Podcast Summary: "Cats at Holiday Parties and Movie Magic Milkshakes"

And That's Why We Drink – Episode 464
Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Date: December 28, 2025

Overview

In this lively and hilariously spooky episode, Christine and Em celebrate the weirdness of the holidays, share updates about their own lives (especially of the furry variety), and dig into what they do best: one explores the ghosts haunting a famous L.A. theater, while the other recounts a wild true crime tale from the Roaring Twenties. Expect playful banter, a roomful of inside jokes, and some genuinely jaw-dropping historical revelations.

Main Themes & Topics

• Holidays with pets & awkward party stories
• Behind-the-scenes production quirks (including live shows)
• Haunted Hollywood: The Ghosts of the Pantages Theater
• The True Crime Case of Clara Phillips, aka the "Tiger Woman"
• Recurring motifs: drinking games, live show nervousness, and the enduring value of a good milkshake (or smoothie in disguise)

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Starting Off: Holiday Chaos & Show Energy (02:02–05:41)

• Christine and Em joke about choosing their live show walk-out music.
• Christine recounts mishaps with her pets—her dog Gio’s escapades and the ordeal of leash-walking her new cat, Juniper.
  • Christine: “I want to give him options, okay?” (04:51)
• The hosts poke fun at their own professionalism ("We're professionals, right Em?" "Yes." – 02:32) and the reality of backstage nerves ("We were…sprawled out on the couches, like, hyperventilating…" – 02:35).

2. Audience Engagement: Why Do You Drink? & Drinking Game Rules (05:47–10:31)

• They ask the audience, "Why do you drink?" with Christine sharing pet stories and Em citing marathon travels for live shows.
• The hosts outline a drinking game for the audience:
  • Drink when Christine gasps, Em clears their throat, someone mentions "sweet baby Gio," or references sweating profusely.
  • Double drink for calling out "Hello, friends!" (09:34).
• Joking instructions: “Basically, you’re just gonna get really drunk.” – Em (08:58)

3. Ghost Story: The Haunted Pantages Theater (10:34–53:15)

History of the Pantages Theater (10:43–20:33)

• Built in 1930; once part of Alexander Pantages’ 80-theater circuit and later home to Hollywood’s glitziest events, including the Academy Awards (18:19).
• Scandals: Pantages’ assault accusation, court case, and subsequent sale of the theater (14:53–17:41).
• Restoration and modern status, with The Lion King’s success funding renovations (19:45–20:33).
  • Christine: "We're in the wrong industry, man." (20:33)

Paranormal Encounters

• Howard Hughes' Ghost:
  • Seen in a "smart suit" on the balcony and near his old office (21:59; 24:19).
  • Staff experience cold winds, the smell of cigar smoke (despite his reported hatred of cigars), unexplained banging, and drawers opening/closing (24:48–27:12).
  • Christine’s theory: “Maybe he really loved [cigars].” (26:24)
• The Woman in the Auditorium:
  • Died onstage in 1932, now sings (sometimes louder than living performers), especially during “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” (29:34–33:14).
  • Her voice has been caught on mics and monitors, unnerving staff and audiences.
• Other Apparitions:
  • Women in 1930s garb vanish mid-gossip in restrooms (22:59–23:29).
  • A little girl sings show tunes and turns lights back on after staff leave (49:01–49:14).
  • Ghost dog barks, brushes past people, and comforts them—beloved by staff (46:07–47:27).
  • Polite but strict “shadow man” appears if staff aren’t working (50:13–50:59).
  • Man in a hat (possibly Alexander Pantages) seen without torso or legs, floating in seats—“the creepiest one” (52:17–53:13).
• Memorable Line: “Imagine being like, oh, the room's empty. No...no, it's not.” – Christine (29:08)

Notable Audience Interaction:

• Christine is called out for gasping; Em’s throat-clearing triggers more drinking.
• Hosts connect historical figures and ghosts to personal quirks and inside jokes, e.g., repeatedly referencing “sweet baby Gio.”
• Christine about ghostly gossip: “Like, what did Angela do? I need to know!” (23:15)

4. True Crime Deep Dive: Clara Phillips, “Tiger Woman” (56:27–88:32)

Background (56:27–64:44)

• 1920s L.A., chorus girls Clara and Peggy reconnect after performing at the Pantages. Clara suspects her husband, Armour, is unfaithful with Alberta Meadows, a young widow.
• Christine brings up the era’s prevalence of young marriages and women’s jealousy (“She married him when she was, I think, 14. Woof, woof indeed.” – 64:27).

Murder & Infamy (67:34–80:43)

• Clara buys a hammer ("Is it heavy enough to kill a woman?" – 67:47) and, after setting up a fake shopping trip, bludgeons Alberta to death, then rolls a boulder onto her body (74:08).
• Christine: “...she rolls a fucking 50 pound boulder onto her chest to be like, well, this way she's really dead.” (74:33)
• Clara drags Peggy into her alibi, threatens her, and cleans up before returning to her doting husband, proclaiming, “Darling, I have killed the one you love most… now I’m going to cook you the best supper you ever had.” (76:29)

Trial, Escape, and Aftermath (80:43–88:32)

• At trial, Clara tries to pin the murder on Peggy; male jurors reportedly swayed by Clara’s looks, female jurors want her hanged (81:18–81:45).
• She is convicted of second-degree murder, then escapes jail with six hacksaws (!), but is recaptured in Honduras (82:04–83:29).
• While imprisoned: finds religion, trains as a dental technician, learns saxophone, writes a play (“Thank you, Clara, for your contributions to the arts. A Renaissance woman.” – 83:29).
• Released after 12 years due to a parole deal, greeted by crowds shouting "Tiger Woman!" (86:38).
• Gets divorced, while her ex-husband racks up his own list of run-ins with the law.

Best Quote – Clara's Jailhouse Interview (84:31):

“I don’t know whether I killed Alberta Meadows or not, but if I did, I did it for mother love… Armour L. Phillips is my baby… and when I realized he was being taken from me, I fought, fought, fought so that I might always have him.”
— Clara Phillips, dramatic jailhouse reading (84:31–85:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We're professionals, right Em?" – Christine (02:32)
• "Raise your hand. Okay. Here, here, here, here." – Christine, inviting audience participation (03:26)
• “I want to give him options, okay.” – Christine, justifying cat leash (04:51)
• "People have heard heavy footsteps in the hallways. When they're alone, they feel someone bump into them multiple times...which I guess I do." – Em (49:15)
• “We just want you to tell us what to do at this point, so this is a cry for help.” – Em (28:47)
• "[Clara] bought a hammer for 15 cents. ... She asked the clerk if he thought it was heavy enough to kill a woman.” – Christine (67:45)
• “Now I'm going to cook you the best supper you ever had.” – Christine quoting Clara (76:29)
• “She found religion... she trained to be a dental technician… she wrote and directed a play called A Satire of Stage Life... she organized a seven-piece orchestra.” – Christine listing Clara’s jail activities (83:31)
• “If you dream it, believe it.” – Christine reciting a “Disney quote” with dark irony (68:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:02 | Show start, walk-on music, holiday pet mishaps | | 05:47 | Why Do You Drink? hosts & audience stories | | 08:36 | Live show drinking game explained | | 10:34 | Em's haunted Pantages Theater story begins | | 14:53 | The Alexander Pantages scandal | | 21:59 | Howard Hughes’ ghost and other apparitions | | 29:34 | Ghostly woman who died onstage now singing | | 46:07 | The ghost dog and other spirits described | | 50:13 | The “polite” shadow man who polices the staff | | 52:17 | Man in a hat ghost (with missing torso/legs) | | 56:27 | Christine’s "Tiger Woman" true crime story begins | | 67:45 | Clara buys “the hammer” & murder unfolds | | 84:31 | Clara’s dramatic jailhouse "mother love" interview | | 86:38 | Clara’s release from prison; crowds greet her |

Conclusion & Final Notes

This episode is a perfect showcase of Christine and Em’s chemistry—mixing their signature wit, horror, and historical intrigue. Audiences get stories ranging from ghostly gossip in a grand old Hollywood theater to the jaw-dropping criminal exploits of a jealous chorus girl. The live show setting amplifies the energy and audience interaction, while their unscripted style leads to plenty of laughs and memorable one-liners. It’s the ideal blend of creepy, comedic, and chaotically charming—the very reason “And That’s Why We Drink.”

For more eerie tales and true crime, pour yourself a glass (or a milkshake) and listen to the whole episode!