In the 1930s, the Hacienda Arms Apartments located at 8439 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles was a hotbed of Hollywood activity, with famous residents including Jeanette MacDonald, Marie Dressler, and Loretta Young.

However, this building also housed one of the city’s most infamous brothels, the House of Francis.

The House of Francis was run by its madam, Lee Francis, a former prostitute who had made her way to LA via San Francisco and Reno.

According to the book “The Fixers” by E.J. Fleming, Francis was able to keep her business thriving by bribing the police, who she had in her pocket, costing her 40% of her profits.

During police “raids,” no one was ever arrested, as the officers merely partook in her caviar and champagne, and pocketed her cash.

The young women who worked for Francis had apartments in the Hacienda Arms, with a lobby that resembled a five-star hotel.

They came to Hollywood with aspirations of stardom but had to settle for a life of prostitution, earning up to $1,000 a day by satisfying any request.

The brothel’s rich and famous clientele included actress Jean Harlow, who would have prostitutes delivered to her home, and sometimes selected a few male customers to take home with her, paying Francis $500 per person.

MGM stars such as Errol Flynn and John Gilbert were regular patrons of the House of Francis, with MGM production-chief Irving Thalberg often accompanying them, but not participating himself, as he preferred to sit in the lobby reading the papers.

Clark Gable was another regular, who had Francis deliver girls to his dressing room on set.

Meanwhile, Spencer Tracy caused trouble at the brothel, often getting drunk and starting fights, even getting arrested for hitting a parked car in an alley.

MGM also had a business account at the House of Francis, with bills paid by MGM executive Howard Strickling, one of the “fixers” in Fleming’s book.

MGM stars’ expenses were covered and distributors were entertained at the brothel during business visits.

The 1997 film L.A. Confidential depicted a brothel where prostitutes were made up to look like movie stars, such as Kim Basinger’s character who resembled Veronica Lake.

This type of business did in fact exist, called Mae’s, managed by madam Billie Bennett who made herself look like Mae West.

According to Fleming, Mae’s was funded by MGM when “fixers” Strickling and Eddie Mannix decided a more private location was desirable.

The brothel was located in a Greek revival-style building above the Sunset Strip, with 14 luxurious suites, a restaurant, and bar.

Girls made up to look like famous stars such as Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, and Ginger Rogers, among others, had access to costumes borrowed from MGM and hairdressers and makeup artists in the basement.

In 1940, Francis was raided again and arrested, along with her girls, boys, and customers. She spent a month in jail and her business folded.

In 1986, she published her memoirs, “Ladies on Call: The Most Intimate Recollections of a Hollywood Madam,” which are now out of print.

In the wake of Francis’ arrest, a new madam stepped in to fill the void, Almerdell Forrester, also known as Ann Forst or The Black Widow.

She made $5,000 a week with her 200 girls, also paying protection money to the police, $5 to regular officers and $10 to sergeants each week.

However, Brenda Allen’s luck ran out in 1948 when she was finally convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Despite her long list of arrests, she had managed to remain in business for years due to her connection to Sergeant Jackson.

However, the tide turned against her when the Los Angeles Police Department finally launched a major crackdown on vice.