Classic Hollywood Haunted: A Carole Lombard Ghost?

An avid Carole Lombard fan, I feel a certain reverence visiting Las Vegas’ Pioneer Saloon. If you are wondering why I feel such a veneration for Carole Lombard, it might help to read The Beautiful Ghost Story Behind I Love Lucy.

If you aren’t familiar with Carole Lombard’s life story already, the main thing you should know is that Classic Hollywood starlet (and comedienne extraordinaire) Carole Lombard died tragically in a plane crash on nearby Mt. Petosi. Her husband, King of Hollywood Clark Gable (aka Rhett Butler) was devastated.

Carole Lombard, SupernaturalStefanie CosmanOctober 28, 2019Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, classic cinemaComment

A True Alfred Hitchcock Ghost Story

In honor of Halloween, this month I am focusing on Hollywood tales of a spooky nature. Enjoy!

Sometimes when I am reading interesting stories from Old Hollywood, accounts vary tremendously. This one about a shrunken head is too good to ignore, regardless of the differences in details.

It seems that Clark Gable once gave Carole a shrunken head as a gift -- you see, they were both the ultimate pranksters. It was their thing -- to try to one up each other.

But this time, Clark had gone too far. Carole accused him of putting a curse on her, and threw the shrunken head out the window on the way to a party as they passed through Coldwater Canyon. This is where the story diverges. It is well-documented that they went back to pick up the head (I guess she was afraid of the fury of the shrunken head, perhaps because she was known to consult with psychics and mediums? I am sure they would advise her that was not good ju-ju).

Carole Lombard, SupernaturalStefanie CosmanOctober 21, 2019Ghosts, carole lombard, Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock, HalloweenComment

Movie Stars of the 1920s Favorite Getaway: Hearst Castle

An invitation to "the Ranch" back in the days of Old Hollywood was like finding a real life golden ticket to meet someone who, in many ways, was like Willy Wonka -- without the chocolate. The guests of Hearst Castle included the greatest of the glittering Hollywood elite: David Niven, Joan Crawford, Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn, and Cary Grant.

If you were in the news, you might find yourself lucky enough to garner an invitation -- Hearst was in the publishing world, after all, and he loved to meet the people that made headlines.

Now, Hearst Castle is a State Park. For the fee of $25 per tour, you can enter the place that once upon a time, was esconced in mystery, only accessible to very few.

Classic Cinema, Golden Age of Cinema, SupernaturalStefanie CosmanOctober 7, 2019Comment

7 Scary Classic Movies

Modern cinema offers a plethora of scares; from Ari Astor’s nightmarish Midsommar to Jordan Peele’s psychological terror, Us, you don’t have to look far to get the living daylights scared out of you.

But lest you find yourself craving a more vintage scare, the following are some of the creepiest films to keep you in the spooky mood.

Classic Cinema, Supernatural, Classic Movie Round UpStefanie CosmanOctober 7, 2019spooky, ghost, halloween, scary movies, Alfred HitchcockComment

Classic Actress Jean Harlow’s Favorite Jewelry

In a recent blog post, I wrote about charm bracelets in Hollywood history. Even Queen Victoria wore them (she was kind of the Olivia Palermo of her time). Today I am going to write about something a bit different -- a piece of jewelry that Jean Harlow believed made her lucky.

In the book Platinum Girl by Eve Golden, Harlow's childhood friend relates the following tale; it seems that one time, young Jean was disciplined at Ferry Hall, a prep school for privileged young girls. It wasn't for making out in the hall, or cussing, or smoking in the back of the school.

It was for wearing an ankle bracelet.

Fashion, Supernatural, Jean Harlow, Classic CinemaStefanie CosmanJuly 17, 2017Charm Bracelets, Jean Harlow, Lucky, SuperstitionComment

Carole Lombard and Lucille Ball: The Ghost Story Behind "I Love Lucy"

I thought I knew everything about Lucille Ball... until I found out that she believed with all of her heart that her role model, Carole Lombard, visited her on a regular basis, after Lombard's untimely death in 1942 in a plane crash.

Indeed, Lucille Ball and Carole Lombard were dear friends. In her early days as a struggling actress, Lucy spent a lot of time on the studio lot observing Lombard, trying to mimic her. Rather than be offended or threatened by the fledgling wannabe, Lombard encouraged Lucy along, giving her a few of her biggest breakthroughs in Hollywood.

In the March 1947 edition of Photoplay, Lucy says to the interviewer that Carole Lombard... "... is my guardian angel.”

“She was?” the interviewer responds. As in, oh, how nice. Her role model helped her along.

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