Ever since the days before talkies, visitors to Los Angeles have wanted to see just where the rich and famous live. Today it's big business--maps of dubious accuracy are sold on Sunset Strip street corners, and at least a dozen tour operators shuttle van loads of voyeurs daily through Beverly Hills.

Well, it's easy to lay out your cash, climb on the bus, and sit back for the ride and the regular spiel. But we think it's much more fun to do it yourself, cruising L.A.'s most chic streets--with a special emphasis on Hollywood's golden age legends and scandals. So we've gathered a very special list of addresses, and mapped out a route especially for you.

Start: Sunset Boulevard at Foothill Road in Beverly Hills.

Finish: Sunset Boulevard at Beverly Glen in Bel-Air.

Time: Allow about 3 hours, not including time spent dining.

Best and Worst Times: Anytime during daylight hours is good for the drive itself, but try to avoid the 12:30 to 1:30pm showbiz lunch rush at the restaurants listed.

Related Tip: Notice the streetlamps all along the way--some of the city's most elaborate fixtures line the route.

Start at:

1. 9521 Sunset Blvd--The conservative mansion (at the corner of Foothill Road) is the childhood home of pint-size star Shirley Temple, who had her own miniature playhouse on the grounds.

Drive east on Sunset, watching between Palm and Hillcrest on the left side of the street for:

2. 9419 Sunset Blvd--Imagine MGM "boy wonder" executive Irving Thalberg and his actress wife, Norma Shearer, holding court behind these dense shrubbery walls; this was their estate until Thalberg's death at age 37 in 1936.

Turn right on Hillcrest Road to Santa Monica Boulevard, right to Palm Drive, and right once again.

Notice the pleasing symmetry of the landscaping on these streets in the "flats" of Beverly Hills--each north-south drive is planted with a different tree, though clearly not according to name (palm trees line Hillcrest Road, while Palm Drive displays the lavender blooms of jacaranda trees).

On Palm you'll find:

3. 508 Palm Drive--This was home to Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio during their short marriage in 1954.

Two houses up is:

4. 512 Palm Drive--This modest Mediterranean-style enclave was blonde bombshell Jean Harlow's last home, where she died in 1937--at the age of 26--of sudden uremic poisoning.

Two blocks farther is another former Marilyn Monroe home:

5. 718 Palm Drive--She briefly shared this ivy-covered house with William Morris agent Johnny Hyde in 1950, the year she began to make a name for herself with small but pivotal roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve.

Turn back toward Elevado Avenue, turn left, and then right on Rexford Avenue. Follow Rexford up past Sunset Boulevard to where it intersects Beverly Drive. Make a right turn and look to the left for:

6. 1011 Beverly Drive--This was the opulent estate of Marion Davies, the actress and mistress of William Randolph Hearst. Nearly as lavish and excessive as the Santa Monica beach house that Hearst built for her, this mansion is where he died in 1951 (and later she did, in 1961). The driveway is so enormous you might mistake it for a street; stone lions perch atop peach-colored walls guarding the gate, behind which you can see a broad road winding up the hill.

Turn around at Shadow Hill Way and slow down (if traffic allows) on the way back for another look. Turn right at the T-intersection, continuing south on Beverly Drive to Sunset Boulevard, then make a hairpin right turn onto Crescent Drive, where you'll come to:

7. 904 Crescent Drive--This was the former home of Gloria Swanson, silent film star and Sunset Boulevard's original Norma Desmond.

Across the street are the:

8. Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows--This was a secluded locale for many legendary trysts, including the rumored Marilyn Monroe-John F. Kennedy affair. Howard Hughes virtually lived here during his Hollywood years, keeping several regular bungalows for his family and staff--including his private food-taster. You might want to stop off at the Fountain Coffee Shop here for a break.

Continue to:

9. 1001 Crescent Drive--This elegant mansion was formerly occupied by Dynasty star Linda Evans, and was owned for many years by Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews.

Follow Crescent as it curves around, taking Oxford Way past Sunset Boulevard onto Rodeo Drive, which is residential here but becomes Beverly Hills's most extravagant shopping avenue farther south.

10. 725 Rodeo Drive--This was the modest residence of the late, multitalented Gene Kelly.

Turn right on Carmelita, and right onto Bedford, and look for:

11. 620 Bedford Drive--This was the former residence of Marlene Dietrich.

One block farther is:

12. 730 Bedford Drive--In 1958 in this home, Lana Turner's teenage daughter, Cheryl Crane, stabbed to death Turner's abusive boyfriend, gangster Johnny Stompanato.

Turn left onto Lomitas Avenue to Linden Drive, turn right, and proceed to:

13. 810 Linden Drive--This home looks exactly as it did the night in 1947 when hoodlum Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was gunned down through the living-room window. A notorious gangster best remembered for creating Las Vegas from a patch of desert, Siegel had been relaxing in the home of his girlfriend, small-time actress Virginia Hill.

Linden will merge into Whittier Drive; make a right onto Sunset Boulevard and take the next left, onto Roxbury Drive, where you'll find several noteworthy homes:

14. 911 Roxbury Drive-->Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery's lived here until her death in 1995.

15. 918 Roxbury Drive--This was the site of the longtime home of actor James Stewart and his beloved wife, Gloria. Stewart turned the adjoining corner lot into a walled garden to indulge his favorite hobby, gardening, but found little pleasure in it following Gloria's death. He died in 1997. The house was demolished by its new owner in 1998 to make way for a larger, Italian-style villa.

Down the street is:

16. 1000 Roxbury Drive--This was the longtime home of comedienne Lucille Ball. Disturbed once too often by huge busloads of tourists pouring onto her front lawn, the famous redhead forced the city of Beverly Hills to create stringent guidelines for tour operators. While Lucy lived here, the house was old-fashioned, with simple white clapboard; following her death, new owners updated the exterior to what you see today.

17. 1002 Roxbury Drive--Ball's neighbor for many years at this home was another great comedian, Jack Benny.

A few houses down and across the street is:

18. 1019 Roxbury Drive--This was the home of Rosemary Clooney (whose hunky nephew George rocketed to fame on TV's ER).

Next door is:

19. 1021 Roxbury Drive--This was the modest home of composer Ira Gershwin.

20. 1023 Roxbury Drive--Here you'll find a newer house built on the site where Spencer Tracy, and later Agnes Moorhead, once resided.

Stay on Roxbury, cross over Benedict Canyon Drive, and make the second left onto Cove Way, in front of:

21. 1000 Cove Way--This stylish and traditional home was formerly the property of both movie villain Jack Palance and funnyman W. C. Fields.

Across the street is:

22. 1007 Cove Way--This was home to Sidney Poitier.

23. 1011 Cove Way--The rough-hewn stone exterior suited the moniker of its previous owner Rock Hudson.

Make a right turn on Summit Drive and follow it up the hill to:

24. 1143 Summit Drive--This is the former site of a Beverly Hills legend. When Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford--Hollywood's golden couple in the 1920s--moved here, they lived in the only structure in sight, a small hunting lodge. Later on, they enlarged the dwelling, adding the first residential swimming pool in Beverly Hills; the gracious hilltop manor became known as "Pickfair." Pickford continued to live here until her death in 1979. In 1990 singer Pia Zadora leveled the 42-room landmark to make way for the larger--and decidedly tackier--mansion you see today. About the only remnants of the glorious original are the stone cherubs adorning the front gate, a gift to the Fairbankses from Charlie Chaplin.

Veer to the right past no. 1143 and proceed up the street to:

25. 1167 Summit Drive--This is the home of actress and Elvis widow, Priscilla Presley.

Turn around safely where you can; descending, you'll get a fine view of:

26. 1151 Summit Drive--This was the home of Sammy Davis Jr. at the time of his death. Sadly, his family was forced to sell the home and auction off its contents to settle the debts he left behind.

Turn right on Pickfair Way (behind Pia Zadora's house). As Pickfair Way dips to meet San Ysidro Drive, glance straight ahead; atop the hill is:

27. 1155 San Ysidro Drive--Here's you'll find the former Fred Astaire estate.

Make a left at the corner, and you'll see his winding driveway on the right. Farther down the street are a trio of homes:

28. 1103 San Ysidro Drive--Here is the last home of Danny Kaye, of which only the impressive gateway is visible.

29. 1106 San Ysidro Drive--This is the heavily remodeled former home of Rex Harrison.

Across the street is:

30. 1100 Tower Road--The overly theatrical Romanesque columns, gargoyles, and garden statuary must have suited Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, who were living here when Leigh won her Best Actress Oscar for Gone With the Wind.

Make a right turn around the house and continue up Tower Road to:

31. 1151 Tower Road--b>Jay Leno lives here, and it's a sure bet the house has an extensive garage, for Jay maintains a spectacular collection of vintage automobiles; you might see him motoring about town in one.

Farther up the hill, you'll see the short brick wall that defines:

32. 1162 Tower Road--Here's the estate of the late Michael Landon. A devoted family man, the star of Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and Highway to Heaven erected a full-size playground here for his many children and grandchildren; it's easy to see the swings, seesaws, and jungle gyms from the street.

You can turn around in the cul-de-sac at the end of Tower Road and gaze out at the extraordinary city view from what was once John Barrymore's vast estate on this hilltop, appropriately named "Bella Vista" (beautiful view). Backtrack down to where Tower Grove Drive heads up the hill to the right, and follow it up to Beverly Grove Drive; turn left. Just as you emerge at the next minicanyon, look on the left for:

33. 9966 Beverly Grove--b>Cary Grant's last home. Slow down, if you can, and look back through the gates to catch a glimpse of the gracious home (remodeled by Grant in 1982), as well as the spectacular view of L.A. and the ocean.

Follow Beverly Grove down the hill to the T-shaped intersection with Beverly Estate Drive, taking it down to Beverly Glen Boulevard. Turn right on Beverly Glen, then left on Cielo Drive, following the road to where it widens slightly for the intersection with a tiny overgrown spur called Bella Drive. Although technically a public road--and therefore fair game to the curious--there's only one home at the top of this nearly private driveway. But it's worth disturbing the wild rabbits to get to:

34. 1436 Bella Drive--This white-walled estate has scarcely changed since 1925, when screen heartthrob Rudolph Valentino bought it and named it "Falcon Lair." Valentino's steel pennant emblazoned with the letter V still flies atop the house's red-tiled roof. The estate was last owned by heiress Doris Duke.

Looking down into the canyon from the summit, you can see 10050 Cielo Dr., the infamous site where in August 1969, members of the Manson family murdered actress Sharon Tate and four others. The house itself was torn down in 1994, just after Nine Inch Nails recorded their multiplatinum--and angst-ridden--album, The Downward Spiral, in it.

One unfortunate houseguest and Manson victim was jet-setting hairstylist Jay Sebring, visiting from farther up the canyon, where he lived in a secluded house supposedly haunted by the ghost of movie studio head Paul Bern, who was newly married to starlet Jean Harlow at the time of his death. Bern's death here in 1932 was officially called a suicide, but many speculated about a scandalous murder and cover-up.

You can reach the Bern/Sebring house if you're willing to ascend Easton Drive, a narrow and roughly paved alley.

Return via Cielo Drive to Benedict Canyon, turn left, and proceed to Easton. Turn right to:

35. 9820 Easton Drive--The address isn't really visible from the street, but if you go to the end and turn around, you can see the two-story Bavarian-style house on your left, set back and above the others.

Return via Benedict Canyon to Sunset Boulevard and make a right turn to:

36. 10000 Sunset Blvd--Howard Hughes, Vincente Minelli, and Judy Garland all owned this home, but today it gets the most attention for the whimsical statues adorning the front lawn. The sightseeing couple was the first installed, and tricked many passersby into thinking there was really someone looking over the wall!

Turn left at Carolwood, marked by the bubble-gum-pink Spanish-style structure at:

37. 10100 Sunset Blvd--This has been owned by singer Rudy Vallee and later by Engelbert Humperdinck, but its personality was indelibly stamped in the 1960s by Jayne Mansfield, who chose the color scheme and built a heart-shaped pool in the backyard.

The street dead-ends at:

38. 141 South Carolwood Drive--An English-style estate named "Owlwood" and owned at various times by Sonny and Cher, Tony Curtis, and movie mogul Joseph Schenck, at whose invitation Curtis's future Some Like It Hot costar Marilyn Monroe occupied a guest house during 1949.

Return to Sunset Boulevard and make a right, then a left onto Ladera Drive, and left on Monovale. You'll come to:

39. 144 Monovale Drive--This was the L.A. home of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who purchased the white cottage in 1972 for a mere $335,000.

Follow Monovale as it merges with Carolwood, and proceed to:

40. 245 Carolwood Drive--This was the L.A. home of Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson during their marriage; it also once belonged to Beatle George Harrison.

Down the street is:

41. 325 Carolwood Drive--Up the ivy garland-adorned driveway is Clark Gable's former abode.

You can't miss:

42 355 Carolwood Drive--This was Walt Disney's former home, with its wrought-iron mouse-ear motif on the gate. Disney's widow, Lillian, lived here alone for years, until her death at age 98 (in 1997).

Next you'll see:

43. 375 Carolwood Drive--This is the former home to distinguished actor Gregory Peck, who was probably less than thrilled by the loud partying at next door.

44. 391 Carolwood Drive--This home was owned by rocker Rod Stewart and his model wife, Rachel Hunter.

Return via Carolwood to Sunset Boulevard and turn right, then turn left onto Charing Cross. Slow down and smile for the sophisticated surveillance system (including cameras, microphones, and guards) at:

45. 10236 Charing Cross Road--This ostentatious stone manor has been known since 1971 as the "Playboy Mansion," a party haven later transformed in the politically correct 1990s into the family homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner and their two children. After Hef's divorce in 1999, the wife and kids moved next door, and the Mansion now once again features a bevy of nubile starlets.

Follow Charing Cross to Mapleton Drive, turn left, and proceed to:

46. 594 South Mapleton Drive--The community of Holmby Hills was outraged when Aaron Spelling, producer of such successful TV shows as Charlie's Angels; The Love Boat; Beverly Hills, 90210; and Melrose Place--and Tori's dad--razed an estate overlooking the prestigious Los Angeles Country Club and erected this oversize, ostentatious monstrosity.

Pass the Spelling residence, turn right on Club View Drive, and right again on Beverly Glen Boulevard. Take Beverly Glen past Sunset Boulevard, straight through the stately entrance to Bel-Air. Turn left at Bellagio Road, then right at Copa de Oro ("cup of gold"). Straight ahead is:

47. 363 Copa De Oro Road--This ornate redbrick mansion was for many years home to heartthrob Tom Jones, and it was also occupied at one time by fellow Las Vegas headliner the late Dean Martin. See if you can catch a glimpse of Nicolas Cage, the current owner.

Veer right past the house to the intersection with Bel Air Road, turn right, and then left on St. Cloud Road to Nimes Road. As you approach:

48. 700 Nimes Road--The exotic flowers in varying shades of purple and lavender provide the only clues to the identity of the glamorous owner who dwells behind this imposing gate: Elizabeth Taylor.

Follow Nimes around and back down to St. Cloud Road, turning left. On the left side is:

49. 668 St. Cloud Road--This has been the home of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan since his departure from the White House. Nancy had the original house number, 666, changed to a less demonic one. If the former president is in residence, the gatehouse will be staffed with Secret Service agents.

Continue past Nimes and turn left on St. Pierre. On the right-hand side is:

50. 345 St. Pierre Road--Errol Flynn's alleged statutory rape--the scandal out of which the expression "in like Flynn" was born--took place at this peach-colored house with green-patina iron fence work.

Across the street, diagonally to the left is:

51. 414 St. Pierre Road--This home which sits abandoned, its carved stone entryway and Mediterranean-tiled patio visible through the overgrowth. As the street curves around the corner, peek into the neglected backyard at the spectacular swimming pool built for original owner Johnny Weissmuller. The athletic swimmer and on-screen Tarzan created a junglelike setting for his daily laps when he and this house were in their prime.

Continuing to the end of the block, you'll find yourself back at Beverly Glen Boulevard. A right turn will lead you to Sunset Boulevard.

Winding Down--If all this sightseeing has left your stomach grumbling, stay in the neighborhood and visit one of these local watering holes: Recently reopened after an extensive restoration, the Beverly Hills Hotel (no. 8, above) has been the unofficial "clubhouse" of the swank Hollywood crowd since it opened in 1912. Katharine Hepburn played tennis here daily, Marlene Dietrich shocked the staid Polo Lounge by strolling in wearing trousers, and Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand emerged from their 1959 tryst in one of the secluded bungalows to smooch over a milkshake in the hotel's Fountain Coffee Shop (tel. 310/276-2251). Stopping in yourself for a sandwich and fountain treat at the shop's counter provides a perfect excuse to stroll these legendary grounds.

Or try Nate & Al delicatessen, at 414 North Beverly Dr. (tel. 310/274-0101), a regular Beverly Hills fixture for ages. Despite its location among the boutiques of the "Golden Triangle," Nate & Al remains comfortably homey and unchanged, from the sweet condescension of the motherly waitresses to the best pastrami, pickles, and chopped liver in town. And you won't believe the famous faces lining the brown Naugahyde booths--many have had house accounts for decade.