Norton Simon / Villa Francesca

This Mediterranean style house was built in the 1920’s by Victor Schertzinger, a concert violinist who made his entry into films as a composer of scores for silent films. Becoming a director of many silent and sound films, he wrote scores of songs for many of his own musical films. He spent his last years composing at Paramount where he directed two of the Hope - Crosby - Lamour Road pictures. Exotic cars are not new to the Villa. Victor drove a Duesenburg and his wife traveled in a chauffeur driven Pierce Arrow, which is now part of the Merle Norman Collection in Sylmar. We will meet in Pasadena at the Norton Simon Museum for a private tour of the highlights of the Museum's collection. Our tour, given by art historians, will last approximately 1 1/2 hours and is prior to the museum opening at noon that day. On view at the Norton Simon are seven centuries of European Art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Particularly celebrated are Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and 20th century works. Complementing the Western Art is an outstanding group of Asian sculpture spanning 2000 years. After our tour we will drive through Pasadena, La Canada-Flintridge and Glendale to the Villa Francesca, in the Los Feliz Hills, where we will enjoy refreshments and an Italian luncheon in the garden that surrounds the 1930’s era summer house and swimming pool. Special Ferrari parking will be provided