I’m always curious about the quirky religions that flourish in Southern California, so I did a little digging.

Unfortunately, The Times didn’t devote much space to the temple. Although Greener appears in a fair number of stories, they mostly involve her very minor role in a famous dispute over a 1938 poker game in which British visitor Harry Clifton lost $150,000 to Lew Brice, brother of comedian Fanny Brice.

The most I can determine is that Greener was the granddaughter of Mary Agabeg, a mystic from Calcutta. Greener was born in Minnesota and moved to Los Angeles about 1926.

According to a 1939 Hedda Hopper column, Greener was nicknamed “the Ghost of Hollywood” and was consulted by many people in the studios.

Greener “has some of our importants practically taking orders from her–and paying for the priviliege!” Hopper wrote. “Janet Gaynor gave her $25 to answer three questions. And ‘Slapsie” Maxie is a steady customer for both private and public advice. Lots of directors are on her list; they try to keep it a secret so use numbers and when calling Madame say: ‘No. 13 would like an appointment for midnight.’ ”

Interestingly enough, Greener and the Agabeg Temple turn up in Ray Bradbury’s 1990 novel “A Graveyard for Lunatics,” which I had never encountered until now. I guess I’ll have to add it to my Zombie reading list.

Greener, who was briefly the honorary mayor of Woodland Hills, died in 1961 at the age of 79 and is buried what is now Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Although the Agabeg Temple building is evidently gone, a Google search shows that several churches use the address.

Times ProQuest citation note: 567 hits for Fannie Brice; 1,040 hits for Fanny Brice.