The summer heat is barely fading away and our thoughts are turning to Hallowe’en, and as always, Hollywood’s dark side has plenty of British influences which you may be unaware of.
And interesting new book is hitting the shelves just in time for Hallowe’en, called
Gourmet Ghosts Two by British author James T. Bartlett. It offers a fun murder, mystery and history guide to the weird and haunted past of Los Angeles, offering up more bars, restaurants and hotels across town where you can sit down with the devil – if you dare.
“People from all over the UK played a big role in the history of L.A.,” says Bartlett, “and many of them disappeared into the dark side, fell from grace, or even still haunt the city today.”
Perhaps the most influential was William Muholland. Born in Belfast in 1855, he ran away to join the Merchant Navy and end up in L.A. He rose through the ranks of the city’s water company and pioneered the massive 233-mile LA Aqueduct from the Owens Valley. The controversial project was most famously the subject of Roman Polanski’s classic film, Chinatown.
Mulholland Drive was named in his honor in 1924, but his career was ruined when his St Francis Dam burst, killing over 500 people, just a day after he had inspected it in 1928. It ruined his career, reputation, and his health, and he died a broken man.
Then there is Griffith J. Griffith, born in Bettws, Glamorganshire in Wales in 1850, who emigrated to the US when he was barely 16. Soon a rich man, he moved to L.A and bought 4000 acres of Rancho Los Feliz, donating nearly all of it to the city as a “Christmas Present” in 1896 – and giving the park his name.
But in 1903 he shot and disfigured his wife and was sent to San Quentin prison for two years, his name further ruined by rumors of secret alcoholism and mental illness. Desperate to get back into society, he donated more land and funded the Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory – but his offer was rejected, and they were built only after his death.
Another Welsh native – this time actress Peg Entwistle – took her suicidal dive from what became arguably the most famous icon in the world. In September 1920 the 24 year-old climbed to the top of the H on the then-Hollywoodland sign, looked over the glittering lights that she felt had failed her, and jumped.
People have reported seeing Peg’s ghost there, and even smelling gardenias – her favorite perfume scent. Another young girl was killed there in the 1980s, when she fell off a cliff while taking a photo up the rugged hillside.
Oddly, the Hollywood sign itself has a British connection. Londoner Thomas Fisk Goff was the all-but forgotten designer; owner of the Crescent Sign Company in 1920, he must have felt his job to design a 400 foot wide, flashing bulb real estate sign to go across the hills and catch the eye was nothing special. By the time he died in the 1980s, it meant something very different.
Finally, how about Charlie Chaplin? Another Londoner, he’s still famous around the world as the “Little Tramp” – a comic genius who was one of the early movie superstars. He had plenty of scandal in his life too, and it’s no surprise that his ghost is said to make appearances all over town – in his favorite booth (number 1) at Musso & Frank on Hollywood Blvd for example, and also at the Stowell Hotel (now the El Dorado lofts and Le Petit Paris restaurant) in downtown.
Charlie really did lay his head at “The Stoll,” and staff there blame him for flying glasses and crockery; visit and take a walk up the grand staircase. You’ll be following in his footsteps…
Gourmet Ghosts 2, a murder, mystery, history, ghost and weirdness guide to bars, hotels and restaurants in Los Angeles is available on Amazon and in stores across town. The book launch is at the Last Bookstore in downtown L.A on October 28 at 7pm – for more information go to www.gourmetghosts.com or get your Daily Death and more on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @gourmetghosts #gourmetghosts
