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Pat Montandon
was the hostess with the mostest until she was cursed at her
1000
Lombard Street home, right before the eyes of San Francisco society
and visitors including Ted Kennedy. She wrote about it in The
Intruders. Published in 1975, the book is former TV hostess Montandon's
account of a hex violently levied at this Lombard Street apartment house
at the foot of the crookedest street by
a tarot card reader "quivering with rage" because Montandon neglected to
serve him a drink at one of her celebrated parties. What follows, its publishers
said, was "a terrifying confrontation with the supernatural." Certain facts
are known. At least three deaths, including a suicide, occurred at the
house in the late 1960s. Also among the dead was Montandon's secretary
Mary Louise Ward, who died in a fire here under unusual circumstances.
Montandon also attributed a string of personal setbacks to the curse. Allegedly
the house was given a clean bill of health following an exorcism. Montandon
moved out anyway. She continued to be a true San Francisco celebrity who:
sued TV Guide over a typo that referred to her as a call girl, was very
briefly married to
Melvin Belli, conducted
round table rap sessions at her society luncheons, presided over house
blessings, wrote a column for the Examiner, and published books. In stark
contrast to her 1000 Lombard residence, Montandon dubbed her later home
at 1591 Shrader Street "The Enchanted Cottage."
When a Monterey Cypress at the end of the driveway of The Enchanted Cottage
had to come down after a 1997 windstorm, Montandon commissioned sculptor
Jack Mealy to carve a huge angel into its trunk. The statue was named "Angel
of Hope" by Montandon, who has since sold The Enchanted Cottage and
published a book, "Celebrities and their Angels." Pat is the inspiration
for the character Prue Giroux, aka Pam Fontainbleu, in Armistead Maupin's
Tales of the City. |