The University of Wisconsin Press
Film & Theater / Biography / Crime / Gay & Lesbian Interest
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Murder
in Hollywood Charles Higham successfully presents the most plausible and convincing solution yet to the mystery of who killed William Desmond Taylor. In the process he paints a vivid portrait of Hollywood in the 1920s—from its major stars to its bisexual subculture. The result is the answer to a long-standing mystery and a fascinating study of a place, and an industry, that has always let people reinvent themselves. Murder in Hollywood is more extraordinary than any crime fiction and as compelling as any suspense film. "Drawing on unpublished documents compiled by director King Vidor, and making witty, insightful comments as he does, Higham cuts through a thicket of suspects, motives, and cover-ups to point the finger where it had rather clearly been pointing all along, arguing that for some years a hypocritical, moralistic press did its best to point the finger in other directions. More than the solution, what impresses here are Higham's portraits of Taylor, Minter, et al, as scarred souls who believed Hollywood would be their Lourdes on the Pacific. They were mistaken." —Kirkus Reviews "Murder in Hollywood is engrossing, as much for chronicling the murder as it is for capturing an era as rollicking as a Keystone Cops two-reeler. Higham presents a persuasive argument for his favored suspect, . . . and the evidence is compelling. But inevitably, it is the time-capsule quality of the storytelling, and a peek at 'hiding in plain sight' homosexuality, that makes the book so interesting."—Lambda Book Report "Paints a dazzling picture of Los Angeles in a golden age of sleaze and corruption."—Times Literary Supplement
Charles Higham,
critically acclaimed writer, poet, critic, and playwright, is
a literary and film detective. Among his many publications, The
Duchess of Windsor, Kate, Bette, and Marlene have earned
him high positions on bestseller lists and prestigious literary
prizes. After holding the post of Regents Professor and writer
in residence at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he
was the Hollywood feature writer for the New York Times
from 1970 to 1980.
Giant |
"An amazing tale of police corruption
and journalistic irresponsibility."
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