Hollywood Haints, anyone?

These are frightening times in which we live … the government is shut down, Miss South Carolina is so proud of her state that she tosses 20% of us under the mobile home, and Pope Francis thinks the Catholic Church needs to get with the times.  Really? 

After all, Halloween– my favorite holiday– is a mere 29 days away and we’re continuing our march to the scariest holiday on the calendar.  In the spirit of the season, we continue our jaunt with the living dead.

In the early 1940s, Joan Crawford purchased a small house in Los Angeles that she continued to renovate until it was a sizable home.  According to adopted daughter Christina Crawford, who was vocal in her memoir, Mommie Dearest, about the horrors she experienced as a child of Crawford, the house was most definitely haunted.  As a child, she witnessed manifestations and felt cold spots in certain areas of the house.  According to Crawford, every subsequent owner has experienced difficulties to some extent, and most recently a Reverend was called in to help heal the home.Celebrities, it seems, are not immune to visits from the other side.  In fact, more stars report bumping into these spirits than go bump in the night.  Joan Crawford is one such celebrity whose life may have been far more influenced by the unseen than first meets the eye.

Reverend Bruyere performed an exorcism on the house and says it was place of unspeakable horrors and torture before Joan Crawford lived there.  The current owners report reported spontaneous fires occurring in the wall … particularly the wall behind where Joan Crawford’s headboard rested.  They have also heard the click of billiards and seen what appear to be Joan and a male visitor playing a game of pool.  The evil may have existed before Joan was a resident, but it no doubt added to her neuroses. And I always thought the reason she beat the crap out of her kids was because she was mean as a snake, not because she was possessed by SATAN!  Isn’t that special?

On the more comedic side of the coin is Dan Akroyd.  Dan, it seems, was raised by a clan of spirit enthusiasts.  Dan’s grandfather frequently had séances conducted at the family compound and kept in-depth notes on the family’s experiences.  Dan’s mother reports that the day following Dan’s birth, an older couple appeared at the foot of her bed.  After describing the couple to Dan’s father, he noted they were his grandparents who “appeared” to see the new baby.  Today, Dan and his wife own a summerhouse on the property of the family home, along with a house reportedly haunted by the spirit of former owner Cass Elliott.  It was no surprise, then, when Dan ultimately parlayed his life of growing up alongside the spirit world into the blockbuster movie, Ghostbusters.

He may not be a hound dog, but it’s fairly possible he’s a ghost, and apparently,  Elvis has not left the building!  In and around Graceland, many people claim to see the ghost of Elvis. Employees who work at Graceland tell strange tales about mysterious happenings–  doors shutting and opening on their own, toilets flushing, and voices heard where no one is around.  Shadow people are quite often seen at Graceland both by employees and tourists.  One of the most famous sightings of the ghost of Elvis occurred when several people on a tour of Graceland in 1988 claimed that a much younger Elvis came up behind them and asked what they were doing in his home. The story was reported by at least nine people on the tour at various times over the next few days. Some of the visitors thought it was an actor dressed up as Elvis, while at least three of the people reported they could see straight through him. Anybody smell peanut butter and bananas?

Even Hollywood isn’t immune to the walking dead … and it’s a safe bet the dead really do walk among us.  Have a encounter with the great beyond?  Share it with us!

J.L. Mann (Bubba) Cromer is an Attorney in Columbia, whose practice focuses on DUI Defense, Criminal Defense & Probate Administration and Estate Planning. Admitted to practice in South Carolina, California & The District of Columbia, “Bubba” has been in practice for 26 years. In addition to his Solo Practice at Cromer Law Offices, LLC, Bubba Served as the only true Independent In the S.C. Legislature from 1990-1998. For the past 16 years, he has Served as the Reading Clerk of the House.Bubba resides in Columbia, S.C and Rosman, N.C. where he built a cabin 4 years ago. Bubba lives with his Hungarian Golden Retriever Casper (pictured).