Pages

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Other Side of Hollywood See More

If you're ever in Hollywood you can take a tour on the wild side, so to say of all the places of the stars who are no longer among the living. At 8221 Sunset Boulevard you will find the Chateau Marmont. It is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. It is no wonder that the joint is jumping considering events of the past that have taken place here:

 

In 1982 John Belushi died of a drug overdose in one of the garden bungalows.

Jim Morrison of "The Doors" used up what he called "the eighth of my nine lives" hurting his back dangling from a drain pipe while trying to swing from the roof into the window of his hotel room.

James Dean hopped in through a window to audition with Natalie Wood for "Rebel Without a Cause".

Led Zeppelin band members rode their motorcycles through the lobby one evening to the cheers of guests.

Montgomery Clift, who was almost killed in a 1956 auto accident near the home of Elizabeth Taylor, was bought to the hotel by the actress to let him recuperate in the penthouse she leased there.

Greta Garbo loved to stay here during her infamous seclusion period and wouldn't leave her room for days.

Fashion photographer Helmut Newton died on January 23, 2004, after his car crashed into a wall on the driveway of the hotel. 

Judy Garland sang by the lobby's grand piano with Kay Thompson during a party held by director George Cukor.

Vivien Leigh estranged from her husband Laurence Olivier had every space in her Suite 5D covered with his photographs and only one picture in the bedroom of her and Olivier placed by her pillow.

Jean Harlow spent her honeymoon here and was a regular guest.

Howard Hughes moved into the attic of the hotel and spied on beautiful women in the pool area using prism binoculars.

F. Scott Fitzgerald suffered a heart attack here.

These are just some of the notable events which took place at the Chateau Marmont.

Afterwards you may want to walk on over to the Beverly Hills Hotel at 9441 Sunset Boulevard. They say that the bungalows are haunted by several ghosts including Rachmaninoff and Harpo Marx. In the lobby of this hotel actor Peter Finch suffered a fatal heart attack. If you happen to be hungry for pastries you may like to go to Sweet Lady Jane's Restaurant at 8360 N. Melrose Ave where you can perhaps share a table with Orson Wells. His spirit has been reported as being seen here at his favorite table along with the smell of his favorite brandy and cigars. 

The El Compadre at 7408 W. Sunset Boulevard is supposedly haunted by three ghosts. One is an unknown presence and two are of men who were killed in the 1950s by an armed robber while they were working. For those who prefer more company the All Star CafĂ© & Speak Easy in the Vogue Theater at 6675 Hollywood Boulevard is inhabited by at least seven entities. If you are looking for entertainment you might prefer The Comedy Store located at 8433 W. Sunset Boulevard. It was once the home of the famous "Ciros", which was a popular hangout of comedians and gangsters in the 1940s and 1950s. It became The Comedy Store in 1972 and went on to be the place where today's well-known comics became noticed such as Jim Carrey. It is also the place where you can come in contact with the entity of the late gangster Mickey Cohen and it has been reported that comic Blake Clarke had an experience with a menacing, hulking 7-ft. creature. The Comedy Store is owned by Mitzi Shore, who is the mother of comedian Pauly Shore. 

The Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Boulevard isn't as popular for ghosts as it is for the death that occurred out front. In 1993 on Halloween night actor River Phoenix died on the sidewalk of a drug overdose. The nightclub is a popular place for Hollywood stars to come together and is owned by actor Johnny Depp. 

While taking a walk through the neighborhood look all around carefully. At the corner of Hollywood and Vine, Lon Chaney had been spotted sitting on a bus bench but since the bench was removed, the entity of Lon Chaney is said to haunt the "Phantom of the Opera" set at Universal Studios Sound Stage 28. Lon Chaney played the Phantom of the Opera in the era of silent films and his son Lon Chaney, Jr. went on to play in "The Wolf Man" among other monster films. However if you are interested in the sightings of Native Americans then you must go to Hollywood Boulevard and Sierra Bonita Avenue. They have been seen on the streets and in the homes in this area. 

Hollywood also has its share of haunted residences. The homes of stars long gone whose entities have chosen to remain on the properties or in the homes. High up in the hills one can find the Barrymore Estate at 6 Beverly Grove, Beverly Hills. Here at least in the 1970s visitors reported seeing the ghosts of John, Lionel and Ethyl Barrymore. Rudolph Valentino has chosen to remain at his mansion known as Falcon's Lair. If one takes a look up at the second story windows passing by 1436 Bella Drive in Beverly Hills they may catch a glimpse of Valentino. A caretaker has also seen Valentino in the stables with the horses and an overnight guest claimed to have been chased by his spirit. Footsteps have been heard in the hallway and doors have open and shut for no reason.

If you happen to be a fan of Superman then the place to go is 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills. The original actor who played the man of steel on TV in the 1950s called this house his home. He shot himself in the upstairs bedroom and his ghost has been seen clad in the Superman costume. Gunshots have been heard in the house and lights go off and on for no reason. Noises have been heard from the bedroom and the room has been ransacked when no one was in the house. Neighbors have seen the spirit of Reeves standing on the front lawn. 
The silent film star legend Mary Pickford who was the wife of Douglas Fairbanks is known to haunt the first floor den of her former home known as Pickfair located at 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills. In Hollywood at 1822 Camino Palmero Road the ghost of Ozzie Nelson has been seen by family members. This is the same home that was made famous in the TV sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. The house that was once leased by the dashing actor Errol Flynn known as The Pines Estate at 2000 Fuller Avenue in Hollywood is now nothing more than a crumbling brick foundation. However neighbors say that the house itself reappears on summer nights and one can hear the sound and see the lights of the wondrous parties of yesteryear. 

The entity of actor Clifton Webb who was an avid non smoker and had a distaste for cats makes life difficult for smokers and cat lovers at his former home on Rexford Drive. Marilyn Monroe has made an appearance in front of her home on Helena Drive and singer Englebert Humperdinck who bought "Pink Palace" the house of former actress Jayne Mansfield has encountered her ghost there. 

John Wayne has been seen aboard his yacht The Wild Goose and psychics who have confirmed the presence of his ghost say that he isn't trapped in this world he simply prefers to visit his favorite places. At his former house Buster Keaton enjoys unplugging phones and turning off lights. Actress Jean Harlow and her husband Paul Bern a movie director lived in Benedict Canyon. In 1932, after a two month marriage Paul committed suicide in the house and five years later Jean died of a sudden kidney failure. Both of their ghosts have been seen in the bedroom. The house itself is thought to be cursed because two people have drown in the pool and another previous owner was killed.

0 comments:

Post a Comment