Hollywood's Dark History: Silver Screen Scandals

by Matt MacNabb

Overview

Examines the secrets behind the lives of some of Hollywood’s ‘Greats’, like Charlie Chaplin, Mae West and Joan Crawford.

The dawning of the nineteenth century brought with it a new era for entertainment. Vaudeville was the preferred form of entertainment, until the popularization of the silent film. This new medium proved to be a draw for many of the stars of the Vaudevillian stage and soon they migrated to the exciting possibilities that the movies had to offer. Audiences were instantly enthralled and captivated by the stars of the silent screen. The early days of Hollywood were full of glamour and a newfound decadence. The stars in these films were instantly catapulted to fame and fortune and the spotlight of the public eye. The real people behind the glamour were far different than the characters that audiences grew to know and love and much like Hollywood today, the lives of the stars were often full of scandal and debauchery.

This book examines the forgotten scandals of yesterday, featuring silent and silver screen stars like Jean Harlow, Mae West, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Errol Flynn. Don't let the romanticized black and white world of yesterday fool you, their stories are rife with sex, drugs and murder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526740762
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	448,954
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Matthew MacNabb is a freelance writer and toy collector and the owner of the website www.matthewmacnabb.com. He lives in Nebraska, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Evelyn Nesbit 1

Chapter 2 Thelma Todd 25

Chapter 3 Jean Harlow 33

Chapter 4 Charlie Chaplin 43

Chapter 5 Mae West 59

Chapter 6 Errol Flynn 69

Chapter 7 Lana Turner 83

Chapter 8 William Desmond Taylor 91

Chapter 9 Joan Crawford 99

Chapter 10 Barbara LaMarr 111

Chapter 11 Mabel Normand 121

Chapter 12 Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle 127

Chapter 13 Clara Bow 143

Bibliography 155

Editorial Reviews

"Superb selection of photos in the middle of the book, and the text is absolutely riveting!"

Books Monthly

"...pleasant to read, and offers a remarkable bibliography to deepen the stories covered."

Old Barbed Wire Blog