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[BubbaBlues]

Since a lot of you liked reading about the ghostly happenings at the Chateau Marmont, I thought I would continue to tease your palet with a column I call



An Introduction

Like many cities, Los Angeles and surrounding environs are haunted. Hollywood is even moreso, for in no other city has the draw of fame, fortune and and worldwide admiration been so prevailent. But for every story of success, there are at least 100 stories of failure which culminated in the death of a dream or the death of the dreamer.
It is here that you will find those stories. The Hear...that is, Limo which will take us on the tour is just around the corner.
Shall we go?

I've heard from my contact in LA that Rudolph Valentino still haunts his former estate, Falcon's Lair, as well as Hollywood Forever Cemetery (in the Cathedral Mausoleum where he is interred in crypt 1205) because he had unfinished business at the time of his death. He was set to star in a movie called "The Hooded Falcon" to play the part of "El Cid". This was his obsession. The project fell apart when his wife and fellow Producer of the movie, Natacha Rambova, suddenly left him. This must have been what lead to his perforated ulcer which finally resulted in his death. He died on August 23, 1926 with his dog Kabar (a Great Dane) by his bedside. The story goes that when Valentino's spirit passed into the Afterlife, the dog began to howl mournfully. Any time anyone tried to come near his dead master, he menaced them by growling and barking at them. The dog was finally over powered and Valentino's body was shipped from New York City back to Hollywood where his emaciated body lay in state for his thousands of fans to view. Ever since his death, a mysterious Lady In Black has made visits to his crypt to leave roses. To this day, no one knows the true identity of the original Lady In Black, though some speculate that it was Valentino's first wife. Valentino's restless ghost has also been seen walking the studio lot of Paramount Studios which is right behind Hollywood Forever.. A Security Guard once reported seeing a man of about 30 years of age walking on the studio grounds after the studio was closed. He told the man that the studio was closed, so the man tipped his hat to the guard....and walked thru the wall...back into the cemetery.
In regard to Valentino's dog, Kabar, he too haunts the cemetery where he rests, the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery where Hollywood Celebs have buried their beloved pets. Petey, the cute dog from "The Little Rascals" rests there, as does Mary Pickford's dog and Hopalong Cassidy's Horse. It is Kabar, Valentino's Great Dane, who does the most haunting here, however. Kabar died in 1929, three years after his master. Its ghost is playful and has been reported being heard panting or even licking those who wander near his grave.

[BubbaBlues]

It is at the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, located just across the street from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel that the ghost of actor Victor Kilian, known for his role as the Fernwood Flasher in "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", roams the sidewalk and courtyard... looking for the man who murdered him. His career in movies and television spanned half a century. According to Police reports, Killian met a man at a nearby bar in March of 1979. After a few drinks, Killian invited the man back up to his apartment. Killian's bludgeoned corpse was discovered the next morning. Another source says that Mr. Killian came home to his apartment to discover a burglary in progress. He was beaten to death by the burglars.
His killer remains at large and the case remains unsolved.

[BubbaBlues]

Hollywood Forever, formerly known as Hollywood Memorial Park (located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd), famous for its Permanent Celebrity Residents, had become a desolate ruin, especially after being extensively damaged by the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. It became a horrific disgrace, displaying crumbling walls that exposed open crypts, broken glass, rotting wood (Coffins?) and extensive water damage. There were also reports of the stench of decay.The chief archetect of this scandal was Jules Roth, a con man, a liar and a thief who stole money from endowment funds and had a wetbar in his cemetery office. He cared nothing for the cemetery or its legendary clients. He forced the cemetery into bankruptsy and some people who were buried there, were exumed by their surviving relatives and taken to another cemetery. Max Factor was one such person. The State of California brought the Owners up on charges and threatened the Cemetery with closure. However, in 1998 a man named Tyler Cassity bought the property for under $400,000.00 and not only made repairs to the place, but also modernized it, bringing it into the 20th Century with the latest technology and gimmicks such as Living Memory, Interviews, Biographical Movies and Webcasts of Funeral Services! Hollywood Forever has also been used for on location filming for TV and Film. A scene from the series Nip/Tuck was recently filmed there.
Hollywood Forever even has its own website now.

And, of course, there are ghosts here. One day, a man was searching for a certain celeb gravesite in the Abbey Of the Psalms Mausoleum. He asked a quaint looking, old gentleman whom he saw standing in the Foyer where this persons grave was. The man gave directions. When the other turned around to thank the man, he was gone! He gave a description of the man to a Cemetery Employee and was told that it was Mr. Clifton Webb....who had died of a heart attack in 1966!
The other ghost at Hollywood Forever is not one that you will see, but you might hear it. It has been said that if you wander near the grave of tragic starlet, Virginia Rappe, you will hear a ghostly weeping. She died at the tender age of 25 due to Generalized peritonitis. However, because she had died after a wild party attended by comedic actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, it was thought she had been murdered. Arbuckle was charged with the murder. He was tried for the crime three times and acquitted each time.
However, his career was irrevokably ruined.
Rudolph Valentino, who died in 1926 of a ruptured appendix, a perforated ulcer and peritonitis is interred in the Cathedral Mausoleum. A grand tomb was planned for his final resting place and Valentino's body was placed in a temporary crypt (#1205) until it could be built. Unfortunately, Rudy owed back taxes which set the building of the tomb back about three years.
Then, another setback occurred on October 24, 1929. The Stock Market crashed and the world wide Depression began. The tomb was never built. Valentino still rests in that temporary crypt to this very day.
It has been reported that his ghost has been seen walking thru the rear wall of the cemetery and onto the lot at Paramount Studios, where he has also been seen. According to eye witnesses, he looks around, seems confused and then walks back thru the wall and back into the cemetery. Perhaps his confusion stems from the passage of Time and the changes that have taken place in our world since then. He has also been seen at his former home, known as the Falcon's Lair.

[BubbaBlues]

The very name speaks of Hollywood Royalty (if there is such a thing). The Barrymore Family of actors has existed for over 4 generations, and as you all know, continues with the celebrated career of the newest addition to that fabled dynasty: Drew Barrymore.

Visitors to the Barrymore mansion during the 1970's frequently reported seeing the ghosts of John, Lionel, and Ethyl. In addition to these famous apparitions, the estate is haunted by the ghost of a man who died in a cable car accident on the property.

Another unusual incident involved an old cuckoo clock that belonged to John Barrymore. When John died, his friend Gene Fowler decided to position the hands of the broken clock at the time of his friend's death as a sort of tribute. When he went to set the clock, however, Fowler discovered that the hands on the clock were already at 10:20 p.m., which was the exact moment of John Barrymore's death.

But the adventures of the late John Barrymore did not end with his death. While Barrymore's body awaited burial in the funeral home, a few of Barrymore's friends got together in the dead of night and went out to the funeral home. Once there, they gave the attanding mortician a rather large amount of money to look the other way and to keep his mouth shut while the friends stole Barrymore's body! They took the body to the house of Errol Flynn, sat him down in his favorite chair in the parlor, put a drink in his hand....and left the house!!

Later that same night, Flynn returned to his house from a night on the town. Still grieving for his friend, Flynn decided to retire to the Parlor to drink to his friend before retireing for the night. He went into the parlor, turned the lights on and turned around to see John Barrymore, sitting in his favorite chair with a drink in his hand and his eyes open. Scared wittless, Flynn fled from the house, aghast!

Barrymore's body was returned to the Mortuary under extremely tight security to make sure that the Papers didn't find out. The perpatrators of the theft of Barrymore's body got their hands slapped and were scolded by the Judge, but the case was completely forgotten. Money no doubt changed hands again.
Barrynore's body was eventually taken to the family cemetery in Pennsylvania and reinterred there.

[bluesharp]

The intro put hairs on the back of ma neck!!!
Great reading my man

[itsallblack]

hhhaa hhaa ha ha ha ha in a[VINCENT PRICE] styleee

[BubbaBlues]

itsallblack said:

hhhaa hhaa ha ha ha ha in a[VINCENT PRICE] styleee

I have a preference for this laugh.

But, I digress.
Allow me to direct you to the former residence of Mr. George Reeves, known to Baby Boomers everwhere as "Superman".
The former estate of actor George Reeves is also allegedly haunted.
Reeves played the part of "Superman" in the 1950's and committed suicide (or was murdered, depending on who you talk to or what you read) on the night of June 16, 1959 during a party at his home. (Hmph, some party!) His ghost was reportedly seen by a ten year old boy who wandered onto the property and was scolded for doing so by "Superman". Another time, while a couple who had just bought the mansion and moved in were having an intimate encounter in the master bedroom, the ghost of George Reeves slowly appeared at the foot of their bed...in full Superman costume, grinned at them and then slowly faded away. They were scared witless and proceeded to get the hell out of the house! (Not a bad idea!)

[BubbaBlues]

Mood Music

Another one of Hollywood's most infamous and still unsolved crimes is the murder or suicide of actress Thelma Todd. She was born on July 29, 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After graduating from colledge, she became a teacher who also took a job as a model. She caught the attention of some Hollywood Talent Scouts and moved out to California. It wasn't long before she was recognised as a genuine talent and not just for her good looks. Her friends called her "Hot Toddy". But on the morning of Monday, December 16, 1935, her maid found her facedown in the seat of her Packard Automobile, cold and dead. The engine of the car was still running. She was 29 years old.

One of the chief suspects was the man who drove her home on the last night of Thelma's life. That man was director Ronald West.

That fateful night, she had been at a party thrown by Ida Lupino, a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and it had the makings of a blow-out Hollywood event. The guest list was vast and unfortunately included Thelma’s ex-husband, Pat DiCicco. After a few drinks, Thelma and DiCicco exchanged some heated words, which made Thelma drink even more. By the early morning hours of Sunday, she had downed more than her share of alcohol. Luckily, she had a driver to take her home.

As she prepared to leave, Roland West, who was at the apartment over the cafe, received a phone call from theater owner Sid Grauman saying that Thelma was a “bit under the influence” and was on her way home. Grauman suggested that West see her safely into bed. But sometime between the telephone call and Monday morning, Thelma Todd died in the garage of West’s house on Pasetano Road.

According to Forensics, when Thelma Todd was found, her hair was matted, a false tooth had been knocked out of her mouth and there were blood spatters on her skin and dress. Despite the evidence which pointed to Murder, her death was ruled a suicide. She lay in state in a casket filled with yellow roses and was then cremated near Bellvue Cemetery in her hometown. But even as the Urn containing her ashes were buried in the ground forever, the scandal surrounding her mysterious death continued.

Who wanted her dead, and why? She had opened an eatery with Ronald West called Thelma Todd's Roadside Rest Cafe which was located on Pacific Coast Highway just under the Pallisades. It was a place frequented by stars and fans alike. On the last day of her life, the cafe was also visited by notorious gangster, "Lucky" Luciano. He had been on the prowl for an establishment that could house a casino, and it looked like Thelma's place could be a perfect front. He made her an offer....and she refused. Was it that refusal which cost Thelma her life? No one will ever know.

Meanwhile, the owners of what was once a Roadside Cafe have experienced strange occurences in their place of business: Cold spots, missing items, the feeling of being watched....and the sounds of footsteps coming up the long cliffside stairs, footsteps belonging to something....or someone unseen.
Some believe it to be Thelma's ghost. Is she replaying the last tragic hours of her life as does a tragic heroine in a Hollywood Melodrama...or is she hoping that her earthbound spirit will one day point the way to a clue regarding what really happened on the night of her death?

[BubbaBlues]

Stay tuned for more!

[bluesharp]

This is NO bulls*** but our house has a ghost and my son and i have both seen him.
My son was only small when he saw him.
During the night i thought i heard Crippy(my son) crying so i got up to see what was wrong.
When i entered his bedroom,he was sat up agaisnt his pillows crying.
When i asked him what was wrong he told me and i quote:"That man over there is scaring me".
I looked to where he was pointing and i could have sworn i saw a figure near the window,just standing there.
I just put it down to the light reflecting into the room.
The next morning i asked my son what the man looked liked and i was expecting him to have forgotten all about the incident.
He said he was young looking,looked cross and dressed well and that's exactly how i saw him.


Another time i thought my son was messing about with his lamp,turning it on and off and i realised he could n't push in the button because it was to hard for him to do it.As i got closer to the room the lamp went off then it went on.
I poked my head round the door(bricking it by this time)not only was the lamp going on and off but there was nobody in the room!!!

[BubbaBlues]

bluesharp said:

This is NO bulls*** but our house has a ghost and my son and i have both seen him.
My son was only small when he saw him.
During the night i thought i heard Crippy(my son) crying so i got up to see what was wrong.
When i entered his bedroom,he was sat up agaisnt his pillows crying.
When i asked him what was wrong he told me and i quote:"That man over there is scaring me".
I looked to where he was pointing and i could have sworn i saw a figure near the window,just standing there.
I just put it down to the light reflecting into the room.
The next morning i asked my son what the man looked liked and i was expecting him to have forgotten all about the incident.
He said he was young looking,looked cross and dressed well and that's exactly how i saw him.

Another time i thought my son was messing about with his lamp,turning it on and off and i realised he could n't push in the button because it was to hard for him to do it.As i got closer to the room the lamp went off then it went on.
I poked my head round the door(bricking it by this time)not only was the lamp going on and off but there was nobody in the room!!!

I believe you! Your profile says you live in Cheshire.
Would you happen to know what phase the moon was when your son saw the man who scared him? Was the ghost inside the house or looking in through the window?
What does "bricking it" mean?

[itsallblack]

[bricking it] time to wash ones underpants!!!!!!!!!!!

[bluesharp]

Sorry don't know what phase the moon was in and the man was INSIDE the room looking in our direction as if to say "What are you doing here".
That's the impression i got!!!

[bluesharp]

P.S. Could n't have put it better myself itsallblack!!!

[BubbaBlues]

itsallblack said:

[bricking it] time to wash ones underpants!!!!!!!!!!!

Lovely visual, that one.

[BubbaBlues]

Once again, it is time to go through the door and into the darkness.
There is an examining table up ahead and something tells me that there is something on it, something that once was alive. Shall I pull back the sheet which covers it? I'll just....No? Very well. We shall leave this behind for now and go deeper into the vault. There is a light around the bend of the corridor. Come.

The Comedy Store - No Laughing Matter

On the Sunset Strip, in the heart of Hollywood, there once was a high class joint called Ciro's. It offered top entertainment and catered to the rich and famous, being one of the busiest hangouts for successful, well-known film industry people from both sides of the camera. But beneath the glitter of this place, there lurked beneath its surface, a dark side. One of the people that also frequented Ciro's was none other than Mickey Cohen, said to be the successor to Benjamin "Bugsy" Segal. If people thought that "Bugsy" was a force to be reckoned with, it was even moreso with Cohen. He was said to shake the place down on a weekly basis and those unfortunate enough to cross him usually were taken down into the basement, beaten to a pulp and then fitted with a new coat of concrete.

Is the place, which is now called "The Comedy Store" haunted? You bet! It is said to be haunted by at least five ghosts which have manifested themselves by moving chairs, messing with the lights or even appearing to startled employees or patrons.

One comic that had more than one encounter wtih the ghosts was Sam Kinison. The ghosts hated him and would do anything they could to disrupt his shows. Loud, ghostly chanting could be heard at times saying, "It's him! It's him!!! It's him!!! They also messed with the sound system and the lights and such. One night, Sam got so annoyed with the ghosts that he challenged them to show themselves. All the lights went out, plunging the place into darkness!

No one goes down into the basement because it is said that something dark and malevolent dwells down there. A Security Guard once went down there to investigate a noise and heard a low, animalistc growling at around 3AM. Then, to his astonishment, something hit the basement door so hard from the other side that the door bowed outwards. The Guard didn't stick around to see what it was. He was off!

The Comedy Store is located at 8433 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood.

[BubbaBlues]

One week after getting married to a 20 year old woman named Malika and honeymooning in Hawaii, Comedian Sam Kinison was on his way to Laughlin, Nevada to do a sold out show. It was Friday, April 10, 1992. He and his wife had been driving from LA on I-40 to US-95. After making a turn to head north and heading about 4 miles, Sam's Trans Am was hit head on by a pick-up truck full of drunks, which included the driver.
A witness to the crash called 911 and an EMV was dispatched to the scene. Sam had been sober, something he took great pride in, but he hadn't been wearing a seat belt. His head hit the windshield.
The drunk driver of the truck was more worried about his truck than a human life.
According to witnesses, Sam said, "I don't want to die. I don't want to die." Then he stopped talking for a few seconds and then asked, "But why?" Then, he seemed to understand something and said, "Okay, okay....okay."
As he spoke the last "Okay", he said it softly and with comfort as though he realized it would be for the best and also as if though he were talking to someone he loved very much. He smiled and lost consciousness.
He was taken to the ER at Needles Desert Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

This is where the accident happened.

Sam's Grave

[BubbaBlues]

Of course, there are other kinds of ghosts as well. These ghosts are works of Architecture. Some of the most exquistite buildings ever built in Los Angeles are gone now, whether it be from earthquake damage or so called "progress". The famous (or infamous) Ambassadore Hotel has been closed since 1988 and is now owned by, The Donald (and I ain't talkin' about a duck, either) and sadly, it is scheduled for demolition. It was in the pantry of the restaurant of this hotel that Senator Robert F. Kennedy, after claiming victory in California's crucial Democratic primary, was assassinated on June 5, 1968. He was 42 years old.
But the Ambassadore isn't just a place of tragedy. Bing Crosby and Merv Griffin both started their singing careers here and the old hotel has been featured in many motion pictures.
Just across the street is what remains of the famous Brown Derby restaurant. You could not only get some good food there, but you could also see drawings of everybody who was anybody in Hollywood. All that remains of it now is the Dome which sits garrishly atop a roof looking very out of place in the middle of a shopping center.
Then there was a place on Sunset Blvd. which was called The Garden Of Allah which was a combination Hotel, Bungalow and Apartment complex. Lots of stars from the old days of Hollywood, such as Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn and countless others used to hang out there. It was a favorite hang-out of actor/humorist/writer Robert Benchley, who got so drunk during a party there that he fell fully clothed into the Pool and was in danger of drowning. When pulled out, he sputtered and said, "Will somebody help me get out of these wet things and into a dry martini?"
(If you think you've heard that line before, you probably have. It was paraphrased by none other than Bugs Bunny in one of his many attempts to escape the clutches of Elmer Fudd and becoming "Fried Rabbit" for a "Mr. Bogart".)
Sadly, the GoA was torn down to make way for a Bank. As the historic place was being demolished, a young folk singer was watching from across the street from her hotel room at the Chateau Marmont. Moved and inspired, she wrote a song which in part went:

"Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?
They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot."

The folk singer's name was Joni Mitchell and the song was "Big Yellow Taxi".

Don Henley also wrote and performed a song called "In The Garden Of Allah".

(My favorite part of the song?)

"Today I made an appearance downtown
I am an expert witness because I say I am
And I said 'Gentlemen', and I use that world loosely
'I will testify for you, I'm a gun for hire,I'm a saint, I'm a liar
Because there are no facts, there is no truth,
Just data to be manipulated.
I can get you any result you like
What's it worth to ya?'
Because there is no wrong, there is no right
And I sleep very well at night.
No shame, no solution, no remorse, no retribution
Just people selling t-shirts,
Just opportunity to participate in the pathetic little circus
And winning, winning, winning!"

[bluesharp]

Pity you have n't a preference for "bricking it"!!!

[BubbaBlues]

bluesharp said:

Pity you have n't a preference for "bricking it"!!!

Don't be cheeky! :D
We have a phrase for it. "Shi**in' bricks".