January 13th: Spirits with Spirits at Musso & Frank's Grill in Hollywood

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.”

All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you have already received your button, please wear it so others can find you. Also, G.H.O.U.L.A t-shirts will be available for sale. ($10.00 each).

Musso and Frank’s Grill proudly boasts itself as “the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. How old is it? They first opened their doors in 1919, which means this year the restaurant turns 90 years old. So, come out and join GHOULA as we celebrate this local institution’s milestone of achievement.

THE DATE: January 13th, 2008 (Tuesday)
THE PLACE: Musso and Frank's Grill
(6667 Hollywood Blvd.) map
THE TIME: 8pm to the Witching Hour

THE GHOST(S):

Although just about every movie star one can think of (going back to the silent era) has at one time eaten here, and although the restaurant serves some of the best food in this town (especially their world famous flannel cakes), it is neither the celebrities nor the cuisine that has fascinated literate locals for decades.

For some inexplicable reason, writers (for better or worse) have always been drawn to this location. F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, John O’Shea, Dorothy Parker, Dashiel Hammet, Ernest Hemingway, Nathanial West, Bud Schulburg, Jim Thompson, and Charles Bukowski are just some of the writer’s that have been linked to this famous watering hole.

Not only is Musso and Frank’s grill mentioned in Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep,” it is said that the entire book was written between drinks while Chandler sat at the bar (which may explain the famously convoluted nature of his famous mystery novel). So many writers and screenwriters have frequented this place that it is sometimes referred to as “The Algonquin West,” a reference to the east coast’s “Algonquin Round Table” (the center of New York’s literary scene in the 1920s).

Strangely, none of these famous writer’s that ultimately drank their lives away at this location haunt this establishment, instead the ghosts appear to be a collection of famous celebrities that (even more strangely) haunt other local locations as well. The spirits of Errol Flynn (who also haunts his former residence), Lionel Barrymore (who also haunts his former residence), Orson Wells (who also haunts another restaurant in West Hollywood), Carole Lombard (who also haunts the Hotel Roosevelt), and Jean Harlow (who also busily haunts three of her former homes in Beverly Hills) have all been seen at various locations inside this famous upscale eatery.

Apparently, in the after-life, Musso and Frank’s Grill still serves as the “meeting spot” where Hollywood's ecto-elite go to take a break from their normal haunting duties and just relax and mingle with their phantom friends. It’s nice to know that even after death some things never change in Hollywood.

Additionally, there have been rumors that a hidden back room is said to be haunted by spirits connected to an age when that room was supposedly an illegal speak-easy. Interestingly, the restaurant neighboring Musso and Frank's to the West claims that they were the original site of Musso and Frank's before they moved to their current location next door, and as such they claim that their location was where the speak-easy was originally and that it also is haunted by spirits from that age.

http://www.mussoandfrankgrill.com

(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.

Spirits with Spirits: June 13th, 2008

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!

THE DATE: June 13th, 2008 (Friday the 13TH)
THE PLACE: The Library Bar (located in the haunted lobby of the Hotel Roosevelt) map

THE GHOSTS:

This hotel is as famous for the list of celebrities who have stayed there, as it is for the ghosts that continue to stay there, including a couple of celebrities who are also ghosts (or vice-versa). Most famously, Marilyn Monroe is said to haunt a mirror that hangs in the lobby near the elevators. Witnesses have claimed to have seen her phantom reflection smiling back at them. Legend has it that the mirror was one of her favorite possessions in her private poolside suite.

The lobby is also the home for two other ghosts. First, there is the unidentified “man in white” who walks along the mezzanine level of the lobby, eventually disappearing as he steps through the solid, locked doors on the north-east corner of the building... Many believe he is connected to the first Academy Award ceremony, which was held in that room. Perhaps, he is a forgotten celebrity from the silent era of movies.

Second, there is the ghost of a little girl seen playing in the lobby who is solid as can be one second, only to vanish into thin air the next. Could this be the ghost of Shirley Temple, who used to practice her dance routines in this very space?

Also, haunting this famous Hollywood landmark is Marilyn Monroe’s co-star from her last completed movie, Montgomery Clift, who is said to occupy Room 928. Over the years, people have claimed to have heard him pacing and practicing the trumpet (for his role in “From here to Eternity”). Some even believe the dark shadows seen moving in that hall are connected to his troubled spirit.

Other celebrity ghostly guests seen over the years include Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, and Harry Lee (who committed suicide by jumping of a fire escape). Maintenance workers, while on the rooftop, have felt invisible hands pushing them towards the edge. Could this energy by connected to Harry Lee's death? Perhaps, he was pushed, and his spirit will not rest until the true cause of his death is known.

In addition to those celebrity guests, Housekeeping and patrons have reported voices from empty halls and vacant rooms. Lights turning on and off by themselves, phone receivers that would lift from their cradles by an unseen force, telephones from vacant rooms calling the front desk, bedspreads that move off the beds, a typewriter in an office that types by itself, cold spots in the ballroom, and even one housekeeper that was shoved into a supply closet by invisible hands. Could this be the handy work of other temperamental stars that need attention? What ever the answer, one thing is for sure… The Hotel Roosevelt provides the best accommodations for ghosts with discerning tastes.

It is also worth noting, that across the street from the Hotel, at the world famous “Chinese Theater,” the ghost of TV star, Victor Killian, has been seen strolling along the side walk. It is said, that in death, he is repeating that last walk from the Roosevelt’s bar (his regular hang-out) to his Hollywood apartment, where he was murdered.

Catalina Island's Ghosts of the Past

Excerpts reprinted from article by Julie Miller in the Australia's Sydney Morning Herald:

The woman from the gift shop at Catalina Island's Casino is convinced the building is haunted. She animatedly tells me how, just two days earlier, a clock fell from the wall of the shop for no reason. She then launches into other tales of the unexpected from the building's history: of the hapless worker trapped in cement during construction of the Art Deco masterpiece; of a pipe organ playing on its own; and of a period-clad apparition disappearing through the wall near the popcorn machine. All proof, Lynette believes, that this landmark is an epicentre of paranormal activity on an island crawling with phantoms.

Just an hour's ferry ride from Long Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Catalina Island is a Mediterranean-style retreat that provides a welcome escape from the madness of Tinseltown. Once the playground of the rich and famous, it now attracts tourists in search of a fun daytrip or tranquil weekend away, a place with a quite different view of the Californian lifestyle.

Gorgeous as it is, however, there is admittedly something a little eerie about this island. Catalina - and in particular its main port of Avalon - feels trapped in time, a vestige of a once-glorious past. And as the chilling Pacific fog rolls in, as it does on a regular basis, shrouding the dramatic coastline in white, it's easy to understand why so many believe the island is the haunt of entities other than just tourists.

Catalina had been occupied for thousands of years by Native Americans but its modern history began 150 years ago when tourists began discovering "the Capri of the West". In the 1920s, the island was purchased by the chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., who built roads, constructed hotels and shops and erected the $2 million dance pavilion known as the Casino (a misnomer, as gambling was banned in the building). Wrigley also brought his baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, over for spring training, placing the island in the social spotlight for the first time.

During its heyday, Catalina was where Hollywood came to play. Western novelist Zane Grey had a home here; Charlie Chaplin and his wife Paulette Goddard were frequent visitors; while movie director Cecil B. De Mille said Catalina was "the only place where I can get away to work amid real inspiration". The Casino Ballroom, which held 3000 patrons, drew big name bands led by Glen Miller, Bennie Goodman, Ray Noble and Jan Garber and it became the hub of Hollywood nightlife.

The sounds of the big bands may have long ceased but today the Casino is still used for private functions. Visitors can also look inside the building on walking tours that run several times daily. Completely restored a few years ago, the building retains its original style, with rose-hued walls, black Art Deco reliefs, an arching 15-metre ceiling with five Tiffany chandeliers and its famed elevated stage. Not to mention several spooks, just to keep you on your toes.

Most of the 19,000-hectare island is preserved wilderness area. However, the quaint village of Avalon bustles with life and is the starting point for tours of the island and surrounding waters.

Most daytrippers, however, are content with soaking up the sun as they stroll along the town promenade, eating ice-creams and famous fish tacos on the beach, exploring the steep hills in a golf cart (the most popular mode of transport on the island) or admiring the signature beach shacks that line the streets.

If time is limited, the best way to get a taste of the surrounds is to jump on an open-air trolley that potters around the back streets, past all the landmarks and up the hills to lookouts with sensational views of the coastline. Accompanied by a droll commentary, this informative tour is a great way to familiarise yourself with the sights before exploring further on a Catalina Limo (the cute local name for rental golf carts).

Beyond Avalon is another world - hectares of rolling wilderness, inhabited by wild boar, foxes, bald eagles and bison, introduced in the '20s during production of a western movie. There are several tours available to explore inland or you can rent bicycles if you want to do it the hard way.

Those with an interest in Hollywood history may also be drawn across the island to another place of notoriety - the secluded bay near Two Harbours where the actress Natalie Wood drowned in 1981.

Some people say her ghost still wanders the nearby beach, a lonely figure spotted during the winter months. Perhaps she is searching for clues to the mystery of her early demise or perhaps her spirit is simply content to linger in a place of rare beauty and tranquillity, an eternal haven from the hustle and bustle of the mainland.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there: Catalina Express departs from the Long Beach Downtown Landing several times a day. A round trip costs $US59 ($63) or $US79 for a Commodore's Lounge upgrade, which includes pre-boarding, a comfortable lounge area and a drink.

Attractions: The Avalon Scenic Tour on the open-air trolley costs $US16.

Source: The Sun-Herald

Beyond Avalon is another world - hectares of rolling wilderness, inhabited by wild boar, foxes, bald eagles and bison, introduced in the '20s during production of a western movie. There are several tours available to explore inland or you can rent bicycles if you want to do it the hard way.

Those with an interest in Hollywood history may also be drawn across the island to another place of notoriety - the secluded bay near Two Harbours where the actress Natalie Wood drowned in 1981.

Some people say her ghost still wanders the nearby beach, a lonely figure spotted during the winter months. Perhaps she is searching for clues to the mystery of her early demise or perhaps her spirit is simply content to linger in a place of rare beauty and tranquillity, an eternal haven from the hustle and bustle of the mainland.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there: Catalina Express departs from the Long Beach Downtown Landing several times a day. A round trip costs $US59 ($63) or $US79 for a Commodore's Lounge upgrade, which includes pre-boarding, a comfortable lounge area and a drink.

Attractions: The Avalon Scenic Tour on the open-air trolley costs $US16.

PANTAGES THEATER'S GHOSTS!

Where: 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map)
Status: Active as an entertaiment venue

Ghosts:

By 1929, when Alexander Pantages acquired the the front portion of the A.G Bartlett estate (six year's after Bartlett's death), the exotic plants from around the world that Bartlett had collected to bolster Hollywood's appeal, had either died from neglect, or moved to the nearby (and at that time new) Hollywood Bowl, despite attempts to incorporate them into the garden surrounding a large hotel to be built (which obviously never was) at that location.

Although this beautiful paradise was paved over, it could be argued that Pantages built a theater that is just as beautiful, and also increases Hollywood's appeal. It was the last and largest movie palace built in Hollywood, and some claim it was the first Art Deco theater in United States. Eventhough it still bears Pantages' name, he unfortunately didn't own it for very long after it opened in 1930. Due to the expenses involved defending his name against a fragulant (but well publized) rape charge, Pantages had to abandon thoughts of the 12 stories that were to be built above the Hollywood theater (like the other buildings at Hollywood & Vine), and sell the property.

During the 2000 restoration, it is said a painter working on the interior of the auditorium, complained that a "man in a hat" walked along the scaffolding (stepping off from the balcony), and stood over the shoulder of the painter, closely inspecting his work. When the painter turned to face his visitor, the "man with the hat" vanished into thin air. Shortly after, the same incident happened to an electrician, who was also up in the scaffolding to inspect the wiring. Both workers quit following their encounter. The identity of this "man in the hat" is unknown, but it either thought to be Bartlett, Pantages, or Howard Huges keeping an eye on things.

Howard Hughes acquired the theater in 1947, and moved his operations into the upstairs offices. He even built a door that went from his office to the back of the balcony, and it is said that he would sit in the last row and watch the same movie play over and over all day. Although this movie marthon ritual would later in life get out of control with stints that would go for days in a locked screening room, the seeds of this mania started at the Pantages theater. To this day, during reheasals inside this historic playhouse, a man will be spotted (from the stage) sitting in the last row of the balcony. When security is sent up to eject the tresspasser, no one is ever found. Sightings of Howard Huges are so common in this place that the historical marker on a street light in front of the building even mentions his ghost.

Additionally, staff members have told stories of a phantom man that walks up the aisle during a performance (as if to exit through the back) only to vanish as the usher holds the door open for him, as well as phantom women seen walking in the balcony (eastside) or the Ladies Room (off of the lobby).

There was also a widely reported event, where a disembodied female voice was heard singing into a microphone set up on the stage, when no one was on, or near, the stage.

http://www.pantages-theater.com/pantages_theater_los_angeles.php

If you know of another ghost story (or another version of a story mentioned), or if you have personally experienced something strange at this theater, please leave a comment.

(to read about another haunted theater in the L.A. area...)