It’s the city of dreams where careers are built and demolished all in the same day. When it comes to Hollywood, it’s not hard to swallow that this is a destination where many restless and forlorn souls congregate (especially when it comes to murder).
Some of them have rather recognizable reputations within the entertainment industry and just can’t seem to leave the dream behind. In this article, we will take a look at Victor Kilian, who still leaves his mark in Hollywood.
Grauman’s (or Mann’s) Chinese Theatre is located across the street from another haunted Hollywood spot called the Roosevelt. The theatre is said to house a variety of spirits both inside and outside of the premises. The most known of these ghosts is that of Victor Kilian, who became blacklisted by Hollywood movie studio executives during the 1950s.
Often seen as a villain in his pictures, Kilian went from vaudeville to Broadway to John Wayne flicks. In 1942, Kilian lost one of his eyes to a serious injury he suffered during a John Wayne film. When the 1950s came around, so did McCarthyism and Kilian positioned himself on the wrong side of the fence. Soon, he found himself blacklisted because of some of his political beliefs.
This did not cripple his moneymaking potential in all circles. The Actors’ Equity Association disapproved of the ban and Kilian was able to perform on the stage to bring in an income. After the blacklist was over, Hollywood once again accepted him. Kilian was allowed to take on guest parts on television shows throughout the 1970s. In the popular TV series, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Kilian was known as the memorable “Fernwood Flasher,” (also known as grandpa).
Although his remains are located in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, the ghost of Kilian has been spotted elsewhere. In 1979, while living on his lonesome, robbers, who were up to no good in his Hollywood apartment dwelling, beat Kilian to death. Throughout the passing years, it is said that his ghost can be seem walking from the theatre to his apartment. Some claim that he is going through the motions and doing his regular routine, while others feel he is in search of his killers.
Inside the Grauman’s (or Mann’s) Chinese Theatre, workers have encountered strange events as well. Some claim to have heard unexplainable weird noises within the premises. There have also been unknown movements coming from the theatre’s curtain that have sent shivers down the spines of employees, who have thought to be the only ones in the theater at the time.
Located on 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, the theater was built in the late 1920s, soon becoming one of the most noticed and visited landmarks in the Southern California area. Throughout the years, the theater was the location of many movie premieres, as well as two Academy Award ceremonies. It was quite the hot spot in the movie world; even in the front of the establishment is decorated with an assortment of autographed cement blocks. The theater was established through Sid Grauman, but from 1973 to 2001, the theater was called Mann’s through bankruptcy proceedings. In 2002, the original name was once again restored.