The ghosts of John Wayne, George Reeves, Clark Gable, Ozzie Nelson, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Liberace, Mark Twain, Dylan Thomas and General Robert E. Lee have been seen in various places. Some haunt their homes; others hotels and restaurants. One haunts a yacht, while another regressed to childhood. Two of them are a spectral husband and wife team.
John Wayne: Movie Star
Lawyer Lynn Hutchins bought John Wayne's haunted yacht, The Wild Goose, about a month before the Duke died. Hutchins first encountered the specter when he walked from the master bath to his stateroom. The figure was wearing a cowboy hat, shaded in grey, but appeared to be solid and vanished when the lawyer approached him. There were more encounters. The ghost vanished each time when he realized Hutchins saw him.
George Reeves: TV Star
There is a debate as to whether or not television series’ Superman shot himself in the head or was murdered in 1959. He was going to be married in three days, but was, allegedly, depressed because he felt he was stereotyped as the Man of Steel and couldn’t find other roles. Witnesses have claimed they have seen his ghost appear, wearing his Superman costume, in his old bedroom before fading away.
Actor Clark Gable
The King was one of the biggest box office stars during the 1930’s and ‘40’s, probably best remembered for his role as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, a sweeping Civil War era film. Specters of Gable and his deceased wife, Carole Lombard, one of the ghosts of six celebrated Hollywood actresses, have been said to haunt the Oatman Hotel in Oatman, Arizona where they spent their honeymoon, after they were married in Kingman.
Ozzie Nelson: Bandleader and Actor
Ozzie married Harriet Hilliard, his band’s singer, in 1935. They and their sons, David and Ricky, starred in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, a popular sitcom, on the radio and television for a total of twenty-two years. After Ozzie died, subsequent owners believe his ghost is an unseen resident. Doors open and close, faucets are turned on and lights go on and off in empty rooms. One woman claimed his phantom pulled back her covers and kissed her.
Elvis Presley: Flamboyant Singer and Actor
The King of Rock and Roll’s ghost haunts Graceland, his former home, in Memphis, Tennessee and the Las Vegas Hilton where he often performed during the early 1970s. His specter has also been sighted in an old building off of Nashville’s Music Row that used to house RCA’s recording studio the 1950’s where Elvis recorded his 1956 hit, Heartbreak Hotel. A TV production studio that produces music-related programs is there. According to staff members, every time Elvis’ name is mentioned something strange happens, including ladders falling down, lights going out and inexplicable noises coming through the sound system.
John Lennon: Musician
The former Beatle is said to haunt the Dakota Apartment Building, 1 West 72nd Street, New York City, where he was shot to death by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980 as he was entering the structure. His spirit isn’t the only haunter.
Liberace: Pianist
The flamboyant entertainer was known for his elaborate costumes, incredible piano playing and jewelry. His spirit haunts Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens, a restaurant he owned, a few block off of the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace had his own private lounge, by the dining room, where he entertained close friends. Sometimes, he went into the main dining room to play the piano to surprise and treat diners. There have been many reports of electrical surges, bottles mysteriously tipping and ladies' restroom stalls that lock and unlock by themselves. Once, the electricity went off and wouldn’t come back on until someone remembered it was Liberace’s birthday. After they wished him a happy one, the lights came back on. Some people have reported seeing his spirit outside the windows.
American Humorist Mark Twain
Christened Samuel Langhorne Clemens, this novelist, writer and lecturer was born during a visit from Halley's Comet and died on its return. Twain lived in downtown New York near 5th Avenue at 14 West 10th Street from 1900 to 1901.His spirit is said to haunt the building’s staircase.
Dylan Thomas: Writer
The Welsh poet drank eighteen shots of scotch at the White Horse Tavern, 567 Hudson Street at West 11th Street, New York City, in 1953. Afterwards, he passed out and died. His ghost has been sighted in the pub, sitting at favorite corner table that he used to do in life.
General Robert E. Lee
The Civil War Confederate General won a number of successful battles before he surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in April of 1865. People believe his specter has regressed back to when he was a four year old child. According to parapsychological theory, a spirit can appear at any age up to the time the body dies. His ghost has been seen playing in the yard of his childhood home in Alexandria, Virginia, sometimes, spotted with a ghostly black dog and two young spectral girls, who are believed to be his sisters. His spirit giggles are heard throughout the house, moves objects and rings the doorbell.
Sources:
- Dennis William Hauck, Haunted Places, Penguin Books, 2002.
- Sherry Hansen-Steiger and Brad Steiger, Hollywood and the Supernatural, St Martin's Press, 1990.
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
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