Hollywood And The Occult

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The author of this book, Kenneth Anger, was involved with both Hollywood and the Occult. Was this book produced with the aid of the occult? 

That has been alleged.

 Film historian vin KeBrownlow repeatedly criticized the book, citing Anger as saying his research method was "mental telepathy, mostly".

I believe the chapter on Thelma Todd contains stories that came from things that were misunderstood or distorted in retelling, because they appear to be strangely garbled versions of the stories that we started out with.

The authors of this book, Patrick Jenning and Marshall Croddy, also felt that these things were misunderstood or distorted in retelling.

So that is something that we agree on.

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Hollywood And The Occult

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The occult is a part of this story.

The aftermath of the first World War saw a rise on interest in the occult as people sought to communicate with lost loved ones. Harry Houdini exposed many fakers who only pretended to be able to communicate with the dead, but attempts to communicate with the dead would continue.

Massachusetts historically has been connected with witchcraft since the days of old Salem.

Many movie people were interested in the occult as they sought assistance to face an uncertain future. Thelma Todd was said to have consulted fortune tellers, astrologers, and numerologists.

 It doesn't seem to have helped.

Bette Davis was also said to be interested in numerology.

A page from SILVER SCREEN, Oct. 1932.

 Both Ida Lupino and her father Stanley were interested in the occult and claimed to be in communication with the spirits of the dead.

This interest in the occult doesn't seem to have helped any of them, although they may have thought that it did. Things like hard work had more to do with that than the unknown. 

Alison Loyd:

http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/11/alison-loyd.html 

Houdin exposed fakers:

https://www.iue.edu/blogs/library/2020/10/12/harry-houdini-fake-news-fighting-pioneer/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/obituaries/rose-mackenberg-overlooked.html

Thelma Todd and numerologists:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Life_and_Death_of_Thelma_Todd/LQsB66qPGmgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Thelma+Todd+numerologists.&pg=PA62&printsec=frontcover

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Thelma Todd Poem

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From Thelma Todd Fans on facebook.

Jax Linton She went to school with my grandmother at the Wetherbee!! It's a grade school in Lawrence, still open at 75 Newton St. You can Google Earth it and so forth.

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Thelma's Star on Hollywood Blvd.

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From "Mingya Valley" on facebook.

Thelma's Star on Hollywood Blvd.

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Thelma's Signature In Autograph Book

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From "Mingya Valley" on facebook.

Paul Ramey

Thelma signed my grandfather's autograph book in high school 1923. LHS . That was before yearbooks.

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THELMA TODD In VAMPING VENUS

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THELMA TODD in the 1928 Edward F. Cline Fantasy Comedy VAMPING VENUS.

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LEGEND OF THE PEARLS

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LEGEND OF THE PEARLS. At any rate, if you know any good bedtime stories along that line, here's a dandy illustration. 'And The great big jewel case opened up, and there was a beautiful princess—' Even Dad might like it! We like the illustration ourselves, think it a very fetching study of M-G-M's Hal Roach comedienne, Thelma Todd. ~ from Motion Picture Herald, 1931

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Publicizing Popularity Of Thelma Todd At Roach Studio

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September 24 1930  publicizing popularity of Thelma Todd at Roach Studio

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BUSTER KEATON & THELMA TODD VINTAGE MATCHBOOK

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eBay item.

"this is a wonderful, vintage movie & tobacciana item. it's a spanish matchbox offering wonderful portrait of buster keaton on 1 side & thelma todd on the other. originated in havana, cuba. the name 'vicente real' appears on 1 side. measures a little bigger than 1.75" x .5" x 1.75." "

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