Haunted Hollywood

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Terror in Tinsteltown as John Stoker directs us towards spectres of the stars and other nightmares in the Land of Dreams.

The masked, cloaked figure of silent horror star Lon Chaney still appears on stage 28 at Universal Studios, where he starred as the Phantom of the Opera.

In 1923 a real estate company erected a sign in the foothills of Los Angeles which was to become one of the most famous symbols in the world. It consisted of 13 letters constructed in sheet-metal, painted white and standing 50ft high. Illuminated by 4,000 20-watt light bulbs it could be seen from as far as 25 miles away. It spelled out ‘Hollywoodland’ and to many it represented a place where dreams could become a reality. But where there are dreams there are also nightmares.

On Friday, September 14, 1932 a young actress called Peg Entwistle left her home in Beachwood Drive and walked up the southern slopes of Mount Lee towards the Hollywood sign.

Peg had seen her dream of celluloid stardom collapse and she was severely depressed. She took off her coat, placed a note in her purse and with the help of a ladder left by maintenance men she climbed to the top of the letter ‘H’ and jumped to her death. The following day a letter arrived at her home offering her the lead in a stage play.

The rest of this feature can be read in Paranormal issue 36.

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