"For more than eighty years, the famous unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor, the legendary bisexual film director, has generated extensive debate and controversy. Now, author Charles Higham has solved the covered-up crime at last. Murder in Hollywood unveils the astonishing corruption and intrigue of Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties - and the film industry moguls' complete domination of the city's authorities."
"When it was discovered that a famous star of the day had probably killed Taylor, a massive cover-up began - from the removal of crucial evidence to the naming of innocent people as killers - which has continued until now to protect the truth. Murder in Hollywood goes beyond the killing to unearth unknown details about the life of Taylor before his arrival in Hollywood, as well as the stories and histories buried by the crooked authorities and criminals involved in the case. The author's exclusive interviews with the culpable star, his unique possession of long-vanished police records, and the support of the present-day Los Angeles county coroner - who examined the evidence as if the murder had taken place now."
"Charles Higham presents the most plausible and convincing solution to the mystery yet. In the process he paints a vivid portrait of Hollywood in the 1920s - from its major stars to its bisexual sub-culture. The result is an answer to a long-standing mystery and a study of a place and an industry that, as today, let people reinvent themselves."--Jacket.
|