The Hollywood Roosevelt is...strAInge

The first of our Strainge LA series

Strange — The Ghosts of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The glamour was real. So are the ghosts.

In this episode of Strange, we step inside one of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks: the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Opened in 1927 at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Roosevelt has hosted legends, scandals, and—according to countless witnesses—something far more unsettling.

From the spirit of Marilyn Monroe lingering in a mirror… to the restless energy of Montgomery Clift pacing the halls… to unexplained phone calls, cold spots, and shadowy figures… the Roosevelt may be one of the most haunted buildings in California.

This is not just a ghost story. This is Hollywood history that refuses to stay buried.

Episode Overview

The founding of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and its connection to early Hollywood
The first Academy Awards ceremony held inside the hotel in 1929
The life, career, and tragic presence of Marilyn Monroe
The strange and persistent hauntings linked to Montgomery Clift
Reports from guests, staff, and paranormal investigators
The psychology of hauntings vs. something more unexplained
Why the Roosevelt continues to attract believers—and skeptics

Key Hauntings Featured

Marilyn Monroe’s Mirror

Guests and staff have reported seeing the reflection of Marilyn Monroe in a full-length mirror that once hung in her suite. Witnesses describe her appearing briefly, then vanishing when approached.

Montgomery Clift’s Room (Room 928)

Clift stayed at the Roosevelt while filming From Here to Eternity and was known to rehearse intensely. Guests have reported:

Hearing a trumpet playing when no one is there
Footsteps pacing the room above
Sudden cold spots and unseen presences

The Blossom Ballroom

Site of the first Academy Awards, the ballroom is said to host shadow figures and unexplained movements, particularly late at night.

The Cinegrill

Now closed, but once a hotspot for sightings. Staff reported disembodied voices, objects moving, and a lingering presence believed to be a former performer.

Real History Behind the Hauntings

Opened in 1927 by a group that included Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Louis B. Mayer
Hosted the first Academy Awards on May 16, 1929
Marilyn Monroe lived in the hotel early in her career
Montgomery Clift resided there during a pivotal moment in his life and career

Sources & Further Reading

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Official Sitehttps://www.thehollywoodroosevelt.com/

Haunted Hollywood Roosevelt Overview (Visit California)https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/hollywood-roosevelt-hotel/

Los Angeles Conservancy — Hollywood Roosevelthttps://www.laconservancy.org/locations/hollywood-roosevelt-hotel

Haunted Rooms — Hollywood Roosevelt Hotelhttps://www.hauntedrooms.com/california/los-angeles/haunted-places/hollywood-roosevelt-hotel

The Lineup — Haunted Roosevelt Storieshttps://www.the-line-up.com/hollywood-roosevelt-hotel-haunted

Atlas Obscura — Hollywood Roosevelthttps://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hollywood-roosevelt-hotel

Why This Story Endures

Hollywood is built on illusion—but the Roosevelt blurs the line between performance and reality. These aren’t just ghost stories. They’re echoes of fame, pressure, tragedy, and the people who lived too brightly, too briefly.

And maybe… never left.

Next Episode

Next time on Strange:The Hauntings of the Hollywood SignA symbol of dreams… and the tragedies hidden behind it.

Credits

Written by ChatGPTNarrated by SpeecheloMusic by Mureka