The Haunted Studio

The building that now houses an ABC studio...actually has a rich history. It was originallly the Earl Carroll Theater when it first opened in 1958. Here major Hollywood stars of the day like Jack Benny, Milton Berle, and Errol Flynn came to party. They loved the night life of this dinner club with its burlesque shows. Carroll's show included up to 60 male dancers (many who were 18 years old or under) who would from time to time dance nude. This was frowned upon by the local authorities who repeatedly raided the establishment and arrested Carroll.

The stories of Earl Carroll's night club were legion and, of course, there were many tragic tales to tell. Young dancers committed suicide or were murdered in the club. This atmosphere was rich with emotion and chaos....

In 1996 the studio took the stories seriously enough to invite The Society for Paranormal Research to investigate the phenomena. They sent out two investigators Larry Motz, who has been a paranormal investigator for 30 years, and another investigator identified as Michael.

During their investigation they uncovered several entities. They saw the ghost of a young man, whom they felt did not belong to the history of the building, on the catwalk. This man wore a gray tee-shirt and jeans. He was about 27 years old with brown hair and he looked like he was dressed in 1980s clothing. The entity seemed to recognize their presence and was not intimidated by them.

In the lobby they encountered several entities which were dressed in tuxedos from the 1940s. Two men appeared to be having an argument and one of them was shot in the chest. Another man in a tuxedo hurried through the lobby and appeared greatly upset. The investogators reported receiving high electromagnetic readings in the spot where the man who was shot had fallen.

In the upper offices they encountered an entity of a pretty young woman with clipped blond hair in a slip dress. THe young woman seemed to be a performer from the 1940s era and she appeared distressed. They received the impression that she might have committed suicide in the building perhaps in the early 1940s. The young woman faded away quicily. She would later be seen upon the catwalks as they continued their work.

The investigators later learned a great deal about the building which confirmed their investigation. Is the former Earl Carroll Theater haunted? It would appear that it is. The turbulence of the past several decades in Hollywood is encapsulated in that one building. None of the entities seems threatening. However, the young man on the catwalk does appear to want his own way. His banging during the taping of the talk shows has on occasion disturbed them.