Movie-star Moderne

A step inside this Santa Monica Canyon house is like a leap back into the golden age of Hollywood and a visit with the beautiful actress Dolores del Rio and her handsome husband, Cedric Gibbons, multiple Oscar-winning art director for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Gibbons, who has been credited with designing the Oscar statuette, co-designed this house with Douglas Honnold, who also worked as an art director at MGM. It was to be Gibbons’ bachelor pad, but he married Del Rio in 1930, and they moved in the same year.

Gibbons helped to introduce Art Deco to the movies after his visit to Paris in 1925. No wonder, then, that the exterior of his house was labeled “Art Moderne” and the interior still reflects some of his ideas on modern decor.

That the house still looks modern after nearly 75 years is a testimonial to the restoration efforts of later owners.

About this house: Gibbons and Del Rio entertained lavishly at home, even holding archery tournaments in which Gibbons is purported to have discovered actor Errol Flynn. Gibbons ended up living in the house by himself, however, after he and Del Rio were divorced in 1941.

When Gibbons moved out in 1947, actor Van Johnson moved in and lived there until 1953. The current owners purchased the home in 1981.

Asking price: $12.9 million

Size: There are five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in about 5,000 square feet, and the lot size is 28,401 square feet, according to public records.

Features: There is a tennis court and a viewing pavilion, a pool and cabana plus guest quarters over the garage. The house also has an ocean view. The kitchen was recently renovated.

Where: Santa Monica

Listing agent: Jeff Hyland and Jane Nathanson of Hilton & Hyland, Beverly Hills, (310) 278-3311.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send color interior and exterior photos (copies only, please; we cannot return the pictures) and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail homeoftheweek@latimes.com.