Howard Hughes' Hangout - Page 2

Keyes was a key figure in development of a cavalcade of mid-century hits, from Rat Pack productions like 'The Dean Martin Show' and several Sinatra specials to 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.' Sometime in the 1960s or '70s, he sold the house to Hughes, a larger-than-life, mid-century American genius.

Movie producer, industrialist, record-setting aviator, CIA accomplice, and the man who created contemporary Las Vegas—Hughes' life reads like fiction because there was seemingly no world he could not conquer. It is hardly surprising that cartoonist Stan Lee based his Ironman/Tony Stark character on Hughes, one of several fictional movie characters he inspired.

The increasingly reclusive billionaire—when that level of wealth was actually rare—moved to Vegas in 1966, but wanted a home in the California desert for his wife, Jean Peters. He lived primarily in hotels from then until his death in 1976.

The property, on .23 acres, offers a buyer the opportunity to cook in the same kitchen as our trio of celebrities—with the same appliances!

"It's very unique. It's not a traditional Mies van der Rohe, [Donald] Wexler, or anything," says Montenegro, who said the kitchen and bathrooms are all still original. Asked what the best feature of the listing is, he said the design and preservation of the house, adding, "The owners have not bastardized the house's style."

Just whose style that is, however, is currently unknown.

"We're still trying to find that out," the realtor admitted, adding that he has been consulting with local experts to discover the architect and history of the two-story, 2,400-square-foot house. "I'm doing my homework."

Some parts of the home seem characteristically Hughes, like a lighting system controlled by pushing buttons on the floor with your foot. Montenegro conceded that some equipment, such as the air conditioning and pool-filtration system, may be in need of repair.

"The seller does not want open houses, so it will be by appointment only," he said of owner Rob Newman, whose family bought the property from Hughes' estate in 1977 for $82,000.

As far as celebrity 'bang for your buck,' though, $1.2 is a steal compared to the $13 million paid in November for Bob Hope's home nearby, or even the $5 million currently being asked for Bing's old house in Rancho Mirage.

How can you beat that, stargazers?

For more information on the former Howard Hughes house, click here.