The Tragic Ghost of Tinseltown

       Hollywood may be the home of celebrities, movies, and sun-soaked streets... but it's also the home of a tragic ghost story. Peg Entwistle, a Welsh-born stage and film actress, appeared in several Broadway productions and one feature film. Unfortunately she will forever be remembered for a very different reason.
        On or around September 18, 1932 police received an anonymous phone call from a woman who had found a body in a ravine at the base of the world-famous Hollywood sign ('Hollywoodland' at the time). Entwistle's uncle eventually identified her after connecting a two-day absence and a suicide note he found. Peg Entwistle was only 24 at the time of her death, having jumped from the 'H' of the sign. Her exciting, yet tragically brief life was over... but it was not the last time the world would hear from Peg.
      Over the years several park rangers have reported seeing a woman matching Entwistle's description wandering the paths of Griffith Park, where the sign is located. They always noted that the woman appeared sad and vanished when approached. Even a couple walking their dog encountered the apparition, which caused the dog to cower in fear behind them before disappearing yet again. The couple's description of the woman matched that of of the park rangers.
       One ranger, John Arbogast, has reported seeing the apparition on several occasions noting she most often appears late at night in foggy weather, and accompanied by the scent of gardenias. A hiker came across Peg on one of the trails, claiming she had "a very etheric quality" and seemed to be gliding instead of walking.
       The most notable recent encounter with the Hollywood sign spirit was by a group of four friends who had decided to touch the sign late one night after a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game. Even though Mount Lee where the sign is located is off limits, the friends hopped the fence and climbed to the top. On their way back down one of the group fell and got separated from the rest. As he made his way back to his friends, a woman dressed in 1930s fashion and wearing a veil over her face approached him. The witness claimed the apparition's footsteps made no sound. Following this ordeal, the man read the urban legend of the "Lady in White" and was convinced he'd encountered the ghost of Peg Entwistle.
       With several confirmed sightings, it's certain a ghostly woman roams the area around the Hollywood sign. And based on the consistent descriptions of the woman, there's a very good chance it's Peg Entwistle... doomed to wander in the shadow of the symbol of her dreams.

-Anthony Olmos
California Investigator