| Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood attraction | |
|---|---|
    Image from ASpookyMilkTea on Twitter | |
| Universal Horror Hotel | |
| Attraction type | Haunted House |
| Event | Halloween Horror Nights 2022 (Hollywood) |
| Park | Universal Studios Hollywood |
| Area | Upper Lot |
| Year | 2022 |
| Housed in | Year-Round Haunt Venue |
| Based on | Original |
Universal Horror Hotel was one of the eight haunted houses that were featured during Halloween Horror Nights 2022 (Hollywood). It was located in the Year-Round Haunt Venue.
Description[]
Welcome to the Hotel from Hell! A 1920s Hollywood hotel, once the hunting ground of its infamous serial killer owner, has been turned into a modern-day haunted hotel. Now he’s back from the dead. Your first stay will be your last.
Backstory[]
In the 1920s, the local newspapers in Hollywood had a headline "Lillian Van Drake The Heiress to the Van Drake oil family of fortune has announced that she's getting married to man name Maxi Deville". Maxi Deville had swept Lillian off her feet and she fell head over heels in love with him. They were eventually married much to chagrin of her mother Mildred Van Horn, who was the widow who inherited her husband's entire oil fortune. Maxi began to work on a new luxury hotel up in the Hollywood Hills that resided just below the famous Hollywoodland real estate development sign. Maxi had spent all of their money, millions of dollars, building this beautiful luxury hotel and started hanging out with Hollywood's biggest celebrities.
A few months afterward, tragedy had struck. Twin sisters Dottie and Dolly Clampendorf were found dead on the hotel premises. Dottie the maid was found swinging by her neck in the elevator and Dolly the cook was found with her head in the oven, an apparent double suicide. More stuff began to happen, including strange accidents that couldn't be explained and suicides. The Hollywood press started labeling Maxi's hotel, a "Hotel of Horrors"
Tragedy struck again when Mildred Van Horn was found dead in her bathtub electrocuted when a radio accidentally fell into it. Soon after, Lillian Deville, died in a freak fire in her bedroom. During the fire, Maxie claimed to have rushed to her side in an act of bravery, and tried to put out the flames. He was badly burned but survived.
The police were starting to get suspicious. They begin to suspect that Maxi Deville was behind all of the murders that took place at the hotel. A long trial followed and after several months, the jury returned a guilty verdict to Maxi and he was sentenced to death. Many appeals were consistently made for over several years, but eventually Deville would land in San Quentin in a gas chamber. On his deathbed, Maxi came up to the glass laughing maniacally, with his final words promising that he would come back. He then died in the gas chamber.
In modern day, the hotel has reopened as a Hotel of Horrors in Hollywood, advertising that it was once owned by the serial killer, Maxie Deville. Maxie Deville and his victims came back and started killing the guests.
Newspaper Clippings[]
These were newspaper clippings that further the story being told for the haunted house and were shown by John Murdy during Midsummer Scream 2022.
The Hollywood Tattler
Vol. XIIIV
Los Angeles California Thursday Morning, July 14th 1921
Von Drake Heiress to Wed
All of the Tinseltown was shocked when lovely Lillian Von Drake, daughter of Mildred Von Drake and heiress to the Von Drake Family oil fortune, announced her plans to marry this fall, The lucky gent is Maximillian Deville, a relative newcomer to Tinseltown. They apparently met outside a drugstore on Hollywood Blvd. where Lillian had sought a remedy for a tooth ache.
Not much is known about Maxie Deville and the Mystery surrounding his arrival in Hollywood and whirlwind romance with the lovely Lillian Von Drake has only added fuel to the fire. A search of local records reveals that he was born Marvin Kappowitz in Greenfield, Wisconsin, a small town in Lacrosse County known only for being birthplace of Henry Freeboff who served for a time in the Wisconsin State. He served briefly in the merchant marines from 1917 to 1919 without distinction. Since that time Kappowitz/Deville has moved through a succession of jobs and towns, from Litchfield, Connecticut to Gettysburg, South Dakota, never staying in one place for more than a month.
Kappowitz arrived in Los Angeles in the Summer of 1920 and promptly changed his name to Maximillian Deville. He drifted up to Hollywood later that year and worked for a time at Universal City Studiod, where he attended the animals in the studio's zoo and he even appeared as a background player in a few "one reelers." His employment with Universal was terminated in the spring of 1921 and his current means of employment are unknown.
As for the lovely Lillian she's absolutely smitten by her new beaux who she is "even more handsome than Rudy Valentino" and is "lighter on his feet than Nijimsky!" The date for their nuptials has been set for September 16th and it is expected that all of Hollywood will be in attendance from Fatty Arbuckle to Douglas Fairbanks!
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
Vol. XIIV
Los Angeles, California Thursday Morning, June 14th 1923
With all of these fanfare of a Hollywood movie premiere, the new Hotel Universal opened to its first visitors tonight with a gala party held in its luxurious ballroom! All of the Tinseltown was in attendance and seemed to love the swanky atmosphere and lavish decorations that are reported to have cost more than two million dollars!
Clara Bow, who just made a splash in Elmer Clifton's "Down to the Sea in Ships" which has just completed a twenty-two week run in New York City, called Deville's hotel, "The Cat's Pajamas!" and added "Maxie and Lil are swell hosts!"
Funnyman Harold Lloyd who just had a smashing success with Fred C. Newmeyer's "Grandma's Boy" said The Universal was "One swanky joint!" and danced the night away with his lovely wife Mildred who he met on the set of "Sailor Made Man."
Douglas Fairbanks arrived Fashionably late with "America's sweetheart" Mary Pickford but old Dougie had a good excuse, he came straight from the set of his next thrilling feature "The Thief of Bagdad" and was still in make up and had forgotten to take his earrings off! What's next up for "The Girl with Curls?" Why she's playing a Spanish street singer in "Rosita" which is coming up later this September!
The only guest who didn't seem enchanted by Deville's pleasure palace was his mother-in-law, Mildred Von Drake , who spent most of the evening sulking at a table by herself. At one point Charlie Chaplin stopped by her table and said, "Cheer Up Millie old girl, the place is a fabulous success!" and tried to make her smile by doing a jaunty dance, Mrs. Von Horn threw her napkin at Charlie and said, "Why should I be happy? My daughter married a no good louse and they used my dough to built this dump!"
Looks like Maxie has his work cut out for him.
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
Vol. XIIV
Los Angeles, California Monday Morning, August 27th 1923
SISTER DOMESTICS DOUBLE SUICIDE
Tragedy struck early morning hours at The Hotel Universal when not one but two dead bodies were uncovered. The victims have been identified as sisters Dorthy and Dolores Klampendorf who were employed at the hotel as domestics since its opening earlier this summer.
Dorthy who friends knew as "Dotty", was on the housekeeping staff whose daily duties included polishing the hotel's many brass fixtures and changing the bed linen of the hotel's one hundred and thirteen rooms. Her lifeless body was found in the hotel's main elevator where she hung herself with a man's belt. At present, it is not clear who the belt belonged to or how Dotty came into possession of it. No guests at the hotel reported any lost items or acts of larceny.
Dorthy's sister Delores Klampendorf who was known as Dolly, was employed at the same time as her sister and worked as a kitchen porter. Her body was discovered by a sous chef names Claude Hoffenbrau who claims she had placed her head inside the kitchen's newly procured gas oven, perhaps to clean it and may not have been aware that the deadly gas was turned on?
The authorities however took a different position, proposing that the two deaths were linked in a suicide pact between the two sisters. Detective Fitzgibbons from the Hollywood Division on North Cabuenga Boulevard was the first on the scene and speculated that the motive might have been the jilting of a former lover, perhaps twin brothers, or financial troubles.
The two sisters shared an apartment together on Fourth Street in downtown and took a Red Car trolly to work every day. Hotel owner Maxie Deville who has fast been making a name for himself in Hollywood ever since his marriage to socialite Lillian Von Horn two years ago was reported to be grief stricken at the lost of his employees and vowed to spare no expense to insure they received a proper Christian burial. The Hotel Universal opened last June and has been the "talk of the town" ever since. It's clientele has been a veritable cavalcade of stars with everyone from Norma Shearer to Bebe Daniels taking up residence. Next week, President Warren G. Harding is supposed to lunch at the Deville with Edward L. Doheny of the Pan American Petroleum and Transport Company. no doubt today's new has cast a shadow on those plans.
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
VOL. XIIV
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 13TH 1923
HOUSE OF HORRORS
Since it's opening in June, The Hotel Universal has been the scene of a series of tragic accidents and suspicious suicides that have caused members of the Hollywood press to brand it as a "Hotel of Horrors!"
The string of tragic events began two months ago when a pair of sister domestics, Dotty and Dolly Klampendorf, committed suicide on the same day! Dotty, who worked on the hotel's housekeeping staff was found swinging by her neck in the hotel's main elevator. Of particular interest at the time was the fact that man's leather belt was the cause of Dotty's death, even though no member of the hotel staff or guests reported any item of clothing missing. Popular entertainer Chippy Maxwell even had a radio hit titled "Dotty's Noose Made My Pants Loose" until the League of Morals and Decency demanded its removal from the airwaves.
Dotty's older sister Delores AKA "Dolly" Klampendorf was found the same day with her head in the kitchen oven, choked to death by the poisonous gas fumes! Chippy Maxwell tried to capitalize on the tragedy as well by penning a ditty entitled "Don't Clean the Oven My Lovin" but was silenced by the LMD before the song made its debut on the Slippy Sanders Radio Hour. Mr. Maxwell was later fined ten dollars by judge Josiah J. Jessephatte and publicly chastised for "assaulting the delicate sensibilities of the radio listening public."
Less than two weeks after the tragic death of the Klampendorf sisters, a terrible accident befell daredevil Mortimer "Mongoose" Macgillycuddy who was attempting to walk a wire between the hotel's towering turrets. During Macgillycuddy's stunt, one of the wires suddenly snapped and the daredevil fell to his death.
The faulty wire was caused by an unexpected air fluctuation but an investigation into his death is still pending. Now this month, two more residents of The Hotel Universal have met an untimely end. Former rodeo star "Tex" LaRue reportedly slipped in his bathroom and hit his head on the sink. Two days later social columnist Grace McGavins was found drowned in the swimming pool.
It is rumored that other accidental deaths have occurred in the weeks since the incidents occured, though the identity of the victims has not yet been made public by the authorities.
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
VOL. XIIV
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 1ST 1924
SHOCKING DEATH OF OIL HEIRESS
Not moments into the New Year and another tragedy has taken place at The Hotel Universal. This time the unfortunate object of Fate's cruel arrow was none other than Mildred Van Horn, widow of Randolph Van Horn and heir to the Van Horn family fortune! She was discovered dead in her bathtub early this morning. The cause of death, drowning coupled with electrocution from a nearby radio that appears to have accidentally fallen into her bathtub!
Mrs. Van Horn had attended the New Year's Eve celebration at the hotel earlier that night but had retired to bed before the clock struck midnight. Several guests at the hotel reported seeing Mrs. Van Horn arguing with her son-in-law Maxie earlier that evening, though the subject of that disagreement is unknown. Mrs. Van Horn had moved into the Hotel Universal shortly after its opening last June and was often seen berating the staff with complaints about her treatment. It is well documented in the gossip columns that Mrs. Van Horn did not approve her daughter Lillian's marriage to Mr. Deville and had been quite vocal about his lavish spending habits, including constructing The Hotel Universal at a price tag of over two million dollars!
Another guest at the Universal reported hearing Irving Berlin song "All Alone" sung by popular entertainer Al Jolson coming from her suite of rooms shortly before her death. Mrs. Van Horn was known to listen the radio every night and was quite fond of Mr. Berlin's song ever since she first heard it performed at the opening of the Music Box Revue on Broadway in 1921, it was said that she often told friends that it reminded her of her late husband Randolph who passed away the same year the play opened.
Mrs. Van Horn, who was called "Millie" by her friends, was born Mildred Grace Pederson in Newport Rhode Island in 1872. Her father ran a successful haberdashery and eventually moved the family out west as his business grew. She met her future husband Randolph Van Horn at a dinner dance in Los Angeles in 1892, shortly after he divorced his first wife Agatha after having her committed to a mental hospital, Randolph who at the time had been a partner in the Pan American Petroleum and Transportation Company with Edward L. Doheny made a fortune in all which grew in oil which grew substantially as his multiple land holdings produced more and more of the "Black Gold!" When Randolph died of a sudden heart attack in 1921, his entire fortune passed to Mildred and now that same fortune passes to their only child Lillian Deville.
People close to the case had cause for suspicion, as Mrs. Van Horn was wearing her dressing gown when her body was found in the bathtub. The case is still under investigation by the Hollywood Division of Los Angeles Police Department who are withholding any further comments until they produce their report.
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
VOL. XIIV
“LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 14TH, 1924
“TRAGIC FIRE AT DEVILLE’S HOTEL”
Yet another tragic accident has occurred at the Hotel Universal, this time claiming the life of Lillian Deville, wife of hotel proprietor Maxie Deville and heir to the vast Van Horn family oil fortune.
Early this morning, The Hollywood Police and Fire Division on North Cahuenga Boulevard received an urgent call that there was a fire in one of the rooms of the Hotel Universal. On arriving at the scene, they found Mrs. Deville’s body burned beyond all recognition. Mr. Deville who had apparently raced to his wife’s bed and in a heroic effort had tried to save her from the malevolent flames was badly injured in the incident suffering terrible burns to one side of his body. He was rushed by an ambulance motor car to the newly opened Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently being treated.
Detective Fitzgibbon’s from the Hollywood Police Division speculated that the fire must have started from a cigarette that was left burning but staff at the Hotel Universal refuted that claim. “Horsefeathers!,” said hotel concierge Billy Buttersworth, “I’ve never known Mrs. Deville to smoke and in fact she abhorred it in others.” When approached with this news Detective Fitzgibbon’s insisted that Mr. Buttersworth’s memory was faulty due to a case of “the nerves” and instructed him to take a powder.
Lillian Deville, daughter of the late Randolph and Mildred Van Horn was born into a family of extravagance and wealth. Prior to her marriage to Maxie Deville in 1921, she was deemed one of the most sought after young ladies amongst the high society of Hollywood and at one time was rumored to betrothed to Hollywood’s “Latin Lover” Roman Navarro. Heartbroken when Navarro suddenly called off her engagement, she quickly found a new beau in Maximillian Deville, a one time background player at Universal City Studios when they met outside a local drugstore. Shortly after their wedding in September 1921, Deville announced plans to build the luxury hotel in the Hollywood Hills just underneath the Hollywoodland real estate development sign. Ever since The Universal’s opening, the couple have been resulting of the hotel and hobnobbing with Hollywood royalty.
On learning the news in Mrs. Deville’s death, Hollywood starlet Jean Harlow had said “What a lousy Valentine’s Day present!” She was one swell dame and her parties were the cat’s meow.” Detective Gibbons for his part said that he was quite certain smoking in the bed led to Mrs Deville’s untimely end and was not ruling out foul play until the fire department completed their investigation. Ted Healy’s stooges, a vaudeville act, was scheduled to perform in the ballroom of the hotel later this morning but the performance had been cancelled until the police and fire investigation is complete. Stooge Shemp Howard was not pleasant with this news and added, “Aw nuts! Just because some old broad gets barbecued we’ll lose a paycheck!”
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
VOL. XIIV “LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 14TH, 1924”
“DEVILLE PRIME SUSPECT IN HOTEL DEATHS!”
In a shocking development today, Detective Fitzgibbon’s of the Hollywood Police and Fire Division on North Cahuenga Boulevard named Hotel Universal owner Maxie Deville as the prime suspect in the death of his wife, the lovely Lillian Deville. Mrs. Deville died in a tragic fire back in February of this year, an incident in which Mr. Deville was also badly burned. Having recently completed a nearly two month long investigation, during which time five charred cans of gasoline were discovered in the Hotel’s basement, Detective Fitzgibbon’s instructed officers Logan and McBride to go down to the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, where Deville was still being treated and read him his rights. He was placed in custody and was led out of the hospital with his hands clasped in bracelets by Logan and McBride a few minutes later while a gaggle of eager newspapermen tipped off by fellow copper, took pictures and shouted questions at Maxie. “What’s the beef?”, Maxie was heard to say “Tell these goons to take their meat hooks off me! You think I bumped off my wife? I’ve been fingered I tells ya!” I loved the doll!”
Reporters were shocked at Maxie’s appearance. His hair, normally perfectly oiled, was a tussled mess and one whole side of his face had been burnt right down to the bone. His left eye, normally glistening like a shiny jewel, had the appearance of a dulled hen’s egg! Two female passersby fainted at the sight and had to be revived with a whiff of cocaine and a bracing blast of seltzer water!
Ever since The Hotel Universal opened in the Summer of 1923, it has been plagued by suspicious suicides and tragic accidents and now the Hollywood press is wondering if fancy pants Maxie was behind it all. Locals have been calling it, “The Hotel of Horrors” for several months and some even claim that Deville is the ringleader of a secret society that abducts virtuous young women and sacrifices them to their pagan god! There are even rumors of scores of human cadavers buried within the building’s walls. Despite exhaustive searches by the authorities, no additional bodies have been discovered and Maxie is only being charged with Lillian’s death so far…but the number is surely to rise as all the facts come to light.
THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER
VOL. XIIV “LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 19TH, 1927”
“It’s the “BIG SLEEP” for Maxie!”
All of Tinseltown was on pins and needles as Judge Jessaphatte handed down down the sentence today in a murder case that has dragged on for over two years and has eclipsed even the Fatty Arbuckle case in time, cost to tax payers and ink in the Hollywood hot pages! The verdict? A sentence of death for Maximillion “Maxie” Deville, a former two-bit drifter and drugstore cowboy who rose to fame after his marriage to oil heiress Lillian Van Horn six years ago.
The sensational trial took all sorts of unexpected twists and turns as Maxie’s devilish deeds finally came to light. While the owner proprietor of the Hotel Universal, it was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Maxie was responsible not only for the death of the lovely Lillian but of her mother Mildred, the sisters Klampendorf, daring daredevil “Mongoose” Magillycuddy, rodeo star “Tex LaRue and Holly Hollywood columnist Grace McGains along with a host of other victims whose deaths are too gruesome to summarize in the pages of the periodical. But Maxie’s nefarious ways didn’t start when he arrived in Tinseltown, he left a string of stiffs tracing all the way back to his days in Greenville, Wisconsin and to several women he married then murdered in cities as far apart as Gettysburg, South Dakota and Litchfield Connecticut.
Throughout the long trial, Deville’s lawyer Slip Shadwell tried to pin the murders on the hotel concierge Billy Buttersworth saying , “Your man is Billy Buttersworth! He had the keys to every room!” But the wise jurors said bananas to that and cast their fearful stares at Maxie and his hideous burned face. The lawyer for the prosecution Tad Baxter famously shouted “How do you think he got that way!” It caused Judge Jessephatte to reapproach the case after the turn of events were turned into a vaudeville review suitable only for Ted Healy and his Stooges!
During one bizarre exchange where Baxter tried to connect Maxi’s crimes to a secret pagan society long rumored to be operating within Hollywood’s upper crust. Universal City Studios founder Carl Lammele were compelled to testify as the reason for Deville’s firing from his picture palace, which had to do with the theft of a ram from the studio zoo. On hearing Laemmele’s testimony, a colorful local known as Petes The Hermit stood up in the courtroom and shouted “It wasn’t a ram, it was one of my goats and you owe me two dollars for it you thieving Hessian!”
Maxie will remain in The Big House while his lawyers will undeniably appeal today’s verdict.
“THE HOLLYWOOD TATTLER”
“VOL. XIIV”
LOS ANGELES FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 29TH, 1937
TINSELTOWN TERROR Issues FINAL THREAT
Madman and murderer Maximillian Maxie Deville had the last word as he was executed in the newly minted gas chamber of San Quinton today, ten years to the day of his sentencing. As the prison guards sealed the gas chamber door, “The Terror of Tinseltown” cried out, “I’ll be back!” and laughed as the venomous vapors claimed their righteous reward!
Since his sentencing by Judge Josiah J. Jessephatte in a Los Angeles courtroom a decade ago, Maxie’s lawyer Slip Shadwell has made endless appeals, bolstered by Maxie’s default inheritance of the Van Horn family oil fortune that was once in the hands of his mother-in-law Mildred Van Horn and wife, the lovely Lillian Deville. But all that dough couldn’t buy Maxie’s freedom and in the end it was “The Big Sleep” for “The Devil of Angel City.”
“Maybe he should’a bought some nose plugs or some clothesline pegs with all that filthy lucre,” said lead prosecutor Tad Baxter as he stood outside the prison gates awaiting news of Maxie’s demise. The assembled reporters had a good chuckle at that one until they were interrupted by a strange looking man in biblical dress who shouted out “You lollygaggers can laugh it up all youse wants, but I still haven’t been paid a dime for my goat which’n he stole from me!” The odd-looking chap was later identified as Pete Howard, a colorful local well known on the streets of Tinseltown as Pete the Hermit. Mr. Howard had traveled all the way up to San Quinton to seek repayment for the lost goat for which he famously got into a heated exchange with Universal City Studios founder Carl Laemmle during the sensational trial.
As for Mr. Lammle’s part, he vowed to make a movie about the Deville case his top priority once he regains the the reigns at Universal, from which he was ousted less than a year ago. The movie, which Laemmle said he’s calling “The Devil of Angel City” is to be scripted by John Balderson fresh off the success of Last of the Mohicans and is to feature that film’s stars Randolph Scott as Maxie and Binnie Barnes as his fateful wife Lillian. The part of Billy Buttersworth, the faithful hotel concierge wrongly accused of Deville’s crimes, is rumored to have been offered to Ramon Navarro who is currently filming the musical “The Shiek Steps Out” at Republic and at one time was betrothed to the lovely Lillian. A date for the film’s production has yet to be set.
As for Maxie, its curtains for him. His body is to be cremated which warden Court Smith said shouldn’t take long, considering how much it was burnt already.
Experience[]
Facade[]
Guests would go down an alleyway with queue videos showing the past events of the hotel and the history of Maxie Deville. Guests would then enter the interior where a different video would play showing off the hotel in a modern-day advertisement.
Guests then entered a hallway with a hotel elevator where Dotty Klampendorf could be seen struggling. The lights would go out and she would fall and get hung. She disappeared as the lights went back on. A newspaper on the wall and "I'll Be Back" written in blood could also be seen before entering the house.
Haunted House[]
As guests entered, they would see Pepper's Ghost effect of Maxie Deville that appeared and disappeared. They would then enter the bathroom which was filled with fog. Mildred Van Horn would rise from the bathtub spraying water on guests as the lights flashed. Going down a hallway, guests would come across a hotel guest with two keys in her eyes and an All-Seeing Eye Symbol. Maxie Deville then popped out from the left.
Next, guests entered a hotel room where there was a modern-day guest burned to death on the bed. The walls disappeared to show newspaper reels about Lillian Deville's death. Lillian Deville then popped out before guests exited the scene.
After that, guests would go down a hotel hallway where Maxie Deville popped out from behind a door with an All-Seeing Eye Symbol on it. They then entered the kitchen of a hotel room which had the corpse of a hotel guests with their head in a bowl. Dolly Klampendorf could be seen cutting next to a stove with fog on top of it. She attacked guests as Maxie Deville then popped out from behind a door.
Guests then entered a large room in the hotel where there was a Hollywood Tourist with their eyes plunged out screaming as Lillian Deville then popped out from the left from behind a door. Guests continued on to see a headless Hollywood Tourist (with an All-Seeing Eye Symbol above them) pop out from the right as Maxie Deville then popped out from behind a doorway on the left.
Entering into another room, guests would come across a faceless Hollywood Tourist that would pop out from behind a door. They then entered a hallway where there was a maid's cleaning supplies bin with a bunch of heads on it as Dotty Klampendorf popped out from behind a door to attack guests. Guests went down another hallway before getting attacked by Maxie Deville on the left from behind a door. They then entered Maxie Deville's hotel room.
In the room, guests would be startled as Mildred Van Horn popped out from the right. Guests could spot Maxie Deville's souvenir case to the left. Maxie Deville then popped out from behind a door in front of guests and Lillian Deville popped out from behind a door on the right with the All-Seeing Eye Symbol next to her. They then entered a passageway to the basement of the hotel.
Guests would enter a weapons room where a static figure of a hotel guest could be seen cut in half from the waist down. Weapons behind a gate could be seen with candles on the sides and cult robes could be seen hanging. After that, guests would see Maxie Deville ripping out a Hollywood Tourist's heart (with an All-Seeing Eye Symbol above them) as a Cult Member attacked from the left. Guests were then attacked by a Cult Member from a boo hole. They would then see a bunch of bodies in holes in the wall as lights flickered and an animatronic rat would peck at them. They were then attacked one more time by Maxie Deville from a boo hole before exiting the house.
Scareactors[]
- Mildred Van Horn x2
- Maxie Deville x8
- Lillian Deville x3
- Dolly Klampendorf
- Hollywood Tourists x4
- Dotty Klampendorf
- Cult Members x2
Quotes[]
- Universal News- the talk of the world. THE DEVIL OF ANGEL CITY. Hollywood, to many a city of dreams, to some, a (?) of nightmares. 1923, not long after Universal founder Carl Leanne opened his magical movie city to the world. Mysterious (?) Maximilian DeVille opens the Hotel Universal. Maxie was just another Hollywood drugstore cowboy, a chiseling flim fla artist and a two bit drifter who struck hot gold when he met the lovely Lilian, heir to the (?) family oil fortune. With Lilian (?), Maxie built a luxury hotel in the Hollywood hills, just beneath the famous sign. In a town of flea bag (?), Maxie’s ritzy resort soon became the (?) strrry eyed starlets alike. But then tragedy strikes, a double suicide. The cook Dolly Klamwndoff found with her head in the oven, the maid, her sister (?), found swinging by her neck. Maxie and his hotel of horrors became the talk of Tinseltown. Some claimed he was the ringleader of a sinister secret society whose pagan blood rituals where conducted nightly in the basement of the hotel. Others claimed that the devil himself had come to the city of angels. And then, tragedy strikes again! Meredith Vin Drake, mother of the lovely Lilian, electrocuted in her own bathtub. And finally the lovely Lilian herself burned to death in her bed. This (?) of salacious slaughter landed like a red balloon in Maxie’s doorstep. And the (?) was snatched up by the long arm of the law. After a lengthy trial, when Maxie’s devilish deeds were finally exposed, the judge handed down a sentence of Death. As they sealed the gas chamber door, this Movieland murderer cried out I’ll be back and laughed, as the venomous vapers claimed their righteous reward. The terror of Tinseltown is dead, 23 (?) to you Maxie.- Exterior queue video.
- "Welcome to Universal Horror Hotel! The oldest and most infamous hotel in Tinseltown. Our horrific history began at the dawn of motion pictures where this fascinating new novelty had drew thousands of Hollywood hopefuls to the movie capital of the world but underneath the stardust, a river of blood ran through the gutters of the boulevard of broken dreams, it ran straight to the doorstep of the Hotel Universal and its original owner Maxie Deville, the Terror of Tinseltown. During Maxie's terror-filled tenure, the Hotel Universal was the scene of shocking suicides and tragic accidents until it was discovered that Maxie was behind it all. Rumors of dark rituals, hidden passageways and human sacrifice dominated the headlines but the truth is far as shocking, even after Maxie's death in the gas chamber of San Quentin in 1937, unexplained deaths continue to haunt the place as if all that blood from Maxie's murders had permeated the very bones of the building. Now the Terror of the Tinsel lives on at the Universal Horror Hotel! Combining old Hollywood hospitality with all the amenities of the modern hotel including free wifi! Just remember Maxie's last words "I'll be back" and you'll be back once you experienced the Universal Horror Hotel, its a super supernatural experience to die for. - Narrator for the Universal Horror Hotel Documentary
- "Housekeeping? (x3)" - Dotty Klampendorf
Pictures[]
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Videos[]
Soundtrack[]
Trivia[]
- Most of The Walking Dead Attraction was demolished to create this house [1].
- Like other originals, this house has multiple reused effects, sound effects, and masks.
- Maxie Deville's mask is The Phantom of the Opera from Universal Monsters.
- The burned victim scene reused the disappearing wall effect from Insidious: Return to the Further.
- Lillian Deville's mask is the Burnt Walker mask from The Walking Dead Attraction.
- The Headless Hollywood Tourist.
- Maxie Deville's sound trigger in the big bedroom scene was from The Exorcist.
- The Skinless Hollywood Tourist was Marty from Poltergeist.
- Dotty Klampendorf's mask was The Bride in Black's mask from Insidious: Beyond the Further.
- The heart rip gag was from Black Sabbath: 13-3D.
- The inspiration for this maze went back to 1999 when John Murdy was working on the Studio Tour. He was doing a lot of research on the history of the studio. He was looking at the opening day of USH and all the photos of the founder had another man standing next to him in a white suit. He put it all in a folder and kept it, and 22 years later he created this original concept and wanted to take this man in white and wrap him in a story about the birth of movies[2].
- The Hotel Cecille documentary and Devil in the White City were the inspirations for the house [3].
- It was heavily rumored that the house was originally going to be based around the recent movie Evil Dead: Rise. However, this was scrapped due to unknown reasons.
- Evil Dead Rise would receive a house at the same location in the following year, where it reused much of the same layout and set design as Universal Horror Hotel, further cementing the theory.
- According to John Murdy, the House's Outline and Backstory was written in 24 Hours. [4].
- The promo art has a fire on the right side which is a reference to Lillian Deville's death. The electricity on the left side is a reference to Mildred Van Horn's death [5].
- Pete the Hermit was mentioned in the “It’s the “BIG SLEEP” for Maxie!” article. He was a real-life man who lived in the Hollywood Hills and would wander down to the studio [6].
- Maxie Deville resembles the villain Two-Face from the Batman comics.
- John Murdy voiced the announcer in the interior pre-show video. [7].
- Maxie Deville's original last name was Kappowitz, which is the same last name as Harold Kappowitz who is Hollywood Harry[8].
- The house featured two queue videos. One explaining the past of the hotel, Maxie Deville, and the tragedies, while the other was a modern-day ad for the hotel.
- The house featured a preshow scene with animated effects [9].
- The entrance to the bathroom included "I'll be Back" written in blood on the wall which was a reference to Maxie Deville's last words before he died.
- Mildred Van Horn was controlled by a blackout performer raising and lowering her at guests. There was water-based fog and she would spray water at guests [10].
- There were "All Seeing Eye Symbols" throughout the house foreshadowing the cult[11].
- There were newspaper reels done by Lucas Culshaw that Murdy wrote that told the story [12].
- Most of the lighting for the triggers were blue and white to give a paranormal feel. However, Lillian Deville's trigger lighting was red since she died by fire [13].
- The photos in the hallway after the Burned Victim scene were photos of actual Universal filming locations [14].
- In Maxie Deville's Room, guests could spot his souvenir collection [15].
- In Maxie Deville's Room, guests can see Maxie Deville's Cult Robe hung up.
- In the weapon room, guests could spot the cult's robes hung up and a bloody handprint on the wall.
- The ending tied into the theory that Maxie Deville was "the ringleader of a secret society that abducts virtuous young women and sacrifices them to their pagan god!" from the "DEVILLE PRIME SUSPECT IN HOTEL DEATHS!” article.
- The inspiration for the cult's look was Dragnet. [16].
- The body mirror effect is an infinity mirror showing it going on [17].
- The second week of the event, there was an animatronic rat added to the buried bodies scene.
- The bodies in the wall ties into the phrase "There are even rumors of scores of human cadavers buried within the building’s walls." from the "DEVILLE PRIME SUSPECT IN HOTEL DEATHS!” article.
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1560448167048400897?t=4XueQGy898fwGYYknmQiVQ&s=19
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1578455923433299968?s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/HHNManics/status/1561405511144128512?t=UloNtkNOB7IIC3Z8MHuzQA&s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316125284861718535?t=LcXY-sE5dthW8kd4eqTjLg&s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1569816818646421505?t=_Ug-z4dOIGV6gLgGK0xIIQ&s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/HHNManics/status/1553757509667545088?t=JfT7e20oiQp8oPm0RbyIeA&s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1560457777205559296?t=TJ2ESjIcCiD3jd5A1qIK1g&s=19
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://twitter.com/HHNManics/status/1565049482081091584?t=sLU-ZVkeOYJe4WzwltUfzA&s=19
- ↑ https://twitter.com/HHNManics/status/1565049482081091584?t=sLU-ZVkeOYJe4WzwltUfzA&s=19
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
- ↑ https://twitter.com/HHNManics/status/1565049436094742528?t=TMYnhTGMmuPTqszewWisMA&s=19
- ↑ https://youtu.be/R1iEJXqwDoE
| Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2022 |
|---|
| Characters: The Mummy • The Wolfman • Count Dracula • Michael Myers • Blissfield Butcher • The Grabber • The Weeknd • Killer Klowns • Kingcrow • La Llorona • Lillian Deville •Maxie Deville • Mildred Van Horn • Hollywood Harry • Edgar Allan Crow |
| Haunted Houses: Universal Monsters: Legends Collide • Halloween • The Horrors of Blumhouse • The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare • Scarecrow the Reaping • La Llorona: The Weeping Woman • Universal Horror Hotel • Killer Klowns From Outer Space |
| Terror Tram: Terror Tram |
| Scarezones: El Pueblo Del Terror • Sideshow Slaughterhouse • Clownsawz |
| Unofficial Scarezone: Pumpkinsawz |
| Show: Jabbawockeez |
| Other Attractions: Haunted Forest • Dia De Los Muertos Plaza • The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare Bar • Death Eaters Encounter • Halloween Horror Nights NFT Scavenger Hunt • Chucky's Good Guys Toy Box Photo Op • Every Day is Halloween Store • R.I.P Tour Lounge |