In this gripping historical account, expert crime historian Joan Renner explores the shadowy world of fame and crime during Hollywood’s most glamorous era. As Los Angeles transformed into the epicenter of film, it also became a haven for notorious criminals and mobsters, weaving a complex tapestry of allure and danger that is sure to intrigue.
Renner brings to life stories that are more thrilling than fiction, including harrowing LAPD showdowns, dark dealings behind the studio gates, and tragic fates of luminaries whose off-screen lives were as dramatic as their on-screen personas. She delves into infamous episodes, such as the shocking case of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, accused of “accidentally” crushing to death a young actress beneath his enormous weight as he raped her, and other lesser-known, but equally hair-raising stories of actors brought down by scandal and corruption.
OF MOBSTERS AND MOVIE STARS offers a profound and enlightening look at Hollywood’s dual nature, illustrating how its seductive glitter was deeply entangled with its sinister impulses. This book is essential for anyone fascinated by how America’s “City of Dreams” became a stage for some of the most gripping dramas of the twentieth century.
Step into the Prohibition Era with Joan Renner as she reveals the hidden crimes and undying ambition behind Hollywood’s shimmering façade.
FROM THE BOOK
Excerpted from Honeymoon from Hell
A school teacher from Los Angeles, Cora B. Withington, and a world traveling journalist, Crombie Allen, saw Tugboat Annie at Loew’s State Theater on August 16th. Friends for years, Cora talked Crombie into teaching her to drive his new Chevrolet coupe. She got behind the wheel and maneuvered down 3rd Street to Lafayette Place. A car with an attractive blonde at the wheel came near them. The blonde forced Cora to the curb. Then, according to Crombie, “A man suddenly stepped from the car and waved a revolver at us.” The man, standing next to the running board on the driver’s side, said, “Shell out, sweetheart. And that goes for you, too, Bo.” Crombie thought the man was joking until he yanked off Cora’s wristwatch and pulled the rings from her fingers. Cora reached under the seat for her handbag. The bandit assumed she was reaching for a weapon and fired.
Cora screamed and fell forward over the steering wheel. The bullet grazed Crombie’s neck. Wounded, he got out of the car and watched the bandit and his blonde driver roar off. He pulled Cora into the passenger seat and drove her to St. Vincent’s Hospital. There, she received devastating news. The bullet that ripped through her left eye, and injured Crombie, left her blinded for life.
Bandits, thought to be Cora and Crombie’s assailants, launched a series of robberies that terrorized the city. Angelenos, fearful, angry, and frustrated with the recent crime wave, demanded police action. Newspaper headlines screamed, “Crime Runs Rampant in Los Angeles,” which did nothing to put citizens at ease. LAPD Chief Davis added officers to patrol units, but they came up empty. Until September 5th.
Excerpted from The Torso Murder
William Pettibone, Ray Seegar, Floyd Waterstreet, and Glen Druer explored the muddy river bank for hidden treasures on May 18, 1929. The boys noticed something that looked like a turtle shell or strange prehistoric fish 150 feet from the bridge in the city of Bell. One boy took a stick and poked it into an end of the bony structure and held it aloft for the others to gape at. The boys spent a few minutes before realizing their treasure was a human skull.
With the head impaled on a stick, the boy ran up to the roadway. He waved it around until a female motorist stopped. The horrified woman kept it together long enough to drive to a public telephone where she called Bell’s Chief of Police. Chief Smith and Motor Officer Steele met the woman and the group of boys near the river. The woman declined to give her name. Smith’s officers told Captain Bright about the grisly find. Bright accompanied Deputies Allen, Brewster, and Gompert to the scene. While deputies searched the area, an enormous crowd of curious on-lookers gathered.
The initial autopsy yielded nothing which could identify the deceased. At least the skull still had several extant teeth, which made an identification possible. Local newspapers printed the photos and drawings of the teeth and distributed them to dentists.
With limited remains, the experts needed to perform a miracle. Amazingly, they did just that.
FROM THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOAN RENNER is a renowned author and investigative historian who specializes in 20th-century true crime. She delves into the murder, mayhem, and scandal that took place in historic Los Angeles through her popular blog, Deranged L.A. Crimes. Renner is a respected speaker on crime in Los Angeles and has been invited to speak at seminars by the California Association of Criminalists. She has also been featured as a crime expert in various TV shows such as “Deadly Women,” “Evil Kin,” and “Horror at the Cecil Hotel.” Renner’s contributions to the “Hollywood and Crime” podcast further showcase her deep understanding of L.A.’s notorious criminal history and captivate audiences with tales of the city’s dark past.