Movie Colony House

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Presenting The Movie Colony House.

A mid-century Hollywood hideaway, reimagined for the Pacific Northwest. Designed in 1956 by Gerald Hamilton—visionary behind Vancouver’s Space Centre—this cinematic estate channels the spirit of Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate, privately tucked along Capilano Golf Club.

Wrapped in towering cedars and sculpted gardens, the home is a study in West Coast Glamour—where evenings linger under the stars and every space effortlessly into the next. Once hidden, now revealed—The Movie Colony House awaits its next custodian.

425 Rabbit Lane
West Vancouver

Neighbourhood
British Properties

Architect
Gerald Hamilton

Designed and Built
1956

Price
$5,950,000

Specification
Mid-Century Modern

Program
West Coast Modern

Floors
3 level split

Rooms
6 Bed 5 Bath

Building
5,749 sqft
Lot
0.57 acres

Monograph Brochure

Floor Plan

For decades, Palm Springs’ Movie Colony district was the ultimate retreat for Hollywood’s elite—a mid-century enclave built for visibility and status. Stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra made it their escape.

But Canada had its own version, hidden in plain sight.

Just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, a discreet community of modernist compounds was quietly developed along the golf course—an alternative retreat for Hollywood figures and business magnates who sought privacy over spectacle. The city’s most celebrated designers, including Arthur Erickson, Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth, Gerald Hamilton, Bob Lewis, and Thompson Berwick & Pratt, worked with the global elite to build bold modernist statement homes—residences that could rival the world’s greatest architectural icons, yet remained hidden from public view.

Many of these homes have been lost to redevelopment. But one remains—a private estate, now becoming known as “The Movie Colony House.” Built in 1956, it was inspired by Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate, adapting Palm Springs modernism to a secluded forested setting.

For the first time, West Coast Modern is revealing this hidden Hollywood outpost—a home that turned away from the public eye, until now. A rare opportunity to step inside Canada’s own Movie Colony House and experience a modernist retreat that was never meant to be found.

“This West Vancouver home is an original, classic mid-century modern design from the inside out, straight to the pool, which in itself is a nod to the iconic Palm Springs vibe.”

— Vancouver Living Magazine

Gerald Hamilton

Architect

Gerald Hamilton (1923–1999) was a Canadian architect renowned for his significant contributions to Vancouver's architectural landscape. Born in Germany, Hamilton moved to the United Kingdom, where he studied at Leeds University from 1940 to 1943. After serving in the British Army between 1943 and 1947, he relocated to Vancouver in the 1950s.

Hamilton was a prominent practitioner of New Formalism, a style that melded modernist techniques with classical elements. Among his notable works are the East Asiatic House (1963) and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (1968), both exemplifying his architectural vision. In 1971, he was honored as a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.