S T R A N G E D E S T I N A T I O N S The Best Vacation Spots This Side of The Other Side! Tuesday, May 8, 2001 * HOLLYWOOD'S HAUNTED HOTEL * A SIGN FROM BEYOND * STAGE FRIGHT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- HOLLYWOOD'S HAUNTED HOTEL Not everybody sees stars when they visit Hollywood. I was there for nearly three weeks and the only real-live celebrities I saw were Maria Shriver and "What's-his-name-again?," the cop with the big vocabulary from the old "Barney Miller" sitcom. Your chances of rubbing elbows with movie stars improves, however, if you're willing to drop the "real-live" requirement and stay at the right hotels. Many of Hollywood's most famous stars are allegedly still making the scene, dropping in on unsuspecting folks decades after their bodies were buried beneath expensive Hollywood headstones. Consider the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Eternal guests of this historic building at 7000 Hollywood Blvd are said to include Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Humphery Bogart, Carole Lombard and Carmen Miranda, according to "Ghost Stories of Hollywood," by Barbara Smith. While some hotels downplay ghostly activity for fear it will scare away business, the Roosevelt has embraced its paranormal notoriety. It keeps detailed files on reports of ghost sightings and even posts a roundup of them up on its web site. (Click HYPERLINK http://www.hollywoodroosevelt.com/tall_tales.htm .) The Hollywood Roosevelt was known as "The Home of the Stars" when it hosted the first-ever Academy Awards presentation in 1929. Today, if you look closely, you might see the ghostly image of one of those stars reflected in a full-length, dark-framed mirror near the elevators in the lobby. The mirror once hung in suite 1200, one of Marilyn Monroe's favorite collection of rooms, according to Hollywood Hauntings, a directory located at HYPERLINK http://gothic.vei.net/hollyood/hauntings/hotels/roosevelt.htm The site also offers a pretty good photo of the mirror. Since 1985, when the hotel reopened after renovations, many people have reported seeing the reflection of a young, platinum blonde woman in the mirror. When they turn to look at her directly, however, no one is there. The ghost of the troubled sex symbol has also been seen by the hotel pool near the Tropicana Bar. She has similarly been spotted in the coffee shop of the Hotel Knickerbocker, 1714 Ivar St., Hollywood, according to an accountposted at HYPERLINK http://www.microla.com/ltpages/knickerbocker.htm . While Marilyn's ghost seems to get around - old habits, after all, die hard - the shade of actor Montgomery Clift is apparently confined to the Roosevelt Hotel's 9th floor, especially Room 928. Clift lived in that room in 1952 while he was filming "From Here to Eternity." His continued presence is blamed for an inexplicable cold spot in the room that has puzzled and frightened guests and employees alike. If you're looking for close encounters, I'd recommend spending a night or two in this room. In 1992, for example, one guest felt an invisible hand pat her shoulder while she was in bed, according to Hollywood Hauntings. Doors in that room have been known to slam mysteriously shut and guests have heard the ghostly strains of Clift practicing his trumpet. Of course, Clift isn't responsible for all of the weird stuff that goes on at the Roosevelt. Mysterious phone calls have been received by the desk from empty rooms on the 12th floor that weren't yet wired for phone service. In 1986, a housekeeper on the 11th floor was pushed from behind into a storage closet. When she turned to see who had pushed her, no one was there. Other hotel guests have spotted actress Carole Lombard's ghost in the top-floor suite she shared with Clark Gable before she was killed in a 1942 plane crash. Psychic researcher Peter James said he felt the presence of Hollywood tough guy Humphrey Bogart and Latin dancer Carmen Miranda in a hallway on the third floor. At the Hollywood Roosevelt, encountering long-dead stars doesn't seem to be a problem. But just try getting them to hold an autograph pen... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A SIGN FROM BEYOND As I've mentioned in previous newsletters, Hollywood is - per square mile - probably one of the most haunted cities in America. In fact, you can even get a map of haunted Hollywood sites similar to the "Maps of the Stars," available from disreputable roadside guides along Sunset Boulevard and other major tourist streets. For a haunted cyber-map, check out E Online at HYPERLINK http://www.eonline.com/Features/Features/Halloween2000/Hollywood/ map.html (you may need to cut and paste this link into your browser). The place is SO haunted that even the famous block-letter H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D sign on Mount Lee overlooking the city has a resident apparition. Getting the best view of the famous sign can easily use up an afternoon in Los Angeles. When you twist and turn through the Hollywood Hills, you're constantly catching glimpses of it peeking above mansion rooftops while you're negotiating hairpin curves. The best view I found was above Lake Hollywood near Griffith Park, by the entrance drive to Madonna's old mansion. There's a great scenic overlook there. If you look south, you see all of the hazy Los Angeles basin. If you look north, you'll see the sign. And, if you keep looking, you just might see Peg Entwhistle slowly moving up the slope beneath the giant letter "H". The sign's 50-foot by 30-foot white letters have been there since 1923, when they were erected to publicize a housing development. As the movie industry boomed, the sign became a symbol of Tinseltown. Lillian "Peg" Entwhistle, an aspiring, 24-year-old actress from New York City, was drawn to the glitz and glamour of the town represented by the sign, Smith wrote in "Ghost Stories of Hollywood." But after her first movie role opened to poor reviews, Entwhistle became despondent. She was so depressed, that, on Sept. 18, 1932, she picked her way through the brush on the side of Mount Lee to the sign. Leaving a note and a purse at the base of the "H", Entwhistle climbed a latter left leaning against the letter by a maintenance worker to the top. From there, she threw herself off onto the rocks below. She tumbled down the hill, battered and broken, through cacti and thorns. They found her the next day, and life lingered in her body until October 14. But Peg Entwhistle, according to legend, still isn't done. Many hikers and long-time residents have reported seeing her, wearing the white dress she had on the evening she jumped, making her way back up the hill, according to Smith. They say it is a vaporous image that moves too swiftly and is dressed too inappropriately for a living human being. Dogs running the trails with hikers have acted strangely in the apparition's presence. Her ghost has also been seen walking down Beachwood Drive, where she once lived, according to Dennis Hauck's haunted places directory. According to legend, Entwhistle is doomed to make her fatal ascent until the sign - the means of her suicide - is taken down. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- STAGE FRIGHT Several famous theaters and nightclubs in Los Angeles are alleged to offer truly haunting performances, according to Smith. Paramount Studios, for example, sits next to Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, at 5451 Marathon Avenue. Like the studio, the cemetery has a reputation as a, stage for those with roles in the afterlife. Several people have reported seeing figures dressed in clothes from the 1940s pass through walls between the studio and the graveyard, according to Hallucinet.com. HYPERLINK http://www.hallucinet.com/asylem/asylem2/as_paramount.html . The ghost of comedian Red Foxx is said to haunt the Paramount stage where he died of a heart attack. Doors and window in the studio typically lock and unlock by themselves. One entity is blamed for stealing people's wallets and other objects. Another ghost is said to loiter in the catwalks above Studio 5 on the movie lot. Rudolph Valentino, the silent film era's leading male, is said to haunt the studio's costume department, according to Hauck's directory. His shimmering form has been reported among the colorful period garments stored there. For information on visiting the studio, or for arranging a tour, check out its website at HYPERLINK http://www.paramount.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ STORIES How about you? Do you know of mysterious destinations other kindred spirits (no pun intended) might enjoy? Any paranormal travel experiences you'd like to share? As always, you can contact me at: <a href=" mailto:fred@CoolTravelMail.com ">Email Fred</a> Until next time. Your editor, Fred Pass this along to some friends... they'll appreciate it! Try our handy new Tell-A-Friend link below! ************************************************************ TELL-A-FRIEND about CoolTravelMail! Visit: <a href=" www.CoolTravelMail.com/friends/ ">Tell-A-Friend</a>