In 1934 the Ennis House made its film debut in The Black Cat, inspiring the chillingly beautiful residence of
Boris Karloff, the Satanist who preserved his paramours in glass Deco showcases. For years thereafter the house was
rumored to be Karloff’s in actuality, and many a teenaged boy dared a nocturnal trespass over the wall hoping, no
doubt, for a glimpse of nameless rites & unspeakable orgies within.
In 1958, presumably in an effort to improve its image, the House starred again as the House on Haunted Hill,
wherein a gloating Vincent Price lures guests into vats of acid and such. In a decadent detour it served as the
residence of art director Claude Estee in the film version of Nathaniel West’s Day of the Locust, and entered science
fiction in Terminal Man. Most recently it was chosen as the site for Harrison Ford’s residence in Blade Runner -
with an amusing twist as noted below. If you have managed to miss all of the above [shame on you!], you may catch
it once more in Howling II, wherein it is overrun with slavering werewolves.
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Frank Lloyd Wright, we are told, did not do Deco - or Mayan - or Moderne - but [ahem!] Frank Lloyd
Wright. If the Ennis house looks Mayan/Deco, it is thus purely coincidental. As was his practice at the time, Wright
created a unique, geometrically-decorated 16” concrete block to be used within and without the building. Each block
is reinforced by steel rods embedded in the concrete. This sounds like a nice idea, but when it rained the steel
became wet and expanded, with the result that many of the blocks are disintegrating [and the roof leaks]. In the
interests of authenticity the Trust has not stooped to the manufacture of new blocks, but when more were needed
for a Blade Runner set, Hollywood cranked out a batch of fakes. Upon completion of filming these were donated to
the Trust, which used them to build a Frank Lloyd Wright dog house for the Dobermans who escort trespassers
briskly off the premises.
The entrance-hall with its stern stone symmetry, 6’ ceiling, and subdued lighting, does not exactly dispel the
notion that one is entering a pre-Columbian tomb. We were informed by the Trust docent that Wright intended the
ceiling to reflect the height of the inhabitants. Since the ceiling jumps to 22’ shortly thereafter, one can’t help
wondering at the odd dimensions of said inhabitants. Happily no 22’ denizen appeared, though one of the
Dobermans [at least I hope it was only a Doberman!] sent a mournful howl echoing through the passageways at
about the time we reached the main hall.
If you are into geometric concrete blocks, you would be very happy here, as they are everywhere. In fact the
basic difference between the inside and the outside of the house is that the inside is on the inside and the outside is
on the outside. Wright wanted slate floors, but Ennis put his foot down [sorry!] and had white marble installed
instead, which we were told went better with Hollywood bacchanalia of the 1920s. Wright also wanted a dark,
rugged wood for the main ceilings; Ennis opted for a beautifully-finished teak. A later owner added a [Mayan/
Deco?] swimming pool to the outside patio, from which - if you look out across the Hollywood Hills - you can see a
large white Richard Neutra mansion glaring back at the House on Haunted Hill like Siegfried confronting Fafnir.
Even assuming that the Trust docent didn’t show us the room where Boris K. preserved his ladies, HHH is
surprisingly small in terms of living space. Count: living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms w/bath, and
den. Wright expected southern California to be warm & sunny all the time, so there are just two small fireplaces
which, considering all the concrete and glass around, ain’t ’nuff. One begins to understand why the place has
changed owners so frequently: Despite its undeniable beauty and drama, cozy it isn’t. Dazzling guests is all well and
good, but you also want to be able to raid the fridge in the middle of the night without barking your shins on Deco
concrete, donning a coat, or taking a pratfall on the marble.
The Ennis house is occasionally confused with another house not too far away - the Ramon Novarro house built
in 1928 by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank L.W., at 5699 Valley Oak Drive.
This dramatic mansion of pale concrete and hammered bronze trim was originally decorated by MGM set
designer Frank Gibbons entirely in black fur and silver, and Novarro’s dinner guests were expected to complement
same by wearing only black/white/silver attire. [Novarro later moved to a simple ranch-style house at 3110 Laurel
Canyon where, as Kenneth Anger recounts, “his ghastly death by beating in 1968 brought to mind the bizarre crimes
of Hollywood’s past. Here was a man dying, as he had lived, extravagantly, choked in his own blood - the lead Art
Deco dildo which Valentino had given him 45 years earlier thrust down his throat.”
Tours of the Novarro house are not conducted, as it remains a private residence. Tours of the Ennis house are
no longer conducted as of 2009, as the property is presently up for sale: http://www.ennishouse.org/ Be careful not
to step in the big vat with the bubbling stuff in it.
Comment
April 27, 2006
My Dear Michael,
Enjoyed your article. However, as amusing as it was to hear you waxing lyrically at length about the significance
of the decor, all much appreciated I might say, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that this was a low-budget
project designed as a vehicle for Vincent Price who, contract-wise, owed AIP three movies.
Bob Fuest (ex Art Director of note) and myself sat down over a few bottles of wine and tried to write some sense
into what was then an appalling outline. Our motivation? Keep it light and tongue-in-cheek.
As a young designer in the industry (this was my third or fourth film), I happened to have a passing interest in
Art Nouveau/Deco at the time and a reasonable supply of reference materials to hand in my library. It all just
happened, so there.
My best wishes to you,
Brian Eatwell
Production Designer
Los Angeles
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A61: Parastrology
- by Michael A. Aquino VI°, GM.Tr.
Runes #III-1 (January 1985) and #III-2 (March 1985)
Order of the Trapezoidt
Astrology had rather a rough time of it in the Age of Satan.
First there was Anton LaVey’s essay “God in Sports Clothes -or- The Stars: Supplement for Weak Egos”. In this
diatribe (ca. III/1968) Dr. LaVey focused not on the merit of astrology, but rather on its social/psychological impact:
If one considers the facts, it is easy to understand why astrology has become the popular delusion it has.
A wise sorcerer “believes“ in astrology, because he knows that the majority of the peoples of the civilized
world believe in astrology [at least part of the time]; and if enough people are motivated by a hoax, then the
hoax becomes as reality. Therefore, in the manipulation of humans who are affected by astrology, it is
necessary to know how, where, and when the stars will supposedly guide their human followers so the
manipulator will be waiting first in line to deal with his star-led subjects.
As all religions are the work of human minds and hands, so astrology must stand out as a monumental
brainstorm on the part of one of the most Satanic enchanters of all time. Astrology always wins, because of
that most effective sales appeal of all: ego, alias vanity! Every
one who has ever been exposed to astrology
believes in it - at least for a few minutes - because in those few short moments of first exposure to astrology
the listener is told about something he cannot ignore: himself - the most interesting, scintillating, awe-
inspiring, contemplative, and emotionally acceptable subject on this green Earth!”
Warlock II° Michael A. Aquino was not much kinder. In a V/1970 issue of the Cloven Hoof I commented:
Upon turning his attention to the expanses of space that encompass his planet, man confronts the
physical reality of natural infinity, a concept extremely frustrating to his desire to categorize his
environment. Consequently the priests of the ancient civilizations groped for explanations of the firmament
which would be sufficiently finite to uphold man’s sense of self-importance.
The result was astrology, or star-worship, which has endured in one form or another since its first major
codification by the Babylonians in the 10th century BCE. Supposing the external universe to be a spherical
shell circumnavigating the Earth, the astrologer-priests represented the Sun, Moon, and known planets as
agents of prophecy and personality determination. Their positions within the star-beings of the zodiac were
thought to exert a direct influence upon the fortunes of Earth and its inhabitants.
The zodiac itself consisted of a band of constellations extending the length of the ecliptic and
approximately 9° in each perpendicular direction. Each constellation occupied a supposedly fixed position
along this band, and the star-beings themselves were located according to calculations based upon the
equinoxes.
Unfortunately the Babylonians’ admirable calculations did not allow for the gradual change in the tilt of
Earth’s axis, with the result that the signs of the zodiac eventually ceased to coincide with their approximate
constellations. Modern astrologers, therefore, proclaim not only the influence of gigantic masses of flaming
rock and gas in human fortunes, but also the influence of random areas of deep space!
... Following which the Church of Satan and Temple of Set paid zero attention to astrology until this past month,
when one brave astrologer from New York City, Robert Zoller, was admitted to the Temple under the sponsorship of
Stephen Flowers, M.Tr. When the Executive Director showed me Zoller’s application, I said, “Astrologer, hmm?
Why not send him Watson’s analysis in Supernature and see how he reacts to it? Ask him if he’s run into Playfair &
Hill for good measure.”
I am ashamed to say my motives were somewhat on the order of Wile E. Coyote setting a trap for the road-
runner. I expected either (a) an angry snarl from a charlatan whose balloon has been pricked, or (b) a sort of
stupefied inability to come to grips with Watson’s criticisms [which are as incisive as, if somewhat more polite than
Carl Sagan’s in Cosmos]. Zoller’s response left me feeling even more like W.E.C. - just after his latest r-r trap has
backfired on him! Quoth Zoller:
I will have to acquire a copy of Playfair & Hill’s Cycles of Heaven before I can comment on it. Regarding
Lyall Watson’s bit on astrology which you forwarded, however, I will say that it is overall a very nice piece
for a non-astrologer. The tone is refreshingly balanced, and the author has done his homework.
There are, however, a few criticisms I could make. As an astrologer I see things which the general
reading public might not find noteworthy. If an astrologer had written the article, it would have been done
differently in spots.
Page #62: In the calculation it is actually the MC “midheaven sign” (specifically the degree of the sign)
which is found first, then the ascendent. Secondly it seems to me that paragraph #2 confuses the signs with
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the constellations - a distinction which Watson attempts to rectify later, but which might better have been
handled first [that is, in the paragraph beginning page #62: “The planets ...”]. The problem is that the
wobbling of the Earth’s poles causes the phenomenon known as the “precession of the equinoxes”. This
results in the signs no longer coinciding with the constellations as they did [according at least to some
astronomers] ca. 1 CE. This is the first thing on which astronomers fault the Western astrologer. So
Watson’s statement on page #63 that the scientists cannot take exception [to the initial logic of astrology] is
a bit misleading.
The following paragraph introduces the fact that there is in fact a bit of agreement between astrology
and science. Watson could have gone further had be brought in the research done at Mount Sinai Hospital
[and elsewhere] in NYC on what has been dubbed “chronobiology”. This new science, begun in Germany
about 30 years ago, involves a study of the cycles of physiological functions in human and animal bodies.
The major cycles studied are the circadian or almost-24-hour cycles exhibited by the the body’s hormonal
secretions. These cycles have been found to greatly affect a patient’s reaction to a given drug at a particular
time. Modern physicians are finding that the same drug administered at different times may have different
effects. This was known during the middle ages, and medieval physicians endeavored to intensify the effect
of medicines by timing their administration according to astrological principles.
greater or lesser amount of serotonin at different times of the cycle. Besides the circadian cycle there are 28-
day cycles [in both sexes] and annual cycles. All three cycles are identical with [or directly related to] the
movements of the Earth on its axis, of the Moon around the Earth, and of the Earth around the Sun.
All this is known to, but not discussed by scientists. The problem faced by astrologers is that none of
these cycles - nor Nelson’s work [pages #63-4], nor Gauquelin’s report of the electrolyte quality of water
varying with the Lunar phase - shows how an individual’s being born at a particular time and place
differentiates him from others born at other times and places. The above-mentioned influences apply to all
inhabitants of Earth. Still it has led some astrologers to develop a scientifically acceptable ’astrology of
humanity’, so to speak.
Page #64, paragraph #2: Watson appears to confuse sidereal signs with tropical constellations. Does he
mean Mercury in the sign or the constellation of Virgo?
Page #65, paragraph #1: Watson says that “each house occupies 30°”. This is is true only of the Equal
House System, which is the oldest system but is now used by few Western astrologers. Perhaps Watson is
confusing Eastern and Western approaches to astrology, since the EHS is still used in India. Western
astrologers use a variety of house systems - and argue about “which one is right?”.
Page #65, paragraph #2: It is interesting that the Arabs also held - at least during the middle ages - that
the rising planet is the key to one’s profession. My experience seems to confirm this. Gauquelin’s work is
good, but he often rediscovers concepts “lost” to astrologers unwilling or unable to consult classical sources.
Page #67, paragraph #1: Watson states that astrology lacks a clear philosophic basis. It had such in the
middle ages, and can be said still to have one when we consider that medieval astrology was never
disproven; ra
ther it fell out of favor as the intelligentsia went over to a new scientific paradigm in the 17th
century. As modern physics is now supplanting this paradigm with a kind of neo-Pythagoreanism and a
willingness to examine the energy/consciousness equation, it may well be that many, if not all of the old
scientific arguments against astrology will become obsolete. The major threat to astrology today is neither
science nor [as some fear] the religious right; it is the space race. There is nothing like a radical change of
venue from Earth to Mars to screw up your cycles! The 28-day cycle, which plays such an important role on
Earth, is nowhere to be found on Mars. Should we colonize that planet, we’d need a new astrology for the
colonists.
Pages #67-8: The discussion of Clark’s experiments is interesting. The is is the first time I’ve heard of
them, but then I’ve been in the 13th century for years. Most of my work is on medieval astrology, as will be
apparent from Lost Key when you see it.
Watch out for Eugen Jonas’ stuff. In Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain [unless I’m mistaken]
Jonas was credited with or developed certain birth-control methods. These were elaborated on in the
authors’ second book. One method dealt with predicting the sex of the child on the basis of the Moon’s
position in certain “critical degrees” at conception. It doesn’t work. In fact it is a “well-known astrological
method” that has been known not to work for some time. Apparently Jonas learned a little astrology from a
book and jumped to his conclusion. The authors reported it, people over here began to apply it, and it failed.
Several years ago I attempted to get a copy of the book. The publisher advised me that the authors had
withdrawn it from publication because of the scandal.
Addey’s work with harmonics is well regarded in the astrological field - at least among the astrologers I
know. The funny thing is that his harmonic system, which he undoubtedly contributed sincerely, was known
to medieval astrologers. We have evidence of it in Guido Bonatti’s Liber Astronomiæ, ca. 1282.
Many years ago Diane LaVey told me the story of the scientists who tested a pessimistic child and an optimistic
one. The pessimist was placed in a roomful of toys, but he refused to play with them. “What’s the use?” he