The former estate of singer Bing Crosby at Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, California – often linked to Marilyn and President Kennedy – is up for sale, The Times reports.
“In March 1962 John F Kennedy, seeking refuge from the rigours of the presidency, took a break at Bing Crosby’s home in the California desert. While the first lady, Jackie, was on an ambassadorial holiday in India and Pakistan, JFK, a statesman known for his many infidelities, allegedly seduced Marilyn Monroe at the mid-century estate.
Now, the house in Palm Desert which was said to be home to the presidential tryst is on the market for $13.5 million. The owners, Julia and Randall Burt, bought the home in 2012 for about $3 million but have since carried out extensive refurbishments.
The home, where Crosby, an actor and singer of ‘White Christmas’, lived and entertained guests, had fallen into disrepair. ‘It was in dire need of remodel and rehabilitation,’ Mrs Burt, a lawyer, told the Wall Street Journal. ‘Some people said, ‘Oh, you should just tear it down and build a big new home’. But we thought it was incredibly important to keep the history.’
Crosby, who died aged 74 in 1977, built the home around 1955. Palm Desert is in California’s Coachella Valley, a region beloved by celebrities and politicians … Crosby owned many homes in the region over the years but the Palm Desert estate remains famous for the Kennedy link.
If the estate meets its asking price it would be one of the most expensive properties in the area, beating a home designed by Richard Neutra in Palm Springs that sold for more than $13 million in 2022.
The Burts, who have no children, are selling the house to downsize. Fans of Monroe, of whom a giant statue is displayed in Palm Springs, might be disappointed to hear her spirit does not reside in Palm Desert.
‘Unfortunately, there is no ghost of Marilyn living in the house,’ Mrs Burt said. ‘My husband keeps looking for it.'”
However, this article raises a few questions – and not just about Marilyn’s ghostly wanderings. Firstly, although it’s stated that the Burts bought the property for $3 million in 2012, it was last sold for $4.15 million in 2022 (see here.)
The other queries concern the property’s much-vaunted link to Marilyn and John F. Kennedy. The President stayed there on the weekend of March 23-25, 1962, following the annual Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.
Marilyn’s homecare assistant, Eunice Murray, recalled that Peter Lawford had driven her to Rancho Mirage on March 24. Another guest, Philip Watson, claimed Marilyn and the President were ‘obviously together’ at the Crosby estate, while Marilyn’s masseur, Ralph Roberts said she telephoned him from her bedroom, and asked him to advise a friend on his back problems – later confirming the gentleman was JFK.
If Roberts’ tale seems a little far-fetched, it’s worth bearing in mind that Norman Rosten, Marilyn’s poet friend from New York, spent the day with her in Los Angeles on March 25. So if she had visited the Crosby estate that weekend, it probably wasn’t for very long.
In terms of Marilyn’s connection to Crosby, the singer played himself in a scene from Let’s Make Love (1960), with Yves Montand (but not MM) – and you can read more about her Rancho Mirage trip here.
The Marilyn Report 