Irene Cara, 1959 - 2022

Updated 2/4/23.

Sad news today.

Hearing today's news about the passing of singer/actress Irene Cara reminded me that I ran into several of the actors of Flashdance (1983) in an elevator of the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in Los Angeles. Cara wasn't one of them, I don't believe. I was there to attend a meeting of the Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee on a different floor.

At the time, Flashdance was in production and Bob Hope Patriotic Hall and was where the final dance scene with Alex (Jennifer Beals) ("blowing away the five judges with her routine") was filmed.

Irene Cara was only 63 years old at the time of her death.

She is best known for (source: Wikipedia):

Irene Cara Escalera was an American singer and actress. Cara sang and co-wrote the song "Flashdance... What a Feeling", for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984.  

Cara is also known for playing the role of Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film Fame, and for recording the film's title song "Fame". 

Above, Irene Cara, 1959 - 2022.

As of now, it is not known what caused Cara's death. Her publicist said that as soon as they know, they will release the information. 

R.I.P., Irene.

UPDATE (2/4/23):

Finally, over two months since her passing, Irene Cara's cause of death has been revealed.

From Fox News:

"Flashdance" singer Irene Cara’s official cause of death has been revealed.

The Pinellas County medical examiner’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Cara's cause of death was hypertension and high cholesterol, specifically arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes was also listed as a contributing factor in her death.

From my own experience, I have a good idea on how her final moments were like. If she (I'm assuming) weren't alone, she could possibly have been saved. It has been reported that she lived her final years alone like a hermit in Largo, Florida. 

To read more, go here.

Haunted Patriotic Hall

Down on Figueroa Street near Washington Blvd. stands the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. It is a familiar landmark in Los Angeles.

The Hall's history (from the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs website):

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA)began with the purchase of a 3-story abandoned church building located on the side of the present staff's parking lot, prior to 1900. That building was remodeled and became known as Victory Hall. Following World War I, Victory Hall was soon outgrown and plans were laid to create a new multi-story building. Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, as we see it today, was opened to the public in September 1926.

Owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is a practical and living memorial to veterans. It was dedicated by the Board of Supervisors in 1926. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic, veterans of Indian Wars, Spanish American War veterans and World War I veterans were among the first to use the facilities. The building was designed by Allied Architects Association and has been awarded the Certificate of Honor by the Southern California chapter of the American Society of Architects because of its exceptional merit. Its design is Romanesque with fine vaulted arch construction in the lobby.

The Hall is currently undergoing renovation, which is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

One interesting aspect to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is that it is reportedly haunted. There have been some deaths at the Hall since its 1926 opening. One elderly veteran was found dead while seated in one of the upper floors during a social gathering not too long after the Hall's opening. Another reported death was the suicide of a female in one of the Hall's restrooms.

Recently, it has been reported that apparitions have been seen. One man saw a transparent woman dressed in red glide across the floor. Another person reported that an office chair in the Hall's lobby suddenly started rocking on its own. And two other people reported seeing a gray figure emerge from the first floor auditorium's doorway (the doors remained closed) and zip across the main lobby only to disappear into a corner.

Several security guards have experienced strange manifestations and generally try to avoid sitting in the Hall, preferring to sit in their cars instead.

I have been in the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall a number of times and never witnessed anything unusual. Maybe one of these days I might get lucky in an upcoming visit.

Trivia: Several scenes from the movie Flashdance were filmed in the Hall.