The Comedy Store

8433 Sunset Boulevard was Ciro's from 1940 to 1957, the nightclub where Hollywood's biggest stars were seen and where gangster Mickey Cohen was a notorious regular. It later became a rock venue, where the Byrds were discovered in 1964, and in 1972 it became the Comedy Store. In June 1979, during a bitter strike by comedians over pay, a comic who had performed at the club took his own life by jumping from the hotel next door. Comedians and staff have long described the building as haunted: a piano upstairs heard playing with no one at it, candles set out on tables found rearranged moments later, and presences felt in the basement, which rumour has long tied to Cohen's era, though no record supports that. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.