The Haunted Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel
Are you ready to dive into the scandalous history and ghostly lore of the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel? Often referred to as “the Cecil Hotel of Old Hollywood,” one may wonder if the hotel is cursed with bad luck due to the number of tragedies that took place during its heyday. Not every event we will explore is sad or tragic. A couple could be described as dog-gone fabulous.
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Whether you are a skeptic or a true believer in the supernatural, the stories of ghostly encounters at the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel promise to fascinate you. Join me on a journey to uncover the history and hauntings that have formed the Knickerbocker's reputation as a paranormal hotspot. Prepare to be captivated by the ghostly tales of this iconic Hollywood haunt.
Early Years and Hollywood Golden Era
Architect E.M. Frasier designed the building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and intended it to become the Security Apartments. Construction and financial complications held up the hotel opening for 6 years. The building was rechristened as the Knickerbocker Hotel in 1929.
During Hollywood's Golden Age, the Knickerbocker Hotel emerged as the hotspot for the whos who of the silver screen. If you were a star and wanted to be seen, you socialized at the Knickerbocker. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra spent time there, adding to the hotel's lore and reputation. Several stars loved the hotel so much they never left.
The lobby decor was grand in its understated elegance very different from the opulent luxury of the Millennium Biltmore. Open beams spanned the ceilings with velvet and tapestry-textured seating. Today, an original Art Deco chandelier in the lobby is the only reminder of the Knickerbocker’s past glory. Over the decades, the interior decor has changed greatly, and the common areas are not nearly as grand as they once were.
Although there are tragedies in the hotel’s history, there were some joyful celebrations. Let’s explore some happy times before getting to the sad stuff.
A Birthday Party Fit for a Dog
Screenwriter Al Martin hosted a birthday party for his dog Scrip around 1930 and invited the dogs of other celebrities such as Joan Crawford, Joan Woodbury, and Pat Ellis. The human guests were asked to wear evening attire and pet ambulances were waiting in case a canine guest overindulged. There is no evidence that Scrip or Mr. Martin still linger at the hotel, but one can hope they are enjoying doggie soirees in the great beyond!
Houdini’s Last Seance
Harry Houdini’s legend began before he passed from appendicitis in 1926, but the Knickerbocker’s Houdini connection didn't start until after his death. On Halloween night 1936, Harry Houdini’s widow Bess held a seance on the 10th anniversary of the great magician’s death. The event took place on the Knickerbocker roof and was a media spectacle.
Bess and Houdini had a pact that he would try to contact her from the other side and they had a secret password so she would know it was him. Sadly, he did not make an appearance. The tradition of the annual Houdini seance still takes place, but Houdini does not haunt the hotel.
The Tragic Legend of Frances Farmer
The tragic story of Frances Farmer, a beautiful and talented actress, parallels Hollywood’s initial love of the Knickerbocker and later devastating decline. Frances starred in many films, TV shows, and plays throughout her short acting career. She had already been struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues before her stay at the Knickerbocker. On Jan 13th, 1943, Frances was dragged from her hotel room by police and arrested due to unpaid DUI fines. The press published multiple photos of her acting erratically at the court hearing. The event did not help her already tarnished reputation as an unreliable and difficult actor.
There is a special place in my heart for Frances Farmer’s feisty ambition and unnecessary mistreatment while institutionalized in various asylums. Some GenXers may remember the Nirvana song “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle.” Kurt Cobain and Frances were both born in Seattle and he felt a kinship with her because of the press’s persistent coverage of both of their struggles with substance abuse.
I read in one article that Frances is supposed to haunt the Knickerbocker, but I couldn't verify that with any other sources. I think Frances would have fit in much better at the Figueroa Hotel.
Speck the Wonder Dog
Jack Matthews, the Knickerbocker hotel manager in the 1940s and 1950s, had an Irish Setter named Speck who lived with him at the hotel, As a gimmick, Jack taught Speck how to ride the elevator and push the buttons to choose floors. Speck was a very good boy and would let others exit and enter the elevator before he would. There are reports of a spectral Irish Setter riding the elevators and walking the halls to this day. This may be my favorite Hollywood ghost story! Sadly, I tried to find a picture of Speck but was unsuccessful.
The Rise and Fall of the Father of Hollywood
D.W. Griffith has been called the “father of Hollywood” with his cutting-edge camera techniques such as flashback and masking that are still used today. He directed The Birth of a Nation (1915), which made cinematic history for its technical camera work, but was incredibly racist. DW was also a founding member of United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919.
His inability to transition from silent film work to talkies and his racist beliefs kept him from continued success in the film industry. In the 1940s he lived at the Knickerbocker in obscurity and quiet exile. On July 23, 1948, DW Griffith died of a stroke in the lobby. People report seeing an odd-looking older man in a dapper suit wandering the lobby, twirling a cane, and humming.
Marilyn Monroe's Rendezvous
The Knickerbocker was less popular in the 1950s and was a place for celebrities to lay low, similar to the Chateau Marmont. The press was not lurking around every corner since it was not a fashionable place to be. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio met for clandestine dates for 2 years before they married. They also honeymooned there in 1954. Marilyn supposedly haunts the first-floor ladies' room.
Before Marilyn was an icon she spent some of her first years in Hollywood at the Roosevelt Hotel. Her ghost is said to haunt her suite and pool cabana.
The hotel continued to decline in reservations and was run down in the 1960s. Plus the neighborhood had changed due to increased drug and gang activity. Hollywood movers and shakers started spending time in Beverly Hills during this time.
The Tragic Death of Irene
On November 15th, 1962, a woman rented a room on the 11th floor under an assumed name. She drank a lot of alcohol and proceeded to slit her wrists. When that did not kill her, she fell out a bathroom window of room 1129 and landed on the metal lobby awning. A few hours later her body was noticed and authorities were called.
The woman turned out to be Irene Lentz, a 2 time Academy Award-nominated costume and couture designer. She designed and created wardrobes for several iconic actresses in major films such as Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice. She left notes for her family, friends, and other hotel guests apologizing for the inconvenience of her death. Even though just a week earlier she had debuted her new line of women’s clothing, she was distraught over her declining financial situation from her husband's recent stroke.
Doris Day stated in her 1976 memoir that Irene had drunkenly confided to her that she was upset over the death of Gary Cooper. Doris was unsure if this affair had actually taken place or if it was unrequited love.
People have reported seeing a woman sitting on the stairs or wandering the halls crying. Others have also said they saw someone jump out a window but when they ran to check, no one was there. That is terrifying!
Staff and security have claimed that doors open and close on their own. And there is a dark presence in the basement that makes people feel afraid.
Valentino's Famous Tango
Rudolph Valentino, a much-loved silent film star known as “Latin Lover”, was rumored to ride his horse to the Knickerbocker and dance his famous tango at the Lido Room. It’s a great story, but sadly the actor died at age 31 in August 1926 three years before the hotel opened. His death caused hysteria among female fans and was the cause of the three suicides. People have claimed that he is seen dancing the tango in the bar area years after he passed. Maybe he heard from all the other famously departed how wonderful the Knickerbocker was and wanted to see for himself. Check out the Alexandria Hotel, if you want to visit a place he actually stayed and now haunts.
No more haunted stays at the Knickerbocker
Unfortunately in 1972, the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel was converted into low-income senior housing and renamed The Knickerbocker Apartments and no longer functions as a hotel. Los Angeles has a major affordable housing crisis and a high unhomed population. One solution the city has developed to combat this issue is to convert hotels that are abandoned or not profitable into low-income housing for seniors.
Although you can't stay at the hotel, you can visit the location on a tour.
Visiting The Haunted Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel
There are multiple options for touring Hollywood and the Knickerbocker Hotel. If you want to learn about the Knickerbocker and other Hollywood Boulevard haunts check out the Hollywood Boulevard Ghost Walk.
Maybe you are interested in the grittier side of LA check out Esotouric, which offers true crime, literary, and cultural walking tours. Their tours expose what is beyond the glitz and glamour. Esotouric is working relentlessly to save iconically important locations of LA's past.
If you are looking for historically significant people and places, the Los Angeles Conservancy is your best option. Several tours are available on a wide array of topics. They are a nonprofit organization that works hard to raise awareness and preserve many historical and architectural icons in LA.
The Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel has witnessed many highs and lows in the film industry. It’s no wonder that highly charged energy has lingered in the building and won’t leave. The hauntings repeat past events and do not interact with the living so these instances could be considered residual hauntings.
Have you had any ghostly encounters at the Knickerbocker or another haunted Hollywood location? Feel free to send in your stories. Also, subscribe to the newsletter to read about more haunted places and people.
Have you visited the Knickerbocker or another haunted Hollywood location? I would love to hear your story. Drop me a message! And don't forget to subscribe to the Spooky Traveling newsletter to stay up to date on the latest dark adventure. And always stay weird, Spooky friend!
Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel
1714 Ivar Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028
