The Clairmont Mansion is described in the script as the largest non-military structure west of the Mississippi. The location was going to be a huge challenge for us. How were we going to afford that kind of location? It needed a library, a curving staircase, pool and gardens. Fortunately one of our location scouts showed us the Villa del Sol d'Oro mansion located on the campus of the Alverno High School in Sierra Madre. The Tuscan-style villa, built in 1924 by archetect Wallace Neff, is a two-thirds scale replica of the Villa Collazi near Florence, which is said to have been designed by Michaelangelo. The mansion has been used in both Legally Blonde movies, The Princess Diaries, A Walk in the Clouds, True Lies and many others. It was the convent where Christina Crawford was sent to live in the 1981 movie Mommie Dearest. During the 40's & 50's Villa del Sol d’Oro was used as a novitiate – a home where nuns live during a probationary period before taking their vows. In other words, it was perfect.
We shot two scenes on the veranda while the Art Department got the interior ready. The script calls for Veronica to be sunbathing by the pool but we decided to use the veranda since the mansion had no pool.
The main room of the mansion. The location is used often for weddings and comes empty. It would become a great canvas for the Art Department.
Lesley-Anne Down as Lady Clairmont.
Krystyna looking through the various set pieces for the mansion.
The mansion had a dragon theme so Krystyna added to that by placing these enormous serpents in the driveway.
The library with a portrait of Lady Clairmont.
Veronica Clairmont descends the staircase to find Charlie.
Shooting the scene where Charlie drives up to the mansion.
