Search Results for: 1920s

Hollywood’s past is as colorful and intriguing as the movie roles its filmmakers create for our favorite stars. Since the movie industry exploded in this little piece of land in Los Angeles, the public has been fascinated not just by the movies, but more so with the intriguing aspects of our favorite actors’ personal lives. From hook-ups to clandestine extra-marital affairs to cat fights to mysterious deaths, we always love a good scandal to spice up our mundane lives. Yes, we inadvertently seek entertainment in the tumultuous lives of our favorite public figures. One of the more intriguing aspects of Hollywood is anything that has to do with the supernatural. We love hearing the actors recount stories about ghost sightings in the studios where they film or the homes they live in. But what’s more fascinating to hear are tales about celebrities from beyond the grave. Usually the dearly departed who manifest themselves to the living are those who died way before their time or under mysterious circumstances. Here are some famous folk who are said to be making their presence felt in some of the decades-old homes that dot Hollywood. 1. Errol Flynn vintag.es Flynn was Hollywood's original bad boy. In the 1940s, he was famous for the lavish, decadent parties he threw at his estate in the Hollywood Hills. In 1959, Flynn's hard-partying ways caught up to him and he died. For a while there were no signs of paranormal activity in Flynn's old home. But in 1980, things started to get weird. The new owner's daughter reported all sorts of ghostly happenings. Could it have been Flynn still partying from beyond the grave? 2. George Reeves vintag.es Reeves' claim to fame was playing Superman in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman. However, at age 45, Reeves' career was failing and he took his own life. Not long after, the house was sold to new owners who reported hearing strange sounds coming from Reeves' former bedroom. A documentary crew doing a film on Reeves' life even claims to have seen his spirit walking around the house in his full Superman costume. 3. Al Capone Many people don't know that Al Capone, the most infamous prohibition-era gangster, was an avid banjo player. It's said that Capone's spirit still haunts his old cell at Alcatraz Prison. A guard at the prison reported that during his shifts, he would often hear banjo music coming from Capone's former cell. 4. Lucille Ball vintag.es Lucille Ball is arguably one of the most influential female performers of the last 100 years. When she died at age 77 in 1989, she left more than just a great legacy. According to the new owners of her former home, intense paranormal activity is the norm. For example, they say there are often loud voices coming from the attic as if there's a party going on up there. 5. Marilyn Monroe Monroe's ghost likes to get around Hollywood. Since her apparent suicide in 1962, Monroe's ghost has been spotted at her former home, at her tomb at the Westwood Memorial Cemetery, and even in a full-length mirror at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. 6. Mary Pickford vintag.es Silent film actress Mary Pickford was a massive celebrity in the 1920s. She and her second husband moved into an allegedly haunted mansion where they lived until her death in 1979. Not long after, the hauntings at the house increased. Her husband believed the spirit he kept seeing was Pickford. The historic mansion has since been demolished. 7. Elvis Presley While Elvis conspiracies abound, it's very likely that the king of rock and roll is in fact dead. This fact is backed up by reports that Elvis' spirit has taken up a new home in Nashville — the building where he recorded "Heartbreak Hotel." These days the space is occupied by a TV production company. Allegedly, every time someone mentions the name "Elvis," the paranormal activity begins. 8. Rudolph Valentino vintag.es Valentino was a Hollywood heartthrob. However, at the age of 31, Valentino passed away due to complications with his ulcer. It's said that his ghost still haunts his old home. Visitors say they have spotted a ghostly face looking out from the second floor window. Others have even reported seeing his spirit hanging out at Studio Five at Paramount Studios. 9. Harry Houdini Swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn’s home is said to be dwelled in by his spirit. It's no surprise that he's still attached to it even in the afterlife, as the actor was said to have built it from the ground up. Flynn initially had a modest ranch-style home put up and he added little amenities a bit at a time through the years. After his death, the property was eventually purchased by singer Ricky Nelson, whose daughter reported many mysterious happenings, as stated in Business Insider. Strange sounds like things being thrown at walls and glass breaking were assumed to be the doing of Flynn’s spirit. 10. Joan Crawford vintag.es Joan Crawford was one of the most prolific actresses of her time, often pitted against fellow legend Bette Davis. Her career spanned almost 45 years, according to the Legends of America website, but her personal life wasn't quite as prolific as her professional one. Her daughter wrote a book entitled “Mommy Dearest” where she revealed the abuses and cruelty of the actress as a mother. The house where Crawford and her children lived in was called Crawford House and it's said that her spirit, among several others, still roams its premises. 11. Abraham Lincoln vintag.es There's no doubt that the White House is filled with spirits, due to its long and colorful history, from members of the first family to servants to staff to the former presidents themselves. The most popular spiritual dweller in the Washington, DC property is none other than former president Abraham Lincoln. Several presidents and first ladies have recounted instances of seeing “a tall, gaunt figure in several rooms of the residence,” as written in the Legends of America website. Lincoln's ghost is most often seen at the Oval Office, where he'd stand by the window and gaze at the Potomac River during the Civil War. 12. Jean Harlow Before Marilyn Monroe, there was Jean Harlow, who many in Hollywood have dubbed the original “blonde bombshell.” According to the Legends of America website, Harlow married MGM studio executive Paul Bern, but it was a tumultuous marriage, as Bern was rumored to have been physically abusive of his wife. He committed suicide in the bedroom of their home and five years later, Harlow passed away at the young age of 26 due to kidney failure. It's said that both Harlow and Bern's spirits still roam the mansion til this day. 13. Virginia Hill For those not in the know, Virginia Hill was an organized crime figure in the 1940s, according to Business Insider. Dubbed as a mob queen because of her ties to several gang leaders, she was the lover of notorious gangster Bugsy Siegel, who was gunned down by a mysterious assailant right inside the home. Nine shots fired through a window did him in and resulted in his instant death. Witnesses have claimed that Siegel's spirit still wanders Hill's home, some even claiming that he's seen trying to duck, which was most likely one of his last movements before the bullets finally hit him. 14. Clifton Webb The ghost of actor Clifton Webb (the original "Mr. Belvedere" in the 1947 comedy "Sitting Pretty") supposedly haunts the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum (where he is buried) at Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, next to Paramount Studios in Hollywood. (He is entombed in a hallway called the Sanctuary of Peace, inside the huge mausoleum). Others have reported seeing the same ghost at Clifton Webb's old home, at 1005 Rexford Drive, in Beverly Hills. 15. Thelma Todd Thelma Todd was a young actress who, during the early 1930's, had co-starred in a number of classic comedies with the Marx Brothers ("Horse Feathers," "Monkey Business"), Laurel & Hardy, and Buster Keaton. She also ran a beachside café, located at 17575 Pacific Coast Highway, between Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Thelma died in 1935 under mysterious circumstances. She was found dead in her car, still parked in the garage above her café. It was ruled an accidental suicide, yet the bloody scene suggested a murder, and many people suspected a cover-up. Today, her old café is owned by Paulist Productions, and employees there have reported seeing Thelma Todd's ghost walking down the staircase. Psychics have reported smelling exhaust fumes in her old garage above the café (at 17531 Posetano Road). Credits: vintag.es Share this story on Facebook with your friends. Related: 11 Chilling Crime Scene Photos Involving Celebrities Unsuspected Celebrity Mugshots