Portland Ghosts

1. Hollywood Theater

Portland, OR

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Portland’s Hollywood Theater is a vaudevillian cornerstone of the silent movie era. The theater is a major landmark on Sandy Boulevard, the main artery through the Hollywood district. In stark contrast to the bustling retail environment of Downtown, with its brightly-colored, trendy clothing stores, hip coffee shops, and upscale restaurants, the Hollywood District is sparsely populated. Near the theater, Sandy Boulevard is littered with closed businesses and large, inviting windows showing empty interiors. The Hollywood Theater stands feeble yet defiant as a symbol of a decadent time in American history. Travel across the Morrison Bridge and you will find the gilded-age Hollywood Theater. There, you will find impressions of demons and angels playing stringed instruments over the marquee and at the theater’s entrance. The theater radiates a certain energy, yet it can be so very quiet. The entire surrounding neighborhood, which is named “Hollywood” after the theater, is eerily quiet. The theater is a home for ghosts, many of whom are angered at the lack of live shows and entertainers mingling backstage. Many years ago, people would travel long distances for a chance to see the band play on Friday nights, as a gorgeous singer or dancer held every man in the audience captive. These magnetic performers have left their mark on the stage. Theater managers throughout the years have seen a man hovering in the upstairs lobby. Could this explain the rattling sounds heard from backstage? Why do people get chills when they walk near there? An intimidating presence emanates from the area. Could this be one of the entertainers? The smell of cigarette smoke follows close behind, an echo of the past. A young blonde-bombshell in high heels struts around the stage. She is thought to be smoking a cigarette while parading in a polka-dotted dress. Though the idea of a beautiful Marilyn Monroe look-alike who flaunts her good looks and grace to those who walk by might seem innocent and fun, she is a complex spirit with twisted ambitions. Why does she pace the theater halls, almost as if she doesn't really know she's dead? Perhaps only the theater itself knows the reasons this spirit of the woman haunts and taunts any who encounter her. In the theater’s upstairs left area, many people feel spooked, chilled, and uneasy. A heaviness weighs down on the area, as if a spirit were trying to drive people away. This spirit taps behind the stage, haunting and taunting all who dare invade the space he's claimed. There are loud noises and bangs as well, and several people have been frightened enough to leave the room. Why is this spirit eternally angry? What keeps these spirits in the Hollywood Theater? Perhaps it is the good times they've had, the fantastic shows they've seen—but something hints toward a more sinister reason.