Haunted Hollywood Hour

This is another special bi-coastal episode of Haunted Hollywood Hour! I’m joined today by Molly Mullin, who is coming to us from Knoxville, Tennessee. Molly is a producer and photographer who’s worked as an Associate Producer for some true crime TV shows that are produced and filmed in Knoxville. She also has a new history and politics podcast with her historian friend Patrick O’Neil. It's a conversation between two friends to help make sense of where we find ourselves in American politics today and how American history can inform and prepare us for what’s next. 

She’ll share the very spooky history of one of Knoxville’s most haunted buildings. Meanwhile, I reveal a delightful connection between that building and a Hollywood landmark — the Magic Castle, the famous mansion on Franklin Avenue that’s a venue and clubhouse for magicians.

Check out:

LAist: The Imperfect Paradise at the Magic Castle: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/imperfect-paradise-the-castle-part-1

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Note: As of this episode's air date (1-6-25) the H5N1 patient in Louisiana has died.

Bird flu kills cats and makes your eyeballs bleed. Where does H5N1 fall on Los Angeles’ nearly three-century history of pandemics? Dr. Crystal Heath has been tracking bird flu since 2022. This episode has everything you need to know about this deadly virus. 

Important reading:

This evil company owns all the food in your house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3B6oy1nz4A

Bird flu mutation: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/12/05/bird-flu-mutation-human-cells-new-research/

A scandalous reason meat prices have skyrocketed: https://www.motherjones.com/food/2024/12/agri-stats-antitrust-meatpacking-inflation-doj/

What Los Angeles smallpox epidemics can teach us about plague history: https://laist.com/news/la-history/los-angeles-smallpox-epidemics-1800-can-teach-us-about-covid-19-plague-history)

Dr. Crystal Heath’s veterinary advocacy organization: https://www.ourhonor.org/

Dr. Crystal Heath’s socials:

https://x.com/drcrystalheath

https://www.instagram.com/ourhonorvets/

https://x.com/OurHonorVets

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Today, I’m telling you about the now abandoned and allegedly haunted location of the former Los Angeles County Poor Farm that has a history that’s entangled with the California Gold Rush.

Much of the information comes from a 2015 PBS So Cal article by Hadley Meares called “Ranch of the Friends: The Extraordinary Evolution of the Poor Farm” https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/ranch-of-the-friends-the-extraordinary-evolution-of-the-l-a-county-poor-farm

Also: California and the Politics of Disability, 1850–1970 Kindle Edition by Eileen V. Wallis https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTWX5SDZ?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

And this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsNotMeet/comments/1uiw98/the_cult_of_the_downey_insane_asylum/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. It’s a place with a complex history and a lot of duality. It's been called the Disneyland of Death—the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Most of the information for this episode comes from Adela Rogers St. Johns' "First Step Up Toward Heaven: Hubert Eaton and Forest Lawn" which is available here: https://archive.org/details/firststepuptowar0000hube/page/128/mode/2up

Also, a reflectspace.org blogpost called “A Family’s Fight” and an audio/video series produced by the Brand Library and Art Center called “Reckoning Racism and Resistance in Glendale” Available here: https://www.reflectspace.org/afamilysfight and https://www.reflectspace.org/reckoning

Lastly, this reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/py8uz1/i_worked_as_a_security_guard_at_forest_lawn/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

 Want to send us a note? Email: [email protected]

What did Sara Shaw and Jan Whitley experience in Tujunga Canyon in 1953?

We share the most detailed narrative of the Tujunga Canyon Contact UFO abduction — including a compelling (legit?) alien-delivered cure for cancer — on this week’s episode of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

The info in this episode comes from The Tujunga Canyon Contacts by Ann Druffel and D. Scott Rogo. Buy it here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tujunga-canyon-contacts-ann-druffel/1000373573

Some info also comes from: https://laist.com/news/la-history/alien-abduction-case-ufo-hotbed-big-tujunga-canyon

ALSO: Jahnay Bryan is still missing!

Find Jahnay Bryan: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-11/as-police-investigation-stalls-community-launches-search-to-find-jahnay-bryan

Anyone with information on Bryan’s whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Avalos in the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or leave an anonymous tip at (800) 222-8477. The Black and Missing Foundation also has an anonymous tip line on its website.

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Jahnay Bryan is a Cornell grad who was reported missing the same week as Hannah Kobayashi but she’s received far less public attention. We share what we know so hopefully she, too, can be located.

We also coverthe story of the badass indigenous woman who led a rebellion against the Spanish colonizers in 18th century Southern California. This and more missing persons and paranormal tales on the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

Important reads: (Why Thomas Manizak is a bad person who shouldn't get your GoFundMe money) https://www.lassennews.com/theres-an-much-darker-dark-side-to-missing-man-story-a-sexual-predator-in-the-family

Find Jahnay Bryan: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-11/as-police-investigation-stalls-community-launches-search-to-find-jahnay-bryan

Anyone with information on Bryan’s whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Avalos in the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or leave an anonymous tip at (800) 222-8477. The Black and Missing Foundation also has an anonymous tip line on its website.

Toypurina history from:

https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/toypurina-a-legend-etched-in-the-landscape-of-los-angeles

https://theshapeofamother.com/toypurina/

https://girlboss.com/blogs/read/2018-3-13-toypurina-history

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

Hannah Kobayashi #findhannah has been spotted crossing the border on foot into Mexico and new evidence suggests she may have been involved in a marriage for profit scam. We analyze the latest developments in the Hannah Kobayashi case and also explore previous missing persons cases where the individual was located and returned safely to their family. Will this happy ending happen for Hannah?

Also on the show, we tell you about a 400-year-old Los Angeles landmark that was destroyed in the 19th century and what it reveals about this area’s devastating legacy of colonialism and genocide.

The Ahmad Yaseen Arain story: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-08-me-ahmad8-story.html

***NOTE: We used to have the Gofundme link here for Thomas Edward Manizak but we took it down when we found out Manizak is a CONVICTED CHILD PREDATOR. If you donated to the gofundme, demand a refund or demand that the money go to Manizak's victim.***

Sources for the "El Aliso" story:

https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a44016007/sacred-sycamore-los-angeles-kizh-dj-waldie/

https://312azusa.com/el-aliso-del-viento-the-historical-landmark-of-the-tongva-people-2/

https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/who-took-the-first-photo-of-los-angeles

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-col1-tongva-language-native-american-tribe/

Santa Monica History Museum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07HnJA_kO0

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

At the end of Route 66, the Santa Monica Pier is home to a spooky history that goes back to the 19th century. Hear all the ghostly tales about this landmark’s many paranormal sights and sounds.

Also on the podcast this week, we give the latest update on the #findhannah Hannah Kobayashi case and I tell you a cryptid story from the 1960s – “the Dog Woman of Watts.” We have theories! We have more evidence than you can shake a stick at! All on this week’s episode of the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast!

Grizzly True Crime's very thorough overview of Hannah Kobayashi's last movements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmQRrazzpgc

Join the search to find Hannah Kobayashi: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721515858420462

Santa Monica Ghost Tours https://usghostadventures.com/santa-monica-ghost-tour/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

This week on the Haunted Hollywood Hour podcast, we have guests from a haunted bar on the East Coast, and they help us pore through the evidence around the Hannah Kobayashi missing persons case. We also learn about the Zankou Chicken murders and find out what it's like to live and work around ghosts. Stay tuned!

Join the search to find Hannah Kobayashi:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721515858420462

Official statement from the RAD Movement RE: Hannah Kobayashi:

"If you see Hannah in real time, please call 911 immediately. If possible, keep her in your sight. If you face any delays, you can contact The RAD at 619-904-0840. This number is available for calls or texts. If you are not in a location where Hannah is physically present, we request that you send a text or email your tip so it can be forwarded to the detective and family without delay. Please email your information to [email protected]."

Most recent news about Hannah Kobayashi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwY2xjawGtz-ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRVSx9emqNjwpjNQGcmIVQd-tmrNiPQC0WOYzOmlqMT6_7mC_K34cOLcQQ_aem_VTloW3UJaEmVlu6mlv5J1Q&v=ZiG3hLBBIy4&feature=youtu.be

Visit Athena's shop and bar:

https://www.queerwitches.com/

https://www.instagram.com/queerwitches/

https://haroldshaunt.ooo/

https://www.instagram.com/haroldshaunt

The full story about the Zankou Chicken murders: https://lamag.com/crimeinla/the-zankou-chicken-murders

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/

It was a true crime story that consumed Los Angeles for months: a mom mysteriously vanishes without a trace. Her dog is found wandering the 28th floor of a luxury high rise. Initial suspicion lands on the woman’s boss who was being investigated by the SEC for a $40 million dollar fraud scheme, but then additional revelations complicated the narrative. What really happened to Heidi Planck and do we have any answers more than three years after her disappearance?

Also on this week’s episode, Tanya Dickson covers the Knickerbocker Hotel --- a building that’s not only one of the most haunted places in Los Angeles but is also home to a number of pivotal moments in Hollywood History. 

Hear the full story on this week’s edition of the Haunted Hollywood Hour Podcast.

Follow Boots and Mau's Heidi Planck coverage: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE3djT3WxA3I1m5-DqHo-HdgUaZl4QF1s

Boots' channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Bootsonthegrd/

Follow Haunted Hollywood Hour on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hauntedhollywoodhourpodcast/