Groucho Marx’s former home sells for $8.8 million

Update: A Beverly Hills house designed by architect Wallace Neff in 1956 for comedic actor Groucho Marx has sold for $8.8 million.

The rebuilt and updated Trousdale Estates home, which maintains its Neff footprint, is approached through a motor court with a central fountain. The one-story contemporary has walls of wood and glass and floors of terrazzo and walnut. There are five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a library and a maid’s suite in slightly more than 6,000 square feet.

A pool, a spa and a waterfall complement an alfresco dining area, patios and a fire pit that extend the living space outdoors. The gated three-quarter acre lot has downtown L.A. and canyon views.

Marx, the cigar-smoking brother who sported wire rims, fake eyebrows and a mustache, made films with his siblings (including “Duck Soup” in 1933 and “A Night in Casablanca” in 1946) and without. He played opposite Carmen Miranda in “Copacabana” (1947). Marx hosted the radio quiz show “You Bet Your Life,” which later was picked up by television and ran from 1950 to 1961.

The actor shared the home with his third wife, actress Eden Hartford, until his death in 1977 at the age of 86.

The house came on the market in August at $12.9 million. It previously sold in 2007 for $4,675,000, according to public records.

Jeeb O’Reilly of Hilton & Hyland, Beverly Hills, and Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills, had the listing. Sally Forster Jones of Coldwell Banker’s Beverly Hills East office represented the buyer.

[email protected]