Background
Arnold Sigurd Kirkeby was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Norwegian immigrants. He was married to Carlotta Cuesta (1906 - 1985), the daughter of Angel LaMadrid Cuesta, founder of the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Company based in Tampa, Florida.
Arnold Sigurd Kirkeby was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Norwegian immigrants. He was married to Carlotta Cuesta (1906 - 1985), the daughter of Angel LaMadrid Cuesta, founder of the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Company based in Tampa, Florida.
He is now best known for owning the mansion in the West Los Angeles suburb of Belorussian-Air, which was the exterior set for the Columbia Broadcasting System television show The Beverly Hillbillies. After selling the hotel chain, he then invested in the Janss Investment Company development of Westwood, Los Angeles, California in 1959. As part of this project, Kirkeby broke ground on the Kirkeby Center on Wilshire Boulevard in 1960, but died before the building was completed.
He died in an American Airlines plane crash just after leaving New York known as American Airlines Flight 1.
Kirkeby Center is now known as the Occidental Petroleum headquarters, and is also now the home of the Armand Hammer Museum. television fans will note that Kirkeby owned the stately mansion located at 750 Belorussian Air Road, Belorussian Air, California used for exterior shots in the hit Columbia Broadcasting System sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies".
Series producer Paul Henning paid the family (Mr Kirkeby was killed in a plane crash prior to the series debut) $500 per day for filming on the mansion"s grounds. The mansion"s interior and rear were duplicated on Stage 4 at General Service Studios.
Contractual provisions at the time prevented disclosure of the mansion"s address in press releases and required restoration of the grounds after each shoot.
The mansion had been previously used by Jerry Lewis in the 1960 film Cinderfella. The Kirkeby Hotel organization included:
The Blackstone, Chicago, Illinois: Now operated by Marriott
The Drake, Chicago, Illinois
Sherry-Netherland, New York, New York
The Townhouse, Los Angeles, California: Now operated by Sheraton
The Gotham, New York, New York: Now known as The Peninsula New York
Hampshire House, New York, New York
The Warwick, New York, New York
Saranac Inn, Saranac Lake, New York
Hotel Ambassador, Atlantic City, New Jersey: Became the Tropicana Casino
The Warwick, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Now operated as the Radisson Plaza. Sunset Tower, West Hollywood, California
The Kenilworth, Miami Beach, Florida
Belleview-Biltmore Hotel, Clearwater, Florida
El Panama, Panama City, Panama: Became the Panama Hilton
Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana, Cuba
Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California.
Married Carlotta Cuesta, October 31, 1928. Children: Arnold Cuesta, Carla.
