Pornographer's House From Big Lebowski Donated to Museum

'An exceptional example of domestic architecture and a tremendous legacy'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 19, 2016 6:14 PM CST
Pornographer's House From Big Lebowski Donated to Museum
The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, visits the home of pornographer Jackie Treehorn in "The Big Lebowski." The real owner of the home announced this week he's donating it to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.   (YouTube)

In the cult favorite film The Big Lebowski, the house nestled in the hills of Los Angeles—complete with flying topless women and lewd doodles—belonged to "sleazy pornographer" Jackie Treehorn, Reuters reports. In real life, in belongs to—in the words of Fortune—"fashion devotee and NBA superfan" James Goldstein. But upon his death, the one-of-a-kind home will be donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the museum announced this week. “I want people to build houses in a way that hasn't been done before, that are moving into the future instead of the past, so I hope my house is an inspiration for that," Goldstein tells Reuters. He certainly set an example.

Reuters describes Goldstein's home as the "quintessential Hollywood party house with low-slung couches and a well-lit pool," as well as "sweeping vistas of the Los Angeles skyline and coast" and "hundreds of skylights." The director of LACMA calls the house “an exceptional example of domestic architecture and a tremendous legacy.” The house was built in the 1960s, and Goldstein purchased it for $185,000 in 1972. It's now valued at $40 million, which Goldstein says is conservative. In addition to the house, LACMA will be getting the fashion and art collections and 1961 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud contained within. Goldstein tells Reuters he's a fan of the Coen brothers and was "very proud" his home was included in The Big Lebowski. It's also been seen in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, as well as numerous music videos and fashion shoots. (More architecture stories.)

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