Hollywood's Dark History: Silver Screen Scandals

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Introduction

Movies are a huge part of the cultural zeitgeist. Film began as a technological novelty, but has evolved over the years into everything from entertainment to education. Movies have become a way for some people to escape their daily lives and become immersed in a fictional reality for a few hours. There are still others that learn from film and those that use it to teach about the past, the present and future of our world. Film has also been used as a propaganda tool at times, intended at conveying a particular reality for the viewing audiences. No matter what movies mean to you, they are undeniably a major part of our lives.

It isn’t simply a form of entertainment either, movies can truly impact our lives. What some have dismissed at times as mindless has actually been shown to have a positive impact on our collective mental health. In a paper by University of Essex scholar and PhD S.C. Noah Uhrig, titled ‘Cinema is Good for You: The Effects of Cinema Attendance on Self-Reported Anxiety or Depression and Happiness’, these effects are explored in-depth. In the paper, Uhrig states:

Cinema attendance can have independent and robust effects on mental wellbeing because visual stimulation can queue a range of emotions and the collective experience of these emotions through the cinema provides a safe environment in which to experience roles and emotions we might not otherwise be free to experience.

In a world that is constantly in a state of flux, cinema can serve as a snapshot of our past. We can see how our culture has changed dramatically over the years and how our vision of life and the future has been modified. There is also the opportunity for film to inspire us creatively and philosophically about our present and future.

Film allows us to relate to people in a way that we might not have the occasion to do otherwise. In an era when politics are as divisive as ever, and there is so much divide in the world, you can still approach someone and ask if they’ve seen the latest superhero film or comedy and start up a lively and friendly discussion. There are few topics in the world that have that ability to provide a neutral ground. That discussion can often be a agreeable one, or it can lead to some friendly debate that allows our passions to come to the surface in a healthy and respectful way.

Vaudeville

It was through the experience provided on the vaudevillian stages that provided a nearly seamless transition for many stars onto the silver screen. The origins of vaudeville harken back centuries, but came into immense popularity at the tail-end of the nineteenth century. A growing empire of travelling troupes and theatres had established themselves as the pervasive entertainment venue. They would travel from town to town, entertaining the masses. This was a lovely form of entertainment that has since become a cult favourite for many, but it was only an occasional release from the stresses of daily life. The next step of progression for society would be a more accessible form of entertainment.

Silent Movies

The first movie ever produced was the Roundhay Garden Scene in 1888 and consisted of a man riding a horse. It was simple and rudimentary, but it helped to give birth and inspiration to an entire industry. The first true feature-length film that had any sort of content was a military documentary about the training techniques of British soldiers. In 1906, however, we would be given the Australian dramatic feature film, The Story of the Kelly Gang. This would launch an industry of silent film that would quickly become a favourite with the public.

The silent film was the birth of the industry. Although it would be relatively short lived, the era of the silent film would launch the careers of a good number of stars that would carry over to the talkies. It would also find many actors that had been brought in for their looks cast aside, due to a thick accent or voices that weren’t considered favourable for the screen.

The silent movies brought actors into their homes, made them literally household names. No longer did the public have to just read about these talented individuals or see pictures, but they could actually witness the show for themselves. It became standard place to have a movie theatre in most cities. These buildings served as a great equaliser, where the common person could enjoy comedy, drama and action just the same as the wealthy had been able to do in the theatre.

Film is by no means distinctly American, but it was Hollywood that would end up leading the most prolific charge in the film industry. The migration of young talent that moved across the country from the East coast of New York to California could be likened to a second gold rush, with droves of aspiring actors looking to find their fame and fortunes in an exciting new industry.

Talkies

Silent movies were an amazing progression and created many stars, but it was the advent of the ‘Talkie’ that would truly change movies forever. Although the techniques were being perfected for many years, it wouldn’t be until the mid-1920s that the talking pictures began to take hold and were marketed as the future. The first major film that was a talkie was the 1927 movie, The Jazz Singer.

The Silver Screen

The term ‘silver screen’ refers widely to the movies, but this terminology does have a specific origin. In an effort to help the projected images pop better on the screen, they would literally paint them with a reflective silver or aluminium paint. There were other types of screens used, as well, such as grey screen, pearlescent screens and glass-beaded screens, but the silver screen was the most prolific. The name of these silver lenticular screens would stay with motion pictures as a moniker for the early days of Hollywood.

Hollywood Babylon

Although the studios did a great job of masking the true lives of their stars, the debauchery of the Hollywood elite has come to light over the ages since. We now know, for example, that the studios would encourage their female stars to have abortions. The procedure could be quite dangerous in those days, as it was illegal and often performed by less than qualified individuals in conditions of questionable sanitation. An anonymous actress from the era once touted, ‘Abortions were our birth control’. There was also a close monitoring of weight and public behaviour. The studios were very careful to portray their talent in a way that would make them the most marketable to the moviegoing public. The studios would get involved to the point of paying off tabloids and newspapers to keep the content positive towards their talent. This tactic would work for a time, but occasionally the scandals or crimes were just too big to sweep under the rug and they became a subject of national scrutiny.

Hollywood hasn’t changed much over the years. The lack of respect for actors and their bodies has carried into the present day. We can hardly tune into the news without learning about another actor or Hollywood bigwig who hasn’t abused their power and position to sexually exploit women trying to break into the industry or gain some ground in their career. It isn’t just the female actors that are subject to this abuse, there is plenty of talk about similar abuse of male actors that want to get into the business.

Scandal seems to be a given in today’s world, as more and more dark and seedy details seep out about our favourite bigscreen characters. It can be a former heartthrob that abuses women or a famous producer that turns out to be a serial sexual assaulter. In the case of Bill Cosby, this star of the big and small screen shocked the world, as he was once the friendly and loveable television dad that so many viewers yearned for on his series, The Cosby Show. What Cosby represented to the American public was a tough, smart and wholesome father figure. Unfortunately, the reality of Bill Cosby, who has now been convicted of only a fraction of his accused crimes, was a serial rapist. These characters can become so believable to us as an audience that we buy into them and the lines of reality begin to blur. It can be shocking when those barriers are shattered by the real people behind the screen.

When it comes to the stars of yesterday, the black-and-white images of these long-gone glamorous stars can often fool younger audiences into romanticising them. The truth is that these actors of yesterday were just as troubled, if not more so, than the Hollywood crowd of today. This book contains stories widely forgotten, but once uncovered they reveal a dark interior to the glitz and glamour of yesterday.

The many subjects in this book had lives that intersected. They were commonly colleagues and contemporaries, but still others were far more involved with each other. There are a few of the scandals that will also intersect, and certainly Hollywood was a tight-knit community comprised of many friends and companions. I sincerely hope that you find enjoyment, education and perspective in these sensational tales of lies, murder and violence from the golden age of Hollywood.

Chapter One

Evelyn Nesbit

She was born Florence Evelyn Nesbit on 25 December 1884, but she would be best known by her middle name, Evelyn. Her long and illustrious life began in a small Pennsylvania town called Tarentum. Situated along the Allegheny River, Tarentum was an industrial town, focusing on iron and lumber manufacturing. The blue-collar area isn’t known for many famous alumni, especially those that would enter the entertainment field. Although it would produce John Grant, a screenwriter for Abbot and Costello, and Estelle Harris, known for her work on the television show Seinfeld and the Toy Story film franchise. A few movies have been shot in the cosy town, but other than that there isn’t much connection with the entertainment industry or the outside world. The most famous, and certainly most infamous, person born from Tarentum was silver-screen legend Evelyn Nesbit. She was the most recognisable face in America at one point – and would soon after become the most infamous thanks to a complicated love triangle full of abuse, and eventually murder.

Her Early Life

The life that she and her family led in Tarentum was steeped in poverty, but for much of her childhood Evelyn was happy because she had the love of an adoring father. The daughter of Winfield Scott Nesbit and his wife Evelyn Florence (née McKenzie); Evelyn would spend the first seven to nine years of her life in Tarentum before moving to the big city of Pittsburgh. She was the jewel of her father Winfield’s eye. Not only was she regarded from birth as a beautiful child, but her father also recognised a bright and eager mind that was more than happy to consume the vast library of books he read to with her as a child. He hoped to help expand and encourage her great creativity and imagination. These are no doubt factors that would play into her future choice of professions. Evelyn would later recount of her childhood, ‘In my young mind I turned the grim realities into a wonderland where I might roam’. She had moments where she dared to dream of fame and fortune – she would find her fair share of fame in her lifetime.

Alas, her time with her father would be cut short, as he died suddenly when Evelyn was at the pivotal age of 11. This would change the course of Evelyn’s life, because it would leave the family destitute. Her mother did everything from turning their home into a boarding house to make ends meet, to selling their furniture to pay the rent. The family would often have to survive on just bread and mustard for their meals. Evelyn would have to travel between boarding houses, while her