Di Mambro - True Hollywood Noir Filmland Mysteries and Murders

Di Mambro, Dina, True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders/Dina Di Mambro

Copyright 2013 Dina Di Mambro

All rights reserved.

ISBN-10: 0615572693

ISBN-13: 9780615572697 (Classichollywoodbios.com Publications)

eBook ISBN: 978-1-63003-289-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011944541

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

North Charleston, South Carolina

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Front Cover: Natalie Wood Publicity Portrait/Silver Screen Cinema Collection. Gangster Mickey Cohen in 1949 (Photo by Ed Clark//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images). Gig Young Publicity Portrait/Silver Screen Cinema Collection. George Reeves as Superman Motion Pictures for Television Inc./Photofest. Lana Turner 1940s Portrait/Photofest. Hogans Heroes 1965-1971, shown Bob Crane at Lt. Robert Hogan, CBS/Photofest CBS. A portrait of Jean Harlow by Clarence Bull made on December 16, 1930/Photofest..

Back Cover: Author Photo/Tammy Warnock/True Blue Photography.
www.truebluephotography.com Hair and Makeup: Ali Robles

As Dina-Marie Kulzer, Dina Di Mambro authored Television Series Regulars of the Fifties and Sixties in Interview 1992, 2012. McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers. www.mcfarland.com

Author Websites

www.classichollywoodbios.com

http://www.classichollywoodbios.com/truehollywoodnoir.htm

To my generous, overprotective father Vittorio Di Mambro and my beautiful, sassy mother Sharon Neal Di Mambro. And to their mothers, Maria Libera, who had a great desire to learn to read, and Eileen, where my love of writing came from.

and

To the individuals featured in this book who are no longer with usparticularly those who met with untimely tragic ends. May your spirits find peace and know that you are still remembered, loved, and admired not only in the memory of friends and family left behind but those whose lives youve touched through your talent and work that remain timeless.

Pictured: Dina Di Mambro, Author

A special thank you to Tammy Waronek of www.truebluephotography.com for being my personal George Hurrell. I always dreamed of having a photograph like this. You are nothing less than a magician. Make Up and Hair: Ali Robles

Acknowledgements

My heartfelt thanks to Jim Smith for his generosity of information in the Johnny Stompanato/Lana Turner chapter and for, in essence, providing the entire Mickey Cohen chapter (as well as treasured photographs). I would have had to give him a co-authorship in this book if he had helped me with any additional chapters, and he could have. (The man knows absolutely everyone.) Jim doesnt generally talk to writers, and I am so thankful that he shared his memories with me. It is my hope that future authors will cite and take into account Smiths first-hand memories rather than the fiction that has been perpetuated for so many years. You have my eternal gratitude, Jim.

To Sara, John, and Lilly Ibrahim, thank you for your hospitality and providing cherished family photographs. To John Ibrahim (Stompanato), Erlene Wille, Skye Aubrey, and stand-up guy John-John Solari, for sharing your memories in candid interviews. Judy Shaw, thank you for acting as my editor. I greatly appreciate your help. Chris Ragon, I am so grateful for your assistance with the photographs. To Ted James at www.celebritycollectables.com, thank you for providing official documents such as wills, coroners inquests, and autopsy reports. And thanks to my long-suffering husband Carl Kulzer for putting up with these same documents being strewn about the kitchen table (not very appetizing) and being the very first set of eyes, besides my own, to read my chapters. Carls sister Karen, her husband John, and their son Kevin Kula have always been very caringthank you.

And on a personal note, special thanks to my family who provided inspiration and support, in particular my parents, Sharon and Vittorio Di Mambro (Daddy, I used the family name on this one!), my brother John Di Mambro, my Uncle Dean Neal (who is always so encouraging and sweet to me) and my Zia (Aunt) Anna Di Mambro. Annas granddaughters Emma Thompson and Nicole Thompson are gifted, young writersthe next generation. Carry the torch, girls; Im getting a little tired. And to Shandora Roberts Scanlon, Shani, (my little girl, not biologically but in my heart) who has two beautiful young daughters, Mya and Madelyn, of her own. They remind me so much of you. I am proud of the young woman you have become. Other children of my heart now grown, Nicolas Canale and Stephanie Canale TambeIm happy your parents let me borrow you and return you to them thoroughly spoiled. You are very special to me.

And a special thanks to my friends, you know who you are. There are certain friends who I forced to drop everything and read first drafts of some of my chapters. They were among my first sets of eyes. Other friends encouraged me and convinced me I wouldnt bore my readers into a coma. Hope you guys were right. Thank you to my supportive friend Marilyn Morton, a wonderful singer, who was once known as Sami, when she sang in Las Vegas with the Norman Brown Sextet. Thanks to Xavier and Gabrielle Canale and Robert and Eve Brittany. I cherish your friendship. Eve is my most enthusiastic champion. And my sincere thanks to my new, dear friends whom I met at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, they have their reasons for remaining anonymous. You two gentlemen have provided so much support and love. You are the happiest couple I know. I treasure you both. Thank you for believing in me. BCD your friendship means a great deal to me. Aunt Connie (Mariuccia) and Uncle Mario Di Mambro thank you for buying me my first movie books. Look what you started! Love you both so much. And thanks to my Aunt Donna Neal Shelley for your continued interest in my writing. Tally Haugen, my fellow classic film enthusiast, also helped clean up some ancient, grainy imagesthank you.

And to my little muse, my gorgeous cat Sunny, who sat perched above me many a night as I wrote, supervising me when not engaging in more interesting activities, such as tearing post-it notes, chasing pens, flipping index cards and knocking books over.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
William Desmond TaylorThe Unsolved Murder (1922)

CHAPTER 2
The Hearst Affairthe Mysterious Death of Thomas H. Ince (1924)

CHAPTER 3
Jean HarlowLast Night Was Only a Comedy (1932)

CHAPTER 4
Thelma ToddThe Ice Cream Blonde (1935)

CHAPTER 5
Joan BennettThe Shot That Killed a Film Career (1951)

CHAPTER 6
Lana Turner, and Johnny StompanatoThe Story You Havent Heard (1958)

CHAPTER 7
George Reeves Who Killed Superman? (1959)

CHAPTER 8
The Secret Life of Bob Crane (1978)

CHAPTER 9
Gig YoungGame of Death (1978)

CHAPTER 10
Natalie Woods Final Voyage (1981)

CHAPTER 11
Robert BlakeIn Cold Blood (2001)

CHAPTER 12
The Real Mickey Cohen

Film Noirtranslated from French as black filmis a genre that encompasses the elements of highly charged sexuality with cynical male characters, femme fatales, and moral ambiguity. Or as author Charles Pappas described it, the language of losersalways about the same things: sex, violence, and money. Swirling cigarette smoke; high balls on ice; murky, rain-soaked nights; ill-fated plots between gangsters and grifters; and hardboiled detectives and duplicitous gorgeous women with an agenda were all readily evident in