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ISBN:	0062242164 (ISBN13: 9780062242167)
Edition Language:	English
Literary Awards:	Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime (2015)

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

William J. Mann

Hardcover | Pages: 463 pages

Rating: 3.58 | 3809 Users | 580 Reviews

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Title	:	Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
Author	:	William J. Mann
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	Deluxe Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 463 pages
Published	:	October 14th 2014 by Harper (first published January 1st 2014)
Categories	:	Nonfiction. Crime. True Crime. History. Mystery

Interpretation Supposing Books Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

The Day of the Locust meets The Devil in the White City and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in this juicy, untold Hollywood story: an addictive true tale of ambition, scandal, intrigue, murder, and the creation of the modern film industry

By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America’s new favorite pastime, and one of the nation’s largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence. Yet Hollywood’s glittering ascendency was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies—including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.

In a fiendishly involving narrative, bestselling Hollywood chronicler William J. Mann draws on a rich host of sources, including recently released FBI files, to unpack the story of the enigmatic Taylor and the diverse cast that surrounded him—including three beautiful, ambitious actresses; a grasping stage mother; a devoted valet; and a gang of two-bit thugs, any of whom might have fired the fatal bullet. And overseeing this entire landscape of intrigue was Adolph Zukor, the brilliant and ruthless founder of Paramount, locked in a struggle for control of the industry and desperate to conceal the truth about the crime. Along the way, Mann brings to life Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties: a sparkling yet schizophrenic town filled with party girls, drug dealers, religious zealots, newly-minted legends and starlets already past their prime—a dangerous place where the powerful could still run afoul of the desperate.

A true story recreated with the suspense of a novel, Tinseltown is the work of a storyteller at the peak of his powers—and the solution to a crime that has stumped detectives and historians for nearly a century.

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Ratings: 3.58 From 3809 Users | 580 Reviews

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As someone who loves film history, and has more than a passing interest in the Silent Film Era, some of the names in this book weren't unfamiliar to me (Adolph Zukor, Mabel Normand, Marcus Loew, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Will Hays) - others I had never heard of until this book (William Desmond Taylor, Mary Miles Minter, Margaret "Gibby" Gibson). Considering I had never even heard of this murder/scandal except in passing when watching Kevin Brownlow's excellent documentary, "Hollywood: Pioneers,"

Not an easy read and longer than it needed to be . A lot of might haves and maybes . The book A Cast Of Killers made a better argument .

Most of this book merits 5 stars in my opinion. I had to knock one star off because the mystery cannot ever be definitively solved, which was ensured from day one. Because of this, the author can only present a strong case for whodunit, which we can guess from the beginning because the culprits are the only three people we have never heard of. That said, I found the story of wannabe star Gibby Gibson to be one of the most fascinating parts of the book. It's amazing to me that so much information

This is the story of a murder, which happened over 90 years ago in Los Angeles. In 1922, Los Angeles had become the centre of the fledgling film industry and William Desmond Taylor was one of the leading film directors. One morning, his valet, Henry Peavey arrived for work as normal to find his employer murdered and, once again, scandal hit Hollywood. For this is not just the story of William Desmond Taylor (or William Deane-Tanner, as he was originally known before re-creating himself as so

3.5 starsWilliam Desmond Taylor was a silent movie director into the 1920s when he was murdered. His killer was never found, or at least, never tried or convicted. There were suspicions on who might have done it, but no arrests and nothing proven. This book looks at his murder, along with other Hollywood business practices, crimes, and scandals. There is some focus on Taylors friend and actress, Mabel Normand, as well as another young actress who was in love with him, Mary Miles Mintner, whose

Ultimately I found this an interesting and credible solution to the William Desmond Taylor murder. However, it is a bit ripe in the scene setting department--as someone else mentioned, it reads like fiction--pulp fiction padded to up the count as if Mann were being paid by the word. If I read, "Nobody had more secrets to keep than Bill Taylor," one more time, I thought I was going to scream! He must use this phrase, and other similar catch phrases, at least thirty times in the book. Mann is also

Tinseltown is a true crime book about the murder of actor-director William Desmond Taylor. This was a legendary crime that has remained unsolved (until now?). Mann brings to life Los Angeles in the "Roaring Twenties"...a town filled with party girls, drug dealers, religious zealots, and starlets already past their prime. The author makes a good case, and does capture the spirit of early Hollywood. It also tells how powerful and manipulative the movie studios were, which was definitely one of the