He goes whole 9 yards
Bruce Willis, who plays Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski in the comedy film “The Whole Ten Yards,” has purchased a Beverly Hills home for about $9 million.
The walled and gated estate has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms in slightly more than 10,000 square feet. The home, on nearly an acre, was built in the 1920s but was recently updated. The estate also has a screening room, courtyard and tennis court.
Willis also owns residential and commercial real estate in Hailey, Idaho.
The actor, 49, won an Emmy in 1987 for his part opposite Cybill Shepherd in the ABC comedy series “Moonlighting” and made his film breakthrough in the action thriller “Die Hard” (1988). He created the Tulip character in “The Whole Nine Yards” (2000). More recently, he had the lead in the movie “Tears of the Sun” (2003) and co-starred in the film “Hart’s War” (2002). The same year, Willis was named Man of the Year by Hasty Pudding Theatricals of Harvard University, and his band, Bruce Willis and the Accelerators, went on tour to 15 cities.
‘Walker’s’ buddy
is moving on
Stuart Whitman, who has appeared in more than 75 feature films and played an old pal of Chuck Norris in recent years on the CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has sold a home in the Beverly Hills area at close to $3 million.
Whitman sold the home, on 5 acres, because his primary residence is in Santa Barbara and he said he felt it was the right time. He lived in the Beverly Hills-area home for many years but leased it out for the last couple of years. Whitman owns a number of shopping centers and other real estate holdings throughout the country.
The Beverly Hills-area home, built in 1927, was originally a hunting lodge. The home, California bungalow in style, has a two-bedroom, two-bathroom main house and one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest quarters.
Whitman, in his 70s, was nominated in 1961 for a best actor Oscar for his role in “The Mark.” He was in the movie “The Longest Day” (1962) and starred in the CBS series “Cimarron Strip” (1967-71).
Jon Bronson of Westside Estate Agency, Beverly Hills, had the listing.
Fore! Fairways beckon Tinker
Grant Tinker, the TV icon known for saving NBC with quality programming when he was the network’s chairman and chief executive during the 1980s, has purchased a Bel-Air home for about $6 million, and he has listed his former home, a Wilshire condo, at just under $2.6 million.
The Bel-Air home, on about an acre along the fairways of the Bel-Air Country Club, has four bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms. The Georgian-style home, built in the ‘50s and rebuilt in 1985, also has sweeping lawns, a motor court and a pool.
The condo, in the Remington, has two bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in slightly less than 3,000 square feet. Decorated in mahogany, limestone and granite, the unit is reached by way of an elevator opening into a private foyer. The condo also has a media room. The building, built in 2001, has a concierge, valet, gym and pool.
Tinker bought the condominium last year after he sold his Bel-Air home of 14 years for close to its $8.35-million asking price. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, he was president and co-founder with his then-wife, actress Mary Tyler Moore, of MTM Enterprises, which produced “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Lou Grant” and “St. Elsewhere.”
Drew Mandile and Brooke Knapp of Sotheby’s International Realty, Beverly Hills, have the condo listing and represented Tinker in buying his new home.
Dole Foods scion leaves the course
David Murdock Jr., a high-end residential developer whose father is the owner of Dole Food Co. and Castle & Cooke, has sold a Tuscan-style Bel-Air home for $16 million.
Murdock built the 18,000-square-foot house in 2003. It has seven bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a gym and a library. It is on slightly more than 1 1/2 acres overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club golf course.
Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills North, had the listing with Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency, Beverly Hills.
Director strikes
his Topanga set
Billy Hale, a director of TV movies and miniseries, has put his Topanga ranch of 19 years on the market at just under $2 million.
He and his wife, Trudy, plan to move to Richmond, Va. They fell in love with the area when he was on location there.
The ranch, on nearly 3 acres, is reached by way of a wooden bridge. The road leads to a main house that looks like a Spanish hacienda. It has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and a family room with a high-beamed ceiling and French doors opening to the pool, spa and decks. A stone guesthouse with a wood-burning fireplace was built in 1908. A treehouse, pig and tortoise are included in the price.
Hale directed the Emmy-winning miniseries “The Murder of Mary Phagan” (1987), starring Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey; “Harem” (1986), starring Omar Sharif and Ava Gardner; and “People Like Us” (1990), starring Eva Marie Saint and Ben Gazzara.
Gary Harryman of Pritchett-Rapf & Associates, Topanga, has the listing.
To see previous columns on celebrity transactions visit latimes.com/hotproperty.
