Hollywood legends, myth and lore
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Anonymous
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Does anyone else go through periods of getting sucked into this stuff?
Halloween just passed and I've been thinking and reading a lot about River Phoenix lately, how young he was when he died, wondering if he'd be an acclaimed actor today or end up crazy a la Johnny Depp, or just totally unemployable like Corey Feldman. And Samantha Mathis (GF at the time he died and was there when he OD'd) just last month gave an interview saying she knew something was wrong that night and didn’t see anyone doing drugs (sure), but she knew he was high and "was in over her head." I've recently become really interested in the MGM Golden Age, but it's all so damn sad. Anyone have any good book suggestions about that era? So this post doesn't have much direction, I guess, but it's Friday afternoon and my mind is wandering... |
Anonymous
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Karina Longworth has a new book coming out on Tuesday called Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood. You'd also probably like her podcast You Must Remember This.
I believe Samantha Mathis about not seeing drug use the night that River died. I don't think heroin users are usually doing it to "party," they are doing it because they are addicted and have to use to function. He could have easily been using alone. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cory Monteith both died alone. |
Anonymous
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Don't have specific book suggestions.
Hedy Lamarr was interesting. In addition to being an actress, she was also a brilliant inventor. For dramatic deaths, you might check out Natalie Wood, James Dean, Carole Lombard, Jayne Mansfield, and musician Glenn Miller. |
Anonymous
OP here. Thanks for the suggestions. I know most addicts aren't partying, or they use in secret, but it seems like they really tried to downplay that he was even ODing--if that story about them giving River a Valium and calling his agent, rather than 911 right away, is true. He DRANK a speedball, which is so weird. And John Frusciante was with River and his terrible addiction was well-known. |
Anonymous
Oh yes, I've wasted hours down the rabbit hole of Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner. --OP |
Anonymous
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Hollywood Babylon - Kenneth Anger
The Garden of Allah - Sheila Graham Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood - Scotty Bowers Bring on the Empty Horses - David Niven The Whole Truth and Nothing But - Hedda Hopper Black Dahlia, Red Rose - Piu Eatwell Room 1219 - Gregg Merritt (about Fatty Arbuckle/Virginia Rappe) I am into this stuff (in case you can't tell) and wanted very much to like You Must Remember This but 1. if you have been reading this stuff for as long as I have Karina isn't telling you anything new, and 2) I cannot stand her voice! CAN'T STAND IT. I probably have other recs if you have anything specific you're looking for.... |
Anonymous
At the time she and his brother splashed water on his face instead of calling 911. So not much common sense. His parents were huge jackwads for allowing him to do drugs in the first place b/c he wanted to experience what his character would. Because of the opioid crisis, bartenders are now being trained to spot signs of overdose: http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/07/bartenders-drug-overdoses-narcan The viper room was a cess pool, but it's too bad no one called 911 earlier. Corey Feldman can't really act, deep ruined himself with drugs and cigarettes. I would imagine Phoenix would have lived hard, but would have produced a few more memorable roles. |
Anonymous
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If these things intrigue you, look into...
George Reeves' death: https://www.amazon.com/Speeding-Bullet-Bizarre-George-Reeves/dp/0961959673 Bob Crane's seedy life and death: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/13/new-book-actor-bob-cranes-bloody-murder/99145724/ And death on a yacht involving William Randolph Hearst: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/11/28/thomas-inces-death/ |
Anonymous
+1 NP here. It seems she was so beautiful and innocent, and he must hav been a tyrant. Both he and Walken refuse to talk about it now. Go figure. |
Anonymous
I don’t think he was a tyrant. He’s been married to Jill St. John forever. Everybody on the boat was drunk. Whether or not they fought, I think Natalie sadly tottered off that little gang plank into the water all by her drunken self. |
Anonymous
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Not exactly Hollywood Golden Age, but....
Brittany Murphy and her husband. That was a very strange turn of events. |
Anonymous
| This isn't hollywood but I have probably (conservately estimating) spent a 1000 hours researching the Tupca and Biggie deaths. Probably closer to 2000. I literally got AOL in 1998 to specifically use the internet for these subjects. I was that intererested. Ive read every book on the subject too. Every few years I throw a few hours down that rabbit hole just to see if anything new has popped up. |
Anonymous
DH and my first date was to see The Cat’s Meow, a movie about this scandal. It’s worth a viewing. |
Anonymous
That was sad but I don't know anything about the husband. |
Anonymous
| What about the early death of Jean Harlow and her gay husband's suicide? Seems so sad, the whole thing. She was only 26. |