Notes & Credits
Updated December 21, 2004
Information, Please
-- Special thanks to David Pearson of Silent Ladies and Gents for gracious permission to use his photo of Jack Daugherty to illustrate this story.
Jack Daugherty (or Dougherty), silent film star and the last husband of the notorious Barbara La Marr, had a undistinguished career that slowly drifted into oblivion. As Hans J. Wollstein (All Movie Guide) put it; "Daugherty was all but forgotten by moviegoers when he committed suicide in May 1938."
He also happens to be buried at the VA Cemetery in West Los Angeles.
(Boo!)
But, alas, that is not a photo of the guy I saw. The eyes were very much the same, but the gentleman I met had longer hair in front, like Shemp of the Three Stooges, and slightly different facial features. Too bad. That would have been a tidy ending to the story.
--The "Thunderbird Palace" is no more. On a recent visit to Santa Monica I discovered that the old brownstone building had been replaced; it was probably damaged in the Northridge earthquake of 1994. The army surplus building is still across the street, but now it houses something else. And the reference to the Manson Family? True. Read "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi, as I did that summer.
--The dialog between me and the mysterious visitor is verbatim and the encounter took place exactly as described. You don't forget a conversation like that.
Mind Your Manners
Notes in progress.
Wáchale Ese!
Notes in progress.
It's Your Special Day
Notes in progress.
Katie's Man
Notes in progress.
Left For Buy, Right For Sell
Notes in progress.
Snap Taffy
--There are quite a few websites offering recordings of odd sounds. One of the best I've uncovered so far can be found at Ghost Voices. It's run by some folks from northern Missouri and they have quite a collection for you to browse.
--Also, a new movie is due out from Universal Pictures in early January, 2005: "White Noise," starring Michael Keaton as a man obsessed by his encounter with EVP. It seems to be both a supernatural and a psychological thriller--Poltergeist meets Jacob's Ladder--and it may prove to be quite entertaining. The promo website is certainly very slick. It also may be the first movie to use EVP as a plot device.
--Finally, a word about this particular story: Of all the strange things I've encountered in my life, this one takes first prize. Those who know me personally also know what that means. 'Nuff said.
Show And Tell
Notes in progress.