Spirits With Spirits: July 13th at El Compadre Restaurant

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. Spirits with Spirits is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, find ghosts! Come see the “hot spots” with “cold spots.”

Since we were denied the “haunted mirror” at the Roosevelt, we have decided to go to another “haunted mirror” only a few blocks away. Come celebrates El Compadre’s thirty-third year in business. (Note: 33 is a very sacred number to the Masonic Lodge.)

THE DATE: July 13th, 2008 (Saturday)
THE PLACE: El Compadre, 7406 Sunset blvd. map
THE TIME: 9pm to the Witching Hour

THE GHOSTS:

El Compadre, also known as the “Home of the Flaming Margarita,” serves fine traditional Mexican faire to local families as well as Hollywood ’s elite. However, the flames atop their signature cocktail are not the only things that flicker in this restaurant. Patrons, and employees alike, claim to see “shadow people” crouching and hiding near the piano. These apparitions are commonly attributed to an incident that occurred in the 1950’s when another restaurant occupied this spot. It is said that during a robbery gone bad, two innocent bystanders were shot while dodging the cross-fire of bullets. Perhaps this explains the ghosts' reluctance to be seen.

Of all the celebrities that frequent this humble tavern, there is one star that out shines them all, El Compadre’s famous haunted mirror, which hangs behind the bar. It is said that if you stare into it, don’t be surprised if someone else stares back at you. Ghoula recently spoke with the restaurant’s manager, who confirmed the mirror’s infamy. He said people always ask their servers about that mirror.

Unfortunately, none of the employees have any answers as to why the phenomenon occurs, or even exactly when it started. The one thing they do know is that this story has spread around the world. According to the staff, international ghost-hunting groups from all over make El Compadre a destination when visiting California ... And this thirteenth, Ghoula will too.

(to see last month's SPIRITS with SPIRITS location...)

Happy 4th of July from your friends at GHOULA!

On this day that we celebrate the creation of the United States. Let's stop a moment and give a patriotic "thank you" to another great creation, one of America's favorite entity from the spirit world, Casper the friendly ghost.

Casper was created in the late 1930s by New York native Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo, the former devising the idea for the character and the latter providing illustrations. Intended initially as the basis for a 1939 children's storybook, there was at first little interest in their idea. When Reit was away on military service during the Second World War before the book was released. Oriolo sold the rights to the book to Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios animation division, for which he had occasionally worked.

"The Friendly Ghost," the first Noveltoon to feature Casper, was released by Paramount in 1945 with a few differences from the book. In the cartoon adaptation, Casper is a cute, pudgy ghost-child with a New York accent, who prefers making friends with people instead of scaring them (Casper used to scare people but got tired of it all). He escapes from his home and his brothers and sisters at the Winchester Mystery House and goes out to make friends.

So, It turns out that although Casper may have been born (or died) in New York, it seems he resides in California, and spends most of his time in Hollywood... visiting the actually haunted Chinese Theater and Paramount Studios... at least according to this cartoon...

GHOULA, as protectors of local lore, on this day salutes CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST.