William Desmond Taylor

[cash]

new book on the murder

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-r...nn/tinseltown/

[Gladiolus]

Thanks! I just ordered it.

[cash]

TINSELTOWN

Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
by William J. Mann

A good read - Taylor was killed for money not passion. Somewhat of a letdown. The actual murderer was Ross Sheridan ( aka Blackie Madsen) who was a small time criminal and a cohort of a wannabe actress named Margaret Gibson aka Patricia Palmer. Taylor had secrets which could have ruined his career. The studios helped with the cover up and the police focused on Mary Miles Minter and her crazy mother.

Good history of early Hollywood and the powerful influence of newspapers and religious groups. Taylor was a strange dude - a camouflaged man. The book claims he was gay or at least bisexual. You have to feel bad for Mabel Normand who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She never recovered from Taylor's death.

The book relies heavily on the Taylorology website.

Margaret Gibson was kind of cute

[theotherlondon]

Will this case ever be solved?

[Gladiolus]

I'd like to think it was Gibby.

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

Just read the book, Tinseltown, it was pretty good.

I always thought Charlotte Shelby did it, but the author does make a compelling argument about it being Gibby.

She was either the luckiest actress that ever lived, or someone in power had her back.

She walked away from too many career ending scenarios (vice arrest in what was most likely a brothel) without much damage to her career.

Gibby definitely had the goods on someone.

[JGrier]

I just finished "Tinseltown" by William Mann. Excellent read. I believe the Margaret Gibson/Don Osborn/Blackie Madsen blackmail gone wrong theory.

[meclaudius]

Ugh, spoilers! I'm reading it right now.