top 10 hit by Dutch performer “Taco”. His house still stands right by the shore, a stone’s throw away from Little Neck Bay. Richman’s then fiancee Clara Bow also lived with him in that house.

Finally, there’s “Beechhurst Towers” located across the street from the Pickford and Houdini estates. This was a lodging place for actors who were filming movies in the area. Legends such as W.C. Fields and Buster Keaton were frequent guests. The most notable resident who lived there for some time was Charlie Chaplin (by coincidence Chaplin’s future wife Paulette Goddard was born in Whitestone). Other people who lived in Beechhurst Towers in later years included philosopher Nicholas Rescher and sci-fi author Murray Leinster. On a side note, during Prohibition, Beechhurst Towers had an underground tunnel used to smuggle alcohol discreetly. 

Other people who lived in Whitestone during this heyday included silent film legends Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle, singer Helen Kane who was the inspiration for Betty Boop, film producer Joseph M. Schenck, magician Howard Thurston (yes, another magician) and actress Clara Morris.

As time progressed and these celebrities made their way out west to Hollywood, there was the newer generations and some throwbacks to the old era that were either born in Whitestone or made it their home. Constance Binney was a silent film actress from New York, who after three failed marriages including one to a British war hero, moved to the Beechhurst area where she lived till her death at age 93 in 1989.

According to one of the people on the Whitestone Facebook page, Irish born actress Angela Greene, lived on 16th Road, most likely by the Cross Island Parkway, due to the age of the houses in that area.

Gia Scala who is known for her roles in “The Guns Of Navarone”, “The Angry Hills” and various appearances on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, moved to Whitestone from her birthplace of Liverpool England as a teenager.

Brooklyn born Sully Boyar, best known for his role as the bank manager in “Dog Day Afternoon”, lived not far where I grew up. He was a regular at Utopia Bagels, which has been a neighborhood institution for years. He died like a true Whitestonian; waiting for the bus on Utopia Parkway.

Eddie Eagan, a retired Narcotics detective was the inspiration for the character of Popeye Doyle played by Gene Hackman in “The French Connection”. He even had a role in the film and went on to a second career as an actor.

Legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer whose most famous films included “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) and “Seven Days In May” (1964) was born and raised in the affluent subsection known as Malba.

Andy Kindler is best known to television viewers as Mort the mortician on the FOX animated series “Bob’s Burgers”.

Drea de Matteo has had several famous roles on television such as Adriana on “The Sopranos”, Angie on “Desperate Housewives” and Wendy on “Sons Of Anarchy”

The Vidal sisters, Lisa, Christina and Tanya, all successful in the entertainment field.