The biggest celebrity scandal the year you were born | Controversies through the years


In 1965, avante-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger released his book Hollywood Babylon, which detailed a number of alleged scandals linked to Hollywood’s biggest names from the 1900s to the 1950s including Charles Chaplin, Lupe Vélez, Mary Nolan, Rudolph Valentino, Marie Prevost, Mary Astor, Wallace Reid, Olive Thomas, Jeanne Eagels, Thelma Todd, Errol Flynn, Frances Farmer, Juanita Hansen, Mae Murray, Alma Rubens, John Gilbert, Barbara La Marr, Ramon Novarro, Jean Harlow, Carole Landis, Lana Turner, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe.

The book was banned soon after its release and it was only made available when it was reprinted 10 years later.

The Daily Beast called Anger’s book “essentially a work of fiction. There is no doubt that many – if not all – of the stories Anger shares in his slim bible have no merit.”

The book contained graphic images including the scene of the car accident that killed Jane Mansfield, photos of celebrities after they had taken their own lives, an image of Lewis Stone as he lay dying on a sidewalk and uncensored photos of the Black Dahlia’s corpse.

Hollywood Babylon included a number of false stories surrounding the deaths of Lupe Vélez, Marie Prevost and Jayne Mansfield.

Actress Clara Bow’s sons considered suing the author after he falsely claimed in the book that Bow engaged in sex with the entire University of Southern California football team, including a young John Wayne.

Hollywood Babylon also included chapters on the Fatty Arbuckle-Virgina Rappe scandal and the murder of Sharon Tate.

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