A Christmas tree decoration, one of many along Hollywood Boulevard, can be seen on a light standard as several drivers wait for the "stop sign" to change before proceeding through the intersection. The Hollywood Knickerbocker Apartment Hotel is visible in the background. In 1923 E. M. Frasier built the 11-story hotel in Spanish Colonial style, which catered to Hollywood's film industry and was home to many stars throughout the years. This historic building began life as a luxury apartment building that was at the heart of Hollywood back in the 1920s, before becoming a hotel later in its history; its slogan was "Your home for a year or a day". It's been linked with tragic deaths and because of this, it is considered haunted by some. Some unfortunate occurrences: D.W. Griffith died of a stroke on July 21, 1948 under the crystal chandelier of the lobby; a costume designer named Irene Gibbons jumped to her death from a hotel window; William Frawley, who lived at the hotel for decades, died of a heart attack on the sidewalk in front of the Knickerbocker. Other stars that frequented the hotel with better luck were: Rudolph Valentino, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Lana Turner, Mae West, and Cecil B. DeMille among many, many others. In 1970 a renovation project converted the hotel, located at 1714 Ivar Avenue, into housing for senior citizens and it continues in this capacity today.
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