In combing through vintage issues of Park Labrea News, readers stumble upon a plethora of snapshots of Los Angeles history – not just in terms of city politics, major events like the ‘84 Olympics or dated advertisements of yore. Glimpses into the seedy underworld of L.A. pepper the pages of the archives. The city was perhaps at its darkest during the post-World War II period, a time when the LAPD was notoriously corrupt and several prominent, horrific crimes went stone cold.

One such case intersected directly with the paper’s history: the disappearance of Jean Spangler. Spangler was a Park La Brea resident, and 76 years after she went missing, her case remains unsolved. It is perhaps the most frustrating and intriguing of all such cases, too, because the evidence is so scant.

Spangler was a 26-year-old, recently-divorced single mother and frequent movie extra, according to Entertainment Weekly’s True Crime website. She can be seen in shots in several prominent Hollywood films including “The Miracle of the Bells,” “Chicken Every Sunday” and “Young Man With a Horn” which co-starred Kirk Douglas – a fact that may be very important.

On Oct. 7, 1949, Spangler left her young daughter with her sister-in-law at her Park La Brea apartment, saying she was meeting her ex-husband about a late child support payment and then would be out all night on a film shoot. She even asked her sister-in-law to “wish her luck.”

Spangler never came home. Her purse was found two days later in Fern Dell at Griffith Park, the only trace of the woman that would ever be found, even after extensive searches of the area. This location was, at the time, seen as a place for nefarious criminals to dump evidence. The purse had a strap torn off and its contents included Lucky Strike cigarettes, a hair brush and an ominous note. That note read, written by Spangler, “Kirk – Can’t wait any longer. Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way, while Mother is away.”

No Dr. Scott was ever found with a connection to Spangler, but speculation ran rampant that Spangler might have been seeking an abortion. However, no evidence of a pregnancy exists.

But the name “Kirk” did come into play. According to Entertainment Weekly, without prompting, Kirk Douglas called the LAPD, to make it clear that the Kirk in the note was not him – though he would profess to knowing Spangler from working with her on the film. He was never, however, considered a suspect.

Her ex-husband, Dexter Benner, said that he never saw her that evening – something his then-new-wife confirmed. As far as a night shoot goes for a film, apparently it was discovered that no studio was doing any kind of production that night.

The Los Angeles Times reported that one woman came forward, saying that she saw Spangler at the Original Farmers Market at a time that would have been not long after she left her Park La Brea apartment. She indicated that Spangler seemed to be waiting for someone. This woman is the last known person to see Spangler alive. Spangler did call home, roughly around 7:30 p.m., to check on her daughter, who had been sick with a cold.

That’s it. All the elements. A missing aspiring actress. An ex-husband behind on child support. A bit part with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. A purse, a pack of cigs and a note with that big star’s first name. And one woman, never found, last seen at the Farmers Market and with her few items discovered in Griffith Park.

In the Oct. 14, 1949, issue of the Park Labrea News, a headline reads “Park Resident Still Missing,” which announced that “a citywide search was in progress.” Her address is listed as 6216 Colgate Ave. While the “cryptic note” is mentioned, its contents are not listed, as the information would be revealed later.

The article, which includes a glamorous photo of Spangler, is a haunting reminder – much like the more famous Black Dahlia case – that all that glitters in Hollywood is not gold. Some dreams, including those of a young Seattle-born aspiring starlet, are not met with big studio contracts and red-carpet glamour. Some hopes, instead, land in a pile of cold cases at the LAPD.

But Spangler, perhaps more so than any other missing person in Los Angeles history – with her striking appearance and celebrity connection – might be the true definition of Hollywood’s sometimes cruel, but endlessly fascinating, appeal. And maybe one day, just maybe, someone will find something that reveals what at present appears to be unsolvable.

Or maybe Spangler will remain an enigma as elusive as Hollywood itself.