Residents of the Casa de Contenta, per the 1930 Census
(as of April 3, 1930)
Apartment
No.		 Name Occupation Rent Paid Info/Links
2 Milton Douglas & his valet, Philippe D. Dulores Actor, Screen & Stage $225/month (3 bdrms) Douglas's career appears to have taken off in 1930, according to IMDB. In 1930 he would have been 29 years old and had a featured role in "Viennese Nights", which starred Jean Hersholt and Walter Pidgeon.
3 Jane R. Council and Andrew Watkins Building Manager and Building Janitor None It's unlikely that Ms. Council and Mr. Watkins actually lived in #3, a 700 square foot windowless room with a bathroom at one end that has since been duplexed to the unit above it and was being used as the building developer's office when the building went condo in 1980. More likely, #3 was merely her office. Watkins, 34, was Canadian.
4 Elizabeth Basche
and her son, Victor (age 3 1/2)		 none given $70 per month (1 bdrm) 25 year old Mrs. Basche lists herself as married in 1930.
5 William J. Wagner and his wife, Leone Salesman of stocks & bonds $80 per month (1 bdrm) Wagner, 46, and his wife, 42 were both native Californians
105 Victor Grossman, his wife, Anne, and their two sons, Marvin & Donald merchant $90 per month (1 bdrm) The fact that 4 people were then living in this 700 square foot, 1 bedroom apartment is a reminder of how times have changed.
109 Otto A. Ohland, Jr., his wife, Florence, and sons William & Otto W. Broker - stocks & bonds $150 per month (2 bdrms)
102 Harriet Ord none $150 per month (3 bdrms) 46 years old, from Michigan. A widow.
203 Phil Neely and his wife, Joyce musician $100 per month (1 bdrm) Neely was 26 in 1930 and a vocalist with Abe Lyman's Orchestra, the house band at the Ambassador Hotel. Since there's no Apt. 203 in the building, this was probably the current 208 (1 bdrm) -- an upper level one bedroom with a courtyard view.
205 Sophie L. Yavorsky and her servant, Kate Hendee (50) dentist $150 per month (1 bdrm*) Yavorsky was born in Russia in 1900, and gives her native language as Russian. She was self-employed. The rent and double occupancy would imply that this is, quite possibly, not 205 (a 1 bdrm) but 201 (a large 2 bdrm) or 206 (a smaller 2 bdrm).
103 Lila Georgie stage actress $125 per month (1 bdrm*) Lila Georgie was born in Hungary and gives her first language as Polish. This is likely the current 108, a ground-floor one bedroom with a courtyard view. Ms. Georgie was 23 in 1930.
107 Roger Gray, his wife Jessie and son, Roger, Jr. actor $130 per month (2 bdrms) Roger Gray's first featured film role was in 1930's "Hit the Deck", with Jack Oakie. He went on to make dozens of films throughout the 30's and 40's, including "Gaslight" and "The Barbary Coast".
314 Minna Wallis, her mother Eva and her sister, Jewel motion picture representive $100 per month (2 bdrms) Ms. Wallis ran a top Hollywood agency in 1930, and represented both Clark Gable, for whom she got a breakthrough role in "Painted Dessert" in 1931, and Myrna Loy. She was also the sister of producer Hal Wallis. She was 35 in 1930, and is described in at least one biography of her brother as "a businesswoman ahead of her time".
309 Elsie Larsen and her 17 year old daughter, Loraine none $100 per month (2 bdrms*) Since there is no 309 in the building, this may actually be 311, which is a 2 bedroom apartment. Elsie, 35, was a widow.
310 Patrick Kearney, his wife Betty and 1 1/2 year old daughter, Dierdre author $200 per month (2 bdrms) Kearney was a screenwriter who, in 1929, had had two of his scripts and a play produced. He worked on the Paramount lot.
115 Albert R. Thompson, his wife Gertrude, their daughter, Suzanne, granddaughter, Molly and a son, Albert Jr. real estate broker $100 per month (2 bdrms) A.R. Thompson developed the Casa de Contenta in 1929. He was 55 in 1930.