What happened
The Hollywood Roosevelt, named after President Theodore Roosevelt, opened its doors on 15 May 1927; its backers included Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. On 16 May 1929 its Blossom Room ballroom hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony – a private dinner for about 270 people that lasted fifteen minutes. For decades the hotel was home to stars. Marilyn Monroe lived there for two years early in her career, and her first professional magazine shoot took place by the hotel pool. Montgomery Clift stayed in Room 928 while filming “From Here to Eternity,” in which his character plays the bugle. In the 1980s the hotel fell into decline and underwent a major renovation, and in 1991 it was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Ghost stories grew up around it: guests say bugle playing and footsteps can be heard on the ninth floor, and in a mirror that once hung in Monroe’s poolside cabana people have seen the reflection of a blonde woman who was not in the room. There are also tales of cold spots and mysterious calls to the front desk.
Witnesses
Hotel guests and staff; the stories of Room 928 and Monroe’s mirror have been repeated by the Los Angeles Times and other local media.
Explanations and hypotheses
The hotel’s history is well documented, but the ghost stories are anecdotes that sit comfortably with Hollywood legend. A hotel representative distanced himself from them in an interview with LAist, and the mirror from Monroe’s cabana is no longer in the hotel. Reflections in an old mirror, the sounds of elevators and plumbing in a large building, and the power of suggestion in a place associated with the stars account for many reports. No independent investigation has been carried out.
Legend A story handed down through generations – it can be neither confirmed nor disproved.
Sources
- LAist – Uncovering The Storied History Of The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (Jennifer Swann, 2017)
- Discover Los Angeles – The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel: The Story of an LA Icon
More: Wikipedia (en)