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, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.” All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have, please wear it so others can find you.
THE DATE: December 13th, 2009 (Sunday)
THE PLACE: Formosa Cafe
(7156 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood) map
THE TIME: 8pm to the witching hour
THE GHOST(S):
This famous local landmark has been in business since 1925, when prize-fighter, Jimmy "Your Host" Berstein, turned a decommissioned Hollywood "Red Car" (trolley) into a lunch counter and named it "The Red Spot." (Some sources claim it was actually called "The Red Post.") Eventually, he added a full kitchen and a dining room and changed the name to "The Formosa." In 1945, he became partners with chef Lem Quon, who created the cantonese menu and took the cuisine into a new direction. Incidentally, the "Red Car" is still there.
Because of its proximity to the studio directly across the street, the celebrities who have dined/drank here (and continue to do so) are too numerous to mention. John Wayne is said to have been such a regular customer that he was allowed to sleep off his drunken stupors in the booths and make himself breakfast in the kitchen the next morning. Elvis supposedly used to make special trips there for a simple ham sandwich (the kind Berstein used to make back when it was a lunch counter), and famous gangster Bugsy Seigal used to use the office to conduct business. His personal locked safe is still there. (Some sources claim it was actually gangster Mickey Cohen). As a publicity stunt years ago, a locksmith broke into the safe to reveal its secret, lost contents. Despite a claim by a local psychic, who telepathically looked inside this safe on a previous occasion and had seen "envelopes filled with names, a ruby ring, and two deeds to property in Nevada" it turned out to be empty. Although, over the years, the neighborhood has changed, the clientele has changed, and even the studio has changed (from Hampton Studios to Pickford-Fairbanks Studios to United Artists to Samuel Goldwyn to Warners Hollywood), the Formosa has stayed the same serving up beer, wine, and spirits.
It seems that over these same years, "spirits" of a different kind have also been present. Employees late at night claimed to have experienced all sorts of paranormal activity from seeing "shadow people" darting around to strange noises (without an apparent source) such as voices and the jingle-jangle of crashing silverware. That said, there are two notable ghosts that seem to haunt the bar. There is the phantom man that has been seen sitting in a booth (but only in the reflection of the bar's large mirror), and there is the frisky spirit of Lem Quon who "gooses" and pinches employees that he feels need to get busy (just as he did in life).
But, there is another spirit (aside from booze and boo's) that has been present here... the "spirit of giving." One of the truly remarkable pieces of this cafe's history is that at one time Jimmy Berstein used to pay for a full Thanksgiving dinner for local orphans. It started with 75 orphans the first year, but as the years passed, it grew larger and larger, incorporating all of the local orphanages, until 1500 kids were being fed at the Formosa (and in surrounding tents) on this holiday. Not only did he pay for dinner and entertainment, but also paid for all the buses needed to transport all the kids, and he gave each child a silver dollar to take home with them. Hopefully, that is the kind of good will we will see more of this holiday season.
THE DATE: December 13th, 2009 (Sunday)
THE PLACE: Formosa Cafe
(7156 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood) map
THE TIME: 8pm to the witching hour
THE GHOST(S):
This famous local landmark has been in business since 1925, when prize-fighter, Jimmy "Your Host" Berstein, turned a decommissioned Hollywood "Red Car" (trolley) into a lunch counter and named it "The Red Spot." (Some sources claim it was actually called "The Red Post.") Eventually, he added a full kitchen and a dining room and changed the name to "The Formosa." In 1945, he became partners with chef Lem Quon, who created the cantonese menu and took the cuisine into a new direction. Incidentally, the "Red Car" is still there.
Because of its proximity to the studio directly across the street, the celebrities who have dined/drank here (and continue to do so) are too numerous to mention. John Wayne is said to have been such a regular customer that he was allowed to sleep off his drunken stupors in the booths and make himself breakfast in the kitchen the next morning. Elvis supposedly used to make special trips there for a simple ham sandwich (the kind Berstein used to make back when it was a lunch counter), and famous gangster Bugsy Seigal used to use the office to conduct business. His personal locked safe is still there. (Some sources claim it was actually gangster Mickey Cohen). As a publicity stunt years ago, a locksmith broke into the safe to reveal its secret, lost contents. Despite a claim by a local psychic, who telepathically looked inside this safe on a previous occasion and had seen "envelopes filled with names, a ruby ring, and two deeds to property in Nevada" it turned out to be empty. Although, over the years, the neighborhood has changed, the clientele has changed, and even the studio has changed (from Hampton Studios to Pickford-Fairbanks Studios to United Artists to Samuel Goldwyn to Warners Hollywood), the Formosa has stayed the same serving up beer, wine, and spirits.
It seems that over these same years, "spirits" of a different kind have also been present. Employees late at night claimed to have experienced all sorts of paranormal activity from seeing "shadow people" darting around to strange noises (without an apparent source) such as voices and the jingle-jangle of crashing silverware. That said, there are two notable ghosts that seem to haunt the bar. There is the phantom man that has been seen sitting in a booth (but only in the reflection of the bar's large mirror), and there is the frisky spirit of Lem Quon who "gooses" and pinches employees that he feels need to get busy (just as he did in life).
But, there is another spirit (aside from booze and boo's) that has been present here... the "spirit of giving." One of the truly remarkable pieces of this cafe's history is that at one time Jimmy Berstein used to pay for a full Thanksgiving dinner for local orphans. It started with 75 orphans the first year, but as the years passed, it grew larger and larger, incorporating all of the local orphanages, until 1500 kids were being fed at the Formosa (and in surrounding tents) on this holiday. Not only did he pay for dinner and entertainment, but also paid for all the buses needed to transport all the kids, and he gave each child a silver dollar to take home with them. Hopefully, that is the kind of good will we will see more of this holiday season.
1 comment:
Merry Christmas
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