The Maybelline Story

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.

By Sharrie Williams · Written November 2012 · 2 min read

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
After Rudolph Valentino died in 1926, two of his homes in the Hollywood hills went up for sale. 
Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.

One, the famous 4,700 square foot, Falcon Lair, home of Valentino and
Natacha Rambova in Benedict Canyon

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.


Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
Rudolph Valentino at his home in Whitley Heights.
and the other in the Whitley Heights section of the Hollywood hills. Valentino lived in this house while he and his fiancee were building
Falcon Lair.
Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
Tom Lyle Williams and Emery Shaver on the
 Balcony of the Villa Valentino.
Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
Tom Lyle and Emery with TL’s 1934 Packard Victoria
 at the Villa Valentino.

After Valentino’s untimely death, Tom Lyle and Emery rented than bought the home in Whitley Heights…named it The Villa Valentino and concentrated on Maybelline’s Advertising…

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.

while brother, Vice President Noel James Williams ran the business at hand for the Maybelline Company in Chicago.

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
Picture of Tom Lyle Williams from the article
 in Drug Topics Magazine, 1929.
In May of
1929 in one of the few article written about Tom 
Lyle’s life and his success story came out in a cosmetic journal called the drug topics and portrayed a young entrepreneur’s genius in advertising.

Hollywood Royalty, Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambovia’s home was purchased by Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and his partner Emery Shaver in the 1930’s.
This fascinating period of Hollywood history is featured in The Maybelline Story… buy a signed copy today…



Want to read more on The Villa Valentino, chick here 

Coming soon · Next from Sharrie Williams

Maybe She’s Born With It

The next chapter of the Maybelline family story. Get a text the day it’s out.

Where it began: The Maybelline Story — Amazon · Ebook · Signed copy