The Future of the Past
Marie Russak Hotchener, Krotona and the Moorish palaces of Beachwood Canyon
Cahuenga Past started due to my fascination with the stories of the houses of the Hollywood Hills, how much history has already been lost to time’s erosion, the obsession with newness inherent to Los Angeles. This began as a hobby on instagram —a combination of architectural appreciation, Los Angeles history, old and new Hollywood gossip, and exploring the mystical forces that appear in the hills—but as I delved deeper into researching, some stories deserve more than that bite size formula can handle.
Marie Russak Hotchener’s story is one of those- her name isn’t as well known as say, Charlie Chaplin, but her story is part of a richer tapestry of Old Hollywood. I discovered her by stumbling upon a palatial house she built, Moorcrest.
Let’s go back a bit. Marie Barnard was born in the 1860s (could be 1865, could be 1867, both have been stated, there’s no definitive biography on her) in Northern California (possibly Chico?). She studied music at Mills College and then went on to find success as an opera singer. She performed all over Europe, she sang with Sousa in Boston before retiring early in 1899, when she married opera producer Frank Russak. The marriage is a possible reason for ending her prima donna career, but it could also be that she discovered theosophy in 1898 and was instantly mesmerized.
So what’s theosophy? Well, theosophy is a religion co-founded by Helena Blavatsky and is based on some fundamental principles: universal brotherhood, belief in karma and reincarnation, comparative religious study, and exploring the unexplained.
Marie and Frank seem to have separated around 1901; he went to live in Paris and Marie spent the next few years in Adyar, India, studying at the Theosophical Society headquarters there. After Mme Blavatsky died, theosophy divided into two groups- one that followed William Quan Judge, and one that followed Annie Besant.
Marie and Annie Besant were close friends. In 1909, Annie Besant and Charles Leadbetter discovered Jidda Krishnamurti, who they believed to be the next prophet, and Marie was assigned as his tutor in India, which shows how greatly she was trusted. She went on an extensive lecture tour across America, acting as the spokesperson for Besant and the esoteric principles of theosophy. Here’s a notice from a 1911 lecture she gave in Minnesota, speaking of communicating with the dead in dreams, in order to elevate waking consciousness.
Pretty great, right? I appreciate how simple she makes it sound.
Marie was curious and clever, and reviews of her lectures mention her immense magnetism, her wit and warmth, and how she held every audience in rapt attention. Marie’s travel companion on this trip was A.P. Warrington, and they did site visits across the country on her tour and would test the magnetic vibrations of the areas, trying to discern where Krotona, the ideal theosophical commune they were planning with Besant, would be most fruitful.
Krotona was built in Beachwood Canyon, in 1912. It’s hard not to talk about Krotona’s development, Krishnamurti, and Marie’s involvement in creating the Order of the Temple of the Rosy Star, but that is entirely too much for one newsletter, so we’re going to revisit each of those parts of the story in the future.
Now let’s talk about some of Marie’s houses!
Spanish Mission- 1914- Marie Russak Residence
Alfred and Arthur Heineman built this Spanish in 1914, and it is believed to have been a gift from fellow theosophist Henry Hotchener (foreshadowing!) for Marie’s residence at Krotona. Henry had long handled the finances of the Besant chapter of theosophy. He had invested his own money in the land and later became one of the developers of the area. If you look closely, you’ll see a tower in the top right of the photograph- this was a house Marie later designed.
The Ternary
There’s a grand home in the area surrounding Krotona known as The Ternary, a place believed to be for Krotona VIPs and was built for theosophist Grace Shaw Duff. This house (well, this series of three houses) was built by Arthur and Alfred Heineman in 1915, with original Batchelder tile.
Marie was close to Henry Hotchener, they had met while studying theosophy in India. Estranged husband Frank was declared dead in a 1914 shipwreck. In 1915, Marie and Henry were living together here and started an occult paper, The Channel, with Henry as publisher and Marie as editor, and the Ternary was their home and office.
Marie was elected Vice President of the Theosophical Society in 1915. Marie and Henry married in July 1916. He was nearly 20 years younger, but they were (by all accounts) a wonderful match. Shortly after their wedding, she voluntarily stepped down from her vice presidency after using a ouija board, which was frowned upon by current theosophical doctrines. You see, the theosophists believed in communing with the dead and receiving messages, but a ouija board was not an acceptable method of communication. In July 1916, the Los Angeles Examiner stated they were leaving theosophy for India and donating their home, The Ternary, to Krotona. The rift was seemingly short lived and she was back lecturing at Krotona in 1917.
In 1925, The Ternary was sold as a “Moorish Palace” and the Royal Oak Club, a new social organization, was holding meetings and concerts there.
Moorcrest
I sincerely love the empowerment of women in theosophy, and spiritualism in general. In a time when women had little power, class restrictions, and limited educational prospects, spiritualism gave them a voice. Albeit, the voice may have been of the questionable dead, but it was a powerful way to gain respect. Marie is a perfect example of this. In addition to her operatic training, lecture prowess, acting as a medium and other metaphysical skills, she decided at some point to also learn architecture, why not.
As Marie was self-taught, her architecture work was a potluck combination of influences that reflected her travels- Moorish, Indian, Art Nouveau- extremely ornate. Her most ambitious build was Moorcrest, believed to be completed in 1921.
She never lived in it, but her first tenant was Charlie Chaplin in 1922.
When Chaplin moved out, Marie sold it to Otto and Helen Langhanke in 1925. They were not theosophists, but were friendly with the community. They bought the house with their daughter’s money, and kept her here, only allowing her out to work. This daughter was teenage screen star, Mary Astor. But there’s an interesting John Barrymore connection- John Barrymore was dating underage Mary, but didn’t like how suffocating her parents were (though they were fine with her dating a much older man) and he ended it. During the courtship, he met Marie and Henry Hotchener and Henry became his business manager, and Marie his personal astrologer.
Mary suffered psychological and physical abuse from her father and one night, she escaped out of one of Moorcrest’s windows. Her reconciliation with her parents was mediated by Marie Russak Hotchener, and Mary’s first wedding was held at Moorcrest.
Marie’s other builds in the area
This pink one was built in 1922, with many additions in 1923. Marie is not listed on the building permits, which I presume was a choice made by her lack of training coupled with the times. This one has Henry as the owner, and DeLuxe Building as the architect.
No date available on this one, but also early 20s, and this gives you an example of how she embraced the Exotic Revival style, more of the onion domes and keyhole arches, with some castle detail at the top.
This one is dubious, but this duplex was built in 1919, Henry also listed as the owner and again we have the DeLuxe Building company, so this could also be Marie’s.
1920, hard to see from the street, but also widely regarded to be her work, with DeLuxe Building at it again.
This one, from 1921, is also listed as DeLuxe Building, but there are stylistic similarities to her other work, and it is also regarded as hers.
Marie’s last home
By 1924, Hollywoodland and other developments (ironically including the homes Marie built that Henry was selling) had fully encroached on Krotona’s serene wide open spaces, and the Krotona campus was sold to director Rupert Julian. Krotona opted to relocate to Ojai, where it operates today as the Krotona Institute of Theosophy.
Henry and Marie stayed in Hollywood, traveling frequently to Ojai, and were regulars at Besant Lodge in Hollywood for local theosophical meetings. In addition to his metaphysical lecturing and real estate projects, Henry remained John Barrymore’s business manager for nearly 15 years.
Marie continued writing and lecturing, and Annie Besant appointed her the editor of The Theosophist magazine in the early 30s. She then had her own journal, World Theosophy, for a few years in the mid-30s. She was also an active co-mason, and served on the provisional Supreme Council for the international group of co-masons in 1940.
This was their last home, designed and built by Marie Russak Hotchener, approximately 1924. Marie died here on March 4, 1945.
One last note, when we talk about Marie’s prominence as a theosophist, it’s worth mentioning that Charles Leadbetter wrote a series of articles that became a book, The Lives of Alcyone. Alcyone was the “star name” given to prophet Krishnamurti by Charles Leadbetter, using his powers of clairvoyance to examine past lives. The articles caused quite a fuss in the theosophical community, with tongues wagging over speculation of who was being referenced in each of the star name stories. “Helios” was revealed to be Marie Russak’s, and she loved it, and many people referred to her as Helios, and she signed correspondence with her star name as well.
Her name isn’t well known now, but her legacy still stands in these houses. In a town that is constantly erasing itself, that sounds like a star legacy to me.
I love this story!!! Thank you for teaching me the history of my neighborhood. It’s so fascinating!!! I can feel the ghosts at night.
Your stories are endlessly fascinating!! Thank you!