Author: John Austin
Publisher: SP Books
ISBN: 9780944007730
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 278
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Book Description
Here is the much requested sequel to 'Hollywoods Unsolved Mysteries', which gained national attention for its controversial revelations about the mysterious deaths of Natalie Wood, Bob Crane, George Reeves, and others. In 'More of Hollywood's Unsolved Mysteries' John Austin picks up where he left off, answering the tough questions and uncovering the truth -- the truth that Hollywood doesnt want you to know.
Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781985172173
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76
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Book Description
*Includes pictures *Profiles Spangler's life and looks at the theories and suspects regarding her disappearance *Includes online resources, footnotes, and a bibliography for further reading "Can't wait any longer, Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away," - An unfinished letter found in Spangler's purse after her disappearance The Hollywood culture of the 1940s served as a symbol of fantasy for a country at war. The American population, steeped in a dark global reality, lived vicariously through the film industry's fantasy offerings on the big screen, and eagerly embraced the advent of television in the latter part of the decade. On the stage, images of idealized feminine beauty thrived in the Ziegfeld Follies tradition, Radio City Music Hall, Las Vegas, and the fantastical world created by Earl Carroll in his Hollywood theater. The marketing of American fantasy made for a spectacular outward show, but the interior of Hollywood's entertainment industry was at the same time experiencing its most corrupt decade. Mob bosses vied for power over the drug, alcohol, prostitution, and "protection" markets interconnected with the larger Hollywood image, and for women trying to get ahead in the movie or stage business, the environment was a dangerous one. Beauties came from all over the country to take their chance with fame, but for several, being abducted and gruesomely murdered was the best they could do to attain name recognition. Beginning with the mid-decade murder of actress Elizabeth Short, dubbed the Black Dahlia, a series of murders thought to be the serial work of one perpetrator became emblematic of Hollywood's hidden dangers. The mysterious case of actress and dancer Jean Spangler remains one of the most enduring such riddles in the annals of Hollywood crime. The nature of the case itself still evokes a public fascination many decades after her disappearance. Spangler found herself in southern California as a beautiful actress and dancer trying to land movie roles, a common story among the many young women gravitating to American entertainment centers from more conservative towns and cities. As a high-profile celebrity event, Spangler's case does not match the sensationalism attributed to figures such as Amelia Earhart, who sought to circumnavigate the globe by air, the political importance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, or the fate of Judge Crater, a likely victim of the New York underworld. However, the Spangler story differs in that it carries no dearth of rational possibilities or relevant clues with which to accommodate all of the leading theories. In fact, in the minds of investigators, the difficulty of finding the best path to pursue was that there were "too many good clues, pointing in different directions." Likewise, where Earhart, Hoffa, and Crater intentionally pursued goals with inherent hazards, Spangler was publicly perceived as a professional if not personal innocent, hoping to make a living and to be discovered for greater things. The Disappearance of Jean Spangler: The History of One of Hollywood's Most Enduring Unsolved Mysteries looks at the life of Jean Spangler and the mysterious events behind her disappearance. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Jean Spangler like never before, in no time at all.
Author: Edward Jay Epstein
Publisher: Melville House
ISBN: 1612190499
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 298
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Book Description
One of America’s most acclaimed investigative journalists re-investigates some of the most notorious and mysterious crimes of the last 200 years The beloved head of the UN dies in a tragic plane crash . . . witnesses unearthed years later suggest it wasn’t an accident. Theories behind the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe change yearly, and some believe Jack the Ripper was a member of the royal family. History books say Hitler burned down the Reichstag—but did he? And who really organized the conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln? Acclaimed investigative journalist Edward Jay Epstein cut his teeth on one of the most notorious murder mysteries of the 20th century in his first book, Inquest: The Warren Commission and the Establishment of Truth, one of the first books on the assassination and an instant bestseller. His conclusion? The Commission left open too many questions. He examines those questions here, as well as some of the most famous “unsolved” or mysterious crimes of all time, coming to some startling conclusions. His method in each investigation is simple: outline what is known and unknown, and show the plausible theories of a case. Where more than one theory exists, he shows the evidence for and against each. And when something remains to be proved, he says as much. In The Annals of Unsolved Crime, Epstein re-visits his most famous investigations and adds dozens of new cases. From the Lindbergh kidnapping to the JonBenet Ramsey murder case, from the Black Dahlia murder to anthrax attacks on America, from the vanishing of Jimmy Hoffa to the case of Amanda Knox—Epstein considers three dozen high-profile crimes and their tangled histories and again proves himself one of our most penetrating journalists.
Author: John Austin
Publisher: SP Books
ISBN: 9781561712885
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 228
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Book Description
Bizarre inside stories of Hollywood's most beautiful women who were doomed for death. Hollywood's Babylon Women takes the reader behind closed doors and beyond the official reports of law enforcement agencies and studio public relations departments to reveal the sordid romantic, sexual, political and financial factors behind these tragedies. Photos.
Author: Charles Higham
Publisher: Terrace Books
ISBN: 0299203638
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 242
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Book Description
For more than eighty years, the famous unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor, the legendary bisexual film director, has generated debate and controversy. Now, best-selling author Charles Higham has solved the crime. Higham uncovers the corruption and intrigue of Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties—and the film industry moguls’ complete domination of the city’s authorities. When it was discovered that a famous star of the day had probably killed Taylor, a massive cover-up began—from the removal of crucial evidence to the naming of innocent people as killers—which has continued until now to protect the truth. Murder in Hollywood goes beyond the killing to unearth unknown details about the life of Taylor before his arrival in Hollywood, as well as the stories and histories buried by the crooked authorities and criminals involved the case. The author’s exclusive interviews with the culpable star, his unique possession of long-vanished police records, and the support of the present-day Los Angeles county coroner—who examined the evidence as if the murder had taken place now—have ensured a hair-raising thriller. Charles Higham successfully presents the most plausible and convincing solution yet to the mystery. In the process he paints a vivid portrait of Hollywood in the 1920s—from its major stars to its bisexual subculture. The result is a compelling answer to a long-standing mystery and a fascinating study of a place, and an industry that, as today, let people reinvent themselves. Murder in Hollywood is more extraordinary than any crime of fiction and more exciting than any action adventure movie.
Author: John Austin
Publisher: SP Books
ISBN: 9781561712588
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 260
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Book Description
Hollywood columnist and author John Austin takes readers well beyond the prepared and doctored statements of studio publicists to expose omissions and contradictions in police and coroners' reports. Includes information on the deaths of Elvis, Marilyn, Jean Harlow, and more.
Author: Robert Stack
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 344
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Book Description
Straight Shooting is a wry, amusing, affectionate look at Hollywood over the years – the public drama and private feuds, the tyrannical reigns of the big studio bosses, the larger-than-life exploits of the big male stars – and what it was like to be part of that world. Stack is renowned for his Emmy Award-winning performance in TV’s “The Untouchables” and for films like “The High and the Mighty” and “Written on the Wind”. Less well known are the other roles this hard-working actor excelled in over the years: son, husband, father, friend to some of Hollywood’s most admired stars, and a consummate sportsman especially skilled in skeet shooting -- National Skeet Shooting Champion at seventeen and a member of the Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame. Stack was the son of a dazzling California socialite and an advertising giant (the man responsible for slogans like “The beer that made Milwaukee famous"). Among their friends, the elder Stacks numbered many well-known Hollywood personalities – lovingly described by the actor as he remembers them from his adolescent years. Each step in Stack’s career brought him in contact with fascinating people who became legends -- story after story rolls by, each more memorable than the last, told with unceasing admiration for the personal style these stars projected and the often profound effect many of them had upon Stack’s life. “The Untouchables” years are depicted with wonderful candor as Stack recalls many fine co-stars and hilarious behind-the-scenes episodes. In addition there are cameo appearances by luminaries Ernst Lubitsch, Betty Grable, W.C. Fields, the Ritz Brothers, Joe Pasternak, “Archie Bunker”, and Lauren Bacall, to make this a rich, engrossing reading experience. Straight Shooting is filled with good feeling, friendship, and a sense of a job well done – as was Stack’s own career and life. Through it all, Robert Stack emerges on target, a straight-shooter in every sense of the word.
Author: Troy Taylor
Publisher: Whitechapel Productions
ISBN: 9781892523600
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 260
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Book Description
Los Angeles -- the fabled "City of Angels," home to the rich and famous, to palm trees, sandy beaches, orange groves, and most of all, to that wonderful, almost magical place known as Hollywood. But beneath the shiny surface of glitz and glamour in America's movie capital is a dark side of crime and corruption and behind the doors of the lavish homes, luxury hotels, and magnificent mansions are tales of spirits who do not rest in peace. There are many unsolved mysteries connected to Hollywood, as well as tales of scandal, depravity, murder, and, of course, ghosts! In this installment of the best-selling "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series, author Troy Taylor takes you behind the scenes of Hollywood noir in a way that no other book ever has. This is not your typical Hollywood ghost book, but a unique perspective on how crime, murder, sin, sex, scandal, and unsolved mysteries have shaped the haunted landscape of Tinseltown. From the bloody history of L.A. & Hollywood to the myriad of scandals, sin & gore-soaked crime of the film colony's Golden Age, this is a chilling look at the haunted underbelly of Hollywood - and the dark side of the American dream!
Author: John Austin
Publisher: SP Books
ISBN: 9781561711420
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 292
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Book Description
A chilling expose of true murder, lust, depravity and greed--everything the press never dared reveal to the public! Exposes how Universal Pictures kept Rock Hudson's homosexuality secret for 30 years, how Raquel Welch won a $15-million-dollar lawsuit against MGM (and why she'll never act in Hollywood again!), plus more compellings accounts on Burt Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, and others. Photographs.
Author: E.J. Fleming
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786454954
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 327
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Book Description
Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling are virtually unknown outside of Hollywood and little-remembered even there, but as General Manager and Head of Publicity for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, they lorded over all the stars in Hollywood's golden age from the 1920s through the 1940s--including legends like Garbo, Dietrich, Gable and Garland. When MGM stars found themselves in trouble, it was Eddie and Howard who took care of them--solved their problems, hid their crimes, and kept their secrets. They were "the Fixers." At a time when image meant everything and the stars were worth millions to the studios that owned them, Mannix and Strickling were the most important men at MGM. Through a complex web of contacts in every arena, from reporters and doctors to corrupt police and district attorneys, they covered up some of the most notorious crimes and scandals in Hollywood history, keeping stars out of jail and, more importantly, their names out of the papers. They handled problems as diverse as the murder of Paul Bern (husband of MGM's biggest star, Jean Harlow), the studio-directed drug addictions of Judy Garland, the murder of Ted Healy (creator of The Three Stooges) at the hands of Wallace Beery, and arranging for an unmarried Loretta Young to adopt her own child--a child fathered by a married Clark Gable. Through exhaustive research and interviews with contemporaries, this is the never-before-told story of Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling. The dual biography describes how a mob-related New Jersey laborer and the quiet son of a grocer became the most powerful men at the biggest studio in the world.
