Hollywood Ghosts: Houdini, Thelma Todd & Others
Throughout Hollywood, there have been numerous sightings and ghosts that are associated with the silver screen. Some ghosts manifest themselves from the tormented life they led while trying to establish a career as a reputable actor or actress, while other ghosts just feel like hanging around their former residences.
Flying through the air”¦“it’s a bird, it’s a plane”¦.no, it’s Superman.” George Reeves probably hated to hear that saying after his acquired fame for playing the fascinating superhero. The famed role hurt his career because he was constantly being typecast. It is said that the ghost of George Reeves can be found haunting his former Beverly Hills residence, which is located on 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive. This is where his body was found after a gunshot wound. The police called it a suicide, where those close to him insisted that it was a homicide.
Known for her appearances alongside the Marx Brothers, Thelma Todd was a youthful actress during the early 30s. Her specialty was classic comedies, but her death was no laughing matter. Located at 17575 Pacific Coast Highway, which was between Malibu and Pacific Palisades, Thelma ran a café that was close to the beach. In 1935, she was found dead in her car, while it was still parked in a garage located above the café. Some called it an accidental suicide; while others could not deny the bloody condition her body was found in causing them to believe in a murder, as well as a cover-up. The old café is now a part of Paulist Productions and the employees are well aware of the former owner. Thelma’s ghost has been spotted descending from the staircase.
A man named Thomas Ince created the site where Gone With the Wind was filmed. This is where the Culver Studios can be found. Legend states that Ince was accidentally shot and murdered by William Randolph Hearst, who was actually trying to kill Charlie Chaplin. His miss was the end of Ince. It is said that Thomas’ ghost can be found wandering about the old studios. He can pass through walls and has also been heard commenting on the new establishment. The studios can be located at 9336 Washington Blvd, in Culver City.
It is said that there are seven ghosts that haunt Hollywood’s Vogue Theater, located at 6675 Hollywood Blvd., which is east of Highland. Some of the entities that can be encountered on the premises include a ghost that has been dubbed “Fritz,” who passed away in the projection booth, as well as a maintenance engineer. Paranormal activity runs rampant throughout this location. Before the theater came to be, it used to be the site of the Prospect Elementary School. Close to 100 years ago, a schoolteacher and some of her students lost their lives when a fire spread through the school.
He has been known to walk through walls, saw people in half and escape from the most precarious situations, so it is no wonder that Harry Houdini was a hard man to put to rest. His ghost is believed to haunt his former residence, which can be found in the Hollywood Hills, located at 2398 Laurel Canyon Boulevard.