Picture this, my friends: It’s 1967, and Tony Curtis is standing in front of a sprawling Mediterranean-style mansion at 364 St. Cloud Road in Bel Air, California. He’s got that Hollywood charm oozing out of every pore as he turns to Cher and Sonny Bono and says, “I just moved out of this house six months ago, my darlings. And I’ll let you have it for $250,000.” Now, if that doesn’t scream old-school Hollywood glamor, I don’t know what does. Tony, a legend in his own right from the classic film Some Like It Hot, wasn’t just being flashy—he was a hustler, according to Sonny. He had a way of making people feel like winners, asking Cher and Sonny, “Don’t you want people to see you as a winner?” But when he opened the doors to the six-bedroom, 34-room palace, showing off its early 1930s craftsmanship, high ceilings, and grand rooms, they didn’t need much convincing. Take a peek at the video above to see inside the stunning home that became Sonny and Cher’s haven!
Cher and Sonny's First Glimpse of Their Dream Home
“Sonny and I looked at each other—we were already sold,” Cher reminisced. But Tony Curtis, ever the showman, took them on a whirlwind tour of the mansion, all smiles and grand gestures. They were absolutely blown away by the breakfast room, screening room, billiard room, wood-paneled library, and a banquet-sized dining room fit for royalty. And let’s not forget the grand swimming pool that seemed like it went on for miles. When they finally got back to the car, Cher simply said, “Son.” And Sonny replied, “I know. All right. We’ll swing this.” Just like that, they made the decision to move in, and a few weeks later, they were living the high life in Bel Air.
From Humble Beginnings to Hollywood Royalty
This wasn’t the first time Cher and Sonny had called LA home. Back in 1965, they started out in Sonny’s modest apartment at Franklin Avenue and Vine. But as their careers took off, they moved to a small house in Encino, just a stone’s throw away from Cher’s mom, Georgia Holt. “We rented it out, left all our old furniture there,” Cher said, adding a touch of humor, “and decorated our new house in a very traditional way. We were nouveau riche, but better nouveau than never!” Their families were in awe when they first visited the St. Cloud house. Sonny even whipped up a barbecue feast featuring Sicilian breaded steak and artichokes on the arched patio, leaving everyone oohing and aahing. But as the music hits slowed down in the late '60s and their films flopped, things got a little rocky. “We lived in a mansion that had no furniture. We were famous but had no money,” Sonny admitted. They tried to sell the house in 1969 but had no luck.
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Second Chance at Stardom and a New Home
Cher and Sonny outside their Encino, CA home in 1968.
But then, in 1971, their fortunes changed dramatically with the debut of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. And guess who showed up again? You guessed it—Tony Curtis. This time, he took them to his 54-room Holmby Hills mansion at 141 S. Carolwood
