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Read about some locations that are haunted by celebrity ghosts.
Roosevelt Hotel
A
stop at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is a must, as at least two famous, and
several not so famous, ghosts reside there. The hotel's most famous haunting
concerns a mirror which sits outside the elevators in the lower level. Hundreds
of tourists pass the full length mirror each day without knowing its strange
history. The mirror was originally part of the furnishings in a room which was
frequently used by Marilyn Monroe. Several people have reported seeing the
tragic actress' image reflected in the glass of this particular mirror. Upon
turning around, of course, no one was there. While we're on the subject of
Marilyn, it is of interest to note that her ghost has also been spotted hovering
near her tomb at Westwood Memorial Cemetery, which is located at 1218 Glendon
Ave, Westwood.
Room number 928 of the Roosevelt has a permanent guest that often shares his quarters with the more temporary visitors. Actor Mongomery Clift lived there for three months while filming From Here To Eternity. Hotel guests and employees alike have reported feeling the actor's presence. Some of these "feelings" have even been tactile. One guest felt a hand patting her shoulder and others claim cold spots in the room.
In addition to its' two famous spirits, The Roosevelt also sports some lesser known ghosts. Guests visiting the Blossom Room, which played host to the first Academy Awards banquet, have reported cold spots and several witnesses have spotted a spectre dressed in a white suit on the balcony above the mezzanine. When they approach, the ghost simply vanishes.
Graumann's Chinese Theatre
Across
the street from the Roosevelt, is the home of a couple of spirits. The ghost of
actor Victor Killian
is said to search the sidewalk outside the theatre for the man who bludgeoned
him to death in his nearby apartment in 1982. Employees of the theatre have also
told of strange sounds and movement coming from behind the theatre's curtain,
often after hours when no one else is there.
Heading east down Hollywood Blvd., you will reach the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Appropriately, one of horror's greatest stars, Lon Chaney, lives on here as the departed actor's form was often seen sitting on a bus bench at the intersection. Although reports of his ghost ceased when the bench was removed a few years back, you never know when it might return.
University Studios
The caped figure of Chaney is also said to haunt sound stage 28 at Universal Studios (a bit of trivia you're not likely to hear on the tour). Several Universal employees have reported strange activities (apparitions, noises, cold spots) around the Jaws lagoon as well, especially after hours. The identity of this shade is unknown.
Paramount Studios
at 5451 Marathon Ave. in Hollywood is reportedly host to the spirit of Rudolph Valentino. The Sheik's shimmering spectre has been seen floating among old garments in the costume department. In addition, an unidentified ghost is said to roam the catwalks above Studio five.
Haunted Home
America's favorite father Ozzie Nelson reportedly haunts the home where he lived for over twenty five years, now a private residence at 1822 Camino Palermo Rd. in the Hollywood Hills. When Harriet Nelson sold the house in 1980, the new owners discovered many mysterious activities going on including faucets and lights that turned themselves on and off, doors that opened and closed themselves and loud footsteps when no one was there.
Dessert with Mr. Welles
While touring Haunted Hollywood, you're likely to get hungry, so why not combine lunch or dinner with some additional ghost hunting. Sweet Lady Jane's Restaurant at 8360 N. Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles serves great food and exquisite desserts. They also play host to the ghost of actor Orson Welles. Customers and employees have reported seeing Welles' caped apparition sitting at his favorite table. The scent of his favorite brandy and cigars have often accompanied these sightings.
Thomas Ince
Ince is considered one of the visionary pioneers of American movies. He was one of the most respected directors of the silent era, best known, perhaps, for his westerns starring William S. Hart. He partnered with other early Hollywood giants such as D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett, and founded Culver Studios, which later became MGM. Ironically, Ince's death overshadowed his film legacy. He died aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924, and although the official record shows the cause of death as heart failure, the hot rumor is that he was shot by Hearst in a fit a jealousy over Hearst's wife, Marion Davies. Ince's ghost - as well as several other ghostly figures - have been seen in the lot that was once Culver Studios. Film crew members have seen the specter of a man matching Ince's description on several occasions; in one instance, when the workers tried to speak to the spirit, it turned and disappeared through a wall.
Ozzie Nelson
Ghosts and hauntings are the last thing that come to mind when you think of the perpetually cheerful Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. The couple, with their real-life sons Ricky and David, were stars of the long-running sitcom "Ozzie and Harriet," noted for its good-natured, gentle humor. Yet poor Ozzie doesn't seem to be as contented in the afterlife. Family members, it is said, have seen Ozzie's ghost in the family's old Hollywood home, and it always appears to be in a somber mood. Perhaps he's unhappy about how another Ozzy and his family have gained notoriety on TV.
George Reeves
From 1953 to 1957, George Reeves was TV's Superman. Reeves had been around Hollywood for a while, playing bit parts in such films as Gone with the Wind and dozens of B-movies, but it was "The Adventures of Superman" on TV that brought him fame. Reeves died of a gunshot at his home in 1959. The official cause of death was suicide, but that conclusion has been hotly disputed, with some believing that Reeves was murdered. Whether it was suicide or murder, Reeves ghost has been seen in his Beverly Hills home. A couple claims to have seen the ghost of Reeves - decked out in his Superman costume - materialize in the bedroom where he died, after which it slowly faded away.
Others believe that Reeves succumbed to the "Superman curse," in which those associated with the fictional character over the years allegedly have met with disaster or death. But is there really a curse? Read "The Truth About the Superman Curse" by Superman expert Brian McKernan.
Harry Houdini
Houdini is best known as a magician and escape artist, of course, but at the height of his fame he was also drawn to Hollywood, where he made a handful of silent films from 1919 to 1923. With such titles as The Man from Beyond and Haldane of the Secret Service (which he also directed), the films were not regarded well enough to give him much of a Hollywood career. Houdini's interest in the occult was well known, and although he earned a reputation as a masterful debunker of séances, he earnestly sought contact with those who have passed on to the other side. Shortly before his death, Houdini made a pact with his wife Bess that if he could, he would return and make contact with her from the other side. Perhaps he truly has attempted to return. Some claim to have seen the ghost of the great Houdini walking around in the home he owned on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in the Hollywood Hills. Film historians Laurie Jacobson and Marc Wanamaker, in their book Hollywood Haunted, dispute this story, saying that "Houdini most likely never even set foot in the Laurel Canyon mansion he is said to haunt."
Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb was a very popular star of the 1940s and '50s, earning two Oscar nominations for his roles in Laura and The Razor's Edge. He may be best known for his portrayal of Mr. Belvedere in a series of films. It's not too often that a ghost haunts the place in which the person is buried, but this seems to be the case for Webb. His ghost has been seen at the Abbey of the Psalms, Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, where his body is interred. But it seems to be a restless spirit, as his ghost has also been encountered at his old home on Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills.
Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd was a hot young star in the 1930s. She was featured in a number of hit comedies with the likes of The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Buster Keaton. But that all ended in 1935 when Todd was found dead in her car, which was parked above the café she owned on the Pacific Coast Highway. Strangely, her death was ruled an accidental suicide, but many suspected murder and a coverup by powerful Hollywood figures. The building that once housed the café is now owed by Paulist Productions, and employees have reportedly witnessed the starlet's ghost descending the stairs.
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