The Haunted History of the Hollywood Sign

Written by Cassidy Krygger

Hollywood can be a pretty scary place at the best of times.

However, that is nothing compared to the real haunting going on at the Hollywood sign. There have been numerous reports for over 80 years of sightings of the supernatural. But the most common sighting is of a woman, dressed in 1930s clothing that appears and disappears in front of peoples very eyes.. So who is this mysterious woman? And why would she be haunting one of the most famous landmarks in the world?

The Hollywood sign is now an American icon. But in 1923 when the original HOLLYWOODLAND sign went up, it was just a real estate gimmick for the new housing estate in the Hollywood Hills that was originally only meant to be there for a year and a half. But after the rise of American cinema that developed in Los Angeles, the sign became an internationally recognised symbol of the industry. But on September 16th, 1932, the legend of the Hollywood sign took a sinister turn when the 24-year-old actress Peg Entwistle climbed up to the top of the H of the Hollywoodland sign and jumped to her death. 

Peg Entwistle was a successful Broadway actor in New York 

Who in early 1932, decided to make her way to Hollywood and try to make it in the relatively new world of the movies.

She quickly landed a small role in the movie Thirteen Women and was signed by movie studio RKO. But after watching her performance in the movie, RKO decided not to renew her contract. This devastated Entwistle and she disappeared from the house where she had been staying. The next day, a hiker found her body right under the H of the Hollywoodland sign. It was soon after that, that the paranormal sightings began. 

Hollywood was rife with rumours in the 1930s that Peg Entwistle was haunting their famous sign. But it wasn’t until 1940 that the first truly spooky moment happened when the H of the Hollywoodland, the same that Peg climbed over eight years earlier, mysteriously fell. And from that point on, there have been dozens of reports varying from witnessing a chilling white mist going up towards the sign and then disappearing, to sightings of a distressed female apparition dressed in 1930s clothing.  In 2014, Megan Santos was jogging near the sign and told Vanity Fair that she saw what she thought was a woman who was ‘walking on air’. Could this have been the ghost of Peg Entwistle? 

Today, the Hollywood sign is fenced off to stop people from climbing it, however, there are plenty of ghost tours that cash in on Peg Entwistle’s name and take groups of brave and willing people on hikes around the hills of Hollywood. I do understand the curiosity and fascination in searching for the famous ghost that haunts the Hollywood sign. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story?  But I think it is important to remember that Peg Entwistle was a real person who had aspirations and dreams like the rest of us. 

If you or anyone you know is experiencing depression, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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