The title of the book "Hollywood death and scandal sites" is misnomer in that the book is mainly devoted to guide the visitors of Hollywood, California to many celebrity places; where Hollywood celebrities lived, worked and naturally died, including many movie locations, but not necessarily focused on sites of death and scandals. Even though the market has countless tour guides and maps, this book describes the celebrity homes/places of interest, with a brief history, in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Hollywood, and other regions of greater Los Angeles. In many cases photographs are provided that is helpful in identifying the house. Each driving trip covers an area and all the places of interest on the route are described with a little bit of history. You need to have a GPS system as you navigate through the residential streets of Beverly Hills and Bel Air. This is certainly a useful book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but it also borrows info from books that are already published. Stories about Jean Harlow and the death/murder of her husband Paul Bern is borrowed from Marx book (Ref 1); the info about the celebrities who stayed at Beverly Hills Hotel is borrowed from Stewart and Prince Book (Ref 2). A lot of stories about haunting in Hollywood are well documented in many websites and blogs. In this regard I recommend seeing-stars.com website, which is very informative.
There are many interesting places and the ones I liked are as follows; the deaths and suicides in Knickerbocker hotel in Hollywood (page 18); the houses of scary film actor Bela Lugosi and his suspected haunting (page 19); Cary Grant - Randall Scott love nest (page 24); Double Indemnity movie site (page 30); the home of actress Tallulah Bankhead where numerous sex and drug abuse occurred (page 40); 1920/1930s actor Ramon Navarro's murder site (page 49); home of Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Methot and the story of their stormy marriage (page 58); actor Spencer Tracy's last home where he died (page 60); actress Rebecca Schaeffer murder site (page 62); Dixie Crater and Hal Holbrook robbery site (page 70); actress Lupe Velez and Gary Cooper love nest (page 76) and her suicide site (page 129); Bette Davis and Howard Hughes love nest (page 88); the last home of actress Marion Davies and Randolph Hearst (page 90); Clifton Webb haunted home (page 93); brief history of Beverly Hills hotel and its famous guests (page 95); Pickfair home where Mary Pickford passed away (page 103); brief history of the home where Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Danny Kaye lived (page 104); Marie Dressler's home (page 126); the last home Leslie Howard (page 132); Great Garbo hideaway (page 133); Lionel Barrymore haunted home (page 136); Marlene Dietrich home (page 137); Clark Gable accident site and Joan Crawford's Mommy Dearest home (Page178-179); Douglas Fairbanks Sr., death site (page 195); Peter Lawford's Kennedy-Monroe love nest (page 196); Margaux Hemingway's suicide site (page 198); Marlene Dietrich and Mercedes Acosta love-nest (page 199); Ann Sheridan death site (page 217); Lee Cobb death site (page 221); actress Barbara LaMarr death site and her alleged drug abuse (page 247); singer Del Shannon suicide site (page 249); Snoop Doggy Dogg shooting site (page 250); and the home of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (page 250). If you are thinking of touring Tinsel town, then I will recommend this book.
There are many interesting places and the ones I liked are as follows; the deaths and suicides in Knickerbocker hotel in Hollywood (page 18); the houses of scary film actor Bela Lugosi and his suspected haunting (page 19); Cary Grant - Randall Scott love nest (page 24); Double Indemnity movie site (page 30); the home of actress Tallulah Bankhead where numerous sex and drug abuse occurred (page 40); 1920/1930s actor Ramon Navarro's murder site (page 49); home of Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Methot and the story of their stormy marriage (page 58); actor Spencer Tracy's last home where he died (page 60); actress Rebecca Schaeffer murder site (page 62); Dixie Crater and Hal Holbrook robbery site (page 70); actress Lupe Velez and Gary Cooper love nest (page 76) and her suicide site (page 129); Bette Davis and Howard Hughes love nest (page 88); the last home of actress Marion Davies and Randolph Hearst (page 90); Clifton Webb haunted home (page 93); brief history of Beverly Hills hotel and its famous guests (page 95); Pickfair home where Mary Pickford passed away (page 103); brief history of the home where Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Danny Kaye lived (page 104); Marie Dressler's home (page 126); the last home Leslie Howard (page 132); Great Garbo hideaway (page 133); Lionel Barrymore haunted home (page 136); Marlene Dietrich home (page 137); Clark Gable accident site and Joan Crawford's Mommy Dearest home (Page178-179); Douglas Fairbanks Sr., death site (page 195); Peter Lawford's Kennedy-Monroe love nest (page 196); Margaux Hemingway's suicide site (page 198); Marlene Dietrich and Mercedes Acosta love-nest (page 199); Ann Sheridan death site (page 217); Lee Cobb death site (page 221); actress Barbara LaMarr death site and her alleged drug abuse (page 247); singer Del Shannon suicide site (page 249); Snoop Doggy Dogg shooting site (page 250); and the home of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (page 250). If you are thinking of touring Tinsel town, then I will recommend this book.
Reference: Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix by E. J. Fleming
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