Hollywood Hotels

Many of the grand, old hotels of yesterday are still trying to hang on to the glamour that once made them famous. The hotels of Hollywood were luxurious pleasure palaces where the stars of days gone by went to dine, dance and rendezvous with secret lovers. As the hotels have taken time to revamp themselves over the years so have they stirred up spirits from the past.

The Knickerbocker Hotel was built in 1925. When it first opened its doors it was a luxury apartment building and became a hotel later on. One of the attractions at the hotel was the Renaissance Revival Bar. A frequent guest here was Rudolph Valentino, the silent screen star. He loved to dance the tango to the live music performed here.

The hotel lobby featured a huge crystal chandelier which in 1925 cost over $120,000. Under this same chandelier famed film director D.W. Griffith died of a stroke in 1948. At the time of his death he had become a recluse. Forgotten by his peers he lived a lonely existence at the Knickerbocker. His time was mostly spent at the hotel bar talking to anyone who would listen telling them of how it had been. It was only years after his death that he was recognized as the genius he truly was.

Another Knickerbocker tragedy was actress Frances Farmer. Her life was portrayed by Jessica Lange in a 1932 film. Frances made her film debut in 1936 in "Too Many Parents". Over the next 6 years she appeared in 18 films, 3 Broadway plays, 30 major radio shows and 7 stock company productions. At the time she was only 27 years old. While her professional career went flying high her personal life started falling apart. After a failed marriage and many disastrous relationships Frances turned to alcohol and started taking amphetamines to control her weight. In January of 1943 she starred in the film "No Escape". However her drinking and erratic behavior began causing problems on the set. Frances got herself into a fight and was arrested at the Knickerbocker. The police arrived, took her from her room and dragged her half-naked through the hotel lobby. The following morning in court she was placed under psychiatric care. The diagnosis was that she was suffering from "manic-depressive psychosis". Francis was sent to the screen actor’s sanitarium in La Crescenta. Over the next 7 years she was bound by psychiatric treatment and the abuse she suffered would strip her of both her sanity and her talent.

At the asylum Frances was given insulin treatments which caused her to go into shock. As a result of this she suffered from brain damage and was unable to concentrate or learn her lines. Frances was convinced that this would destroy her and she escaped from the hospital only to be recaptured in March of 1944. Afterwards she was admitted to the Washington State Hospital where she was made to undergo electroshock treatments and ice water baths. Released in May of 1945 she was again hospitalized this time for 5 years.

In those days conditions at the hospital were worse than barbaric. Criminals, patients and mentally retarded people were housed together and their meals were thrown on the floor for them to fight over. Frances was once again given electroshock treatments and in addition she was prostituted to soldiers from the local military base and repeatedly raped and abused by hospital orderlies. To make matters worse Frances was given a lobotomy. She was eventually freed from the hospital. She never again became the star she once was and finally died at the age of 56 from esophageal cancer in 1970.

There have been stories that say that author William Faulkner and Meta Carpenter, a script girl from the Fox Studios had a lengthy affair at the Knickerbocker. Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio honeymooned at the hotel in 1954 and Elvis Presley frequently stayed there. While Elvis was filming "Love Me Tender" in 1956 he posed for "Heartbreak Hotel" photos in one of the rooms. Among the many other stars who came and went at the Knickerbocker were rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, Mae West, Lana Turner, Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Sinatra, and Laurel and Hardy. Actor William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz on the "I Love Lucy" show, lived at the hotel for decades. Frawley was walking into the Knickerbocker in March of 1966 when he dropped dead of a heart attack on the sidewalk outside.

One of the strangest tragedies happened in November of 1962. It had to do with the suicide of Irene Gibbons, a costume designer at MGM. Irene designed costumes for many famous actresses such as Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Claudette Colbert, Hedy LaMarr, Judy Garland, Lana Turner and others. Later in her career she worked on several Doris Day films. In 1962 Doris Day noticed that Irene was upset and nervous. She confided to Day that she was in love with actor Gary Cooper and that he was the only man she had ever loved. Unfortunately Gary Cooper had died in 1961. Then on November 15 Irene booked a room at the Knickerbocker under an assumed name. In that room Irene slashed her wrists but this didn’t prove to be immediately fatal. So then she jumped to her death from her window on the 14th floor. Irene’s body wound up on the hotel’s awning where it was discovered later that same night.

The first thing of a supernatural occurrence happened at the Knickerbocker during an anniversary séance to contact the spirit of magician Harry Houdini. Houdini made a pact with his wife and friends that if it could be possible to make contact from the other side he would do so. So for ten years after his death his wife Bess Houdini continued to hold séances in hope of communicating with him. The last "official" Houdini séance was held on Halloween night 1936.

Bess Houdini, a group of friends and fellow magicians gathered on the roof of the Knickerbocker Hotel. They finally gave up after trying to contact Houdini for over an hour. At the moment that they gave up a violent thunderstorm broke out, drenching them all and terrifying them with horrific lightning and thunder. Later on they learned that this sudden storm didn’t occur anywhere else in Hollywood only on top of the Knickerbocker Hotel. Some speculated that this may have been a Houdini show.

Although Houdini’s spirit has never been reported to have been seen at the Knickerbocker it is considered to be haunted. The most haunted place being the hotel bar. Therefore when the Knickerbocker closed in 1971 and became a senior citizens retirement home, the old bar was sealed off. The rooms remained closed and unused for nearly 25 years until the early 1990s. It was then reopened as a nostalgic coffee shop called "The All-Star Theater Café & Speakeasy". This art deco café opens at 7 in the evening until the wee hours of the morning. It frequently attracts studio wrap parties and film shoots, playing host to celebrities like Sandra Bullock and Leonardo Di Caprio.

There are occasional visits from stars that have long gone from this world. The entities that have been spotted are Valentino and Marilyn Monroe who has been seen in the women’s restroom. Staff members also recall times when lights would turn on and off by themselves and thing would move about on their own. Perhaps some of these entities think that they are still at the Knickerbocker.

In 1906 The Alexandria Hotel opened in Hollywood. It became a meeting place for the film industry and by 1910 the dining room had become a place for studio heads, famous actors and actresses to have lunch in. During it’s golden years the Alexandria Hotel played host to people like Winston Churchill, Enrico Caruso, King Edward VIII and American presidents such as Taft, Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. It was at the Alexandria that D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks made movie history by announcing the formation of their independent company, United Artists.

But as Los Angeles started developing in a westerly direction the stars abandoned the Alexandria for more modern hotels like the Biltmore and the Ambassador. The Alexandria became just a memory and fell into disrepair. Then in the early 1970s the hotel was given a multi-million dollar reconstruction. Nancy Malone and Lisa Mitchell were hired to bring back old Hollywood to the hotel. They named rooms after the hotel’s former famous residents and decorated the hallways with portraits of stars and photographs of Hollywood’s golden era.

When author Laurie Jacobson interviewed Nancy Malone she remembered her first sighting of the hotel’s famed "lady in black". While hanging pictures on the wall in a hallway in the early morning hours Nancy spotted a woman dressed in black with a large black hat. The woman was standing at the other end of the hall and began walking away. Nancy remembered that she could not see through the woman yet "she wasn’t solid either". The "lady in black" walked a short distance and then disappeared. No one knows who the lady is but she continues to be seen.

The most famous, haunted hotel in Hollywood is the Hollywood Roosevelt. Today it has been refurbished and remodeled but the spirits of days gone by are still there. The Hollywood Roosevelt opened its doors in 1927 and served the movie industry as a luxury hotel. The grand opening hosted celebrities like Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Will Rogers, Clara Bow, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. The hotel was popular for many years to come and underwent restoration in 1984.

The first unusual event happened in December of 1985 two weeks before the grand re-opening. Alan Russell, the personal assistant to the General Manager was in the Blossom Room. This was the room where the first Academy Awards banquet was held in 1929. While sweeping the floor Alan noticed an extremely cold spot in one part of the room. He and other employees could find no explanation for it because there were no drafts or air conditioners going. Psychics, who have investigated the hotel, believe that a man in black clothing haunts the Blossom Room but no one knows who he may have been.

On this same day in December another employee Suzanne Leonard was dusting a mirror in the manager’s office. She looked into the glass and saw the reflection of a blond woman. Turning around quickly she saw no one behind her but the reflection remained for some time before fading away. Later it was discovered that this mirror once hung in Suite 1200 which was frequently used by Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps she still visited the Roosevelt.

Marilyn Monroe was born as Norma Jean Mortenson in 1926. She knew neither her mother nor her father and lived in a foster home and later on in an orphanage. In 1942 Marilyn met Jim Dougherty and married him on June 19th. When he was sent overseas during the war Norma Jean worked in a factory inspecting parachutes. In 1944 she was photographed by the Army as a promotion to show women on the assembly line contributing to the war effort. She was asked by one of the photographers to let him take more pictures of her. By the following spring Norma had appeared on 33 covers of national magazines.

In July of 1944 she signed a contract with Fox and selected a new name for herself, Marilyn Monroe. She got a minor part in "Scudda-Hog" and her first divorce in the fall. In 1949 she met agent Johnny Hyde of the William Morris Agency who became her lover. That year she agreed to pose nude for a calendar and her career was up and rising. Marilyn’s first major role was in 1950 in "The Asphalt Jungle" followed by "Don’t Bother to Knock" in 1952. 1952 was also the year Marilyn met baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and fell in love. She also began filming "Niagara" with Joseph Cotton. This film would establish her stardom but "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Jane Russell made her a legend.

On January 14, 1954 Marilyn and DiMaggio were married making headlines all over the world. It only lasted until the fall of 1954 when they separated and were later divorced. Marilyn’s career continued skyrocketing as she filmed her classic role in the "Seven Year Itch". In early 1955 intent on being a serious actress Marilyn went to New York and joined the Actors Studio. In New York she renewed her acquaintance with playwright Arthur Miller. This led to an affair and later marriage. She returned to Hollywood in February of 1956 to film "Bus Stop" returning to New York in June. On June 29, 1956 she married Arthur Miller and divorced him in 1961.

During the time Marilyn was married to Arthur she went to London with him and didn’t return to Hollywood until 1958 to film "Some Like It Hot" with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. At this time her health deteriorated and she became dependent on drugs, especially sleeping pills. In 1960 Marilyn began seeing Dr. Ralph Greenson "psychoanalyst to the stars". Since such things were common at that time he relied heavily on prescribing barbiturates and tranquilizers to accompany his therapy.

In July of 1960 began filming of "The Misfits" based on a short story by Arthur Miller. However on location he and Marilyn lived in separate quarters and hardly spoke to each other. The filming of "The Misfits"’ would be marred by tragedy. On the day after the film was completed, co-star Clark Gable suffered a serious heart attack and died.

Marilyn purchased a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles in 1961. She also hired a housekeeper Eunice Murray because her doctor urged her to do so. It was also the year that Marilyn began having her alleged affair with President John F. Kennedy and was also reported as having an affair with his brother, Robert Kennedy all in the days before her death.

In 1962 Marilyn was fired from Fox on June 7th. At this time Marilyn had started seeing Joe DiMaggio again and had agreed to remarry him on August 8th. She was rehired by Fox on August 1 to complete the film "Something’s Got to Give". Here fate stepped in and things took a tragic turn Marilyn died on August 5, 1962 she was just 36 years old. Her death remains shrouded in mystery - some say suicide other say she was helped to the other side. And me - what do I say - I feel shivers looking at her date of birth 1926 and her date of death 1962 they do say there is something in numbers as well, or is it just me?

The haunted mirror still hangs at the Roosevelt and can now be found in the lower level elevator landing. They say that some visitors still catch a glimpse of a beautiful blond in the glass and some believe that Marilyn’s sad life has been permanently impressed in the glass.

As guests began to arrive at the newly refurbished Roosevelt the staff heard of other encounters. Guests would frequently complain about loud talking in nearby rooms and voices in the hallways. Rooms and hallways that would prove to be empty. Phones lifted from receivers in empty suites, lights turned on in locked rooms, a maid pushed into a supply closet, a typewriter typing by itself in the middle of the night in an empty, locked office, a man in a white suit seen by 3 different people on 2 different days walking through a door and vanishing, extra bedspreads hanging on a rod moving on their own, a little girl seen playing in the lobby and then vanishing and much more. There have been employees who have reported strange shadows on the 9th floor and refused to work there. Strange things have been connected to Room 928. Here housekeepers have reported cold spots that brush by them and other have felt a strong presence watching them or walking beside them. One night in 1992 a female guest reported that a man’s hand had patted her on the shoulder while she was reading. She turned thinking it was her husband and found him to be fast asleep.

Room 928 has been most often connected with actor Montgomery Clift who lived in this room for 3 months in 1952 while filming "From Here To Eternity". Clift was known to restlessly pace his room and the hallway outside while rehearsing his lines and practicing the bugle. Some say he still does this…

Montgomery Clift was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1920. He was the son of a Wall Street stockbroker and traveled all over the world with his family and private tutors. When Wall Street crashed in 1929 the family moved to a small house in Sarasota, Florida. Here Clift started becoming interested in acting at the age of 13. After moving to Massachusetts Clift auditioned and won a part on Broadway at the age of 17. For the next 3 years he played a number of leading roles on Broadway. When United Artists in Hollywood finally agreed to what Clift wanted he was cast alongside John Wayne and Walter Brennan in one of the most famous westerns of all time "Red River". Later he would appear in several films with Elizabeth Taylor - "A Place in the Sun", "Raintree County" and "Suddenly Last Summer".

He appeared in the film "From Here To Eternity" with Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and Clift was nominated for Best Actor. It was around this time that Clift’s personal life was rumored about. Rumors about homosexuality and clandestine affairs. On May 1957 Clift attended a dinner party at Elizabeth Taylor’s. Driving home he veered off the road and collided with a telephone pole. The accident left him with a broken jaw and nose, two missing teeth and severe facial lacerations that required facial surgery. He recovered and was able to complete the filming of "Raintree County".

Afterwards Clift went on to star in 7 more films, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in "Judgment at Nuremburg". He also co-starred in "The Misfits" which was Marilyn Monroe’s and Clark Gable’s last movie. In 1962 he was cast for "The Defector" which would be his last role. Clift died in 1966 waiting to star in a new role with Elizabeth Taylor. He apparently suffered a heart attack at the age of 46 but there were rumors of suicide. He is remembered today as one of the great actors of all time and a continuing guest at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.