Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorendoc
My house on Appian Way is just off the aerial to the north. The Fields house (he rented 2100 Sunset Plaza for a few years in the 30s according to neighborhood lore) is now a target for demolition. Chester Conklin lived there before Fields. It has been for sale for many years with no buyers. It is occasionally used as a party house, much to our neighborhood's dismay.
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It would be a shame if it got torn down,
Lorendoc, I remember it as being a really beautiful house indoors.
My friend worked in the garage of the 2100 Sunset Plaza house, which C. Franke used as a mail order office (which he sold his music CDs out of).
My friend was the only employee, and, being a bartender, would work some odd hours (basically whenever he wanted).
So one night at around midnight, my friend calls me on the phone, convinced the house is
haunted. To this day, he still swears that he would hear all sorts of unusual sounds at night - footsteps suddenly running on the floor above him, doors suddenly slamming, chairs that would move to a different location when he left the room, and lights that would mysteriously turn themselves on and off.
So my friend called me because, yes, he was freaking out about
ghosts. I told him I'd come over and check out the house, because I'm not afraid of ghosts, and I sure wouldn't pass up on the chance to examine W.C. Fields' old house!
My friend told me not to turn on any lights, because C. Franke lived right in the house above, and he was afraid he might notice if any lights were turned on. So I investigated the house in total darkness, with only a dim keychain LED light to light my way.
The house was really nice - it even had an old-fashioned
elevator inside, not something you see in a residence every day! I literally walked through the entire home, including the tennis court at the top. And no, I didn't find any ghosts.
Oh, and best of all! When I arrived at the house, my friend said "you have to check this out!", and took me into a small basement. It was packed to the ceiling with vintage synthesizers owned by Christopher Franke.
But far more interesting to me was what I found on a nearby shelf. There were guest books from parties, signed by all the revelers, all in fountain pen. The books were signed by all of the biggest Hollywood stars - consigned to a basement, I bet those books would be worth a FORTUNE.
The books might have been Chester Conklin's (not Fields'), as the stars who signed the book were from the silent age, or shortly thereafter - people like Clara Bow and Tom Mix.