Haunted Hollywood Hour

Maila Nurmi became a cultural icon with her creation of Vampira in 1954, but she earned practically nothing for the role and struggled financially for the rest of her life. Still, Maila's story of ambition, struggle, friendships and fame remains an inspiration for anyone who dreams of making a lasting impact.

Who was Maila Nurmi? Learn her full story from writer and historian Karina Wilson on this week's episode of Haunted Hollywood Hour.

Check out Karina's substack: https://karinawilson.substack.com/

Watch Vampira and Me for free on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/588414/vampira-and-me

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This is an episode that originally aired Oct. 29, 2024. New episodes of Haunted Hollywood Hour will be coming soon!

Propaganda told those on the West Coast of the U.S. to fear foreign invasion during World War II. Something did invade the skies over Los Angeles, but it wasn’t an overseas’ military, it was something that remains a mystery to this day. What happened during the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles?

Also: It's a Sunset Strip venue that’s captivated the public for decades, but it’s allure reaches beyond music. Tanya shares the secrets of the Viper room.

This episode discusses drug overdosing and death so please take care on this week’s edition of the Haunted Hollywood Hour Podcast.

For further reading:

The Majestic Documents - https://majesticdocuments.com/documents/majestic-documents/documents-dated-prior-to-1948/

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This is a rewind of the episode we released on October 31, 2024. We'll be back with an all new episode next week!

He lived for 61 years, building up his career in the entertainment industry, first as a dancer, then a manager, then an agent to successful film actors. But in 1964, Marty Martyn would suddenly succumb to an illness, perishing on Christmas Day. 40 years later, a boy in Oklahoma would be born with Marty Martyn’s memories and at five years old he would succeed in proving his identity. This week, we bring you the entirely true and incredible tale of the reincarnation Marty Martyn into the body of Ryan Hammons.

Also on the podcast this week, Tanya Dickson shares the life of Janis Joplin and tells you all about the room where she died which is now available to paying guests. Hear all about the shrine Janis’ fans have created in the closet of this legendary motel room on this week’s edition of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast.

Other details:

If you're in Utah and can go to this library to snap a photo of the pic they have on file of Marty and Florence, I'd be forever grateful: https://utahstate.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/296662

Department of Perceptual Studies at University of Virginia: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/

Florence's Variety obituary: https://variety.com/1997/scene/people-news/florence-maslow-1116676127/

Florence's bio on JazzAgeClub.com: https://www.jazzageclub.com/miss-florence/1445/

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This week’s story is about defying gender norms in the early 20th century, leading a life of adventure and chaos, and experiencing all the joy and heartache that comes with committing to authenticity. This is a tale of woman who was forced to marry a Reverend when she was just 19, and when she wanted out of the marriage and was refused a divorce, she told her husband she was going to live on her own terms. She became a stunt pilot and test pilot, breaking speed records and winning races. She tested planes that would eventually be flown by Buzz Aldrin (in fact the first plane Buzz Aldrin ever piloted, she was the one who tested it!). She was the first woman stunt pilot in Hollywood. She created a safe community for women. She unionized stunt pilots and doubled their pay. And she did a whole bunch of other things, but one of the most remarkable was that she sued the government and won. This week, Andrea and I are bringing you the story of Professor Thaddeus Lowe’s granddaughter, Florence Leontine Lowe aka Pancho Barnes.

Source info from:

Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club by Amanda Pope and Nick Spark https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1094299/?ref_=nm_flmg_knf_t_3

Pancho: The Biography of Florence Lowe Barnes by Barbara H. Schultz

https://www.amazon.com/Pancho-Biography-Florence-Lowe-Barnes-ebook/dp/B0841ZLLVG/ref=sr_1_5

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On New Year’s Day, 1970, a man claiming to be an astral traveler visited astrologer Linda Goodman in her room at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. He claimed that inside a hill next to the Cahuenga Pass, there was an ancient Egyptian burial chamber that held the penis belonging to the Egyptian god Osiris. So began Linda’s quest to scan and study that hill to find out if the astral traveler's story was true.

Today on the podcast, Karina Wilson shares the interesting and tragic life of Linda Goodman as we attempt to find out if there really could be an ancient pyramid within the Hollywood Hills.

Check out Karina's substack: https://karinawilson.substack.com/

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Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

The Haunted Hollywood Hour co-hosts are all busy this week with jobs, vacations, and other things, so this week enjoy a replay of the Tujunga UFO abduction story :) We'll be back next week with more new stories!

What did Sara Shaw and Jan Whitley experience in Tujunga Canyon in 1953?

We share the most detailed narrative of the Tujunga Canyon Contact UFO abduction — including a compelling (legit?) alien-delivered cure for cancer — on this week’s episode of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

The info in this episode comes from The Tujunga Canyon Contacts by Ann Druffel and D. Scott Rogo. Buy it here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tujunga-canyon-contacts-ann-druffel/1000373573

Some info also comes from: https://laist.com/news/la-history/alien-abduction-case-ufo-hotbed-big-tujunga-canyon

ALSO, as of 6 days ago, it appears Jahnay Bryan has been contacted. Note the latest post on the findjahnay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findjahnay/

Anyone with information on Bryan’s whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Avalos in the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or leave an anonymous tip at (800) 222-8477. The Black and Missing Foundation also has an anonymous tip line on its website.

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

I first visited the Hollywood Forever cemetery in 2005. The lure of visiting celebrity graves is the initial hook, sure, but there’s so much more to Hollywood Forever than just the tombs of famous people. This place is weird. It’s got elements of beauty and elements of tackiness. There's hundreds of thousands of stories within its 62 acres.

This week, writer and historian Karina Wilson (https://karinawilson.substack.com/) takes us through Hollywood Forever and shares some of its most interesting tales.

Check out Karina's substack article on the cemetery: https://karinawilson.substack.com/p/the-hollywood-dream-5-hollywood-cemetery

The song used in this episode is "Our Blood" by Rona Rapadas: https://linktr.ee/ronarapadas

The cover photo is by Karina Wilson.

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Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

It’s a 1930’s era luxury ocean liner that’s permanently moored at Long Beach and you can actually visit there, eat there, and spend the night — it’s a hotel now. But is it haunted? In 2009, Ryan, from BuzzFeed Unsolved, recorded a very compelling video of a plastic bag being apparently jerked upright and a tube of toothpaste plummeted to the floor.

But the magnificent vessel has a long history that predates Ryan — it was used as a filming location for an episode of the X-Files – and many, many people (55 in total) have died on its decks.

We delve into the Queen Mary's fascinating history and tell you about the one ghost that really wants to talk.

The Buzzfeed Unsolved video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5GhIb4M99w

Other info from:

https://linerlogbook.blogspot.com/2011/10/death-of-john-pedder.html

https://unsolved.com/gallery/the-queen-mary/

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8049171.insult-to-my-brother/

https://www.presstelegram.com/2022/12/23/on-the-water-getting-back-aboard-the-queen-mary-tour/

https://www.facebook.com/QueenMaryParanormal/posts/john-pedder-a-passing-july-10-1966we-would-like-to-note-that-today-represents-th/699139273549136/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vD6WoRzagA

https://frederickdouglassinbritain.com/

https://historyireland.com/frederick-douglass-aboard-cambria-1845/

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https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Love Wicked? This guy probably inspired The Wizard of Oz. This story of a whimsical professor is also a tribute to Altadena, a city recently devastated by the wildfires this month.

Andrea Antony-Morr is on the podcast this week discussing Professor Thaddeus Lowe who, after being a balloon spy (yes, a balloon spy!) for President Lincoln, went on to attempt to build a luxury resort above Altadena that would have been absolutely utopian if it had just lasted a little longer...

Our source material can be found at these links:

https://medium.com/@alysedbeale/historys-most-famous-forgotten-man-professor-lowe-94ee496a12dd

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mount_Lowe/JoS9XJEzaXIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&kptab=getbook

https://search.worldcat.org/title/2524711

https://www.thaddeuslowe.name/BWearlyyears.html

https://henry-ellis-fowler.com/2021/08/05/the-fowler-family-and-the-balloon-landing-of-1861/#:%7E:text=In%20the%20early%20morning%2C%20pre,of%20Union%20County%2C%20South%20Carolina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCQ3F7jzc3E

https://www.thaddeuslowe.name/

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He was part of an ostrich consortium that failed due to an 1880s sex scandal.

He shot his wife in the face.

He was the embodiment of late-stage capitalism.

Today, we're bringing you the story of Griffith Jenkins Griffith — the namesake of Los Angeles' Griffith Park.

Historian Karina Wilson (https://karinawilson.com/) is on the show this week helping us get inside the mind of this Welsh immigrant who had so many dreams but who ruined his life.

Karina has an excellent substack article on Grif at: https://karinawilson.substack.com/p/the-hollywood-dream-6-griffith-park

And a wonderful substack article on the Ostrich Farm at: https://karinawilson.substack.com/p/the-hollywood-dream-7-trouble-at

And she'll be dropping an article on the ostrich farm as well, so be sure to subscribe: https://karinawilson.substack.com/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at:

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Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

This is another special bi-coastal episode of Haunted Hollywood Hour! I’m joined today by Molly Mullin, who is coming to us from Knoxville, Tennessee. Molly is a producer and photographer who’s worked as an Associate Producer for some true crime TV shows that are produced and filmed in Knoxville. She also has a new history and politics podcast with her historian friend Patrick O’Neil. It's a conversation between two friends to help make sense of where we find ourselves in American politics today and how American history can inform and prepare us for what’s next. 

She’ll share the very spooky history of one of Knoxville’s most haunted buildings. Meanwhile, I reveal a delightful connection between that building and a Hollywood landmark — the Magic Castle, the famous mansion on Franklin Avenue that’s a venue and clubhouse for magicians.

Check out:

LAist: The Imperfect Paradise at the Magic Castle: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/imperfect-paradise-the-castle-part-1

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Note: As of this episode's air date (1-6-25) the H5N1 patient in Louisiana has died.

Bird flu kills cats and makes your eyeballs bleed. Where does H5N1 fall on Los Angeles’ nearly three-century history of pandemics? Dr. Crystal Heath has been tracking bird flu since 2022. This episode has everything you need to know about this deadly virus. 

Important reading:

This evil company owns all the food in your house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3B6oy1nz4A

Bird flu mutation: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/12/05/bird-flu-mutation-human-cells-new-research/

A scandalous reason meat prices have skyrocketed: https://www.motherjones.com/food/2024/12/agri-stats-antitrust-meatpacking-inflation-doj/

What Los Angeles smallpox epidemics can teach us about plague history: https://laist.com/news/la-history/los-angeles-smallpox-epidemics-1800-can-teach-us-about-covid-19-plague-history)

Dr. Crystal Heath’s veterinary advocacy organization: https://www.ourhonor.org/

Dr. Crystal Heath’s socials:

https://x.com/drcrystalheath

https://www.instagram.com/ourhonorvets/

https://x.com/OurHonorVets

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Today, I’m telling you about the now abandoned and allegedly haunted location of the former Los Angeles County Poor Farm that has a history that’s entangled with the California Gold Rush.

Much of the information comes from a 2015 PBS So Cal article by Hadley Meares called “Ranch of the Friends: The Extraordinary Evolution of the Poor Farm” https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/ranch-of-the-friends-the-extraordinary-evolution-of-the-l-a-county-poor-farm

Also: California and the Politics of Disability, 1850–1970 Kindle Edition by Eileen V. Wallis https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTWX5SDZ?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

And this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsNotMeet/comments/1uiw98/the_cult_of_the_downey_insane_asylum/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. It’s a place with a complex history and a lot of duality. It's been called the Disneyland of Death—the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Most of the information for this episode comes from Adela Rogers St. Johns' "First Step Up Toward Heaven: Hubert Eaton and Forest Lawn" which is available here: https://archive.org/details/firststepuptowar0000hube/page/128/mode/2up

Also, a reflectspace.org blogpost called “A Family’s Fight” and an audio/video series produced by the Brand Library and Art Center called “Reckoning Racism and Resistance in Glendale” Available here: https://www.reflectspace.org/afamilysfight and https://www.reflectspace.org/reckoning

Lastly, this reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/py8uz1/i_worked_as_a_security_guard_at_forest_lawn/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

 Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

What did Sara Shaw and Jan Whitley experience in Tujunga Canyon in 1953?

We share the most detailed narrative of the Tujunga Canyon Contact UFO abduction — including a compelling (legit?) alien-delivered cure for cancer — on this week’s episode of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

The info in this episode comes from The Tujunga Canyon Contacts by Ann Druffel and D. Scott Rogo. Buy it here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tujunga-canyon-contacts-ann-druffel/1000373573

Some info also comes from: https://laist.com/news/la-history/alien-abduction-case-ufo-hotbed-big-tujunga-canyon

ALSO: Jahnay Bryan is still missing!

Find Jahnay Bryan: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-11/as-police-investigation-stalls-community-launches-search-to-find-jahnay-bryan

Anyone with information on Bryan’s whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Avalos in the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or leave an anonymous tip at (800) 222-8477. The Black and Missing Foundation also has an anonymous tip line on its website.

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Jahnay Bryan is a Cornell grad who was reported missing the same week as Hannah Kobayashi but she’s received far less public attention. We share what we know so hopefully she, too, can be located.

We also coverthe story of the badass indigenous woman who led a rebellion against the Spanish colonizers in 18th century Southern California. This and more missing persons and paranormal tales on the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

Important reads: (Why Thomas Manizak is a bad person who shouldn't get your GoFundMe money) https://www.lassennews.com/theres-an-much-darker-dark-side-to-missing-man-story-a-sexual-predator-in-the-family

Find Jahnay Bryan: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-11/as-police-investigation-stalls-community-launches-search-to-find-jahnay-bryan

Anyone with information on Bryan’s whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Avalos in the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or leave an anonymous tip at (800) 222-8477. The Black and Missing Foundation also has an anonymous tip line on its website.

Toypurina history from:

https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/toypurina-a-legend-etched-in-the-landscape-of-los-angeles

https://theshapeofamother.com/toypurina/

https://girlboss.com/blogs/read/2018-3-13-toypurina-history

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Hannah Kobayashi #findhannah has been spotted crossing the border on foot into Mexico and new evidence suggests she may have been involved in a marriage for profit scam. We analyze the latest developments in the Hannah Kobayashi case and also explore previous missing persons cases where the individual was located and returned safely to their family. Will this happy ending happen for Hannah?

Also on the show, we tell you about a 400-year-old Los Angeles landmark that was destroyed in the 19th century and what it reveals about this area’s devastating legacy of colonialism and genocide.

The Ahmad Yaseen Arain story: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-08-me-ahmad8-story.html

***NOTE: We used to have the Gofundme link here for Thomas Edward Manizak but we took it down when we found out Manizak is a CONVICTED CHILD PREDATOR. If you donated to the gofundme, demand a refund or demand that the money go to Manizak's victim.***

Sources for the "El Aliso" story:

https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a44016007/sacred-sycamore-los-angeles-kizh-dj-waldie/

https://312azusa.com/el-aliso-del-viento-the-historical-landmark-of-the-tongva-people-2/

https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/who-took-the-first-photo-of-los-angeles

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-col1-tongva-language-native-american-tribe/

Santa Monica History Museum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07HnJA_kO0

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At the end of Route 66, the Santa Monica Pier is home to a spooky history that goes back to the 19th century. Hear all the ghostly tales about this landmark’s many paranormal sights and sounds.

Also on the podcast this week, we give the latest update on the #findhannah Hannah Kobayashi case and I tell you a cryptid story from the 1960s – “the Dog Woman of Watts.” We have theories! We have more evidence than you can shake a stick at! All on this week’s episode of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

Grizzly True Crime's very thorough overview of Hannah Kobayashi's last movements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmQRrazzpgc

Join the search to find Hannah Kobayashi: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721515858420462

Santa Monica Ghost Tours https://usghostadventures.com/santa-monica-ghost-tour/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

This week on the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast, we have guests from a haunted bar on the East Coast, and they help us pore through the evidence around the Hannah Kobayashi missing persons case. We also learn about the Zankou Chicken murders and find out what it's like to live and work around ghosts. Stay tuned!

Join the search to find Hannah Kobayashi:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721515858420462

Official statement from the RAD Movement RE: Hannah Kobayashi:

"If you see Hannah in real time, please call 911 immediately. If possible, keep her in your sight. If you face any delays, you can contact The RAD at 619-904-0840. This number is available for calls or texts. If you are not in a location where Hannah is physically present, we request that you send a text or email your tip so it can be forwarded to the detective and family without delay. Please email your information to [email protected]."

Most recent news about Hannah Kobayashi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwY2xjawGtz-ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRVSx9emqNjwpjNQGcmIVQd-tmrNiPQC0WOYzOmlqMT6_7mC_K34cOLcQQ_aem_VTloW3UJaEmVlu6mlv5J1Q&v=ZiG3hLBBIy4&feature=youtu.be

Visit Athena's shop and bar:

https://www.queerwitches.com/

https://www.instagram.com/queerwitches/

https://haroldshaunt.ooo/

https://www.instagram.com/haroldshaunt

The full story about the Zankou Chicken murders: https://lamag.com/crimeinla/the-zankou-chicken-murders

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

It was a true crime story that consumed Los Angeles for months: a mom mysteriously vanishes without a trace. Her dog is found wandering the 28th floor of a luxury high rise. Initial suspicion lands on the woman’s boss who was being investigated by the SEC for a $40 million dollar fraud scheme, but then additional revelations complicated the narrative. What really happened to Heidi Planck and do we have any answers more than three years after her disappearance?

Also on this week’s episode, Tanya Dickson covers the Knickerbocker Hotel --- a building that’s not only one of the most haunted places in Los Angeles but is also home to a number of pivotal moments in Hollywood History. 

Hear the full story on this week’s edition of the Haunted Hollywood Hour Podcast.

Follow Boots and Mau's Heidi Planck coverage: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE3djT3WxA3I1m5-DqHo-HdgUaZl4QF1s

Boots' channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Bootsonthegrd/

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