ISPR Comedy Store


ACORAH'S PSYCHIC 'TEST'


Introduction	In January 1999 Acorah's then manager, John G Sutton, took him to the USA to have his psychic powers tested by 'Dr' Larry Montz of The International Society for Paranormal Research, in Los Angeles. The two investigations analysed in this article apparently comprised two thirds of that 'test' - a test which Acorah claims to have passed with flying colours.
'Dr' Larry Montz, PhD	Before turning to the actual investigations, it would perhaps be worthwhile to learn something about the I.S.P.R., and its director, 'Dr' Larry Montz, PhD. In the early 1990s Larry Montz was living in New Orleans, running a ghost tour business called 'Hauntings Today' from a run-down store front. Such a minor detail didn't prevent him claiming that the I.S.P.R. was founded in 1972. However, it's very interesting to see from its website that a 'time-line' has now been written, incorporate a new 'history' that attempts to reduce the effect of several exposés over the past year.
	One thing which Montz cannot hide, though, is the truth of his 'PhD'. An article by Hans Ibold for the Los Angeles Business Journal, in November 2000, states Montz claims that he 'holds a doctorate in parapsychology from Trinity College in England' An interview with Charles Mandel in August 2002, confirms Montz holds 'degrees in electrical engineering and a post-graduate degree in parapsychology from England's Trinity College. There are five Trinity Colleges in England: Trinity College, Oxford - no doctorates offered in parapsychology Trinity College, Cambridge - no doctorates offered in parapsychology Trinity College, London - an examining board only, for English language and the performing arts Trinity College, Bristol - an Anglican theological college Trinity College of Music - London You can, however, buy a doctorate from Trinity College and University, in Malaga, Spain, for just £295 - although they don't advertise parapsychology either..
So it would appear that neither the individual who 'tested' Acorah nor his organisation are quite what most people would consider a recognised, reputable, scientific body. Not a good omen.

	The Charles Mandel interview (linked above) also quotes Daena Smoller as saying Those wanting clairvoyant testing and evaluation should expect to pay $1,450. Was any such fee requested from Acorah? Not according to my information.
The Test	This field-test consisted of investigating two properties - the Comedy Store, on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, and the house of the then owner, Mitzi Shore. The third element was a rather poorly-attended theatre show at Vogue Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, but unfortunately I have no footage of this - if one exists.
The Team	'Dr' Larry Montz Derek Acorah Peter James (L.A. Psychic) Ron Kilgore	Linda Mackenzie (L.A. Psychic) Shawn Roop Daena Smoller Jeanne LeGrande

The Venue	THE COMEDY STORE

	Located at 8433 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, the Comedy Store started life as Ciro's restaurant and nightclub. Ciro's was opened by Billy Wilkerson in 1939, and was the place for movie stars and celebrities to be seen in the '40s and '50s. It was there that Frank Sinatra famously laid out journalist Lee Mortimer for a comment he made. Sinatra ended up in court on a charge of assault and battery, which almost ended his career. The last owner of Ciro's was one Frank Sennes. In 1972, comedian Sammy Shore, and his wife Mitzi, rented part of the building that once housed Ciro's and opened The Comedy Store. When the Shores divorced two years later, The Comedy Store was part of the settlement Mitzi received from her husband, and as soon as the building came up for sale in 1976, she bought it.

The Investigation 10 January 1999	NOTE: According to the DVD's on-screen information, prior to this 'test', the ISPR had carried out two investigations in The Comedy Store, and used it for training. purposes Peter James had carried out seven investigations of the building.

The Main Room No other information is given about Suzanne/Susan	The team enters the Main Room, and immediately Acorah says they are being welcomed by "Suzanne?... Susan? ... Suzanne." Linda Mackenzie can also see Suzanne. Acorah then points out a spirit man, standing in diagonally-opposite corner. He asks Linda if she can see him - yes, she can, and describes him as 'portly'. Acorah then points out a spirit woman in another part of the room, and asks Peter James if he can see her - yes, he can. This sets the tone for both investigations.
Ciro's did not open until 1939	"He played piano! He played piano, this man!" says Acorah, bouncing around excitedly. He looks at the group, but nobody reacts. "I ... I... well, I feel pianos around him, you see. And music... erm... WOW! ..." Linda Mackenzie interrupts " ... but he had a hard life - his wife had died ..." "Yes," says Acorah in a distracted voice, then continues "if he didn't play piano, he loved piano." Still nothing. "erm... maybe it was a case of ... erm... him playing music, you see." Still no confirmation, so he changes tack and follows Linda's lead about his wife dying. When asked for a date for this man, Linda says she is getting 1925, and Acorah agrees.
Peter James provides Acorah with clue #1	An odd conversation then ensues, PJ: There's something about this portly gentleman that I think ... er... he and Derek have something in common. I'll let Derek try to figure that out. DA: Okay... PJ: I gave you a little hint there DA: Oh no, I don't ... yeah... thank you ... bless you. Erm... he's erm ... I feel this man also had ... erm... the feelings .. did he erm ... did he have health problems? PJ: Yes. DA: And .. because I feel as if I want to go ... oh, look what I had as well... look... y'know ... ooh! Here to the front of my body with this man... and erm ... surgery, okay? A little nod from PJ DA: Surgery. And also ... erm ... was he linked at some time in sport? A pause, then ... PJ: Possibly ... possibly DA: Yeah? He was? LMac: When he was very young... DA: Yes, when he was young. And I feel also that this man had ... er... when we talk about our senses ... that this man had a great awareness. Okay? PJ: Uhuh At this point Acorah says that the man's now on the stage, and he goes to join him. Acorah tells Montz that the man had been watching him the last time he had been in the building.
Isn't that what the lady just said, Derek?	Montz asks for a name, but when Linda Mackenzie says, "I think there's a F in it - it might be Frank... or Johnny Frank ..." Acorah interrupts quite rudely, with "Shh! Shh! Please! Just let me get the communication. I need the voice .. I need the voice properly. "Poss... come on please! Yeah.; FRANCIS!! It's two names and Francis! PJ: That's right!
According to the DVD's on-screen information, "Entities Anthony and Francis (Gus) were originally identified by the ISPR during 1997 field work. "	DA: Ha! Thank you. Bless you. PJ: Try Gus. DA: Who? PJ: His nickname is Gus. DA: Gussy! Gussy! Gussy! People used to call him Gus - Gussy! In England we would say Gussy, y'know?
According to the DVD's on-screen information, "No evidence could be found to support a daughter of comedienne Phyllis Diller in spirit at the time of this psychic event." Had he been asked to explain this, Acorah would probably have produced his usual get-out - 'a miscarriage'.	Acorah then claims to see another spirit woman - the daughter of American comedienne, Phyllis Diller. He describes her as looking 'like her mum' with spikey hair. Linda Mackenzie describes her as very unhappy, and says she will try to help her.
	Montz moves onto the stage to take temperature readings, and Acorah goes into his 'mangled-English' mode. Montz: He's still here, Derek? DA: Yes, he's not purposely ... d'you know what he's doing, Dr Larry? He's ... he's ... he's ... purp... he knows wha... he knows the stuff, this man, so he's not chilling the area ... he knows what ... y'know ... he doesn't want to sensil... sentilation... erm... ism, if you like. So he's not chilling it too much. Montz: Okay. The temperature actually is about 20 degrees different to normal, so what we have right now is a 20 degree temperature drop, which is just amazing.! Many times when an entity is around we get 5-6 degrees, 8 degrees, but in this case it's definitely much colder here. DA: He's purposely, through his experience, he's purposely, erm... stopped the chilling factor erm.. as much as what it could be, because I feel that ... I don't know anything about machines, but I reckon that would be, if it went to a scale of 40 that's what it would be unless this good man ... this good Francis, okay, this GOOD man, okay, is purposely done this, you see... so it's not too chilly.
	Attention moves to Linda Mackenzie who is holding a spirit woman who is crying uncontrollably. Someone she loved very dearly was murdered here Her name starts with an L. Montz: Does she have any relationship with the Comedy Store, or Ciro's LMac: Yes, Ciro's. Montz: Could she tell us the relationship? LMac: Daughter Montz: Of? LMac: Owner Monts: Uhum... can she give us er.. LMac: Someone was murdered here. She has dark hair. Montz: Uhum... Italian? LMac: Yes Montz: Yes LMac: And... er... er... someone she loved was murdered, I think, by her father. I think she killed herself. Montz: Why did she die? Because of his death? LMac: Yes. Montz: Is she in her mid-twenties? LMac: Yes Montz: Long hair? LMac: Long black hair. Beautiful girl. Montz: Is she willing to give us her last name? LMac: Bonastiglio? Bonastiglio? PJ: I would like to concur with the last name. I didn't get the last name but I did get the letter 'B' as beginning, so that's verification.
	Acorah must have felt he had been out of the limelight for too long, as he was suddenly being choked by an entity trying to get his attention! Even when they go to the right part of the theatre, Acorah is still being choked! According to Acorah it's "a man who used to frequent this place very often" because of his movie star father. Acorah can't decide whether his name should be pronounced 'shane' or 'shorn' Turns out it's Errol Flynn's son, Sean!
Sean Flynn's parents divorced in 1942, when he was one year old. He was brought up by his mother, Lili Damita, in Palm Beach, Florida. He spent summer holidays with his father, either in Jamaica, or on his yacht. Sean Flynn's father died soon after his son's enrolment at Duke University. Although Sean had made three brief appearances in TV films as a teenager, his first starring film was released in 1962, but it was made in Spain, not America. His other films were made in Spain, France, Italy, Mexico and West Germany - none in Hollywood. There is no record of Sean Flynn ever visiting Ciro's, or the Comedy Store. Nor any of him meeting Mitzi Shore. He seems to have avoided Hollywood, even turning down the opportunity to study drama there.
Nobody knows exactly how Sean Flynn died in Cambodia, in 1970/1. It was probably at the hands of the Khmer Rouge - either beaten to death, or killed by lethal injection when he contracted malaria, depending on which version you read. Either way most right-thinking people would describe his death as murder.	He wasn't murdered but he lost his life as a youngster - young. He's wearing a purple jacket, with a black t-shirt, jeans, with open shoes - not sandals.
I could trace no evidence that Sean Flynn ever had long or longish hair.	He has longish brown hair. Acorah gestures to below his shoulders.
Errol Flynn was notorious for drink, drugs and sex, but I could find no evidence to suggest that Sean followed in his father's footsteps. I found no reports that suggested that he was in any way erratic, or involved in fights. On the contrary, he appears to have got on well with everyone.	He used to like smoking joints because they would calm him down as he was so erratic he would smack someone before he'd finish a conversation. Alcohol wasn't good for him and he'd smack out before he'd think.
At last! Acorah has got something right - according to the DVD's on-screen information, that is. It reads "The week of January 11, 1999, actor Errol Flynn made news by not making the cut for inclusion into the American Film Institute's List: 50 Most Influential Screen Legends of Moviemaking's First Century." So, there was media coverage across the States of this fact? Erm... no - in fact, Errol Flynn simply is not mentioned at all. Hard luck.	Acorah claims he is told by Sean Flynn that during the coming week there will be talk in the media about his father. It would be in all the media, and everyone would know that Sean Flynn was here.
	Montz asks why Sean Flynn is there, and Acorah says it's because Mitzi is going to be selling her other house, and it's not the right time. She must wait until September.
So, was there an earthquake in Los Angeles in July 1999? Not according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center Was there an earthquake in Los Angeles at any time in 1999? Nope! The nearest one was 150 miles away at Hector Mine - in November. Did anything out of the ordinary happen in Los Angeles in July 1999? Not according to the Los Angeles Police Department.	Acorah then claims that Sean tells him that there is going to be "a big catastrophe here in Los Angeles in July of this year." Montz asks "Is this an earthquake?" and Acorah replies "Yes!" Linda Mackenzie tries to minimise Acorah's words by saying Sean was trying to sensationalise it, and that is while something is going to happen, it will not be devastating When asked by Montz, Peter James concurs!.
	Comedy Store ~ part 2 ~
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