Haunted Hollywood

Hollywood is the movie capital of the world, here dreams are fulfilled and shattered under the hot lights of a movie studio.  Many of the stars of bygone years live today on re-runs of their movies and television shows, some also live through hauntings of their homes and favorite places.

Here is a list of a few of the more famous hauntings by stars long gone from the earth but determined to have their memory live on.

Jean Harlow, 1911-1937, was a film star in the 1930s. Harlow and her husband, director Paul Bern, moved into a mansion in Benedict Canyon in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles. Two months after their marriage, her husband committed suicide in the stars bedroom. Jean was so devastated by her husband’s death; she tried unsuccessfully to kill herself two days later in the couple’s master bedroom.

She eventually moved from that house and tried to move on with her life, becoming engaged to fellow actor, William Powell. Five years after Bern’s suicide, Jean died suddenly at home as was buried in the Great Mausoleum of Forest Lawn Cemetery.

There are reports of the Benedict Canyon home of Harlow haunting the house and of her haunting the last home that she lived in prior to her death.

Ozzie Nelson- 1907-1975- the father of the long running television show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, that ran from 1952 until 1966. His wife Harriet and their two sons, Rickie and David played the ideal family in this series.

After Ozzie’s death in 1975 his wife, Harriet continued to live in their house in Hollywood for another 5 years.

The new owners almost immediately reported paranormal happenings shortly after moving in.  Lights and faucets would turn on and off by themselves as well as the doors would open and shut on their own.  All though Ozzie's apparition has never been seen the owners believe that these things are the work of Nelson’s spirit.

 
George Reeves 1914-1959- best known for his role as television’s superman in the 1950s, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in his bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon. The authorities believed that Reeves had committed suicide over being despondent over his declining career, but many people believe to this day that he was murdered, although it has never been proven.

One owner of the former Reeves house moved out because of ghostly activity inside the home. Many believers of the theory that Reeves was murder hold séance vigils in an effort to prove their theory.

John Wayne, 1907-1979-famous for the over 200 movies in his life time, many of them cowboy movies died in 1979 after a long battle with cancer. His prize yacht the Wild Goose was sold to a lawyer in the 1980s. The lawyer reports that he regularly hears, as well as sees, the Duke’s ghost walking the deck late at night. There is also the sound of beer mugs clicking in the ships bar. 

One night while out sailing the Wild Goose, the engines abruptly stopped and the ship began to drift, oddly the ship drifted right towards Wayne’s ocean side home.

Clifton Webb-1891-1966-Hollywood’s most popular character actors, was nominated for three Academy Awards, he always played a stuff shirt pompous type. 

Webb lived with his mother in a mansion in Beverly Hills and threw large parties. After his mother’s death in the 60s, Webb kept all his mother’s things locked in her bedroom as a tribute to her.

Webb reported to seeing his mother’s spirit in the house many times. After his death the new owners reported seeing Webb’s ghost as well as a female ghost, Grace Moore, that was believed to be a friend.  She was a Metropolitan Opera Star who died in a plane crash; Webb also saw her spirit many times around his house.

Webb is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and is said to walk the halls of the mausoleum where he is interred.

Many of the stars beloved pets have been reported as ghostly sightings. 

Mary Pick ford’s dog, Hopalong Cassidy’s famous horse and Petey the Little Rascal’s dog have been reported seen at their final resting place of Los Angeles Pet Cemetery. Several people passing the grave of Rudolph Valentino’s Great Dane, Kabar, report hearing the panting of the dog and a few have reported being licked by a phantom tongue.

Many celebrities report warning from the other side, warning them of imminent danger.

James Cagney heard his deceased father’s voice saving him from a fatal car crash.

Telly Savalas reported the help of phantom driver who drove him to a gas station, loaned him the money to pay for the gas after the actor’s car had run out of gas late one night. Savalas made the man write down his name and address so that he could repay him the money. 

He contacted the man but a woman answered the phone and said that her husband had passed away five years before. Not wanting the woman to think that he was playing a joke, Telly visited the woman and showed her the paper where the man had written the information and she identified it as her husband’s writing. She asked Telly to describe the man and from the description of the suit he was wearing, she was able to identify her husband’s ghost right down to the suit he had been buried in.

There are many other areas of Hollywood that are haunted by celebrity spirits

At the former home where Harry Houdini had stayed in the guest house, many people reported unexplained sounds and ghost lights on the property. 

The home of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, which was fondly called “Pickfair”, is reported to be haunted by the spirit of a man, believed to be Fairbanks. There are also the reports of a ghost maid and two other unidentified spirits.

The Grauman’s Chinese Theater, now call Mann’s Chinese Theater, is believed to be haunted by the spirit of a man that was killed by a man that he met and brought back to his apartment.  This spirit is seen in front of the theater walking back and forth as if looking for his murderer.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is located on Hollywood Boulevard and has long been haunted and a gathering place for avid ghost hunters. There are reports of Marilyn Monroe’s ghost haunting an office, of Montgomery Clift haunting room 928, of an unidentified man in a white suit, phone calls being made from unoccupied rooms, smoke detectors being set off and lights going on and off.

There are many other areas of Hollywood that are haunted these are just a few of the areas.