The over-the-top Holmby Hills mansion Michael Jackson was renting when he died took the No. 1 spot again, (after a few years off the top spot) showing his continuing worldwide appeal – as evidenced by his matching No. 1 position in the 2014 list of “Top Earning Dead Celebrities”, with $140 million earnings from his estate in 2014 (Source: Forbes). Katy Perry, with her broad family appeal, returns again this year at No. 2. The Playboy Mansion, which took a couple of years off (tours are rerouted when access is denied) moved back to No. 3, making this perhaps the male-testosterone version of the “Magic Kingdom”. Some celebrities seem to manage to stay relevant even after they are long gone – as evidenced by the incredible staying power of Elvis Presley and Lucille Ball at Nos. 7 and 8 respectively. The new kid on the block this year was Justin Bieber. His continued kid-like antics kept him and his rental home in the spotlight at No. 9 (much to the chagrin of his neighbors).
On the downside, Simon Cowell continues to lose heat (he was No. 2 just two years earlier) as his media presence continues to wane. Ellen DeGeneres slipped 5 places this year. Has the queen of daytime talk-shows lost some of her luster? Likely great news for Tom Cruise is that his home is slipping of the list, now at spot 10. His low key social life coupled with his manic movie making has kept him out of the country and off of Twitter feeds.
When visitors board one of the 13-passenger bus they get to hear all of the latest celebrity news and great stories from entertaining and experienced guides who keep track of who bought and sold, who is dating whom, and which celebs have beach homes in Malibu, where Starline Tours also covers. Starline Tour manager Lisa Staub reflects on the business of being nosy. “There is a lot of work that goes into our guides' training and knowledge,” she says. “We follow real estate transactions, Hollywood news and social media, but we also have the latest first-hand sightings of stars in neighborhoods because Starline is always present.” Does Starline feel this is an invasion of privacy? “The fact that the public has an insatiable appetite for all things celebrity and are the ones keeping the stars in the lifestyle they have, says no,” quips Philip Ferentinos, Starline's Director. “It is pure pleasure for our visitors but serious business for Starline Tours, which pioneered the concept of seeing where the stars lived 80 years ago this year.” (Sid Grauman told his chauffeur that he thought people would pay to see where the stars lived. Because of his profession, the chauffeur knew their addresses.) Starline's 80th birthday celebration has invited anyone turning 80 this year to celebrate with a variety of complimentary Starline Tours during their birthday month – with a friend along. The company is also hosting a social media photo submission event with one Starline Tours photographer winning $500 each month. For details, go to www.starlinetours.com/80thAnniversary.
Guides also keep track of passenger requests aboard the Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour where a Top Ten list is also created each year. The tour makes daily departures from Santa Monica Pier to explore this ocean-front community and makes a stop on Malibu Beach for passengers to stroll on the beach and dip a toe into the Pacific.
Cher's spectacular ridge-top compound retained the No. 1 spot on the Malibu Stars Home list. The singer and actress has held that honor since the list and the Malibu tour began 2010, likely because of her annual final tours. The pending home sale to Jay-Z and Beyoncé fell through, fueling the rumor of their breakup. Matthew Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Adam Sandler solidified their long-term placement on this list by taking the next three spots respectively. Who got knocked off the list is sometimes more telling than who is on it – and this year stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, Will Smith and Eva Longoria all fell off the list – which would be no surprise to any celebrity gossip columnists, and proves that these Top 10 lists really do a good job in measuring the “heat index” of celebrities.
2014 Top Ten Most Requested Homes on Starline's Movie Stars' Homes Tour:
- Michael Jackson
- Katy Perry
- Playboy Mansion
- Bruno Mars
- Simon Cowell
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Elvis Presley
- Lucille Ball
- Justin Bieber
- Tom Cruise
2014 Top Ten Most Requested Homes on Starline's Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour:
- Cher
- Matthew Perry
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Adam Sandler
- John Cusack
- Courteney Cox
- Ryan O'Neal
- Candy Spelling
- Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne
- Sting
The Movies Stars' Home Tour is the longest operating tour in Hollywood, covering numerous famous estates, buts adds rising popular stars to keep the experience up-to-the-moment and fresh. The original Movie Stars' Homes Tour and Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour operate daily in open-top vans equipped with personal headsets to enjoy the guide's narration without disturbing the peace and tranquility of the exclusive neighborhoods. The 2-hour Original Movie Stars' Homes Tour is priced at $47 for adults and $37 for children, ages 3 to 11 and includes a complimentary ticket to Madame Tussuads (a $27 value) when purchased in advance online, or enjoy a $5 savings, at www.starlinetours.com. Tickets are also available at Starline Tours' box office in the forecourt of TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and the Starline Santa Monica Terminal in downtown Santa Monica. The Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour is $44 for adults and $34 for children (the $5 online purchase savings also applies) and is also available at the Starline Tours office on Santa Monica Pier.
Starline Tours
Hollywood's number one celebrity tour company, Starline Tours, is the oldest and largest tour company in Los Angeles, having pioneered the famous Movie Stars' Homes Tour in 1935, making this year its 80th anniversary. A full range of sightseeing tours of Los Angeles and Southern California is available. Starline Tours has been featured on Ellen, American Idol, the Muppet Movies, Iron Man 3, NBC's Today Show, as well as newspapers and travel magazines from around the world.Starline Tours operates the Grand Tour of Los Angeles in nine languages, and the world's largest Hop-On, Hop-Off tour with Starline's CitySightseeing Double-Decker buses offering comprehensive tour narration in nine languages via personal headsets. The CitySightseeing buses are the only Hop-On Hop-Off buses in North America equipped with gps tracking for “next bus at this stop” information via mobile devices. The open-top Movie Stars' Homes Tour and TMZ Hollywood Tour, recommended by travel agents worldwide, are visitor favorites and operate daily. The Movie Locations Tour in partnership with TCM (Turner Classic Movies) operates daily in custom-built surround-window stadium seating buses.
Tours to theme parks, movie studios, San Diego and Tijuana are available, with pick up from more than 250 hotels in the Los Angeles. With locations throughout Hollywood, a new Visitor Welcome Center at Hollywood & Highland and a ticket office at (Grauman's) TCL Chinese Theatre at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, the company also has a sales office on Santa Monica Pier, starting point for the Malibu Movie Stars' Homes Tour, a Santa Monica Terminal at 1434 Second Street in downtown Santa Monica, and in Anaheim Terminal at 2333 South Harbor Boulevard for transportation to Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood and Beverly Hills for touring, shopping, dining and celebrity-watching. The company is privately owned and is operated in conjunction with TourCoach – the company's Bus Charter division. For reservations, visit www.starlinetours.com or call toll free 1-800-959-3131 or direct at 1-323-463-3333.
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