Top 10 Unsolved Classic Hollywood Mysteries
#10: The End of an Icon
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We’ll probably never truly know the circumstances surrounding the death of Norma Jeane Mortenson, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Although her demise has officially been attributed to self-destruction, conspiracy theories continue to swirl around Monroe’s barbiturate overdose on the evening of August 4th, 1962. Monroe’s private life was the subject of equal speculation, particularly her romantic involvements, mental health struggles, and issues with substance dependency. Everyone from organized crime to the FBI has been accused at one point or another of having some sort of hand in Monroe’s death. Up until now, none of these claims have arrived with any factual evidence. Still, the mystery continues to haunt Monroe’s legions of fans to this day.
#9: Virginia Rappe & Fatty Arbuckle
It was a scandal that ruined the career of one actor and cost the life of another. We’re discussing the reported liaison between silent film stars Virginia Rappe and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. The pair encountered each other at a party held by Arbuckle at his hotel suite on September 5th, 1921. Rappe had visited the suite with an acquaintance, Bambina Maude Delmont, a woman with a litigious reputation who accused Arbuckle of attacking Virginia at the party. It was further alleged that the encounter led to Rappe’s death, four days later, due to secondary peritonitis and a ruptured bladder. Arbuckle was acquitted of all charges, while witnesses at the trial asserted that Rappe’s death was actually due to previous conditions of cystitis and venereal disease.
#8: The Death of William Desmond Taylor
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The murder of William Desmond Taylor was a Hollywood scandal that occurred concurrently with the headline-grabbing Fatty Arbuckle trial. Taylor’s case may be lesser known, but it remains an intriguing Hollywood mystery. The prolific silent film director was found dead at his Los Angeles apartment on February 2nd, 1922. Strangeness occurred almost immediately, when someone identifying themselves as a doctor suddenly appeared from the crowd, and pronounced Taylor’s death due to a stomach hemorrhage. This was despite the bullet hole that would soon be found on the director’s back. There was clearly foul play here, with a laundry list of well-known Hollywood types, all with potential motives to kill Taylor. Yet, thanks to alleged corruption and crime-scene disruption, the case was never solved.
#7: Pasolini: A Murdered Maverick
Pier Paolo Pasolini was one of the most daring and unique Italian film directors of his day. He became infamous for his 1975 film “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom,” a raging political piece notable for its intensely graphic content. Tragically, Pasolini’s real-life death was equally graphic and shockingly violent. The filmmaker was burned, physically attacked and run over multiple times by his own car. The man initially arrested for Pasolini’s murder, Giuseppe Pelosi, claimed that his confession was coerced. Further investigation led to the theory that Pasolini was being extorted by unknown assailants, and today those responsible for his murder have yet to be brought to justice.
#6: George Reeves: The First Superman
The life and death of George Reeves were dramatized in the 2006 film “Hollywoodland,” and it remains a compelling Golden Age mystery. Reeves was the first actor to play Superman during the 1950s, and quickly gained a fan following for his work. However, it was alleged that Reeves was depressed due to his personal finances and typecasting as the Man of Steel. Reeves died of a gunshot wound on June 16th, 1959, with many arguing as to whether it was self-inflicted. The crime scene investigation was messy from the start, thanks to bullet and fingerprint evidence that potentially shifted Reeves’ cause of death away from self-destruction. The fact that Reeves’ demise occurred during a party at his home resulted in multiple, conflicting statements from guests.
#5: Who Killed Bob Crane?
100 Unsolved Mysteries
The case of Bob Crane was another that featured the Hollywood dramatization treatment, this time with 2002’s “Auto Focus.” The film offered further, albeit speculatory, evidence of a theory behind Bob Crane’s murder. It claimed that Crane’s friend, John Henry Carpenter, was responsible for the murder. The theory further alleges that Carpenter and the “Hogan’s Heroes” star had some sort of a falling out after the former routinely assisted Crane in videotaping his numerous sexual encounters. Carpenter was arrested, and ultimately acquitted of the murder in 1994. Yet, there remain those who are committed to this narrative that John Henry Carpenter killed Bob Crane. But, if it wasn’t Carpenter… then who was it?
#4: Thelma Todd: Accident or Self-Destruction?
Thelma Todd stood out amongst even the most glamorous of Golden Age Hollywood superstars. This was not only thanks to her reputable beauty, but also her brief but prolific career on the silver screen. However, her body was found inside her car on the morning of December 16th, 1935. Todd had perished from carbon monoxide poisoning. Yet, many of those who knew her suspected no inclination of self-destruction within Todd’s demeanor, with friends at the time claiming the actress was in good spirits. Additionally, the body was found within a garage owned by actress Jewel Carmen, whose husband, director Roland West, was having an affair with Todd. It was the sort of messy Hollywood mystery that was never going to result in any clear-cut answers.
#3: Where Is Jean Spangler?
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The aspiring actress Jean Spangler has been missing for over seventy years now, with little-to-no evidence emerging as to whatever happened to this mother and performer. Spangler disappeared on the night of October 7th, 1949, after stopping off at a grocery store on her way to meet her ex-husband. Her purse was later recovered with a note to someone only mentioned as “Kirk.” Speculation has led to the theory that the “Kirk” in question was Kirk Douglas, with whom Spangler had worked on-set. The theory further insinuated that Jean was planning to terminate a pregnancy. Still, others claimed that mobsters associated with Spangler’s workplace were to blame. The case is still open today, but the mystery remains as to where, exactly, is Jean Spangler?
#2: Goodbye, Natalie Wood
The life of Natalie Wood was one of intense highs and lows. On one hand, Wood was a beloved actor with legions of fans who flocked to see her films. On the other, she reportedly suffered an assault from an unnamed Hollywood heavyweight at a young age, and her death by drowning was steeped in speculation. Wood, who reportedly couldn’t swim and was terrified of water, was found on November 29th, 1981, after a yachting excursion. Wood’s tumultuous marriage to actor Robert Wagner was also placed in the spotlight, while the presence of Christopher Walken on the boat further had fans asking who knew what, and when? It’s still unclear as to how exactly Natalie made it into the water, and what happened that night.
#1: The Black Dahlia
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It's one of the most infamous and gruesome cold cases of all time. It’s The Black Dahlia, a.k.a. Elizabeth Short, the Hollywood acting hopeful whose death continues to obsess true crime historians. The murder of Short is remembered today for its shocking violence, with her nude body grotesquely posed and drained of blood, with near surgical precision. Additionally, the wealth of misinformation and tabloid titillation regarding the case impeded official investigations as to what exactly occurred. Meanwhile, the investigation was also marred by instances such as when a prime suspect, embalming assistant Leslie Dillon, was held against his will, and not given the right to an attorney. This information does little, sadly, for Short, whose killer will likely never be brought to justice.
