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Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood
In 1921, one of the biggest movie stars in the world was accused of killing a woman. What followed was an unprecedented avalanche of press coverage, the original “trial of the century,” and a wave of censorship that altered the course of Hollywood filmmaking.
It began on Labor Day, when comic actor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, then at the pinnacle of his fame and fortune, hosted a party in San Francisco’s best hotel. As the party raged, he was alone in room 1219 with Virginia Rappe, a minor actress. Four days later, she died, and he was charged with her murder.
Room 1219 tells the story of Arbuckle’s improbable rise and stunning fall—from Hollywood’s first true superstar to its first pariah. Simultaneously, it presents the crime story from the day of the “orgy” through the three trials. Relying on a careful examination of documents, the book finally reveals, after almost a century of wild speculation, what most likely occurred in room 1219. In addition, Room 1219 covers the creation of the film industry—from the first silent experiments to a studio-based system capable of making and, ultimately, breaking a beloved superstar.
It began on Labor Day, when comic actor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, then at the pinnacle of his fame and fortune, hosted a party in San Francisco’s best hotel. As the party raged, he was alone in room 1219 with Virginia Rappe, a minor actress. Four days later, she died, and he was charged with her murder.
Room 1219 tells the story of Arbuckle’s improbable rise and stunning fall—from Hollywood’s first true superstar to its first pariah. Simultaneously, it presents the crime story from the day of the “orgy” through the three trials. Relying on a careful examination of documents, the book finally reveals, after almost a century of wild speculation, what most likely occurred in room 1219. In addition, Room 1219 covers the creation of the film industry—from the first silent experiments to a studio-based system capable of making and, ultimately, breaking a beloved superstar.
440 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2013
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1187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 22, 2015
Most people of this generation don't know who Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle is and what he was famous for. Hell, most people nowadays barely know anything about silent film and only recognize the iconic names (such as Charlie Chaplin, [maybe] Mary Pickford, etc.). What they don't realize, is that Fatty was a major comedy star pre-scandal and at one point was more famous than Chaplin! He also gave Buster Keaton, another name that lives on, a leg up into the business and they were really great friends. After his career was ruined and their roles were reversed, Buster gave him opportunities to direct and have bit parts in his movies. Overall, it was an extremely interesting book. Equal parts biography of Fatty and his rise to fame, and breakdown of the scandal and its aftermath, it definitely gives an equal representation of the defense & prosecution both. It neither sanctifies him OR crucifies him. And I won't say what conclusion the author comes to, but I pretty much agree with him. Not that we'll ever really know the truth, but I do like to speculate.
I'd recommend this for anyone interested in (not necessarily already a fan of) silent film, Hollywood scandals (of which this was the first major one), the beginnings of censorship in Hollywood, and Roscoe Arbuckle as a historical figure/movie star. Also, a truly great documentary about silent film exists. It's 13 parts, each an hour long, called Hollywood Pioneers and you can find it on YouTube. It's one of the last documentaries featuring interviews with actual stars/stuntmen/directors, etc. from that era and was filmed shortly before many of them died. It is downright fascinating! :D
***CAVEAT: I still can't believe that he was tried THREE TIMES before he was finally acquitted! On such circumstantial (which is to say pretty much absolutely none) "evidence" I'm shocked he was even tried AT ALL. It's just crazy to me!
I'd recommend this for anyone interested in (not necessarily already a fan of) silent film, Hollywood scandals (of which this was the first major one), the beginnings of censorship in Hollywood, and Roscoe Arbuckle as a historical figure/movie star. Also, a truly great documentary about silent film exists. It's 13 parts, each an hour long, called Hollywood Pioneers and you can find it on YouTube. It's one of the last documentaries featuring interviews with actual stars/stuntmen/directors, etc. from that era and was filmed shortly before many of them died. It is downright fascinating! :D
***CAVEAT: I still can't believe that he was tried THREE TIMES before he was finally acquitted! On such circumstantial (which is to say pretty much absolutely none) "evidence" I'm shocked he was even tried AT ALL. It's just crazy to me!
October 8, 2013
Greg Merritt's Room 1219 is probably the best book I've read all year. It's incredibly well-organized, insightful, thoughtful, unbiased, thorough, clear and well-written. I was very interested in the Arbuckle-Rappe scandal but was worried that I would be overwhelmed with boring information about the three trials. My experience was quite the opposite. I was enthralled and found myself not wanting to let the book go.
The key to the book's success is Merritt's organization of the chapters. Each chapter alternates from the details of the scandal to biographical chapters on Arbuckle and one on Virginia Rappe. Flipping back and forth gives you a respite from being overwhelmed with too much detail. And this book has a lot of information to take in so the structure really helps. You go from the minute details of the scandal, the case and the three (yes three!) trials to the humanity of the lives and careers of Arbuckle and Rappe.
You can read my full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2013/...
September 16, 2022
The mystery of Fatty Arbuckle and the death of Virginia Rappe has been ongoing since 1921 when Arbuckle was arrested and charged with murder.
I expected the purpose of the book would be that the author had found some long lost information that could clear up the matter. Not so.
The book is somewhat disorganized as it goes from one period to another with no continuity making it a difficult read.
I read to the end assuming that the author had uncovered some facts that could shed light on what really happened but this is just more conjecture.
There is nothing definitive about this book, it is the author’s conclusion after his (admittedly extensive) research into the topic.
What I did glean from the book is that, even for the 1920’s, this had to be the worst, sloppiest, most inept investigation in the history of investigations.
Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t but no one knew then and no one will ever know what really happened that night (Rappe died four days after the party in Room 1219) and the totally shoddy investigation should never have led to Arbuckle being accused of anything.
Who knows, the doctor who attended Rappe in the hotel room may very well have caused her death. By all accounts her bladder had already ruptured and the doctor said she was fine and gave her a shot of morphine for pain.
I expected the purpose of the book would be that the author had found some long lost information that could clear up the matter. Not so.
The book is somewhat disorganized as it goes from one period to another with no continuity making it a difficult read.
I read to the end assuming that the author had uncovered some facts that could shed light on what really happened but this is just more conjecture.
There is nothing definitive about this book, it is the author’s conclusion after his (admittedly extensive) research into the topic.
What I did glean from the book is that, even for the 1920’s, this had to be the worst, sloppiest, most inept investigation in the history of investigations.
Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t but no one knew then and no one will ever know what really happened that night (Rappe died four days after the party in Room 1219) and the totally shoddy investigation should never have led to Arbuckle being accused of anything.
Who knows, the doctor who attended Rappe in the hotel room may very well have caused her death. By all accounts her bladder had already ruptured and the doctor said she was fine and gave her a shot of morphine for pain.
August 29, 2019
Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood by Greg Merritt (a god-awful title by the way) does something that no other book on Roscoe Arbuckle has done before, it presents its subjects, both Roscoe and Virginia, as actual human beings.
If most people know these names at all, and I'd lay 10 to 1 that most people do not, it has to do with scandal, misinformation, and demonization of these two unfairly maligned people.
It's a revelation to read about Roscoe Arbuckle's (he hated the sobriquet "Fatty", and the only injustice this book does him is use his famous but painful nickname in the title) loveless childhood, his struggles as he tried to enter show business, his struggles to get to the top... And his greater struggles once he found himself there. This makes his story a very modern one, because the talented rich and famous continue to struggle with the fame they work so hard to achieve.
Instead of the monster or the poor sucker that Arbuckle is usually painted as, in this book Roscoe is seen as an artist and entertainer. In fact he was one of the greatest of his era and the biggest achievement of Greg Merritt's book is the feeling of loss for what Arbuckle could've accomplished if he continued working in motion pictures.
Of course the other great loss that Merritt captures is the story's other victim, Virginia Rappe. Virginia Rappe, the author, like the papers of the day, doesn't shy away from the fact that even her name sounds frighteningly like the phrase "Virgin Rape", here is at last portrayed as a real person. She was a talented dress designer and a vocal proponent of women's rights in the workplace and in society. This makes Virginia's death even more poignant and sad then the usual label of "Gold-digging slut" or "Pure and innocent child" she is painted with.
There are no clear villains in this book, no one for us to hang the yoke of blame on, and thereby make us feel superior, except… And this is paramount... the press and the public opinion of the day. Both Roscoe and Virginia were tried over and over again in the newspapers, the pulpit, and in social circles high and low. It is the press, than as now, hungry for scandal to fuel their sale and a desperately fickle public looking to alternatively deify and demonize their heroes and heroines that are the true scandal at the center of this story.
This may seem like a sad but old and forgotten Hollywood story, but the scandal that came to ahead during the trial and Roscoe Arbuckle's subsequent blackballing by the Hollywood moguls he made millions for is not only timely but continues to be a hotly debated subject.
I won't tell you the book's conclusion about what happened in room 1219 that day long gone but I will say that the stars and supporting cast of this true story are unforgettable. And that the saddest thing about this very sad tale is that, we are doomed to repeat it with a different cast of characters over and over again.
If most people know these names at all, and I'd lay 10 to 1 that most people do not, it has to do with scandal, misinformation, and demonization of these two unfairly maligned people.
It's a revelation to read about Roscoe Arbuckle's (he hated the sobriquet "Fatty", and the only injustice this book does him is use his famous but painful nickname in the title) loveless childhood, his struggles as he tried to enter show business, his struggles to get to the top... And his greater struggles once he found himself there. This makes his story a very modern one, because the talented rich and famous continue to struggle with the fame they work so hard to achieve.
Instead of the monster or the poor sucker that Arbuckle is usually painted as, in this book Roscoe is seen as an artist and entertainer. In fact he was one of the greatest of his era and the biggest achievement of Greg Merritt's book is the feeling of loss for what Arbuckle could've accomplished if he continued working in motion pictures.
Of course the other great loss that Merritt captures is the story's other victim, Virginia Rappe. Virginia Rappe, the author, like the papers of the day, doesn't shy away from the fact that even her name sounds frighteningly like the phrase "Virgin Rape", here is at last portrayed as a real person. She was a talented dress designer and a vocal proponent of women's rights in the workplace and in society. This makes Virginia's death even more poignant and sad then the usual label of "Gold-digging slut" or "Pure and innocent child" she is painted with.
There are no clear villains in this book, no one for us to hang the yoke of blame on, and thereby make us feel superior, except… And this is paramount... the press and the public opinion of the day. Both Roscoe and Virginia were tried over and over again in the newspapers, the pulpit, and in social circles high and low. It is the press, than as now, hungry for scandal to fuel their sale and a desperately fickle public looking to alternatively deify and demonize their heroes and heroines that are the true scandal at the center of this story.
This may seem like a sad but old and forgotten Hollywood story, but the scandal that came to ahead during the trial and Roscoe Arbuckle's subsequent blackballing by the Hollywood moguls he made millions for is not only timely but continues to be a hotly debated subject.
I won't tell you the book's conclusion about what happened in room 1219 that day long gone but I will say that the stars and supporting cast of this true story are unforgettable. And that the saddest thing about this very sad tale is that, we are doomed to repeat it with a different cast of characters over and over again.
January 2, 2016
Merritt's book is a biography of Roscoe Arbuckle (he put up with the nickname "Fatty" for his career, but no one who knew him called him that), and of Virginia Rappe (pronounced "rappay"), insofar as Merritt was able to unearth information about her; it is also, therefore, an excellent book about silent movies and the beginnings of Hollywood. But mostly it is the terrible story of the point where Arbuckle and Rappe's lives intersected and the consequences thereof. Merritt is passionately interested in finding the truth, about Rappe as much about Arbuckle, and dispelling the myths: he raped her with a bottle; she "had it coming" because she was a slut. I don't entirely know if I agree with his conclusions, but I appreciate the care with which he lays out the shreds and shards of evidence we have around the missing central act of what happened in Room 1219.
The terrible thing about Roscoe Arbuckle is that he is a sort of Schrodinger's cat of justice. If he did attempt to rape Virginia Rappe and thus caused her death, he got away with it. He was tried three times and acquitted of manslaughter. But if he didn't attempt to rape her, if her death was truly the ghastly accident Merritt thinks it was, then his fate, the destruction of his career, was unjustifiably cruel. In neither case can one feel that justice was served.
The terrible thing about Roscoe Arbuckle is that he is a sort of Schrodinger's cat of justice. If he did attempt to rape Virginia Rappe and thus caused her death, he got away with it. He was tried three times and acquitted of manslaughter. But if he didn't attempt to rape her, if her death was truly the ghastly accident Merritt thinks it was, then his fate, the destruction of his career, was unjustifiably cruel. In neither case can one feel that justice was served.
September 11, 2014
This was a tragic just tragic story
This man had it all and he fought to have the life of a "Hollywood star"!! But a false story totally crippled not only his career but destroyed his life!!
It's sad how a fun loving man could close everything to a harlot that had clanked false accusations before
Just a sad tragic story
This man had it all and he fought to have the life of a "Hollywood star"!! But a false story totally crippled not only his career but destroyed his life!!
It's sad how a fun loving man could close everything to a harlot that had clanked false accusations before
Just a sad tragic story
July 24, 2017
True Crime Commemoration # 15
Setting: 1921 San Francisco
RTC
Setting: 1921 San Francisco
RTC
November 23, 2024
This is the true story of the rise and fall of Fatty Arbuckle. The book expertly accomplishes 3 objectives: (1) to tell the biography of vaudeville star and silent film sensation Fatty Arbuckle; (2) to similarly tell the life story of Virginia Rappe, a starlet who attended a 3 hour, mid-day, Prohibition Era orgy of food, drink, strong cocktails, and dancing in a 3 room hotel suite rented by Arbuckle; and (3) the tragic sequence of events at this mid-day party that lead to the death of Ms. Rapper, the arrest of Fatty Arbuckle, prolonged criminal cases in court, and the destruction of the promising film career of Mr. Arbuckle.
Who tortured and ruined the career of Fatty Arbuckle?
The prosecutors of the criminal court system publicly crucified him with THREE criminal trials (for alleged crimes of which there was no proof).
Further, the holier-than-thou preachers, Women's Civic Association members, newspaper publishers, and prudish motion picture censors, plus the spineless Hollywood moguls who valued profits over inquiry, rumor over reason, and supplication to the "morals of a Christian people," ruined Fatty Arbuckle's career in the process.
But the general public -- the normal, men-on-the-street, working class people -- continued to love and cheer Fatty Arbuckle.
"What Would Jesus Have Done" in this case? The EXACT OPPOSITE of what the hypocritical, holier-than-thou, lynch mob did. Looking back, we can see that the rabid minority of the self-appointed Christian guardians of all that is chaste and pure, wielded out-sized influence to destructive ends. Times do not change, and history repeats itself.
5 Stars
Who tortured and ruined the career of Fatty Arbuckle?
The prosecutors of the criminal court system publicly crucified him with THREE criminal trials (for alleged crimes of which there was no proof).
Further, the holier-than-thou preachers, Women's Civic Association members, newspaper publishers, and prudish motion picture censors, plus the spineless Hollywood moguls who valued profits over inquiry, rumor over reason, and supplication to the "morals of a Christian people," ruined Fatty Arbuckle's career in the process.
But the general public -- the normal, men-on-the-street, working class people -- continued to love and cheer Fatty Arbuckle.
"What Would Jesus Have Done" in this case? The EXACT OPPOSITE of what the hypocritical, holier-than-thou, lynch mob did. Looking back, we can see that the rabid minority of the self-appointed Christian guardians of all that is chaste and pure, wielded out-sized influence to destructive ends. Times do not change, and history repeats itself.
5 Stars
April 3, 2014
I have been hoping for a coherent and somewhat balanced book on this particular topic for a very long time, and thank goodness this one was well researched and thought out. This case has interested me since I was a kid--I first came across Roscoe Arbuckle in the saddest of places--Hollywood Babylon--that book fascinated and repelled me for as long as I can remember. As a kid I could not possibly have known it's origins and falsehoods, only pictures of the movie stars that I already adored and some gore and nudity (interesting to most kids when forbidden) and the fact that any adult I knew that had a copy, kept it hidden like a dirty magazine (which it pretty much is).
I will not repeat the infamous story of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's supposed crimes (the story is quite easy to read up on--even truthful versions) and interestingly after all these years still contains mystery. Most folks who know old Hollywood know that Roscoe was a silent film comedy pioneer--he worked with Chaplin (and preceded Chaplin) as well as Buster Keaton (his dear friend) and one of my personal favorites, Mabel Normand. His image is still well known today, but many would have trouble putting a name to it. This is not only because he most famous for silent film, many others including Chaplin are extremely well known despite the passage of time. Roscoe was the subject of not one but three of the most tainted and publicity filled trials ever known in the U.S.
The basic facts are that he was holding a party in San Francisco with some male friends and several females (mostly acquaintances) in a very ritzy hotel and in the course of the party, the designer and model and actress Virginia Rappe was taken ill and never recovered. She passed away several days after the party from a ruptured bladder. One of the women in the party (an acquaintance of Rappe's)accused Roscoe Arbuckle of being the cause of Rappe's illness. This lead to a trial on par with the O.J. Simpson case or the Michael Jackson cases. Tons of publicity, fans taking sides and lies and innuendo flying. The basic accusation was that Arbuckle injured Rappe either by squashing her while attempting sex or injured her by another means. She had a distended bladder and it ruptured--that much everyone seems to agree on. Arbuckle went through 3 trials--2 hung juries and finally acquittal, but he was never completely forgiven and was ostracized by most of Hollywood. As with most cases of this type, there is so much mystery and only two people knew the truth--the dead girl and Arbuckle. The author gives us a brief but well done bio of both Rappe and Arbuckle and then an in-depth look at all of the trials as well as Arbuckle's life after and how the case took on a life of it's own, even many years down the line.
There have been many attempts to rehab Arbuckle's reputation and sadly most of those have included terrible slurs against Rappe which the author is able to debunk pretty well. I applaud him for this, for while I do not believe Arbuckle committed a crime, I also don't think that Rappe deserves to be dragged through the mud for things that others did and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was an interesting person and well known in her own right for quite sometime before this case. It's very sad that everything she did in her short life comes down to her death.
The true villains of the piece seem to be a woman knows as "the avenger", Maude Delmont an attendee at the party and acquaintance of Rappe who turned the case into her own very loud and attention grabbing show. Hollywood was already coming under scrutiny for it's wild ways (compared to rest of the U.S., it was pretty wild but nothing like your average citizen might dream up) and this case was a powder keg. So much that happened in each of the trials would have resulted in mistrial that anyone familiar with crime would be hollering(as I was) while reading the tragically farcical case. It is laid out with great detail and balanced with the background of Prohibition, the power of Christian and women's groups at the time and the increasing power of Hollywood and film in the U.S.
Arbuckle's life post trials is explored and the author does a step by step analysis of the evidence of all 3 trials to come up with his own conclusions (some of which I agree with) and lays the blame for the sadly repeated lies mostly at the door of Hollywood Babylon (where it belongs) and the lies about Rappe at the door of Arbuckle's first wife and some of his overzealous defenders. He does a good job of this.
I will add as my own opinion that I do not believe that as heavy as Arbuckle was, (around 266 pounds at the time of Rappe's death) even if he was to lie on top of a woman that he would be heavy enough to pop her bladder, distended or not. I suspect that a 34 year old man who had been heavy his whole life would have known how to have sex with a woman without squashing her by this point. There was no evidence that sex even occurred so I cannot really agree with this idea--I think there are many possibilities but even with all that we know now that we did not know then, it's still truly a mystery. What does seem clear is that two people had their names smeared for attending a party, drinking too much and perhaps acting a bit outlandish. In the end, neither deserved their terrible fates.
I will not repeat the infamous story of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's supposed crimes (the story is quite easy to read up on--even truthful versions) and interestingly after all these years still contains mystery. Most folks who know old Hollywood know that Roscoe was a silent film comedy pioneer--he worked with Chaplin (and preceded Chaplin) as well as Buster Keaton (his dear friend) and one of my personal favorites, Mabel Normand. His image is still well known today, but many would have trouble putting a name to it. This is not only because he most famous for silent film, many others including Chaplin are extremely well known despite the passage of time. Roscoe was the subject of not one but three of the most tainted and publicity filled trials ever known in the U.S.
The basic facts are that he was holding a party in San Francisco with some male friends and several females (mostly acquaintances) in a very ritzy hotel and in the course of the party, the designer and model and actress Virginia Rappe was taken ill and never recovered. She passed away several days after the party from a ruptured bladder. One of the women in the party (an acquaintance of Rappe's)accused Roscoe Arbuckle of being the cause of Rappe's illness. This lead to a trial on par with the O.J. Simpson case or the Michael Jackson cases. Tons of publicity, fans taking sides and lies and innuendo flying. The basic accusation was that Arbuckle injured Rappe either by squashing her while attempting sex or injured her by another means. She had a distended bladder and it ruptured--that much everyone seems to agree on. Arbuckle went through 3 trials--2 hung juries and finally acquittal, but he was never completely forgiven and was ostracized by most of Hollywood. As with most cases of this type, there is so much mystery and only two people knew the truth--the dead girl and Arbuckle. The author gives us a brief but well done bio of both Rappe and Arbuckle and then an in-depth look at all of the trials as well as Arbuckle's life after and how the case took on a life of it's own, even many years down the line.
There have been many attempts to rehab Arbuckle's reputation and sadly most of those have included terrible slurs against Rappe which the author is able to debunk pretty well. I applaud him for this, for while I do not believe Arbuckle committed a crime, I also don't think that Rappe deserves to be dragged through the mud for things that others did and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was an interesting person and well known in her own right for quite sometime before this case. It's very sad that everything she did in her short life comes down to her death.
The true villains of the piece seem to be a woman knows as "the avenger", Maude Delmont an attendee at the party and acquaintance of Rappe who turned the case into her own very loud and attention grabbing show. Hollywood was already coming under scrutiny for it's wild ways (compared to rest of the U.S., it was pretty wild but nothing like your average citizen might dream up) and this case was a powder keg. So much that happened in each of the trials would have resulted in mistrial that anyone familiar with crime would be hollering(as I was) while reading the tragically farcical case. It is laid out with great detail and balanced with the background of Prohibition, the power of Christian and women's groups at the time and the increasing power of Hollywood and film in the U.S.
Arbuckle's life post trials is explored and the author does a step by step analysis of the evidence of all 3 trials to come up with his own conclusions (some of which I agree with) and lays the blame for the sadly repeated lies mostly at the door of Hollywood Babylon (where it belongs) and the lies about Rappe at the door of Arbuckle's first wife and some of his overzealous defenders. He does a good job of this.
I will add as my own opinion that I do not believe that as heavy as Arbuckle was, (around 266 pounds at the time of Rappe's death) even if he was to lie on top of a woman that he would be heavy enough to pop her bladder, distended or not. I suspect that a 34 year old man who had been heavy his whole life would have known how to have sex with a woman without squashing her by this point. There was no evidence that sex even occurred so I cannot really agree with this idea--I think there are many possibilities but even with all that we know now that we did not know then, it's still truly a mystery. What does seem clear is that two people had their names smeared for attending a party, drinking too much and perhaps acting a bit outlandish. In the end, neither deserved their terrible fates.
May 12, 2017
4.5 Stars. Room 1219 is a highly entertaining & informative look at the very first "Trial of the Century". Before O.J. or Jodi Arias the world was obsessed with silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle who was accused of killing actress Virginia Rappe. I learned a lot from this book, like the fact that forensics were already being used in 1921. This book also tried to separate fact from rumor. As a fan of silent films I really enjoyed the portrait of early Hollywood the author painted. I would recommend this book to non-fiction lovers & silent film lovers you won't be disappointed.
September 17, 2017
I really expected to like this more, but something about the style didn't appeal to me. Perhaps the author's dry tone or something. Couldn't put my finger on it.
Useful for a research tome, but probably won't be reading it again.
Useful for a research tome, but probably won't be reading it again.
June 5, 2015
This was a really interesting and informative book. Not only did it clear up the "raped by a Coke bottle" legend that has been attached to Fatty for 90 years but it also described both Fatty and Virginia Rappe as human beings. I thought the court proceedings were a little drawn out but I can't believe it took 3 trials to acquit this man and I feel bad that his career was over and he was blackballed. If only we could blackball the Kardashians!
The book also gave great history about Hollywood, how movie cameras came to be, how the studios came from New York to Los Angeles and how talkies started. It also have information on Will Hays that I had not known before. It's so sad that a party got out of hand and not only ruined a wonderful comedic actor's life but changed Hollywood for good. Lindsay Lohan should be grateful Fatty paved the way for her shenanigans!
The book also gave great history about Hollywood, how movie cameras came to be, how the studios came from New York to Los Angeles and how talkies started. It also have information on Will Hays that I had not known before. It's so sad that a party got out of hand and not only ruined a wonderful comedic actor's life but changed Hollywood for good. Lindsay Lohan should be grateful Fatty paved the way for her shenanigans!
November 22, 2023
Probably the definitive account of the sad and sordid story of Virginia Rappe's death and the multiple trials that tried to convict Roscoe Arbuckle, pioneering star of silent film comedy, of her murder, combined with an overview of both their lives and their (mostly his, because she was never more than a minor actress) roles in the developing film industry, as well as the fallout of the scandal in terms of censorship and the building moral panic over movies. While we will never know exactly what happened in that room, it is certain that the more salacious parts of the story (including the infamous Coke bottle) are simply false, added much later by unscrupulous gossipmongers like Kenneth Anger who had no interest in facts if they interfered with a nasty story.
July 8, 2021
If you are reading to find out what happened in that room just know you will never know what happened.
January 13, 2023
I remember my mother referring to the Fatty Arbuckle scandal when I was growing up. The popular myth was that Arbuckle, because of his weight, had caused Virginia Rappe's death during a sexual act. It was a tantalizing piece of Hollywood scandal that no doubt intrigued people world-wide and ruined Arbuckle's very successful career. Probably only Chaplin was more famous as a comedian at the time.
We will never know the real truth about what happened at the St. Francis Hotel in 1921 San Francisco. And this very thorough history of the case still leaves the reader up in the air. Credit the author for some astounding research even if it's a bit jumbled up. The book probably tackled a few too many subjects in a bit too much detail - I had a battle getting through it all.
I read David Yallop's "The Day the Laughter Stopped" a couple of decades ago which reinforced my belief in Roscoe's innocence. That may have been my desire to believe. This later book questions some of the assumptions made in that book and many others written on the subject which are very compelling.
The Arbuckle case is a tragic story of the downfall of a famous personality and the death of a young woman during wild partying days of the rich and famous. It was a time for the yellow press to use its power to exert its influence on society. And for blue noses to wag their fingers at wicked Hollywood for splashing its riches and carefree lifestyle around. And for opportunists to use the case to further their own agendas whether religious, social or political.
Myths abound about this case, partly as a result of Roscoe's inconsistent testimony and a number of scurrilous characters involved in the matter, most of them pitted against Arbuckle. And combined with other show biz scandals this event clearly changed attitudes towards the film industry. And naturally Hollywood, except for a few like estranged wife Minta Durfee, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin abandoned Roscoe, virtually blacklisting him from his livelihood.
People love cutting down tall poppies and the Arbuckle case is a great example. The fact that he went to trial three times before he was finally acquitted, the damage was well and truly done. The legend was created that he was the cause of Rappe's death as a result of a sexual act, whether it be consensual or as preferred by gossip mongers more gross activities. That was the story my mother learned as a little girl and carried with her throughout her life.
One wonders what would have happened if that ONE juror, the lone hold-out, originally an alternate, had not replaced the juror who was excused because he admitted that he believed Arbuckle was innocent before the trial began. The juror who "refused to consider the evidence from the beginning and said at the openings of the proceedings that she would cast her ballot and would not change it until hell froze over."
We will never know the real truth about what happened at the St. Francis Hotel in 1921 San Francisco. And this very thorough history of the case still leaves the reader up in the air. Credit the author for some astounding research even if it's a bit jumbled up. The book probably tackled a few too many subjects in a bit too much detail - I had a battle getting through it all.
I read David Yallop's "The Day the Laughter Stopped" a couple of decades ago which reinforced my belief in Roscoe's innocence. That may have been my desire to believe. This later book questions some of the assumptions made in that book and many others written on the subject which are very compelling.
The Arbuckle case is a tragic story of the downfall of a famous personality and the death of a young woman during wild partying days of the rich and famous. It was a time for the yellow press to use its power to exert its influence on society. And for blue noses to wag their fingers at wicked Hollywood for splashing its riches and carefree lifestyle around. And for opportunists to use the case to further their own agendas whether religious, social or political.
Myths abound about this case, partly as a result of Roscoe's inconsistent testimony and a number of scurrilous characters involved in the matter, most of them pitted against Arbuckle. And combined with other show biz scandals this event clearly changed attitudes towards the film industry. And naturally Hollywood, except for a few like estranged wife Minta Durfee, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin abandoned Roscoe, virtually blacklisting him from his livelihood.
People love cutting down tall poppies and the Arbuckle case is a great example. The fact that he went to trial three times before he was finally acquitted, the damage was well and truly done. The legend was created that he was the cause of Rappe's death as a result of a sexual act, whether it be consensual or as preferred by gossip mongers more gross activities. That was the story my mother learned as a little girl and carried with her throughout her life.
One wonders what would have happened if that ONE juror, the lone hold-out, originally an alternate, had not replaced the juror who was excused because he admitted that he believed Arbuckle was innocent before the trial began. The juror who "refused to consider the evidence from the beginning and said at the openings of the proceedings that she would cast her ballot and would not change it until hell froze over."
January 12, 2025
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the first of the silent film comedy stars. He preceeded guys like Charlie Chaplin, who used Arbuckle's bigger clothes and bowler hat as the outfit for his tramp character, and Buster Keaton, and was the first movie star to sign a million dollar a year contract, this was in 1912. He also lived as large a lifestyle as his physical frame, he drove expensive cars, ate at the finest restaurants and often threw lavish parties, including one over Labor Day Weekend in 1921, at San Francisco's best hotel, where he was alone in room 1219 with the actress Virginia Rappe, who died of a perforated bladder four days after the party.
She was a minor actress, a guest of one of Arbuckle's entourage, who was in her late 20's and had already had 4 abortions and had the reputation of being someone who exaggerated stories when she would have too much to drink, who said from her hospital bed prior to her death that he hurt her.
This was the first high profile celebrity murder case, he was tried and acquitted three times due to no real hard evidence and testimony from witnesses whose stories seemed to change at each trial. He was deemed guilty in the court of public opinion and his films were banned all over the country, causing him to go bankrupt and he died of a heart attack at 46, after trying his luck at talkie pictures.
There is a lot more here, the author lays out enough research and transcripts of all the trials in such a manner that the reader is able to form their own opinion on Arbuckle, Rappe and what actually happened in room 1219, which is buried with its characters.
This book is a solid B, well designed and easy to read without leaning towards either side. If you are into The Golden Age of Hollywood and/or celebrity crime, this is a good go to.
She was a minor actress, a guest of one of Arbuckle's entourage, who was in her late 20's and had already had 4 abortions and had the reputation of being someone who exaggerated stories when she would have too much to drink, who said from her hospital bed prior to her death that he hurt her.
This was the first high profile celebrity murder case, he was tried and acquitted three times due to no real hard evidence and testimony from witnesses whose stories seemed to change at each trial. He was deemed guilty in the court of public opinion and his films were banned all over the country, causing him to go bankrupt and he died of a heart attack at 46, after trying his luck at talkie pictures.
There is a lot more here, the author lays out enough research and transcripts of all the trials in such a manner that the reader is able to form their own opinion on Arbuckle, Rappe and what actually happened in room 1219, which is buried with its characters.
This book is a solid B, well designed and easy to read without leaning towards either side. If you are into The Golden Age of Hollywood and/or celebrity crime, this is a good go to.
January 15, 2014
Fascinating read about the rise and fall of early Hollywood's biggest star. It probably could have been pared down a bit (how many times and in how many different ways do we need to be told that nobody knows what really happened in room 1219?), but there are so many interesting details in this story, I couldn't help but get swept away by the scandal.
September 12, 2018
Poor Fatty Arbuckle. First, he had to become famous by naming himself Fatty - reclaiming and empowering himself with the name that bullies had given him during his dirt-poor, peripatetic childhood. Second, he tried to have a Prohibition-era good time one Labor Day and it basically ruined his life. Mondays, right?
This book is probably one of the most even-handed of the books on the Incident. Not that I've read others, but the book has many good references, and it was essentially just conveyed in podcast form in "You Must Remember This." The book is a decent biography of Arbuckle, with a lot of fascinating little tidbits of silent movie history. Fatty had his fingers in everybody's pie, it seems like, and I'm not talking about the custard pies he was famous for flinging around (when are those jobs coming back? I want one). He interacted and had friendships with everyone in Hollywood, ranging from his bff Buster Keaton to Charlie Chaplin to Bob Hope to Bert Lahr. He was just that guy everyone knew (possibly because of his legendary alcohol hoard).
Fatty's the missing chapter (the connective adipose tissue, if you will...sorry not sorry) of early Hollywood history: One of Merritt's major arguments is that the Incident is what allowed for censorship and the Hays code. Arbuckle's fall created Hays' career and this has led to the schizophrenically Puritanical / sexual Hollywood we all know and love/hate today.
so, (paging I, Tonya, here)...you came to read about the Incident. The incident! The Incident. The incident? ...oh, the Incident.
The sordid rumors you read in Hollywood Babylon aren't true. Or at least, maybe there is no truth. All we know is Arbuckle and Rappe (supposed to kinda rhyme with latte) were alone in the titular hotel room, a Gatsby-ton (that's the metric system I think) of alcohol was consumed, and then Rappe had an episode - apparently not her first - of near-unconsciousness. Famous for ripping off her clothes when drunk (hey, many of us have been there), this time was different: Rappe died a few days later, disoriented and confused, the ignominious cause a ruptured bladder. Arbuckle was tried for her death, resulting in two hung juries and an acquittal for murder and manslaughter charges.
His career never recovered. Though he remained a reliable bon vivant, our Roscoe/ Fatty was never particularly good at personal finance, and just as his career began to recover, he died of a heart attack after a night out.
The book drags sometimes. It's clear the entire work is centered around The Incident, with the years after tacked on as an afterthought and a lot of flourish given to the years before his fame. At times, Merritt is reaching, like when he tries to come up with what Rappe and Arbuckle talked about or bonded over at the party. At times, his caustic asides are hilarious, but other times they fall flat. In sum, he filled in with rhetoric when there wasn't evidence, and sometimes it really showed. A few careless editing errors also diminished the value of the book. So this is really a "strong" 3.5. Would recommend, hope he comes out with a revised edition someday. To go with the movie. The world's way overdue for a high-quality biopic. Just saying.
You should believe me on all this because: master's in film studies, wasted way too much of my life on an unfinished PhD in "media studies," which is different but I won't bore you with how.
This book is probably one of the most even-handed of the books on the Incident. Not that I've read others, but the book has many good references, and it was essentially just conveyed in podcast form in "You Must Remember This." The book is a decent biography of Arbuckle, with a lot of fascinating little tidbits of silent movie history. Fatty had his fingers in everybody's pie, it seems like, and I'm not talking about the custard pies he was famous for flinging around (when are those jobs coming back? I want one). He interacted and had friendships with everyone in Hollywood, ranging from his bff Buster Keaton to Charlie Chaplin to Bob Hope to Bert Lahr. He was just that guy everyone knew (possibly because of his legendary alcohol hoard).
Fatty's the missing chapter (the connective adipose tissue, if you will...sorry not sorry) of early Hollywood history: One of Merritt's major arguments is that the Incident is what allowed for censorship and the Hays code. Arbuckle's fall created Hays' career and this has led to the schizophrenically Puritanical / sexual Hollywood we all know and love/hate today.
so, (paging I, Tonya, here)...you came to read about the Incident. The incident! The Incident. The incident? ...oh, the Incident.
The sordid rumors you read in Hollywood Babylon aren't true. Or at least, maybe there is no truth. All we know is Arbuckle and Rappe (supposed to kinda rhyme with latte) were alone in the titular hotel room, a Gatsby-ton (that's the metric system I think) of alcohol was consumed, and then Rappe had an episode - apparently not her first - of near-unconsciousness. Famous for ripping off her clothes when drunk (hey, many of us have been there), this time was different: Rappe died a few days later, disoriented and confused, the ignominious cause a ruptured bladder. Arbuckle was tried for her death, resulting in two hung juries and an acquittal for murder and manslaughter charges.
His career never recovered. Though he remained a reliable bon vivant, our Roscoe/ Fatty was never particularly good at personal finance, and just as his career began to recover, he died of a heart attack after a night out.
The book drags sometimes. It's clear the entire work is centered around The Incident, with the years after tacked on as an afterthought and a lot of flourish given to the years before his fame. At times, Merritt is reaching, like when he tries to come up with what Rappe and Arbuckle talked about or bonded over at the party. At times, his caustic asides are hilarious, but other times they fall flat. In sum, he filled in with rhetoric when there wasn't evidence, and sometimes it really showed. A few careless editing errors also diminished the value of the book. So this is really a "strong" 3.5. Would recommend, hope he comes out with a revised edition someday. To go with the movie. The world's way overdue for a high-quality biopic. Just saying.
You should believe me on all this because: master's in film studies, wasted way too much of my life on an unfinished PhD in "media studies," which is different but I won't bore you with how.
July 24, 2021
This is likely to be the definitive Arbuckle book, barring some surprising new evidence coming to light, now 100 years after the event that came to define and destroy his career. Greg Merritt has dug deep into available sources, waded through distortions and rumors, and come up with a plausible account of that night as well as a believable biography of the man and the woman who died that night. The only reason it doesn’t get five stars is because, well…in the end, this footnote in history isn’t really worth a five-star book.
The historiography of this story is also nicely documented, and having begun to dig into it myself, I can confirm that it has until now consisted of two equally unfair perspectives: one which shames and blames Arbuckle, making him out to be one of the worst fiends in Hollywood history, and one which shifts that blaming and shaming to Ms. Virginia Rappe, an actress, model, and clothing designer who is frequently made out to be a vicious slut, or simply a nobody who had the audacity to die at an inconvenient moment. Merritt examines each perspective and rejects both: Arbuckle was no saint, but neither was he worse than most men in his situation and time, and Rappe was a human being with faults but also many merits of her own, deserving of the dignity of anyone who suffers a tragic and most likely accidental death.
With all the time that has passed, Arbuckle’s staunchest critics as well as defenders have generally died off, and what is left is mostly vague recollections about salacious stories from one side or the other of this debate. To the degree that the events in the St. Francis are historically relevant, they impact the appointment of William Hays to become the first industry-sanctioned movie censor, and his difficulties navigating this role in the early years. Merritt’s coverage of this is incomplete (it isn’t really his focus, and other work has been done on it), so what is left is an interesting, well-researched biography of two figures from Hollywood history, one of whom was at the peak of a brief and promising career, the other still struggling to make a go of it. Definitely recommended for anyone who thinks they got the “full story” from Yallop, Anger, or Oderman.
The historiography of this story is also nicely documented, and having begun to dig into it myself, I can confirm that it has until now consisted of two equally unfair perspectives: one which shames and blames Arbuckle, making him out to be one of the worst fiends in Hollywood history, and one which shifts that blaming and shaming to Ms. Virginia Rappe, an actress, model, and clothing designer who is frequently made out to be a vicious slut, or simply a nobody who had the audacity to die at an inconvenient moment. Merritt examines each perspective and rejects both: Arbuckle was no saint, but neither was he worse than most men in his situation and time, and Rappe was a human being with faults but also many merits of her own, deserving of the dignity of anyone who suffers a tragic and most likely accidental death.
With all the time that has passed, Arbuckle’s staunchest critics as well as defenders have generally died off, and what is left is mostly vague recollections about salacious stories from one side or the other of this debate. To the degree that the events in the St. Francis are historically relevant, they impact the appointment of William Hays to become the first industry-sanctioned movie censor, and his difficulties navigating this role in the early years. Merritt’s coverage of this is incomplete (it isn’t really his focus, and other work has been done on it), so what is left is an interesting, well-researched biography of two figures from Hollywood history, one of whom was at the peak of a brief and promising career, the other still struggling to make a go of it. Definitely recommended for anyone who thinks they got the “full story” from Yallop, Anger, or Oderman.
April 24, 2014
Interesting book on the lives of silent film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and model/starlet Virgina Rappe, whose fates were sealed over Labor Day weekend 1921 when Rappe was taken seriously ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle and subsequently died. Because of rumors and some loose talk from Arbuckle himself, he was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Though he was eventually acquitted, his career never recovered. The author argues that both of them had their images tarnished and presents an even-handed account of that weekend and what happened both before and after. Some overly melodramatic passages hurt the flow of the book, but otherwise this well-researched book would seem to be the final word on the event.
August 16, 2024
I was completely blown away by this book. Absolutely loved it!!
June 21, 2022
An honest, fair, well researched delve into Fatty Arbuckle’s life and career, and the scandal that ended it. Started reading this as prep for Mack & Mabel…. So much for that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2019
Quite a book.
Until Labor Day, September 1921, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the silent comedian second to Charlie Chaplin in pratfalls and popularity. (His friend and colleague Buster Keaton was a close third.) Like Chaplin and Keaton, he also created his own situations, and directed his films as well as those of others.
His fame and his career were effectively ended by the death of young actress Virginia Rappe four days after an openly illicit all-day drinks party on the twelfth floor of the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Arbuckle and Rappe were inside Arbuckle's bedroom. The sheets were wet with iced-water. Virginia was moaning. In pain. Did Roscoe rape her? Witnesses said later that she said, "He hurt me." Two autopsies concluded that she died of peritonitis caused by a 3/4 inch tear in her bladder. Did the 300 pound comedian's weight burst her full bladder? Did he shove a bottle-neck or piece of ice into her vagina?
It made the national news again and again. Three trials. Two hung juries. His estranged wife taking the train across the continent to stand by him. His "dream team" of high priced lawyers saying that Virginia Rappe was no sweet young girl lured astray by the nice-guy act of a rich Hollywood super-star; but a woman who had sex when she wanted it. Abortions too. (The author, Greg Merritt, used several phrases used by reporters of the O.J. Simpson trial in the 1980s). Crowds, mostly women, filling the courtroom and the hallways. Indignant letters to the newspapers and to congressmen demanding that "that fat lecher's films" never again be shown. Hollywood films were Satan's candy, pretty and sweet but used by degenerate newly-rich (and even non-WASP) actors and producers to pollute the innocent minds of American children.
Mr Merritt makes the points that 1) Arbuckle was no angel. He drank, smoked, told blue-jokes, got occasionally violent, and was unfaithful to his wife, Minta Durfee. He liked fast, expensive cars and all the good things money bought; but he did not force himself on unwilling women. 2) Virginia was not a slut or whore, though she was no virgin or saint. She was not a naive innocent either. She designed her own clothes, modeled and was a competent actress. She liked a good time, and if she used sex for upward mobility, so did many other women.
This is a different focus than David Yallop's The Day the Laughter Stopped Yallop cites the defense testimony at the third trial that Virginia would rip off her clothes whenever she got drunk, and that she had chronic bladder problems that weakened the bladder wall and caused the rupture. Virginia had been in the en-suite bathroom in Roscoe's bedroom, so her bladder was probably full and hurting her. Roscoe had come in to change out of his pajamas and found her vomiting and urinating. He had cleaned her up in the shower and carried her to bed and she went hysterical, he said at the third trial.
After nearly a century, what really happened is anyone's guess. The consensus is now that Roscoe Arbuckle was made the scapegoat of Hollywood's "Sin City" image. "Everyone" was "doin' it"; but Roscoe Arbuckle was caught. North America went schizoid after World War I. It believed the war and the Great Flu epidemic should be a cleansing of moral depravity [therefore Prohibition]; but it also wanted fun and freedom from restraint after the war austerity [therefore the gin and "petting" parties], and Virginia Rappe paid the price of appearing to be drunk. Whether it was her chronic bladder trouble or an abortion's after-effects or Fatty's weight on her full bladder in the act of making love that cause the rupture and peritonitis, she did not receive timely care because she was acting out drunk and tearing at her clothes. A Zelda Fitzgerald flapper, like in Scott Fitzgerald's books.
Until Labor Day, September 1921, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the silent comedian second to Charlie Chaplin in pratfalls and popularity. (His friend and colleague Buster Keaton was a close third.) Like Chaplin and Keaton, he also created his own situations, and directed his films as well as those of others.
His fame and his career were effectively ended by the death of young actress Virginia Rappe four days after an openly illicit all-day drinks party on the twelfth floor of the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Arbuckle and Rappe were inside Arbuckle's bedroom. The sheets were wet with iced-water. Virginia was moaning. In pain. Did Roscoe rape her? Witnesses said later that she said, "He hurt me." Two autopsies concluded that she died of peritonitis caused by a 3/4 inch tear in her bladder. Did the 300 pound comedian's weight burst her full bladder? Did he shove a bottle-neck or piece of ice into her vagina?
It made the national news again and again. Three trials. Two hung juries. His estranged wife taking the train across the continent to stand by him. His "dream team" of high priced lawyers saying that Virginia Rappe was no sweet young girl lured astray by the nice-guy act of a rich Hollywood super-star; but a woman who had sex when she wanted it. Abortions too. (The author, Greg Merritt, used several phrases used by reporters of the O.J. Simpson trial in the 1980s). Crowds, mostly women, filling the courtroom and the hallways. Indignant letters to the newspapers and to congressmen demanding that "that fat lecher's films" never again be shown. Hollywood films were Satan's candy, pretty and sweet but used by degenerate newly-rich (and even non-WASP) actors and producers to pollute the innocent minds of American children.
Mr Merritt makes the points that 1) Arbuckle was no angel. He drank, smoked, told blue-jokes, got occasionally violent, and was unfaithful to his wife, Minta Durfee. He liked fast, expensive cars and all the good things money bought; but he did not force himself on unwilling women. 2) Virginia was not a slut or whore, though she was no virgin or saint. She was not a naive innocent either. She designed her own clothes, modeled and was a competent actress. She liked a good time, and if she used sex for upward mobility, so did many other women.
This is a different focus than David Yallop's The Day the Laughter Stopped Yallop cites the defense testimony at the third trial that Virginia would rip off her clothes whenever she got drunk, and that she had chronic bladder problems that weakened the bladder wall and caused the rupture. Virginia had been in the en-suite bathroom in Roscoe's bedroom, so her bladder was probably full and hurting her. Roscoe had come in to change out of his pajamas and found her vomiting and urinating. He had cleaned her up in the shower and carried her to bed and she went hysterical, he said at the third trial.
After nearly a century, what really happened is anyone's guess. The consensus is now that Roscoe Arbuckle was made the scapegoat of Hollywood's "Sin City" image. "Everyone" was "doin' it"; but Roscoe Arbuckle was caught. North America went schizoid after World War I. It believed the war and the Great Flu epidemic should be a cleansing of moral depravity [therefore Prohibition]; but it also wanted fun and freedom from restraint after the war austerity [therefore the gin and "petting" parties], and Virginia Rappe paid the price of appearing to be drunk. Whether it was her chronic bladder trouble or an abortion's after-effects or Fatty's weight on her full bladder in the act of making love that cause the rupture and peritonitis, she did not receive timely care because she was acting out drunk and tearing at her clothes. A Zelda Fitzgerald flapper, like in Scott Fitzgerald's books.
June 29, 2023
Well we didn't solve it but it was certainly in my exact niche interests
November 18, 2014
One of the fun things about reading non-fiction is you learn things about subjects you never knew anything about. Such is what happened when I picked up Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood by Greg Merritt.
I am not a silent-movie fan; my tolerance for old films extends to occasional forays into Marx Brothers comedies, so I knew nothing about Fatty (Roscoe) Arbuckle but his name, and a vague notion he’d committed a crime. I discovered a story that could have easily been ripped from today’s headlines, perhaps with far more scandal but as much unfounded public shredding of a popular figure as happens today.
Roscoe Arbuckle was one of the biggest names and biggest money-makers in the silent films of the early industry (1913-1921). He earned the equivalent of millions when the average worker made a thousand dollars a year. His persona was of a sweet, bumbling round man and his movies full of slapstick gags and stunts that made people laugh, and his box-office receipts were consistently high. His enduring and close relationship with Buster Keaton didn’t hurt. He was charitable with his time and money, showing up unannounced for appearances, in parades with his custom-built cars (in an era where a car cost $800, Arbuckle’s cost $34,000), and was fond of children (he had none of his own). He was cinematic royalty.
Until 1921. Arbuckle, estranged for several years from his wife, was on vacation in San Francisco with several lackeys. An impromptu party erupted, including Prohibition-illegal alcohol and several second-rate actresses, friends of friends. At some point during the party, Virginia Rappe (pronounced Rappay), disappeared into Arbuckle’s bedroom and was struck ill, so ill she died in agony several days later. Autopsy results showed a ruptured urinary bladder.
Wild rumors erupted about what Arbuckle did, most of which revolved around bizarre sexual tactics involving icicles and Coke 208338_413443485386136_805008784_nbottles, none of which were physically possible based on the autopsy, and spoken lines worthy of the worst film noire. What was known for fact was that Rappe had a long history of bladder infections and gonorrhea, in a time before antibiotics had been discovered. Arbuckle was arrested for murder. The country erupted in scandal, and Arbuckle, right or wrong, was immediately deemed guilty of extreme perversion and his movies banned in every theater in the country.
It took three trials to finally win an acquittal, but the damage was done. A star was destroyed, and Arbuckle was banned from films for several years. He never regained his royalty status. Out of the ashes rose an effort to censor movies, lest they corrupt the morals of the country. While a huge backlash rose in the industry against it, eventually we did wind up with the current rating system (G, PG, R, etc) to warn viewers what they might expect, a direct result of his scandal.
Roscoe Arbuckle was tried and found guilty in the court of uninformed and vindictive public opinion and died a heartbroken, and most likely innocent, man. A hundred years later, are we any smarter and more forgiving?
-- Reviewed by Susan http://cheshirelibraryblog.wordpress....
I am not a silent-movie fan; my tolerance for old films extends to occasional forays into Marx Brothers comedies, so I knew nothing about Fatty (Roscoe) Arbuckle but his name, and a vague notion he’d committed a crime. I discovered a story that could have easily been ripped from today’s headlines, perhaps with far more scandal but as much unfounded public shredding of a popular figure as happens today.
Roscoe Arbuckle was one of the biggest names and biggest money-makers in the silent films of the early industry (1913-1921). He earned the equivalent of millions when the average worker made a thousand dollars a year. His persona was of a sweet, bumbling round man and his movies full of slapstick gags and stunts that made people laugh, and his box-office receipts were consistently high. His enduring and close relationship with Buster Keaton didn’t hurt. He was charitable with his time and money, showing up unannounced for appearances, in parades with his custom-built cars (in an era where a car cost $800, Arbuckle’s cost $34,000), and was fond of children (he had none of his own). He was cinematic royalty.
Until 1921. Arbuckle, estranged for several years from his wife, was on vacation in San Francisco with several lackeys. An impromptu party erupted, including Prohibition-illegal alcohol and several second-rate actresses, friends of friends. At some point during the party, Virginia Rappe (pronounced Rappay), disappeared into Arbuckle’s bedroom and was struck ill, so ill she died in agony several days later. Autopsy results showed a ruptured urinary bladder.
Wild rumors erupted about what Arbuckle did, most of which revolved around bizarre sexual tactics involving icicles and Coke 208338_413443485386136_805008784_nbottles, none of which were physically possible based on the autopsy, and spoken lines worthy of the worst film noire. What was known for fact was that Rappe had a long history of bladder infections and gonorrhea, in a time before antibiotics had been discovered. Arbuckle was arrested for murder. The country erupted in scandal, and Arbuckle, right or wrong, was immediately deemed guilty of extreme perversion and his movies banned in every theater in the country.
It took three trials to finally win an acquittal, but the damage was done. A star was destroyed, and Arbuckle was banned from films for several years. He never regained his royalty status. Out of the ashes rose an effort to censor movies, lest they corrupt the morals of the country. While a huge backlash rose in the industry against it, eventually we did wind up with the current rating system (G, PG, R, etc) to warn viewers what they might expect, a direct result of his scandal.
Roscoe Arbuckle was tried and found guilty in the court of uninformed and vindictive public opinion and died a heartbroken, and most likely innocent, man. A hundred years later, are we any smarter and more forgiving?
-- Reviewed by Susan http://cheshirelibraryblog.wordpress....
February 26, 2014
This is an excellent book on a subject that deserves the analysis and examination that is provided here. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle is probably a name unfamiliar to many today, since he was a big star in the silent movie era getting on for 100 years ago now.
I was vaguely familiar with the story and the tawdry nature of it (or at least the coverage of it) but this book provides an apparently well balanced, rational and objective look at the facts of the case of the death of Virginia Rappe, as well as the life of Arbuckle both before and after his fall from grace as the accused in the death of said actress.
Such a scandal at the time, this was likely to breed urban legend and misinformation and this was certainly the case. Indeed, many of these myths perpetuate to this day and those who are familiar with the story have probably heard so much falsehood that it is hard to really know where the truth lies.
The structure of the book is interesting, weaving the story of Arbuckle's (and to a lesser extent, Rappe's) early life and rise to fame into the events that transpired in the titular room in the famous San Francisco hotel. Of course, nobody but Arbuckle truly knows what went on in that room that ultimately led to Rappe's death 4 days later, so we are left with speculation.
One of the great strengths of this book in my view, is that it doesn't particularly take sides, at least not overtly. Merritt is at pains to provide as many relevant facts as possible and form an informed hypothesis at the end. I won't spoil that ending but it strikes me as very well argued.
It does seem clear that Arbuckle was unfairly ruined by this episode and his career never returning to the heights seen before Rappe's untimely death. He also comes across as not a totally lovable figure either - it is clear that some of his actions during this event were not entirely unsuspicious and certainly not always what one might like to see. However, his treatment by the press and his inability to work for so many years does seem to be unfair in the extreme.
This is actually a pathetic tale. One wonders how he would have been treated today with the information society, the internet and social media were this to occur in the modern world? It would be interesting given the wall to wall coverage and instant information we have now. Well written and well worth a read not simply for what it tells us about the case, but the context in which it played out.
I was vaguely familiar with the story and the tawdry nature of it (or at least the coverage of it) but this book provides an apparently well balanced, rational and objective look at the facts of the case of the death of Virginia Rappe, as well as the life of Arbuckle both before and after his fall from grace as the accused in the death of said actress.
Such a scandal at the time, this was likely to breed urban legend and misinformation and this was certainly the case. Indeed, many of these myths perpetuate to this day and those who are familiar with the story have probably heard so much falsehood that it is hard to really know where the truth lies.
The structure of the book is interesting, weaving the story of Arbuckle's (and to a lesser extent, Rappe's) early life and rise to fame into the events that transpired in the titular room in the famous San Francisco hotel. Of course, nobody but Arbuckle truly knows what went on in that room that ultimately led to Rappe's death 4 days later, so we are left with speculation.
One of the great strengths of this book in my view, is that it doesn't particularly take sides, at least not overtly. Merritt is at pains to provide as many relevant facts as possible and form an informed hypothesis at the end. I won't spoil that ending but it strikes me as very well argued.
It does seem clear that Arbuckle was unfairly ruined by this episode and his career never returning to the heights seen before Rappe's untimely death. He also comes across as not a totally lovable figure either - it is clear that some of his actions during this event were not entirely unsuspicious and certainly not always what one might like to see. However, his treatment by the press and his inability to work for so many years does seem to be unfair in the extreme.
This is actually a pathetic tale. One wonders how he would have been treated today with the information society, the internet and social media were this to occur in the modern world? It would be interesting given the wall to wall coverage and instant information we have now. Well written and well worth a read not simply for what it tells us about the case, but the context in which it played out.
April 12, 2019
"Asked about the difference between American and British comedy, Eric Morecambe replied that in America they had funny lines but no funny men." (https://www.steynonline.com/9264/nake...). Well, that can't always have been true, and next to Charlie Chaplin, the comedic Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the biggest star of the Silent Era. At least until Virginia Rappe died after partying in Arbuckle's San Francisco hotel suite, leading to a manslaughter trial. Trials, actually: two hung juries, then a swift acquittal. But not even the third jury's unusual note pronouncing him "entirely innocent and free from blame" could salvage Arbuckle's career. Shunned and blacklisted, he had to make ends meet under an assumed name. Unimaginable heights to deep trenches: a dizzying plunge as old as Icarus. And a modern tale as well. An aggressive prosecutor, a defense dream team, a very public and sensational trial -- elements in play yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We still don't know, and can never be sure, just what happened to Rappe, just how much if any responsibility Arbuckle bore for her death. Still, Merritt probably comes as close as possible to reconstructing the details. It's enough to say that Arbuckle simply had no criminal liability. On the other hand Arbuckle didn't exactly cover himself in glory, and it's easy to see why his career slipped from his grasp. Again, a very modern tale: Think: OJ, for one: "'There'll never be a Naked Gun 4,' Mr Nielsen told me sometime that summer. 'What about if he's acquitted?' I asked. 'It still wouldn't be funny,' he said sadly." (https://www.steynonline.com/9264/nake...). In the event, OJ was acquitted and he was never funny again nor could he have a film career. Arbuckle, too, though he might have had something of a comeback had he lived long enough; by way of critical distinction, his guilt was always in doubt and he was an innovator. An engaging story, one Greg Merritt recounts efficiently and well. Highly recommended.
We still don't know, and can never be sure, just what happened to Rappe, just how much if any responsibility Arbuckle bore for her death. Still, Merritt probably comes as close as possible to reconstructing the details. It's enough to say that Arbuckle simply had no criminal liability. On the other hand Arbuckle didn't exactly cover himself in glory, and it's easy to see why his career slipped from his grasp. Again, a very modern tale: Think: OJ, for one: "'There'll never be a Naked Gun 4,' Mr Nielsen told me sometime that summer. 'What about if he's acquitted?' I asked. 'It still wouldn't be funny,' he said sadly." (https://www.steynonline.com/9264/nake...). In the event, OJ was acquitted and he was never funny again nor could he have a film career. Arbuckle, too, though he might have had something of a comeback had he lived long enough; by way of critical distinction, his guilt was always in doubt and he was an innovator. An engaging story, one Greg Merritt recounts efficiently and well. Highly recommended.
December 21, 2016
SYNOPSIS:
Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was the biggest star in Hollywood during the silent era. On Labor Day 1921, Arbuckle and some friends threw a party in room 1219 of the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco. One of the guests was Virginia Rappe, a young starlet who appeared as a bit player in some films. Over the course of the weekend, Virginia died and Arbuckle was accused of murder. Following his indictment, Arbuckle was tried three times in the court of law and was found not guilty, but in the court of public opinion, Arbuckle was found guilty and his career was ruined. Arbuckle died in 1932, never regaining the stardom he had once attained.
REVIEW:
Greg Merritt has done a very thorough job in researching this book. The events of that Labor Day party still influences the relationships between Hollywood stars, the press, and the public. Many Hollywood scandal stories fascinate me, because the whole movie business is based on make believe, so when a scandal occurs, I always wonder what the truth is behind what the publicists say and what the press writes.
The death of the unfortunately named Virginia Rappe, plus the combination of Fatty Arbuckle’s stardom, was to the press of that day like blood in the water to a shark. This was the era of Prohibition; women had just gotten the right to vote; and there was a certain sector of the American public who felt that Hollywood actors had very loose morals, and Arbuckle was going to be used as an example of Hollywood excesses.
Arbuckle is a great tragic figure, having reached the heights of fame and fortune in a burgeoning industry, to having spent all his money on lawyers to defend him. Even after being found not guilty, Arbuckle could not find work in Hollywood, and the doors that greeted him for the previous ten years were now shut in his face.
Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was the biggest star in Hollywood during the silent era. On Labor Day 1921, Arbuckle and some friends threw a party in room 1219 of the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco. One of the guests was Virginia Rappe, a young starlet who appeared as a bit player in some films. Over the course of the weekend, Virginia died and Arbuckle was accused of murder. Following his indictment, Arbuckle was tried three times in the court of law and was found not guilty, but in the court of public opinion, Arbuckle was found guilty and his career was ruined. Arbuckle died in 1932, never regaining the stardom he had once attained.
REVIEW:
Greg Merritt has done a very thorough job in researching this book. The events of that Labor Day party still influences the relationships between Hollywood stars, the press, and the public. Many Hollywood scandal stories fascinate me, because the whole movie business is based on make believe, so when a scandal occurs, I always wonder what the truth is behind what the publicists say and what the press writes.
The death of the unfortunately named Virginia Rappe, plus the combination of Fatty Arbuckle’s stardom, was to the press of that day like blood in the water to a shark. This was the era of Prohibition; women had just gotten the right to vote; and there was a certain sector of the American public who felt that Hollywood actors had very loose morals, and Arbuckle was going to be used as an example of Hollywood excesses.
Arbuckle is a great tragic figure, having reached the heights of fame and fortune in a burgeoning industry, to having spent all his money on lawyers to defend him. Even after being found not guilty, Arbuckle could not find work in Hollywood, and the doors that greeted him for the previous ten years were now shut in his face.
August 31, 2020
What I like is that this book did not vilify Virginia Rappe or Arbuckle, the way they both have been in the past. Most people today don't know about Arbuckle, but to fans of Old Hollywood (like me) he is well-known as perhaps the first big name screen comic. I never knew that he played a big role in helping Buster Keaton (another legendary screen comic) gain a foothold in Hollywood, and that later on, Keaton would help him do the same when his reputation became tainted.
It's amazing to me that Arbuckle was ever tried for this crime, since there was literally nothing to prove he was ever guilty of anything other than perhaps some poor judgements. I also think Virginia Rappe was guilty of maybe just being an overzealous party girl, but she also certainly did not deserve to be maligned the way she was following her death. The woman who accompanied Rappe to that ill-fated party also seemed like a very shady character who played a role in Arbuckle's fall from grace.
I think reading this one needs to take into account the time and place. Prohibition was still in place, and Hollywood was seen as a place that was lacking in morals (hmm... maybe things haven't changed all that much, huh?) Arbuckle seems to have been a scapegoat for the lack of good morals of Hollywood.
It's a very sad story. Both Arbuckle and Rappe were victims here, but at least now we can hear their story.
It's amazing to me that Arbuckle was ever tried for this crime, since there was literally nothing to prove he was ever guilty of anything other than perhaps some poor judgements. I also think Virginia Rappe was guilty of maybe just being an overzealous party girl, but she also certainly did not deserve to be maligned the way she was following her death. The woman who accompanied Rappe to that ill-fated party also seemed like a very shady character who played a role in Arbuckle's fall from grace.
I think reading this one needs to take into account the time and place. Prohibition was still in place, and Hollywood was seen as a place that was lacking in morals (hmm... maybe things haven't changed all that much, huh?) Arbuckle seems to have been a scapegoat for the lack of good morals of Hollywood.
It's a very sad story. Both Arbuckle and Rappe were victims here, but at least now we can hear their story.
June 19, 2017
This fascinating book details the lead up to, events of and aftermath of Labor Day, 1921: a day of infamy which led to the end of one life, the ruination of another and to Hollywood's first scandal. The principals of this notorious (and mysterious) case, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Virginia Rappe, certainly have a friend in biographer Greg Merritt who tells their story with empathy and compassion. In particular, I was quite impressed by the book's fair and detailed treatment of Ms. Rappe - it was interesting to read that she was a fashion designer as well as an outspoken pacifist and a feminist (during a time when women were certainly not encouraged to be either independent or outspoken); prior to reading this book, I did not know much about Rappe, since her legacy has frequently been sacrificed for either the "tramp" or "angelic good girl" tropes that have been trotted out by the media and other biographers in order to "prove" Arbuckle's innocence or guilt in her death. Speaking of the media, they are the book's true villain: Arbuckle himself was clearly unfairly tried and punished not in the courts of either legal or public opinion but in the blood thirsty court of the newspapers, who then as now, waged influential power and control.
"Room 1219" is immensely readable, vivid and engaging.
"Room 1219" is immensely readable, vivid and engaging.
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