(Haunted) Haunted Attraction: Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights

GHOULA only posts info about "Haunted Attractions" (as in attractions with a haunted/scary theme) when they occupy an actual local haunted location. Unfortunately, these attractions never capitalize on their built-in super-natural folklore. However, Universal has wisely capitalized on the La Llorona legend for their event. Although "she" has never been seen on their property, sightings of here have been witnessed throughout Greater Los Angeles. For more info on local Haunted Attractions, please visit our friends at CreepyLA.com.

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, guides, volunteers, docents and/or staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

Where: Universal Studios
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City (map)

Event Dates: OCTOBER ONLY (check website for exact dates)

Admission: (check website for prices and deals)

(For more info about this local attraction...)

GHOST(S): Although there are many actual ghosts that have been seen on the lot of this historic studio, the most famous of their "phantoms" is that of the spirit of the actor, Lon Chaney, who is said to haunt Studio 23, where the filmed the original "Phantom of the Opera."

(Haunted) Haunted Attraction: Queen Mary

GHOULA only posts info about "Haunted Attractions" (as in attractions with a haunted/scary theme) when they occupy an actual local haunted location. Unfortunately, these attractions never capitalize on their built-in super-natural folklore. For more info on local Haunted Attractions, please visit our friends at CreepyLA.com.

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, guides, volunteers, docents and/or staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

Where: Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach (map)

Event Dates: OCTOBER ONLY (check their website for exact dates)

Admission:  (check website for prices and deals)

(For more info about this local attraction...)

GHOST(S): The ghost stories connected to this local landmark are so numerous it just might be the most haunted place (with the most ghosts) in Los Angeles. Our favorite tale involves ghostly children that hide under the bed of a specific hotel rooms and reach out and grab the ankles of unsuspecting guests.

85th Valentino Memorial Service

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, docents and staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

Where: Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Boulevard (map)
Date: August 23 (Thursday)
Time: 12:10 pm

One can read about Valentino's many achievements and super stardom elsewhere, but what is of interest to local ghost hunters about this silent film celebrity is the ubiquitous nature of his ghost. Valentino is said to repeatedly haunt many buildings and places throughout Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Downtown. Even the ghosts of his horse and favorite dog have been spotted over the years

The reason for these many sightings probably stems from two facts from his time in Southern California. First, because of his popular and fun-loving nature, there are not many places locally that he didn't visit, stay at, dance at, entertain at, or was entertained at (both before and after stardom). Secondly, he (along with his wife) were outspoken believers in the spirits, and participated in many demonstrations of seances. Incidentally, he has also been known to show up at many more seances after he departed.

Although Hollywood Forever Cemetery is easily one of the most haunted local cemeteries, ironically his ghost has not been seen there. But, it has been seen in the neighboring Paramount studios (some have even claimed his ghost goes through the adjoining wall as if going into the cemetery). Though Valentino may not haunt the premises, the ghost of a "women in black" has been seen periodically visiting his marker, and disappearing around a corner. The identity of this "woman" is difficult to determine, since over the decades, many women (including one who still does these duties today) have also donned that same mourning outfit and repeated the ritual of visiting his final resting place. The idea of Valentino's "woman in black" seems to be a local tradition past down through the generations (as well as something often imitated).

So, come out and celebrate the life (and after-life) of one of the silver screen's most unique stars.

For more info...

http://allanellenberger.com/

(Haunted) Bridge Party

Date: July 14, 2012
Time: 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Where: Colorado St Bridge (map)
Admission: $16 (adults) $8 (children) Free (kids under 6)

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, guides, volunteers, docents and/or staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

A celebratory salute to Old Pasadena will be the theme of this special fundraising event. Guardians of Old Pasadena will honor individuals and organizations who led the effort to save Old Pasadena from the wrecking ball and set the stage for the revitalization of Pasadena's original downtown. More information will be available as plans are finalized for this gala celebration.

BOO-ook signing

UNDER ANGELS (A supernatural thriller set in the haunted tunnels of Los Angeles)
Book signing with author Jace Daniel

Date: Sunday, July 29
Time: 12:00p to 2:00p
Where: Chevalier's Books
126 N. Larchmont Blvd., LA CA 90004

Crossword puzzle enthusiast Pete Durante is a war dog trainer stationed near the Los Angeles Harbor during World War II. After he cracks an enemy code that helps end the war and saves millions of lives, he gets driven to suicide by a vengeful intelligence officer named Rip Greamer. To save his family from an even darker fate, Pete must follow his dog beyond the grave and into a purgatorial maze of tunnels beneath Los Angeles to solve one final puzzle.

Under Angels is a ghost story that includes Los Angeles history, UFOs, anagrams, the K-9 Command Unit, WWII cryptography, love, tragedy, second chances, and Greamer, who is either a covert government agent or something far worse.

View book trailer: http://underangels.com/trailer
Reader reviews: http://underangels.com/reviews
Ranked #7 on Amazon in Occult Horror

July's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. 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 (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

THE DATE: July 13th, 2012 (Friday the 13th)
THE PLACE: One-Eyed Gypsy
901 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles (Downtown) (Map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to the witching hour (Happy Hour 5pm-9pm)

THE GHOST(S):

What is the oldest bar in Los Angeles? This has been a long-standing debate among those that study the local alcoholic arts. When this topic arises, the saloon at 901 East First Street is always in the discussion. Although the building has been altered and rebuilt, and it has changed ownership and names over the decades (One-Eyed Gypsey, Bordello, Little Pedros, Caruso's Lunch Counter, Tony's Cafe, Panzich Cafe, Pitzel's Restaurant, etc.), it has continuously operated as a local watering hole since at least 1899 when J.H. Klohn got a license to sell alcohol at this address (and maybe even earlier).

Given the amount of alcohol served here for the last 113 years, is it any wonder that this place has many legends and ghost stories associated with it? It has also been on GHOULA's radar since we started "Spirits with Spirits."

Employees claim that voices call out from empty rooms, and unseen hands will touch, push, and sometimes pinch (or "goose") them in the wee hours of the night. Objects move, doors open and close, and lights and faucets turn on and off. Most of the activity seems to occur around the men's restroom, but one well-witnessed event occurred at the bar when a crown that sits upon the head of a stature (high above anyone's reach) flew across the room.

It has been said that this establishment at one time was a brothel, until it burned to the ground killing all those inside. It has also been said to have been a speak-easy during Prohibition. Plus, during it's time as a notorious biker-bar in the 1980's, at least six unreported murders are said to have occurred within its walls, including the untimely death of a former waitress.

Although such legends are hard to confirm (and as such are common with old bars), this doesn't necessarily mean they are not true. There does seem to be old newspaper accounts that offer some support of these often repeated tales. For example, in 2006, a barroom brawl did erupt into gunfire on the street outside the entrance, leading to one murder.

During Prohibition, one former owner was arrested when the police seized 250 gallons of wine (11 barrels) from the basement. It was later discovered that the alcohol was legal and the owner had the proper permits. The next owner (also during Prohibition) was also arrested and charged with running an illegal bootlegging operation out of this saloon. That owner claimed the police force were only exposing him because he wouldn't pay their "protection" fees.

Also, there was a period when the saloon rented out rooms on their second floor to transient railroad workers and others. When Dan Pitzel operated the saloon during the turn of the last century, the police commission, because of local pressure, half-heartedly threatened (for many years) to revoke his license, claiming Pitzel was "violating the rules" because of the "improper conduct" that occurred in this saloon (which was frequented by local police officers). It is left to your imagination what "improper conduct" from a saloon on the edge of town that also rents rooms could mean.

Although the current staff believes that the bar is haunted by a female entity, most likely a former madam (when it was a brothel) or the before mentioned murdered waitress, it is interesting to note that in 1902, a 26 year old waitress, Miss Anna Feliz, committed suicide a couple of blocks away. She apparently had been ill for some time before, and the pain and suffering from working here with that illness just became too great one night. Some have theorized that her "sickness" may have been the result of a botched abortion, which was not uncommon in brothels of the time.

Additionally, given the bar's placement next to the L.A. River, the possibility of everybody's favorite ghost, La LLorona, can't be ruled out completely as the resident female spirit. Incidentally, The One-Eyed Gypsey has the greatest "Woman in Black," LLorona-esque fortune-telling arcade machine in the city. (Well worth the 50 cent asking price.)

That stated, considering the ghostly activity in the men's restroom, and the frisky nature of the "spirit hands" that touch the female staff, it is also quite possible that at least one male entity also haunts this site. Could it be the man that was shot in the barroom in 1906 (the only murder within its walls reported)? Could it be one of the men said to have committed suicide off of the 1st Street Bridge after having had a last drink here? Could it be the mysterious man that supposedly groaned all night from his room upstairs only to be found dead in the morning with a belly full of poison? Then again, it could be any of the many colorful characters who have owned, bartended, or past through the doors of this colorful establishment in the last century.

So, come out to the One-Eyed Gypsy this Friday the 13th, and ponder these super-natural possibilities over a glass of their signature "Siren's Punch" in quite possibly Los Angeles oldest bar... if you dare!

http://one-eyedgypsy.com/
(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )

The area as it was in 1929.

Now Available from GHOULA PRESS!

GHOULA COMIX
Issue #2: This is the City

Featuring the spine-tingling talents of...
Richard Carradine, Rikki Niehaus, Wayne Poe, Grasiela Rodriguez, Ian Stone, Tavish Stone, Sarah Troop, Steve Troop, Jim Wheelock, Michael Aushenker, Victor Avila, Ken Brilliant, Jose Cabrera, Caitlyn Carradine, Mike Kelley, Nathan Lenz, and the Great Lonnie Millsap

A comic book anthology of Los Angeles-based ghost stories by Los Angeles-based artists prepared by a Los Angeles-based ghost club to promote local ghosts. (127 pages)

Price: $6.00

If you are interested contributing to an upcoming issue of GHOULA COMIX...

GHOULA is seeking comic book artists for our next Los Angeles Ghost Stories Anthology.

Guidelines are as follows:

· Narrative must take place in Los Angeles County
· Narrative must include a ghost
· Narrative can be fictional or based on local ghost folklore
· Submit artwork in black and white only
· Submit original artwork or digital files at 300dpi
· Standard Comic Book size: Must fit within 7”Wx10”H
· No limit on # of pages!

GHOULA is dedicated to the preservation of greater L.A.'s rich haunted history, and the promotion and celebration of this local lore through ghostly gatherings, paranormal experiments, and events.

Participants will receive a lifetime membership GHOULA button, copies of the published work, and most importantly, the satisfaction and secret glory of seeing your comic in print.

(to order this book...)
(to order GHOULA Comix, Issue #1: Welcome to LA...)
(To see other books available on GHOULA Press...)

(Haunted) Theater Tour

Where: Palace Theatre
630 S. Broadway (map)
Date: July 14 (Saturday)
Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm (Doors open: 10:15 am)
Admission: $10.00 - Tickets available thru PayPalHere
FREE for LAHTF Members -Join Now

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, guides and staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

ALL ABOUT THE PALACE: RESTORING A BROADWAY TREASURE
A behind-the-scenes tour - from the basement to the balcony
L.A. Historic Theatre Foundation, in association with the Broadway Theatre Group, invites you to learn the history and hear the story of the re-birth of a Broadway treasure - the Palace Theatre (1911).

Join us in celebrating the 101st Anniversary of this great theatre.

In the first half of 2011, the Palace closed its doors and underwent an amazing transformation. Artisans and craftsmen peeled back years of alterations and wear and tear to reveal the beautiful theatre hidden underneath. The restoration was achieved under the leadership of one of the Palace owners, Shahram Delijani of the Broadway Theatre Group, and general contractor Ed Kelsey.

Ed Kelsey will share the story of the "six month miracle" through before and after photos. Several of the artisans and technicians who did the restoration work will be present to answer your questions and explain the techniques employed.

(for more info about the ghosts of this theater...)

Happy 4th of GHOULY!

"Anyone want another Hot Dog?"

Every year, GHOULA pays tribute to this great country by profiling a ghost from American pop-culture that has ties to Southern California. This year, we spotlight the great green ghost of filmdom's phatoms.

It can be argued that a large part of Ghostbusters continued success is thanks to a flying ball of neon-green ecto-plasma with an insatiable appetite for food and drink. Although, he was originally referred to as "onion head" during the making of the movie, this lovable scene-stealing spirit quickly became known to fans as "Slimer," and "he" went from a couple of scenes in the movie to a central figure of the cartoon version of the movie (the "Scooby-Doo" of this team), to the star of the renamed show ("Slimer!"), to a prominent figure in all video game and comic book versions (and to the subject of his own breakfast cereal and sugary beverage, presumably to consume while watching the show or reading the comics or playing the games).

Fictionally speaking, Slimer is a New Yoker. In reality, the physical creation of this character has no ties to the "Big Apple." Not only was he designed and crafted by the talented people at the now defunct Boss Film Studios (which at the time was based in Marina Del Rey), but all of his scenes in the fictional New York-based "Sedgewick Hotel" were either shot at Los Angeles' very own (haunted) Biltmore Hotel, or in the sound stages at Warner Bros Studios located in Burbank. Even the interiors of Ghostbuster HQ, a converted fire station, where Slimer takes up residence in the sequel, where shot at LAFD's decommissioned Station #23.

Additionally, the successful animated show that continued to chronicle the adventures of Slimer were produced at the now defunct DIC Entertainment, which was directly across the street from the sound stages that Slimer called home in beautiful downtown Burbank.

On a stranger note, it has been said that Slimer's personality may have been inspired by John Belushi, the comic genius and the buddy of Dan Ackroyd (star and co-writer of Ghostbusters). Belushi was suppose to star in the film (with Ackroyd), but died before production started at West Hollywood's Chateau Marmont, where his actual ghost is said to haunt. Is this a case of life (or the after-life) imitating art?

GOD BLESS AMERICA'S GHOSTS! Happy 4th of July, everyone!

(to see last year's ghost from American pop culture...)
(to see more Ghostbusters-related locations...)

Marilyn's Memorial (50th Anniversay)

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, docents and staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

Date: August 5, 2011 (Sunday)
Time: 12:00 pm (noon)
Place: Westwood Memorial Park,
1218 Glendon Avenue, Westwood, CA 90024 (map)

Tucked away in a small cemetery, which in itself, is fittingly tucked away behind a movie theater, sits the crypt of Marilyn Monroe. Since this blonde bombshell is one of the most ubiquitous ghosts in Hollywood (along side the ghost of silent screen star Rudolf Valentino), it makes perfect sense that her final resting place would also be counted as one of the many places said to be haunted by the spirit of this larger than life sex symbol. Although, her famous form (said to be the inspiration for the Coke's trademarked bottle) has never been seen at this location, witnesses have claimed that a strange fog sometimes appears around her pink-stained marble marker.

So, come out and celebrate the life (and after-life) of one of the silver screen's most unique stars. This will be the 50th anniversary of her death, so there will be other special events connected with this yearly tradition

(For more info about this cemetery...)
(For more info about the memorial...)
(For more info about the 50th anniversary events...)

STU CON 4

STU CON 4

Los Angeles' Largest Gathering of Ghost Hunters

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about.

When: August 11 at 12:00pm until August 12 at 1:00am
Where: Mazatlan Theatre
3355 N. Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90032
Admission: $5.00

There is parking in a nearby public parking lot, Linda Vista Hospital has generously allowed parking in the rear parking lots, where the Ghost Coach Shuttle will shuttle folks from there to the Mazatlan as Scott has arranged, there is also a recreation center two blocks away where parking is available.

$1 to investigate the Mazatlan Theatre

For more info...
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/325129620897281/

Ghost Art In Burbank

Welcome Foolish Mortals...
to the 3rd Annual Tribute to the Haunted Mansion Group Art Show!

When: On Exhibit Through July 21st
Where: Halloween Town
2921 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505
Admission: Free

Current Featured Artists: Rick Baker, William Basso, The Creep, Curioddities,Dienzo, Frank Dietz, Daniel Horne, Hideousboi, Bob Lizarraga, Eric Pigors, Queenie, Dan Szczepanski, Wolfinger, and Zombienose

For more info...
http://www.halloweentownstore.com/page/HS/CTGY/3rd_Annual_Haunted_Mansion_Tribute

Ghost Lecture @ Machine Project

When: 8pm, June 30, 2012 (Saturday)
Where: Machine Project
1200 D North Alvarado, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Admission: Free

Haunted Geographies of L.A.
A lecture by Rob Sullivan

The ghosts of the past and the traces of history are inscribed on the streets of L.A., conjuring images of shattered dreams and grotesque crimes. The hills and flats of this city are haunted with acts of infamous criminality as well as the anonymous remains of the banality of lives spent in total obscurity. Starting with one of the city’s most notorious crimes – the kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker in 1927 by William Edward Hickman, we explore the ways in which specters haunt Los Angeles.

How far do you have to go to get to the “past”? A series of three lectures explores the notion that you needn’t go very far at all. Under the umbrella of archeology of the contemporary past, Justin Walsh (Chapman University), Annie Danis, and Rob Sullivan (UCLA) will discuss how archeology and geography can help us explore the materials and meaning of people still alive (or still dead as the case may be) today. Surveying the site of the US’s 1969 moon landing, excavating the trash heap of an early 70s hippie commune, and analyzing the ghost geographies of Los Angeles are new windows into a past you already think you know.

BOOOOs Alert!

THIS JUST IN: Michael Jackson's ghost haunts his LA Home.

http://www.examiner.com/article/report-michael-jackson-s-ghost-haunts-los-angeles-mansion-where-he-died

June's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. 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 (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

THE DATE: June 13th, 2012 (Wednesday)
THE PLACE: Hyperion Tavern
1941 Hayperion Ave, Silverlake (Map)
THE TIME: 10:00pm to the witching hour

"Playful ghosts have interrupted our tour"
-Haunted Mansion, Disneyland

GHOULA is going to do something a little different this month (we just couldn't resist this unique opportunity). Instead, of the normal "SPIRITS with SPIRITS," we will be celebrating local ghost lore (with libations) in a celebration of Southern Italy's traditional "Night of Ghosts" (Notte dei Fantasmi) According to legend, if you die on this night, you yourself will become a ghost. Also, it was four years ago on this holiday that GHOULA launched the first SPIRITS with SPIRITS. So, come down to the Hyperion and celebrate our anniversary, and see what you are in for in the afterlife!

Join us for a night of ghost lectures, music, dances, and images, and music with DJ Don Bolles and DJ Xian. Guests include... Cristofer Sanders of A & E BIO's 'My Ghost Story'! Paranormal researcher and founder of LOWFI (League of Western Fortean Intermedists) Skylaire Alfvegren. Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author of The Empire of Death, will present his lecture on Sicilian Sex Ghosts--modified and fortified with NEW sex ghosts he has not previously discussed! Award winning country music musician Dan Janisch will sing traditional ghost songs! Famous Russian diva Zoetica Ebb will discuss Russian ghosts! Black light ghost art and a musical interlude narrating famous haunting by Rich Polysorbate and Clowns and Fetuses! Special guest (g)host Dr. Doomhaus (Mike Odd from Rosemary's Billygoat, acting as deranged man in an archaic looking suit!)Many others still to be added! Ghost videos!

(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )

GHOULA BOO-ook Club 2012

This summer's reading selection is...



Coldheart Canyon: A Hollywood Ghost Story by Clive Barker

Film's most popular action hero needs a place to heal after his surgery has gone terribly wrong. His fiercely loyal agent finds him just such a place in a luxurious forgotten mansion high in the Hollywood Hills. But the original owner of the mansion was a beautiful woman devoted to pleasure at any cost, and the terrible legacy of her deeds has not yet died. There are ghosts and monsters haunting Coldheart Canyon, where nothing is forbidden . . .

Clive Barker's Coldheart Canyon showcases the boldly innovative New York Times bestselling master at the very top of his formidable and frightening skills. Clive Barker is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty books for adults and children. He is also a widely acclaimed artist, film producer, screenwriter, and director. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

GHOULA BOO-ook Club was created to make our members aware of the many published fictional ghost stories that are set in the Los Angeles area.

NOTE: This is a virtual book club, so please leave your reviews, comments, and discussion points in the "Comments" section below for others.

Free Guided Night Hikes in (Haunted) Griffith Park

The Date: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
The Time: Hikes start at 7:00pm (so get there before 7:00pm)
The Location: Griffith Park
(Meet at the Upper Merry-Go-Round Parking Lot)  [MAP]

(for more info check http://angeles.sierraclub.org/griffith/location.asp)

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, guides and staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

The Ghost(s):

The ghosts said to haunt this city park are numerous. From men on horseback to women dressed in white. It is said that these are the oldest ghost stories in Los Angeles with sighting dating back to the 1800's. And even today, it is said that there are so many sightings still, that the ranger's office has a special form just for ghostly encounters.

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/griffith/location.asp

BOOOOs Alert!

THIS JUST IN: Haunted Linda Vista Hospital in the LA TIMES

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/16/business/la-fi-linda-vista-hospital-20120516

May's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. 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 (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

THE DATE: May 13th, 2012 (Sunday)
THE PLACE: INK (Sweet Lady Jane)
8360 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood (Map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to the witching hour

THE GHOST(S):

Even though it is a given that there doesn't seem to be any set rules for ghosts and hauntings, there are a handful of persistent ghost stories in Los Angeles that seem to defy all reason and logic. The quintessential example of this is the "Houdini Mansion" in Laurel Canyon. Despite there being no proof that Harry Houdini ever even visited this stately manner (or the guest house across the street), people for decades have claimed to see the great magician's ghost wandering around the property. Another such example is the ghost of film director, Orson Welles, sitting at his favorite table at the Sweet Lady Jane Bakery on Melrose...

For a good period of time in the late 1970s/early 1980s, there was no trendier restaurant in Los Angeles than Ma Maison on L.A.'s equally trendy Melrose Ave. The restaurant consisted of a small bungalow house (presumably a hold over from when this commercial area was residential) that contained a kitchen, restrooms, a hostess station, and one table. The patrons were forced to dine in the patio (presumably the original house's front yard), which was covered with a tacky layer of bright green astro-turf to conceal the hard asphalt underneath.  Despite the delicious food created by chef Wolfgang Puck (and the high prices) the outdoor setting had all the charm of a parking lot. However, one of the great quirks of Ma Maison was that when you stepped up to the front door to the hostess station to be seated, on just about any given day, if you looked to your right, you would see (usually seated alone) at the one indoor table, the legendary Orson Welles. Although he is widely considered one of the great film directors to ever come out of Hollywood, at this point in his career he was morbidly obese and better known for the TV commercials he appeared in for Paul Masson Wine ("We will sell no wine before its time").

As the years went by, Welles passed away, Ma Maison moved to another, similar location further east on Melrose, and opened a cooking school, before moving out of the area completely. The original structure where Welles enjoyed countless lunches and dinners was torn down, when the block was redeveloped (and address numbers changed). The Sweet Lady Jane Bakery opened, and over the years employees and patrons claim to see the ghost of Orson Wells at a table in the back, where "his table" was originally located. Or, they smell his cigars (which he used to buy at the long gone Wittners Cigars a few blocks away) in that area.

That is the tale that is repeated in just about every ghost guide book of Hollywood or Los Angeles, as well as many paranormal TV Shows, and its a good story. The only problem is that Sweet Lady Jane is not exactly in the same spot that Ma Maison called home (like they all claim).  Ma Maison was actually pushed back from the street, and covered more ground to the east, so Wells' famous table was not located inside the dinning area of this bakery.

Is it possible, that the ghost of Orson Welles has re-situated himself around another table (and a spot that held no attachment to him in life)? Sure. After years of lunches and dinners, is his ghost seeking out dessert? Maybe. Or, has a ghost at Sweet Lady Jane been mistaken for the ghost of Orson Wells because of the proximity to the site of his favorite eatery? That's also possible.

Unfortunately, Sweet Lady Jane is too tiny (and generally too crowded) a space for our meet up, so we will will be meeting at the bar a couple of doors down, close to where Orson Welles sat for so many years alone. It should be noted that the current management claims that INK is not haunted by his ghost, but it's worth pointing out that this location has had a high turnover of restaurants since the wildly successful Ma Maison left. Is there a certain overweight spirit that sabotages any business that tries to replace his second home just as a psychic that visited a previous incarnation of this location (a sushi place) suggested?

Come out and find out for yourself, peek in on Sweet Lady Jane's Bakery, socialize, have a drink (or a glass of wine that is not sold before its time), and ponder the unpredictable nature of the ghost of one of Hollywood's most unpredictable mavericks.

(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )

April's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. 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 (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

THE DATE: April 13th, 2012 (Friday the 13th)
THE PLACE: The Coral Cafe,
3321 Burbank Blvd. Burbank (Map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to the witching hour

THE GHOST(S):

"I still get the creeps, I still get a funny feeling driving over to Burbank"
--Tim Burton (2006)

Despite its seemingly benign, 1950's suburban appearance, beneath the sunny surface of Burbank lurks the twisted dark place that shaped the childhood of filmmaker, Tim Burton (which he lampooned in "Edward Scissorhands"). Additionally, it is the unlikely home of Halloweentown and Dark Delicacies. In 1952, the California Crime Commission singled it out as a hotbed of Mafia activity. Plus, due to its ties to the aero-space industry, it probably has had more airplane crashes than any other city in the world. Also, it is home to a few haunted locations...

The most famous of which is probably a neighborhood coffee shop named The Coral Cafe (a fixture of Burbank since 1957), and known locally as the "Haunted Cafe" because of its appearance on the Biography Channel's "My Ghost Story" (and other TV shows) and the rather dubious "security camera" video tape of a supposed ghost following a staff member around the restaurant that has been circulating for the last few years.

That famous "ghost caught on video" footage aside, The employees, and some regulars, do believe that this diner is haunted by a harmless spirit or spirits. Although, there has been a sighting of an "old lady" seated in one of the booths, most of the activity seems to occur in the bathrooms. Invisible hands turn on and off the faucets and open and close the stall doors. Why do ghosts and bathrooms seem to go together like cafeterias and Jello?

Are these disturbances from the same ghost, or is it two separated entities haunting different ends of the same building?

Almost a century ago, alfalfa fields occupied this section of Burbank, and they were owned by Burbank's most famous resident, James J. Jeffries aka "Big Jim" or "The Boilmaker" or "The Great White Hope." Jeffries (the namesake of nearby Jeffries Street) was one of the great Heavyweight Champions of all time, but he is best remembered for his involvement in "The Fight of the Century" where (as an older man) he was lured (with money) away from his Burbank farm back into the ring to fight the first African-American Heavyweight Champ, Jack Johnson. This battle of the races was the only time that Jeffries was knocked down, and Jeffries admitted that even on his best day he was no match against Johnson.

Years later, in the 1950's, Jim Jeffries elderly wife was killed in a car accident not far from their home. A few months later, Jeffries followed her with a fatal heart attack at age 77. All remnants of their farm are now long gone. Incidentally, after his death, the Jeffries barn (pictured below) was purchased by Walter Knott and moved to Knott's Berry Farm where it is still used today as the "Wilderness Dance Hall" (and as a maze for their Halloween Haunt), and where employees still see Jeffries' large ghostly figure. But, what about her ghost? Could the old lady seen at the Coral Cafe be spirit of Mrs. Jeffries?

Lastly, there is a "phantom monk" that has been seen in various locations in the San Fernando Valley, who is always traveling in a north-west direction (presumably repeatedly making the journey between the San Gabriel Mission and the San Fernando Mission). The Coral Cafe sits in his path. Could the restaurant's disturbances be connected to him passing through?

So, come out to the historic Coral (haunted) Cafe, and have some dinner, or dessert, or a drink, or just mingle with ghosts.... See you there!

(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see the imfamous Coral Cafe ghost tape... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )