Eve Southern (1898-1972) was a minor silent film star, who was occasionally referred to as “Hollywood’s Mystic” because of her obsession with the occult. Here is newspaper columnist Alice L. Tildesley’s retelling of an Eve Southern ghost story from 1929:
Eve Southern, known to Hollywood as an eerie young creature, tells of a spine-chilling manifestation.
It seems that several years ago Samuel Goldwyn had signed her for a much desired role in one of his big pictures. Rehearsals had proceeded to what Eve supposed to be the producer’s satisfaction, but one day when she had not been required on the set, the business manager of the company called at Eve’s house. [NOTE: She was living at 1023 W. 23rd St., which was later torn down.]
He broke it to her, as gently as possible, that she did not seem suited to the role for which she had been cast, and asked her to release them from the contract.
Very quietly Eve agreed. She tore up the contract in his presence and let him out by the front door. But all the time she was thinking:
“I know that mother has a package of rat poison in the pantry. When he has gone I will go back there and take some.”
When he departed, Eve walked back through the dining room into the breakfast room, beyond which lay the pantry. As she entered the breakfast room her eye was caught by a movement. A hand, a beautiful hand, was placing a small bunch of forget-me-nots on the table. There was no arm to the hand and, as Eve stood there looking at it, it vanished. The flowers remained for a time and then vanished in their turn, but the incident so shocked the girl that she gave up her suicidal intention.
