SCANDAL! Clara Bow: The It Girl's Lifestyle on Trial

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

October's scandal: Clara Bow and the Hired Help

The irresistible Clara Bow

The troubled life of Clara Bow is legendary. Behind the vivacious and fun-loving persona of the "It Girl" was an uneducated woman whose mad mother had tried to kill her and whose drunken amd worthless father had most likely sexually abused her. Her trusting nature and lack of a support system that had her best interests at heart lead her to be taken advantage of by friends, lovers, family and employers. Paramount Studios had notoriously overworked her and exploited the quintessential flapper in movie after movie and, when she was worn out by life and frightened by the microphone, famously saw her as all washed up at age 25. Her no-good father continued to mooch off of her until his death and lovers used her to get their names in the papers.

Clara never thought she was beautiful, but we disagree

From 1923 - 1929 Clara Bow was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. She was also one of its most provocative, with scandals always swirling about her. Her parade of lovers was legendary (she had four fiancees: Gilbert Roland, Victor Fleming, Harry Richmond and eventual hubby, Rex Bell, as well affairs with Gary Cooper, a married doctor whose wife named her as the "other woman" in a divorce case and maybe Bela Lugosi who kept a nude portrait of Clara until his death) and her devil-may-care attitude shocked many of Hollywood's elite.

Clara's fiancees: Rex Bell, Gilbert Roland, Victor Fleming and Harry Richman

By 1930, Clara was worn out. Tired of the merry-go-round of lovers, the callousness of her studio and scared to death of sound films, Clara thought she had found 2 strokes of good luck when (a) handsome cowboy star Rex Bell entered her life, and (b) private secretary (and former hairdresser) Daisy DeVoe (originally DeBoe) began to set her affairs in order. There was only one problem: Bell and Devoe disliked one another and guarded Clara, and their position in her life, with equal jealously.

In 1929, DeVoe opened a "special account" in which Clara's paychecks were deposited and from which DeVoe paid her bills. Under DeVoe's management, Clara went from near bankruptcy to financial health. However, she lost the power struggle with Bell, who accused Daisy of stealing from Clara and fired her. When Daisy asked for a severance settlement, Bell interpreted this as blackmail and notified the police.

At Bell's and Paramount's request, DeVoe was arrested and questioned for 27 straight hours. Sticking to her guns, she refused to sign a confession and steadfastly asserted her innocence. She was then jailed without the opportunity to contact an attorney. Upon release, she sued the Los Angeles District Attorney for false imprisonment  who, in turn, retaliated by charging Devoe with 37 counts of grand theft.

Clara is smeared 

In the end, DeVoe was cleared of 34 counts and found guilty, unbelievably  of only 1. It was unbelievable because it involved a check for $825 signed by Clara herself and made payable to the IRS for her income taxes. For this offence, DeVoe got 18 months in prison.

Clara testifies to the Grand Jury

But it was Clara Bow who received the harshest punishment. During the trial DeVoe divulged the most intimate and unflattering tales of Clara Bow's life. Tales of wild sexual encounters, drunkenness and gambling kept the public's attention glued to the trial. Smelling blood, a smarmy yellow paper called The Coast Reporter printed unsubstantiated tales of drugs, gang sex with the USC football team, sex in public, sex with multiple partners, sex with men, sex with women and even sex with dogs. Clara was ruined. In the court of public opinion, Clara Bow was morally unfit to appear in films. Adding insult to injury, Paramount cancelled her contract and screwed her out of the money owed to her.

Clara comes back in "Call Her Savage" looking beautiful and
supported by old friend Gilbert Roland

Clara, bruised and exhausted, married Bell and retreated from the public eye. She made a comeback with Fox Pictures in 1932 making 2 films that were successful. But, Clara had had enough. The remainder of her life was lived largely out of the public gaze, although Bell went on to have a political career in Nevada. While she struggled mightily with her demons for the rest of her life, she and Bell remained married and she had 2 sons who worshiped their mother until the day she died. Ex-fiancee Gilbert Roland never abandoned her completely and wrote her tender and affectionate letters throughout her life.

Although Clara and Rex had a rocky marriage,
she was devoted to her 2 beautiful boys

The story of Clara's dysfunctional Hollywood home eventually found itself as the basis for the Jean Harlow film, "Bombshell." Directed by ex-flame Victor Fleming, he knew first hand how the leeches that surround a star can drain the life out of her. Although it was played for laughs, the vulnerability and hurt that was Clara's was never forgotten by the man who once loved her.

Clara as she is remembered best: sexy, adorable and modern

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SCANDAL! One Night at Jean Harlow's: Was it Murder or Suicide?

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

August's scandal: The Death of Paul Bern

When 21 year old blonde bombshell Jean Harlow wed 42 year old MGM producer Paul Bern in 1932, eyebrows were raised and tongues wagged. What could the young, vibrant and ultra sexy starlet see in mousy Paul Bern other than a meal ticket to the top?

Harlow and Bern on their wedding day, flanked by Harlow's
shady step father, Marino Bello, and Best Man John Gilbert

Paul Bern might have looked like a milquetoast, but he, like any red-blooded Hollywood producer, loved beautiful women. Before he landed Harlow, he courted Barbara LaMarr, Joan Crawford, Mabel Normand and countless other beauties. He shared bachelor quarters with pals John Gilbert and writer Carey Wilson and was known to have liked a good time.

Harlow, who always went for an older man with a mustache (all who resembled her father), had benefited greatly from her association with Bern. Once he took her under his wing she went from playing cheap tramps in dramas to witty tramps in comedies. Bern had cast her in "Red Headed Woman," and her career was transformed. Still friends of both parties has reservations about the marriage.

On September 4, 1932, a little over 2 months after the marriage, Paul Bern was found dead in  his wife's bedroom, drenched in her favorite perfume.

The death of Paul Bern

The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Officially, the death was ruled a suicide. But why? Why would a successful producer who had just married the sexiest girl in town off himself?

9280 Easton Drive, Beverly Hills -
the home of Paul Bern and Jean Harlow

What really happened that night? To this day, nobody knows. What is known is that, while Bern died sometime on Sunday evening, the death was not reported until Monday afternoon. Presumably, the power of the MGM clean up crew was in full swing. Bern's butler found the body and knew immediately that the first place was to call was MGM, not the police. The story cooked up by the studio was that Jean was at her mother's house for the evening. While she was out, Paul penned a cryptic suicide note and shot himself because he was impotent. The note said: Dearest Dear, Unfortunately this is the only way to make good the frightful wrong I have done you and to wipe out my abject humiliation. I Love you - Paul. You understand that last night was only a comedy.

A grieving Harlow is supported by step father Marino Bello
and studio chief Irving Thalberg at Paul Bern's funeral

Harlow refused to comment and was overcome with grief at Bern's funeral. Rumors swirled. Those who knew Bern knew that the impotence story was a fantasy. And those who really knew Paul Bern knew he was a man who had a secret.

The Mystery Wife

While Paul Bern lived in New York, he had a long term live-in relationship with an actress by the name of Dorothy Millette. Although it was a common-law marriage and Dorothy went by the name of Dorothy Bern, it was not a legal union. Before Bern located to Hollywood, Dorothy developed mental problems and Bern arranged for her to be placed in a Connecticut sanitarium. Bern continued to pay for her support after he headed for the west coast. He continued to visit with her whenever he was in New York. While it was stated that Harlow knew nothing of Dorothy, those who knew better didn't believe it.

Dorothy, at the time of Bern's marriage to Harlow, had recovered and relocated to San Francisco. She and Paul communicated regularly, and Bern sent her $350 a month for expenses. While it is suspected that Dorothy may have been at the house the night Bern was killed, the only real fact that is known is that she turned up dead shortly after Bern's death. Several days after the shooting, she booked a passage on a Sacramento river boat to San Francisco. She never made it home. Several weeks later, fishermen discovered her body. Did she jump or was she pushed? Her death was ruled a suicide.

Did Bern actually kill himself? Did Dorothy Millette shoot him? Did Jean Harlow kill him (there had been reports of an argument earlier in the day and the couple had money troubles). Did Mama Jean have Harlow's gangster ex-boyfriend Abner "Longie" Zwillman get rid of an inconvenient husband? These are only a few of the many theories that try to explain the mysterious death of Paul Bern, but, unfortunately, all those involved are long gone and they sure weren't talking while they were here.

Harlow and Clark Gable in "Red Dust"

Remarkably, Harlow survived the scandal and went on to greater fame and misfortune. Her next film, "Red Dust," was a smashing success, but she was never to find fulfillment in her personal life. A series of romantic disappointments, including a failed marriage to cinematographer Harold Rosson and a frustrating relationship with actor William Powell, followed her tragic union with Bern, ending with her early death at age 26 n 1937.

sexy and beautiful and talented, but never truly happy

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Scandal! Mabel and Edna's New Year's Celebration

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

May's scandal: Mabel Normand and Edna Purviance party down!

Best buds Mabel & Edna party with playboy Courtland Dines on his yacht

Poor Mabel Normand! Trouble seemed to just follow the high spirited and beautiful comedic actress wherever she went. First, her engagement with erstwhile suitor Mack Sennet was busted up, literally, when Mabel caught Mack in a compromising position with actress Mae Busch, who conked Mabel over the head with a vase and put the poor dear in the hospital. She then engaged in an affair with Samuel Goldwyn that may or may not have produced a stillborn child. Next, she had the very bad luck to be the last person (except the killer) to see doomed director William Desmond Taylor alive (Click here for more about the 1922 Taylor murder). Although Mabel was never a real suspect, tales of drug abuse surfaced and her reputation was badly tarnished.

Mabel had managed to make a comeback in 1923 (working with Sennet again) with 2 popular films – “Suzanna” and “The Extra Girl” – but on New Year’s Day 1924 trouble again found Mabel.

 

Lovely Mabel Normand

Edna Purviance is chiefly known as Charlie Chaplin’s leading lady from 1915-1923. Not only was she his love interest on the screen, for some time she served as his love interest off the screen. Charlie being Charlie, Edna was eventually replaced by a younger model. But, Edna didn’t let any grass grow under her pretty feet.

The Beautiful Edna Purviance

Courland Dines was a Denver socialite and business man who was sweet on Edna and even sweeter on booze. After a second divorce in 1923, Dines went west to Los Angeles to seek a fortune in oil.  There he met Edna and her pal, Mabel, and a happy little threesome was formed. Courtland’s parents were not so pleased that he was dating an actress, but he and Edna and Mabel were just having a swell time together.

All hands (and other body parts) on deck.

New Year's Day found Edna and Mabel at Dines' apartment. Around 7 p.m. Mabel's chauffeur, Horace Greer, showed up at the apartment, later stating that he had been called to pick up Mabel and take her home. For reasons that were never clear, Greer thought that Mabel was being held in the apartment against her will. Pretending to be a deliveryman. Gaining entry to Dines' apartment, Greer found Mabel on the couch, Dines sitting at a table and Edna in the bedroom (allegedly powdering her nose). According to Greer, when Mabel reluctantly agreed to leave with her driver, Dines tried to prevent them from leaving by threatening to hit Greer with a liquor bottle. Greer's reaction to this was to shoot Dines three times. With Mabel's gun. Ouch.

Mabel's gun

Throwing her powder puff aside, Edna rushed to the living room to find Dines shot and without a bottle in his hand. Instead of calling an ambulance, the 2 ladies and Greer got Dines into bed and tried to provide some first aid. This, apparently, didn't go too well, and, Greer decided to leave the patient and drive to the nearest police station, where he turned himself in. This prompted both the police and the medics to descend upon Dines' abode, where the wounded one was found bleeding and smoking a cigarette. The press described both Mabel and Edna as elegantly dressed and "excited" (which was a code word for one gimlet too many).

It was never really clear why Greer shot Dines. It was speculated that he had a secret crush on his employer, but Mabel denied it. Courtland Dines pulled through just fine and declined to appear in court at Greer's trial (claiming he was too drunk that night to remember what happened). While Greer refused to testify in his own behalf (for fear of harming Mabel), both she and Edna were painted as examples of Hollywood's worst behavior. The scene at the apartment was described as a debauched and drunken affair with - gasp - Dines only in an undershirt. Greer was acquitted (but arrested 2 hours later for possession of liquor).

After the Fatty Arbuckle and William Desmond Taylor scandals, the public saw this as yet another example of Hollywood's wanton ways. Mable's films suffered at the box office and Edna's film, Chaplin's "A Woman of Paris," also suffered because of the scandal.

Trouble always seemed to find Mabel, who succumbed to tuberculosis in 1930. Edna retired from film and, while she didn't marry Courtland Dines, she did have a later happy marriage to airline pilot and executive, Jack Squires. Courtland Dines went on to marry a total of four times before dying at age 55 in Denver.

For a loving tribute to these fun loving ladies, see 1987's "Good Morning, Babylon," and Italian film about brothers who come to Hollywood to work on D.W. Griffith's massive sets for "Intolerance." There they meet and fall for two beautiful and struggling actresses named Edna and Mabel.

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Scandal! Charlie Chaplin Part 2

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

April's Scandal: Charlie Chaplin Part 2: Charlie, Joan Barry & Uncle Sam

Once America's most beloved star,
Chaplin is fingerprinted like a common criminal in 1944

After the Lita Grey scandal (click HERE for a recap of that escapade), Charlie Chaplin's private life seemed to remain moderately private. He still loved the ladies (and they loved him), but he confined himself to discrete lovers and nabbed a tasty dish named Paulette Goddard (to whom he may or may not have been married). His relationship with Goddard was both productive (they made "Modern Times" and "The Great Dictator" together) and sane. But, by 1940 they had called it quits. Paulette, that smart cookie, got a Mexican divorce in 1942 and a nice settlement from Charlie, even though it is not clear they were even legally married. 

Charlie & Paulette: So cute together

On the loose, Charlie met a voluptuous redhead named Joan Barry (born Mary Louis Gribble), a would-be actress whose latest role had been as John Paul Getty's mistress. Earlier roles were waitress and shoplifter. Chaplin saw something in the young woman and was impressed enough to sign her to a contract, have her teeth fixed and pay for acting lessons. Oh, and to go to bed with her, too. Like Edna Purviance, Georgia Hale and Lita Grey before her, Chaplin planned to take an unknown and mold her into a star.

Joan Barry's most famous moment: on the stand

Chaplin's relationship with Barry, never public, chugged along intermittently,  with Barry accommodating Chaplin with 2 abortions. Unfortunately, Joan Barry turned out to be a nut job. After a few stalkings, break-ins and gun waving incidents, Charlie attempted to disentangle himself from his volatile redhead. Besides, he had just met Oona O'Neill and was falling madly in love.

But Joan Barry would not be denied. Although it appears the affair with Chaplin had ended almost a year earlier, Barry once again broke into Chaplin's house in May of 1943 and announced that she was pregnant and that Charlie was the father. Chaplin denied it and had her arrested. Joan promptly filed a paternity suit and notified the press.

Vicious x 2

During this period Charlie Chaplin had attracted 2 powerful enemies: J. Edgar Hoover and Hedda Hopper. Hoover thought him a subversive and Hopper was just plain mad that he refused to speak to her. Hoover and Hopper joined forces and, with the Barry paternity suit in full swing, crucified Charlie in the press and in the halls of justice. Chaplin's speeches supporting Russia during the second world war, along with his leftist leanings and lack of desire to become an American citizen after all the wealth and fame this nation had offered him, caused Hoover to see Chaplin as a dangerous red threat.

Charlie testifies

Chaplin defends himself

Based upon Barry's charges, Charlie Chaplin was hit with a slew of indictments, including one for the Mann Act (charmingly known as "The White Salve Act"). Fortunately, he was acquitted on all counts, as Barry was clearly a willing participant. But the star's already tattered reputation was decimated. The paternity suit then went into full swing, with Chaplin coming off as an aging lecher who seduced innocent young women and then callously tossed them aside. After Barry's baby (a girl named Carol Ann) was born, Chaplin took a paternity test, but at that time the results of blood tests were inadmissible in court. At the second trial (the first resulted in a hung jury)  Chaplin was deemed to be the father of Carol Ann and was ordered to pay for her support until age 21. Thus, Chaplin was forced to take responsibility for a child that was not his own. While most people saw this as the ultimate railroading job, Lita Grey, who had a few axes to grind, asserted that Chaplin paid off the 2 labs that did the tests to fake the results and that Carol Ann was, indeed, his child. Unlikely. But Charlie had badly misjudged his once adoring public, who turned their backs on him for good. It had all been just too much. The public hated it when the Little Tramp acted like a little tramp.

Charlie and his Oona

At the time the paternity suit was filed, the 54-year old Chaplin married 18-year old Oona Chaplin. They immediately began to build their family that would eventually grow to 8 plus mom and dad. Eyebrows were raised and tongues wagged, and, ultimately, Charlie Chaplin felt forced to leave the USA, but did so with the woman who was the love of his life. And he did live happily ever after with Oona and his brood in Switzerland and eventually, and at long last, in 1972, all was forgiven when Chaplin was honored at the Academy Awards.

And what of Joan Barry? Not much is known of her life after the trial, but she did marry and some point and had a son, who thought highly of her. After an attempt to start a career as a singer, she was committed to a mental institution by her mother upon being found wandering the streets of Torrence, California barefoot, carrying a child's shoe and ring, and mumbling "this is magic." Carol Ann Barry was raised by a guardian and went on to live a very private life (presumably, she is still alive). Charlie's checks came on time every month until she turned age 21.

After being born in the spotlight, Carol Ann went on to live a very private life

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Scandal! Charlie Chaplin - Part 1

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

March's scandal: Charlie Chaplin & Lita Grey

Charlie and Lillita Louise MacMurray

In 1924 Charlie Chaplin was one of the world's most beloved stars. Having transformed his Little Tramp from a crude Keystone prankster into a lovable character of pathos and universal appeal, his artistry was admired, his celebrity almost without equal.

Besides being well-known as the Tramp, Charlie was also known as a ladies man. His many romances included Edna Purviance, Pola Negri and Marion Davies, as well as his recently divorced child-bride, Mildred Harris. His attraction to teen-age girls was known, but, as of yet, he had managed to skirt disaster.

After the triumph of his first feature, "The Kid," he began work on his next feature, "The Gold Rush." His former leading lady, Edna Purviance, was deemed too old at 29, and Charlie was on the look-out for a new leading lady. But, it turned out he had already met her.

The Flirting Angel

The angel tempts charlie with sin

in 1921, a 12-year old Lillita MacMurray accompanied her friend, Myrna Kennedy, to the Chaplin lot looking for work. The dark-eyed almost-teen caught Charlie's eye and he cast her as his flirting angel in "The Kid."

Charlie and his angel

Charlie was taken with his little angel, but he was in the midst of a contentious divorce from Mildred Harris. And so, she finished her part (as well as another part in the Chaplin short "The Idle class") and went back to school.

The Gold Rush

Chaplin directs Lita Grey in "The Gold Rush"

When Chaplin began work on "The Gold Rush," his mind turned again to his flirting angel, who was now 15 years old. He tested her, renamed her Lita Grey, and signed her to a contract (against the advice and opinions of wiser and cooler heads). Chaplin told the press she was 19 years old. The stage was set for disaster.

Chaplin was serious about his film by day, but was equally in serious pursuit of Lita by night. All those concerned had their own side of the story to tell, but the fact remains that, shortly after filming began, the now 16-year old Lita was pregnant and her 35-year old seducer and director was the father. Chaplin reportedly wanted Lita to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused. Her family smelled a payday and Lita was counselled by them to hang tough.

Facing a charge of statutory rape and unthinkably bad publicity, Chaplin agreed to marry Lita. In an almost surreal series of events, the couple slipped into Mexico and were married in November 1924. When their son, Charles, Jr., was born in May 1925, the news was withheld from the press. Mother and child emerged a month later and little Charlie's birth date was changed to June.

Charlie, Lita & Charlie, Jr.

Despite the birth of a second son, Sydney, in 1926, the marriage was never a happy one. Lita was miserable and Charlie was unfaithful.

Divorce

Lita's Complaint: published for all the world to see

In 1927, Lita had had enough and filed for divorce. If Chaplin thought the marriage was a misery, he had no idea what was in store for him with the divorce. "Lita's Complaint," a blow by blow vivisection of Chaplin's reputation was published and the scandal made the headlines for months. Apparently, Lita's greatest complaints were that Chaplin demanded oral sex, was cheap, cheated on her and generally abandoned her and her sons. A restraining order was placed on Chaplin's considerable assets. For the first time, the public turned on Charlie who, claimed Lita, barely gave her enough money to by milk for the babies.

Lita testifies

The Chaplin divorce makes the headlines

All of this took a tremendous toll of Chaplin, who suffered a nervous breakdown. When Lita threatened to name the women with whom Charlie had slept with during their marriage (among them friend Myrna Kennedy, Georgia Hale, Edna Purviance and Marion Davies - which must have raised the wrath of W.R. Hearst), Chaplin caved. In August 1927 Lita received her divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty. Her $825,000 settlement was the largest to date.

Aftermath

Was Lita a gold-digger? While it seems her family clearly had their eye on the bank account, it is doubtful that a 15-year old star struck girl could have been so calculating. And, even if she was, Charlie should have known better. But,  it appears he could not help himself. Some say this story was Nabokov's inspiration for "Lolita."

After the divorce, Charlie Chaplin got his first taste of public disapproval. But, "The Gold Rush" was a roaring success and Chaplin quickly regained the affection of the public. For his part, Charlie pretty much went back to his old ways. But the love affair was tainted and couldn't stand much more scandal.

To Be Continued....

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A Lover's Scandal! Ingrid Bergman: Influence of Evil

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

February's Scandal: Ingrid Bergman - from Saint to Whore

WTF?

It is hard to believe that this woman was once denounced on the US Senate floor as an "influence of evil." Her sin: falling in love and running off with a man not her husband. 

Now, this is Hollywood we are talking about. Let's look back: in the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, both married to others, engaged in a hot extra-marital affair that tore both their marriages apart. They subsequently became the king and queen of Hollywood. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier began their epic love affair when married to others and Humphrey Bogart was still married when he fell for the 19-year old Lauren Bacall. All three couples were much beloved. Their romances were seen as proof of the triumph of true love against all odds (even though 2 of the 3 divorced).

Enter Ingrid Bergman in 1939, the year the Swedish beauty was introduced to American audiences in "Intermezzo: A Love Story." Her natural, healthy beauty that radiated purity was an immediate hit with the public and soon her husband, Dr. Petter Lindstrom and infant daughter, Pia, joined her in a permanent residence in Hollywood. Ingrid could do no wrong. Her career was in high gear and her image was spotless.


The Ingrid Bergman the world fell in love with in "Intermezzo"

 Like most stars, Ingrid's image was at odds with her reality. Though she was portrayed as a happily married wife and mother, the truth was that Ingrid was one lusty lass and the good doctor did not like being known as Mr. Ingrid Bergman. At some point he made a decision to spend a great deal of his professional time in San Francisco and Ingrid was free to engage in affairs with Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck, harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler and photographer Robert Capa (to name just a few). Life was a breeze for Ingrid: she was a 100% Ivory Soap Pure Saint to her public (even though she was equally adept at playing bad girls), her career was on fire and she easily managed her husband, child and extra curricular affairs. 

Ingrid in 1948's "Joan of Arc" - her last appearance as a saint

In 1949, the new "It Boy" of cinema was Italian filmmaker, Roberto Rossellini. Rossellini, a notorious playboy, was riding high on the universal acclaim of his neo-realist classics "Open City" and "Paisan." Ingrid, like so many, was enthralled with Rossellini's bold new style. She was so taken with him that she penned a fan letter and offered her services:

If you need a Swedish actress who speaks English very well, who has not forgotten her German, who is not very understandable in French and who in Italian knows only "ti amo," I am ready to come make a film with you.

And so she did. Rossellini promptly dropped the 5 women he was seeing at the time (including his "Open City" star actress Anna Magnani) and fell for Ingrid's charms. For her part, Ingrid fell madly, passionately in love and left her husband. And she got pregnant. All the while they worked together to film "Stromboli."

Roberto Rossellini directs Ingrid Bergman

Meanwhile, back in the USA a firestorm of criticism erupted over the actions of a Hollywood actress. Returning to Hollywood after filming "Stromboli" (and 3 months pregnant at the time), Ingrid refused to confirm her pregnancy to the vituperative gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper. When rival Louella Parson scooped Hopper on the out-of-wedlock bambino in the oven, Hopper trashed Saint Ingrid without mercy.

Hedda Hopper: cross her and she destroys

Before she knew what hit her, Ingrid Bergman went from saint to slut. Outrage over her infidelity made the papers, church pulpits and even the floor of the US senate. Incredibly, politicians took the time out of their busy schedule to weigh in on Ingrid Bergman. Senator Edwin C. Johnson of Colorado condemned her as a "free-love cultist" and "a horrible example of womanhood and a powerful influence of evil." Yikes! No doubt her sainted image worked against the real woman, and Ingrid had no choice but to high-tail it back to Italy. Because a nasty divorce and custody battle ensued while Ingrid was pregnant, her son, Robertino Rossellini, was born a week before the divorce became final and Ingrid and Rossellini finally married. During that same month "Stromboli" was released internationally, where, banned and boycotted, it bombed.

Like many great love affairs, this one, too, petered out. Ingrid and her Italian made 2 more children (twins Isabella and Isotta) and five more unsuccessful films before they called it quits in 1957. Ingrid said that the Swedish and Italian temperaments were not a good match.

But Hollywood loves a happy ending, and, in 1956 Bergman won her second Academy Award for her performance in "Anastasia." The award was accepted by her good friend, Cary Grant. Ingrid made an appearance at the Oscars in in 1958, where she presented the award for Best Picture. When introduced to the audience by Grant, she received a standing ovation. The love affair with the public was back on again. In 1972 a formal apology was entered into the Congressional Record.

Much ado about nothing, don't you think?

Ingrid and one of her friends who always stood by her
in one of my favorite films, "Notorious"

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Scandal! Roscoe Arbuckle's Day Off

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.

January's Scandal: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

Hollywood in the early part of the twentieth century was a tough place. The work was hard and the conditions hardly up to OSHA standards. But, for those lucky enough to gain fame and fortune, the fun and play was just as rough and tumble. Roscoe (he hated being called "Fatty") Arbuckle was the comic darling of the Keystone lot in the early teens. He and Mable Normand delighted the public with their adorable antics. Before Chaplin, before Keaton and before Lloyd, it was Fatty that tickled the movie-goers fancy. Arbuckle eventually left Keystone to produce his own films.

Mabel and Roscoe

By all accounts, Roscoe was a lovely man, kind and well-liked by his peers. Even his ex-wife,  actress Minta Durfee, proclaimed him the nicest man in the world. His friendship with Buster Keaton was rock solid and he served as a mentor to both Charlie Chaplin and, much later, to Bob Hope (encouraging Hope to seek his fortune in motion pictures). If Roscoe had a fatal flaw, it was his love for alcohol and an addiction to morphine (as the result of a serious leg injury). Those flaws didn't stand in his way when showing generosity to his friends, which lead him to plan a fun getaway to San Francisco to blow off some steam on September 5, 1921.

The plan seemed like a good one. San Francisco was often used by the movie stars as a place to let their hair down. So, Roscoe rented several rooms at the St. Francis Hotel for a group of his friends, who were all invited to a party. A little Labor Day r&r with alcohol and women was just what the doctor ordered. But, in the midst of the partying, something went horribly wrong.

Virginia Rappe

While the guests partied, one guest lay writhing in pain in one of Roscoe's rooms. Virginia Rappe was a model, sometime actress and girlfriend of director Henry Lehrman. She was also a notorious party girl who, as they used to say, was no better than she should be. Virginia, who was seriously ill before she even came to the party, was admitted to the hospital 2 days after the party, where she died on September 9, 1921. Her friend, Bambina Maude Delmont, told Virginia's doctor that Roscoe had raped her friend, who died of peritonitis caused by a ruptured bladder.

Here's what happened:
* Virginia Rappe, already suffering from and poor health due, in part, from too much drinking and too many abortions, became seriously ill at the party. The hotel doctor determined that her condition was caused by an over consumption of alcohol.
* Roscoe, among others, tried to help her and tried to cool her overheated body with ice cubes and a bath.
*Maude Delmont, a known, said that Virginia told her Roscoe "hurt her," which meant rape. Delmont, a known professional correspondent for blackmailers who had been targeted by the police for fraud, bigamy, extortion, and racketeering, was not even present in the room when Virginia became ill.

Bambina Maude Delmont

Here's what the public was told:

Fatty Arbuckle, host of a wildly out of control party, savagely raped and caused the death of poor Virginia Rappe with his massive weight. Not only did he rape her, but the beast also abused her with either a Coca-Cola or champagne bottle.

On September 11, 1921, Roscoe Arbuckle was arrested for the murder of Virginia Rappe.

Roscoe's Mug Shot

For 2 excruciating trials, Roscoe's name and reputation was slandered while the prosecution paraded liar after liar before the jury. The wild partying ways of the the movie colony was exposed and morality groups called for Roscoe's  execution. Both trials resulted in a hung jury. Roscoe Arbuckle was finally cleared and found innocent at a third trial. At the end of the mercifully swift third trial, a verdict was rendered in 6 minutes, with the jury foreman reading this statement: "Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done to him... there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime. He was manly throughout the case and told a straightforward story which we all believe. We wish him success and hope that the American people will take the judgement of fourteen men and women that Roscoe Arbuckle is entirely innocent and free from all blame." District Attorney Matthew Brady had pressured witnesses to lie under oath and it was revealed that Maude Delmont was attempting to extort money from Arbuckle's attorneys. But, exoneration came too late. Both his career and his spirit were ruined. William Randolph Hearst made hay of the scandal and made a fortune off of these lies in the process. He never apologized to Roscoe for gleefully destroying him. The public and Hollywood turned their back on the man who had brought joy to so many. He was innocent and he was a pariah.

Roscoe did have some loyal friends. Buster Keaton stood by him to the end and tried to give him work when no one else would. Buster, by the way, was asked to attend the party at the St. Francis that fateful weekend, but was unable to go due to other plans (plans for which he was eternally grateful). Roscoe turned to alcohol in a big way, but still managed to find work, directing low budget films under the pseudonym William Goodrich ("will be good").  By all accounts, he was a broken man. Things finally seemed to be looking up in 1933. One June 29, 1933 he was signed by Warner Brothers for a feature length film. But resurrection was not to come. Roscoe died of a heart attack that same night. Some may agree that cause of death was a broken heart.

The Arbuckle scandal, along with the scandal concerning the mysterious death of director William Desmond Taylor, put the morality (or immorality) of Hollywood in the spotlight forever and all time. For a deeper dive into the Roscoe Arbuckle scandal, check out Frame-Up, The Untold Story of Roscoe "Fatty Arbuckle," by Andy Edmonds.

Remnants of Roscoe are still among us. Click here and check out his beautiful 1919 custom made Pierce Arrow, currently at auction. He sure had good taste!

Said Louise Brooks, who, at the tail end of her career, found herself playing a part in the cheaply-made Windy Riley Goes to Hollywood (1931, director: William Goodrich):

"He made no attempt to direct this picture. He sat in his chair like a man dead. He had been very nice and sweetly dead ever since the scandal that ruined his career. But it was such an amazing thing for me to come in to make this broken-down picture, and to find my director was the great Roscoe Arbuckle. Oh, I thought he was magnificent in films. He was a wonderful dancer—a wonderful ballroom dancer, in his heyday. It was like floating in the arms of a huge doughnut—really delightful."

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