Palm Springs just saw its highest sale of the year. “Rancho Autry,” an impressive estate owned by late cowboy crooner Gene Autry, recently traded hands for $7 million.
Not only is that a high for 2020, but records show it’s also one of the priciest sales in the resort city’s history. Other blockbuster deals include the $13-million sale of Bob Hope’s Modernist mansion and the $9-million sale of a Midcentury post-and-beam built for actor Laurence Harvey.
It’s one of many properties that Autry and his wife, Jackie, bought throughout Southern California. In addition to owning the Los Angeles Angels baseball team for 36 years, their other holdings include a TV station, multiple radio stations, a Palm Springs hotel, a Midcentury condo and an Encino mansion that later sold to “Survivor” host Jeff Probst.
They paid $2.05 million for this one in 1997, and Autry died a year later. Set on an acre and a half in Old Las Palmas, the gated mansion spans 13,400 square feet and also includes a guest apartment, a tennis court and a glass mosaic swimming pool set among gardens, palm trees and drought-tolerant landscaping.
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Entered via porte-cochere, the main home holds seven bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms and five fireplaces spread across a single story. Hardwood floors, arched doorways, skylights and coffered ceilings adorn the common spaces, which include a green-and-yellow kitchen and a spacious living room.
For dining, there’s a formal dining room under beamed ceilings, a casual dining area lined with French doors and a solarium-like breakfast nook. The master suite tacks on a sauna and steam shower.
Outside, the 1920s home wraps around a central courtyard complete with loggias, lounges, a pool, spa and mountain views. A three-car garage, plus the original one-car garage, complete the property.
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Louise Hampton of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties held the listing, according to a press release. James Gault of Bennion Deville Homes represented the buyer. The home hit the market earlier this year for $8.25 million.
Autry had a television show bearing his name from 1950 to 1956 and was in scores of films. His signature song, “Back in the Saddle Again,” was used in the 1939 film “Rovin’ Tumbleweeds” and became the theme song for his radio show, which ran from 1940 to 1956. His biggest hit song was “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
Earlier this year, his widow, Jackie, sold a Riverside Country horse ranch for $550,000, The Times previously reported.