Unnamed Co-Host (10:27)

Eventually, the chatter dwindled, the guests filtered.

Aaron Manke (10:29)

Out, and then, as Clift drove down the lonesome road, he lost control of his car, colliding with a telephone pole. According to legend, fellow actor Rock Hudson pulled Clift from the wreck. Elizabeth Taylor herself held him in her arms, her friend's blood pooling on her mink coat. As Clift began to choke, the horrified onlookers realized that he was in fact, choking on his own teeth. Taylor pried open his mouth, stuffed her hand down his throat and yanked the teeth free. Montgomery Clift was one of the most successful movie stars of his generation. With swoon, worthy good looks and a fierce dedication to his acting craft, he Gained worldwide fans from his work on stage and screen alike. His sexuality was an accepted open secret in Hollywood at the time. And in the words of his partner, Lorenzo James, being with Clift was like standing in front of a fireplace in the dead of winter. In other words, this guy was beloved. And now he was broken in the middle of the road. And yet, somehow, Clift survived, but barely. His movie star good looks were destroyed. His jaw broken in four places, his cheekbones fractured, his nose split in half. Months of reconstructive surgery led the actor down a path of drug and alcohol addiction, and that was that. In a very real sense, death waited for Montgomery Cliff in the bottom of a liquor bottle. A decade later, at only 45 years old, he would be gone. Well, at least gone from the mortal realm. But if the legends are true, he is said to walk the halls of none other than the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. He had a connection to the place, too. You see, in 1953, he lived there for three months while filming Best Picture From Here to Eternity. Apparently, while in residence, he was infamous for wandering around the halls, reciting his lines out loud, and even playing the bugle like his character did in the film. Which was honestly, totally unnecessary, as he knew full well that a professional would be dubbing over the music in the movie anyway. But that didn't stop the guy from tooting away on the thing day and night in the halls of the Roosevelt. Yeah, suffice to say, he wasn't super popular with his fellow guests. And he appears to have continued these habits in death, because to this day, angry guests will call the front desk begging that something be done about the incessant bugling wafting through their rooms. Bugling, of course, with no human player attached, Montgomery Cliff's ghost hasn't only been heard, but also seen walking the corridors like he did in life. Some people have even felt him brush up against them. But the most intense interactions take place in room 928 and Cliff's former room from all those years ago. Guests there insist that he's turning up the heat and flipping on the radio, Open and shut the windows, even move luggage around the room. One woman staying in 928 awoke in the dead of night to see a man in a top hat sitting on her suitcase, gazing out the window. Montgomery Clift may have checked out of the mortal realm, but it seems he forgot to check out of the Roosevelt Hotel. And he isn't the only lingering presence there. No, it seems that one of Cliff's co stars stuck around as well, and you might have heard of her. Her name is Marilyn Monroe. Now, when I say tragic Hollywood starlet, she is surely the blonde bombshell that comes to mind. And most of us are familiar with her tale of woe, her humble beginnings as Norma Jean, her rise to stardom, her iconic roles in films such as Some Like It Hot and and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. And of course, who could forget that sultry rendition of Happy Birthday crooned at jfk? And you probably also know that she led a difficult life riddled with mental illness, physical hardship and drug abuse, ultimately culminating in a fatal, deliberate overdose on sleeping pills at the young age of 36. But what you may not know about Marilyn is that she spent a full two years living in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It was back in the very beginning of her career. In fact, her very first professional magazine shoot as a model took place at none other than that infamous Roosevelt swimming pool. Today, her former room is known as the Maryland Suite. And many believe that, like Montgomery Clift, a little something of Maryland clings to the space, refusing to move on. One story that stands out dates to mid December of 1985, just before the hotel reopened after extensive renovations. Now, that detail is important because apparently many of the Roosevelt's ghost stories come from around the same time. It's believed that the construction sort of, well, stirred up the spirits and caused a bit of an otherworldly rampage. But let's start at the beginning. When Marilyn Monroe had lived at the hotel, she had requested a full length mirror framed with dark wood to be placed in her room. She was a model, after all. A good mirror was a tool of the trade. Well, after her death, the mirror was moved to the hotel manager's office. And there it sat, gathering dust. Too much dust, apparently, because on one fateful day in 1985, a hotel employee named Suzanne took it upon herself to clean the glass. As she swept a cloth across the mirror's face, Suzanne froze. There, right where her hand was dusting, hovered the reflection of a woman. A woman, whose hair, I might add, was unmistakably blonde. Whipping around, Suzanne turned to speak to the girl, but no one was there. She turned back to her work, and there she was again, trapped in the shimmering silver glass. Now, okay, there might be a reasonable explanation for all of this. According to skeptic Joe Nickell, the cleaner probably experienced a moment of pareidolia, which is the brain's tendency to see recognizable patterns, such as faces where there are none. Our brains hate randomness and will do anything to replace chaos. With good sense. If you've ever lain in a meadow and picked images out of the clouds, then you know what I mean. So could Suzanne have mistaken a swirl of cleaning fluid for a dead movie star? Maybe. But maybe not. I guess we'll never know. Oh, and by the way, Marilyn and Montgomery Clift didn't just frequent the same haunts in death, but in life as well. They actually appeared in a movie together. Just one. Supposedly, Clift was brought onto the project not just for his acting chops, but to be a soothing companion to Marilyn. Maybe it was because they were going through similar addiction battles. Maybe it was just because Clift was a really nice guy. But whatever the case, the scheme didn't work. Little did they know, but the film called the Misfits, would be Marilyn Monroe's final move. And in Marilyn's own words, King Clift was, and I quote, the only person I know who was in even worse shape than I am. And honestly, there's something poignant about imagining Marilyn and Montgomery together, eternal companions in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, two tragic figures with similar downfalls. Clift may have failed to save Monroe in life, but perhaps now they're saving each other in death. It happened twice in the exact same way. First to a painter and then to an electrician. Both were restoring a former Hollywood movie palace which had long since fallen into disrepair. As the painter swept his brush across the auditorium ceiling, a man in a hat joined him on the scaffold. The painter hadn't seen the man before, but he must have been a higher up at the theater, because the man in the hat took it upon himself to inspect the painter's work. He stood close to the painter, perhaps close enough for the painter to feel the visitor's breath. If he had breath, that is. Because when the painter turned to look, the man in the hat had vanished without a trace. The scene repeated itself shortly after, this time with the electrician. Once again, the worker was up on that same scaffold. And once again, a man in a hat climbed up beside him to inspect his work, just as the painter had reported. When the electrician turned to look at the man, he had disappeared. Now, if you're waiting for the rule of threes to bring the ghost back one last time and solve this mystery, you will be disappointed. The workers would never see the man again, in part because after the encounters, both immediately and quit their jobs. And look, there are obvious holes in this story. If the man in the hat disappeared when looked at, then how did the witness know he was wearing a hat to begin with? How did they know that it was a man? Did they merely hear the scaffold creaking and mistake it for footsteps, letting their mind fill in the rest? Heck, did the painter and electrician even exist to begin with? Or is the whole thing just a tall tale? And this is the thing with ghost stories. Sometimes you have to dig and dig until you hit the bottom, landing on solid, something true. And with the story of the man in the hat, well, there is only one element of the tale that is undeniably, irrefutably real. The theater in which the tale is set. It's called the Pantages Theater, and it's no stranger to ghost stories. Since its founding nearly a century ago, the Pantages has collected countless rumors of spooks and specters haunting its stage. Located about a mile down Hollywood Boulevard from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the theater was built by and named for Alexander Pant, a major player in the 1920s vaudeville scene. Now, I highly recommend looking up a photo of the place because its opulence truly needs to be seen to be believed. But I'll do my best to describe it to you now anyway. Opened on June 4th of 1930, the movie palace looked like, well, a palace designed to be a cinema and live vaudeville theater alike. It is a stunning two story art deco building with an elaborately carved stone facade and shining marquee. The interior is lit with massive chandeliers dripping like stalactites from the vaulted arched ceiling. Two grand staircases flank the lobby featuring Egyptian and assyro Babylonian style statues. One statue even depicts a film crew in action, gleaming like gods. And then of course, there is the stage itself. A massive proscenium of dazzling lights and pooling velvet curtains, all encased in an intricate gold and bronze geometric frame. The Pantages isn't just a theater, it's a cathedral worshipping the art of cinema and its loyal congregation. That would be practically every movie star in the golden age of Hollywood who all showed up on its opening night to take in the Splendor. Alexander Pantages himself owned the theater for only a couple of years before financial troubles forced him to sell it to Fox in 1932. It changed hands again in 1949 when inventor and producer Howard Hughes purchased the building. And he ruled Pantages, now renamed the RKO Pantages with an iron fist, firing many employees in an anti communist purge. Maintaining an apartment office and private screening room of his own on the second floor, Hughes was king of the castle until 1955, and he was quite a character, to say the least. In addition to owning RKO Pictures, one of the biggest film production studios of the Golden Age, he was also an avid contributor to aviation science. He spent much of the 30s and 40s beating all sorts of airspeed records as one of the richest people in the world. And he used his wealth to design and build innovative aircrafts, the likes of which science had never seen before. And he was also famously reclusive. Debilitating OCD cursed him with a terror of contagion and germs so strong that he retreated into complete seclusion. And midway through his tenure at the Pantages, he sealed himself away from the outside world forever. Time went on. The theater changed hands again, from vaudeville to talkies to color and touring Broadway shows. Entertainment transformed, and then the Pantages transformed with it. But then again, some elements seemed to become frozen forever in time, like, for example, a certain ghostly man in a hat, because the figure reported by the painter and the electrician is said to be none other than Alexander Pantages or Howard Hughes, keeping an eye on their beloved theater. And Howard Hughes popped up in other ghost stories as well. In 1992, an executive assistant working on the second floor was said to have seen an apparition in a men's suit walking down the hall and around the corner toward where Hughes kept his office. Others have spotted him sitting in the back row of the balcony, watching actors rehearse on stage before live shows. In the 1980s, construction workers doing renovations reported feeling an eerie presence, accompanied by a cold breeze and the scent of cigarette smoke. While in the 1990s, bangs and thumps reverberated throughout the second floor. This, by the way, was shortly after a break in which some say, upset the spirits. But it's not just theater owners who haunt the place. Take the story of the helpful ghost who, when the power went out, gently led a disoriented wardrobe assistant by the elbow until she safely reached an exit. Or the tale of a woman who died in the theater's mezzanine while watching a movie in 1932. In some versions of the legend, she died of natural causes. In others, she took her own life. Whatever the case, she was said to have been an aspiring singer, evidenced by the ethereal voice rising from the empty mezzanine. Some say she is still trying to audition for a production, but hoping for her big break. And apparently ghosts can even learn something new because she seems to be an Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, often singing tunes from Joseph and the Amazing. Technicolor Dreamcoat and Phantom of the Opera, both of which were written far after 1932. Although, then again, maybe the logic of dates doesn't matter, because, you see, there is no historical record of any woman ever dying on that mezzanine floor, which obviously leaves us with one single burning. Who, then is up there singing? When it comes to ghost stories, it can be hard to parse fact from fiction. But in the end, maybe the veracity isn't what matters. Perhaps what matters is why they're told. By 1916, there were more than 21,000 movie palaces across America. So, out of all that bounty, what made the Pantages so special? Why do people still see ghosts there over the rest? Well, to answer that, we have to broaden the lens and look into what came next. The golden age of cinema coincided with one of the most economically lavish decades in American history, the Jazz Age. It was a time of glamour and wealth, effervescent parties and beaded gowns. But just as the Pantages prepared to lay its foundation, the stock market crashed. What followed, of course, was the Great depression of the 1930s. Here was a building embodying absolute opulence. Opulence that continued to gleam through the Depression and the Dust bowl, throughout the ravages of World War II, through the Cold War, Vietnam and beyond, into the age of the vhs, the dvd, the Internet. It outlived the very movie stars who graced its silver screens. In other words, this building represented a bygone world. And the Pantages Theater wasn't just any old building or any old Cinema. Of all 21,000, it was the very last of Hollywood's opulent movie palaces, the final death throes of that glittering past. And I can't help but notice how many of these ghost stories seem to have cropped up in the 1980s and 90s, right when those final 1920s movie stars would be passing away with their deaths. The Roaring Twenties slipped into the realm of myth. And with that myth came a longing for all that it the carefree glitz and grandeur. In the end, one might say that these ghost stories don't reflect what the dead want at all, but the desires of the living. The lights in the cinema may be dim, but the silver screen is bright, dancing with players who have long since crossed to the other side. They sing and dance and kiss, just as they did in life. Today, to wander through the Pantages is to catch a glimpse of a vanished world, not just on screen, but in the very walls. The chandeliers and stairwells, the moonlit marquee. Miraculously, the past is resurrected. In other words, what is the Pantages theater itself but a ghost? I hope today's trip to the cinema gave you the entertainment you were looking for. It never ceases to amaze me how many of the normal, seemingly mundane parts of our lives actually have shadows in every corner. The Pantages may have been the last haunted theater, but it certainly wasn't the only one in Hollywood rumored to be inhabited by ghosts. In fact, there's one more that's just a mere stroll away. Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear all about it.

Unnamed Co-Host (28:18)

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Men today face immense pressure to perform, to provide, and to keep it all together. So it's no wonder that 6 million men in the US suffer from depression every year, and it's often undiagnosed. It's okay to struggle, but if you're a man and you're feeling the weight of the world, talk to someone. A friend, A loved one.

Aaron Manke (28:36)

A therapist.

Unnamed Co-Host (28:37)

I know how important and helpful therapy can be, and it isn't just for folks who have experienced major trauma. Therapy is helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries in your life, and it can empower you to be the best version of yourself. With over 35,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an App store rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars based on over 1.7 million client reviews. It's convenient too. You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life plus switch therapists at any time. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Talk it out with BetterHelp our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com lore that's BetterHelp h e l p.com lore this episode was also sponsored by Warby Parker. I don't think I know anyone who loves buying new glasses. The exam Picking out the frames, wondering.

Aaron Manke (29:40)

If they'll work for you.

Unnamed Co-Host (29:41)

I've been there many times and it is definitely frustrating, but Warby Parker changed all that. Warby Parker glasses start at $95 and and include prescription lenses with anti reflective scratch resistant coatings. They use nothing but premium materials in each frame and design every frame in house with a collection of silhouettes, colors and fits made to suit every face. You can shop them online at home or in one of their over 270 retail locations across the US and Canada where you can get styled by one of their friendly expert advisors. Many Warby Parker locations even offer comprehensive eye exams starting at $85 and they offer free shipping and and free 30 day returns. Now full confession. I'm getting older. I mean I wasn't young when I started this show 10 years ago, which means that I now wear progressive lenses which are more complicated to get just right. So naturally, like you probably I was worried that buying them online would be too tricky for the thing that I needed them to do. But the ordering process was a breeze and these glasses which I am wearing right now in the booth are absolutely amazing. Warby Parker has over 270 locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to warbyparker.com lore right now to try on any pair virtually. That's warbyparker.com lore warbyparker.com lore this episode was also sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform designed to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you are just starting out or you're scaling your growing business, Squarespace gives you everything that you need all in one place. Now as a former graphic designer, I know firsthand how tough it can be to craft a brand and a website around who you are and what you do, but Squarespace makes it so incredibly easy. Squarespace gives you everything you need to offer services and get paid all in one place. From consultations to events and experiences. Showcase your offerings with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. Get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments and streamline your workflow with built in appointment scheduling. Squarespace has cutting edge tools that are meant to give you the boost you need to craft a beautiful site around you and your brand. Their library of professionally designed award winning website templates lets you use drag and drop editing, beautiful styling options and unrivaled visual design effects. No experience required and Squarespace uses basic information about your industry, your goals and your personality to generate personalized design recommendations. Plus their Squarespace email campaigns option has all the tools you need to engage clients, promote your services and grow your business.

Aaron Manke (32:12)

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Unnamed Co-Host (32:13)

Head over to squarespace.com lore for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use the offer code lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Squarespace Build something beautiful and finally this episode was made possible by Mint Mobile. You know what doesn't belong in your epic summer plans? Getting burned by your old wireless bill. While you're planning beach trips, barbecues and three day weekends, your wireless bill should be the last thing holding you back. But thankfully Mint Mobile is here to help. It's the coverage and the speed that you're used to, but for way less money. So while your friends are sweating over data, overages and surprise charges, you'll be chilling. Literally and financially. You can even use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your own phone number along with all your existing contacts. Ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile's limited time deal and get three months of premium wireless service for 15 bucks a month. And look, if I needed a new mobile provider right now, this is what I would use. I have watched grim and mild teammates set up their Mint Mobile plans and it is incredibly simple. Plus, the savings are just too good.

Aaron Manke (33:12)

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Aaron Manke (33:45)

It was intended to be the world's most most beautiful cinema. The theater sat right between the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Pantages Theater on the very same street in fact. Seriously, if you want to experience this entire episode in person, Simply walk about 10 blocks down Hollywood Boulevard from North Orange Drive to Argyll Ave. It's all there. Built by the Warner Brothers, the Warner Pacific Theater, also known as the Hollywood Pacific, was the absolute picture of 1920s opulence. With 2,756 seats, the massive four story building was equipped with every possible convenience that its patrons might want. And I'm talking far beyond a popcorn machine here. The building contained a toy filled nursery for children and even an emergency medical clinic in case patrons fell ill during a show. The auditorium was decorated to look like a Spanish garden. Murals bloomed on the walls depicting Spanish castles and picturesque countrysides. Bas reliefs of Spanish lords and ladies overlooked the audience from on high while the ceiling was painted and lit to resemble an open sky. And yet, despite its bounty and its beauty, the Warner Pacific Theater may have been doomed before it even opened. Cursed by the very man who created it. You see, the Warner Brothers, specifically Sam Warner, wanted the theater to serve as the opening location for 1927's film, the Jazz Singer. The Jazz Singer was the world's first talkie, so everyone knew it would be a huge moment for cinema. And whatever theater had the privilege to host its premiere would undoubtedly go down in history. Now, Sam Warner was involved with the sound production of the film and even personally oversaw the installation of the sound system in his theater to accommodate it. In short, he was dead set on hosting the Jazz Singer's premiere. But alas, as construction crews raced to complete the theater in time for the movie's release, it became clear that they weren't going to make it. According to legend, when Sam realized this, he stood in the lobby and cursed at the theater. Little did he know, in cursing the theater, he also cursed himself. The premiere of the Jazz Singer was moved to New York City and Sam didn't attend. Not out of spite, mind you. No. The very day before the Jazz singer opened, 40 year old Sam Warner suffered a freak brain hemorrhage and died. Of course, this meant that he would never see his own theater open its doors either. Which it did, on April 26th of 1928. Al Jolson, the jazz singer's lead man, served as master of ceremonies on opening night, and a plaque memorializing Sam was hung in the lobby. Naturally, the rumors began almost immediately. Visitors whispered of an apparition flickering through the lavish building, of the elevator, moving between floors all on its own, chairs being shuffled and someone or something scratching on doors. And it's no surprise that these happenings were all attributed to Sam Warner. Sam would be seen puttering studiously in the upstairs offices and pacing the lobby near the plaque in his honor. One staff member even reported seeing Sam cross the lobby, press the elevator button and ride it up to the second floor. Sadly, these days, Sam has been joined by another ghost, that of the theater itself. First came the extensive renovations that destroyed many of the interior's lavish touches. Then interference from subway construction in the 1990s, followed by an earthquake in 1994 that caused further damage. In the end, all that remained of the once grand cinema was a mere shadow of the Warner Pacific's former glory. Today it hosts occasional film screenings and spent some time being rented by a church for Sunday services. But otherwise it sits abandoned. At least mostly because some believe that Sam still wanders his creation, eagerly preparing for the premiere of the Jazz Singer. This episode of Lore was produced by me, Aaron Manke, with writing by Jenna Rose Nethercott, research by Cassandra d' Alba and music by Chad Lawson. Don't like hearing the ads. I've got a solution for you. There is a paid version of Lore on Apple Podcasts and patreon that is 100% ad free. Plus subscribers there also get weekly mini episodes that we call Lore Bytes. It's a bargain for all of that ad free storytelling and a great way to support this show and the team behind it. Learn more about your ad free options over@lorepodcast.com support and of course, Lore is much more than just a podcast. There's the book series available in bookstores and online and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime. Information about all of that and more is available over@lorepodcast.com and you can also follow this show on various social media platforms like Blue sky and YouTube. Just search for Lore podcast all one word and click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.

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