famous scandals of the 1920s

The ensuing scandal was multi-pronged. Their trial was a sensation. Tracy was one of them, on multiple occasions. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Harlow seemed primed for another scandal but before it could become the talk of the town she died suddenly, at the age of 26, of kidney failure. On September 5, 1921, Arbuckle attended a gala party on the twelfth floor of San Franciscos famed St. Francis Hotel. It was a party that proved to be his downfall. Her acting ability was overshadowed by the scandalous stories which followed her. From Al Capone to Bonnie and Clyde, these famous gangsters of the 1920s prove that they just don't make criminals like they used to. Wikimedia. All Rights Reserved. The rise of cheap, sensational newspapers in the nineteenth century meant that shocking scandals werent just whispered about behind fluttering fans and raised teacups. Wikimedia. Although even the most avid movie fan today is likely unaware of Thelma Todd, the actress appeared in more than seventy films, performing with luminaries including the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy. Much of the hand-wringing about petting parties focused on the supposed immorality of the young woman who attended them. Twenty minutes after the first copies went on sale, the pair were arrested following a complaint by the Society for the Suppression of Vice. February 14, 2014, When Congress Slut-Shamed Ingrid Bergman. Among her lovers was the Prince of Wales (Queen Victorias eldest son, heir to the throne, and later King Edward VII). Hollywood studios did not again employ her until 1956, six years after the scandal, when she appeared in the film, Anastasia. Average, law-abiding citizens had no problem buying illegal booze from such people. According to Halpins affidavit, when the child was born, Cleveland used his political influence in the city to have Halpin committed, and sent the child to an orphanage. Probably there exists no more famous icon of Hollywood than the sign which spells that name in the Hollywood hills. The jury decided Besant and Bradlaugh hadnt meant to deprave the public and they were ordered not to republish the pamphlet. Millions of dollars were awarded to the families of the victims, mostly paid by insurance companies. Landis later attempted to deflect the blame for the accident, claiming that the cause of the accident had been in part a special effects fireball detonated by an underlying erroneously, an error for which he was never charged. So damaged were delicate public sensibilities that Besant and Bradlaugh were put on trial. Wikimedia. Most have been generally dismissed as urban legends, but Clara did give rumourmongers grist for the mill. Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images. FBI. The young flapper had just experienced a petting partya 1920s and 1930s fad that titillated youth, scandalized adults and stoked the myth of the immoral flapper. J. Edgar Hoover, with his penchant for keeping records damaging to the reputations of anyone he deemed too powerful and influential, ensured the FBI was active in Hollywood for decades, collecting what should have been private information in order to protect the nations morals. 26 Famous Gangsters From The Height Of The Public Enemy Era View Gallery The frontiers of capitalist innovation always attract investment scams, and there were many such frontiers in the 1920s, fed by technological inventionradio, airplanes, telephony, electrification, chemical breakthroughsand the associated more general economic boom of the era, explains Edward J. Balleisen, a professor of history and public policy at Duke University and author of the 2017 book Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff. Sadly, Honey Boo Boo wouldnt be born for another century-plus, so reading newspapers, penny press publications, and scandal sheets was a way for the public to sate its appetite for the disturbing, the sinful, the extraordinary, and the downright ugly. After an outcry and trial, all copies were burnt and their sale prohibited.. Having lost Joan, Tone turned to a fashion model and actress named Jean Wallace. With newly-minted Wall Street millionaires flaunting their mansions and opulent lifestyles in a style akin to the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgeralds 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, it was easy for an average Joe to dream big and envision parlaying a few dollars in hard-earned savings into a similarly vast fortune. Throughout the decade, there were murders, explosions, kidnappings, and disappearances, many of which were never solved. The next day Rappe died of peritonitis, the result of a ruptured bladder. Theresa eventually took him to court seeking alimony. Pres. Few women in history were more involved in scandals than Talullah Bankhead, and few ever cared less about it. Not until the final years of his life, when Tracy was suffering from numerous ailments and in declining health, did he and Hepburn live together? Scandals, such as the Harding Administration Scandal and Teapot Dome Scandal, and illegal activity, such as the gangster Al Capone, became eminent and symbolized corruption of the 1920s. In 1998, news broke of President Bill Clintons clandestine affair with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. Morrow and one of the children were decapitated by the helicopters rotor; the other child was crushed beneath the machine. Identify the areas of the American economy that were in decline even before the 1929 stock market crash. Thelma Todd with Chico Marx in the 1932 film Horse Feathers. Hollywood obliged, with both steamy rumors of illicit affairs and reports of sexual activities which were at the time illegal. Wall Street offered its share of get-rich-quick schemes as well. Teapot Dome Scandal. Stompanato was killed and Turners daughter was charged with manslaughter. His arrest had the newspapers dubbing him, the Boy Jones. Despite increased security, he would cause more furor over an apparent inability to stay away from the palacehe was caught again in 1841 and sentenced to hard labor. Harvard Theatre Collection. She was linked to sexual relationships with both men and women, among the latter were Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Hattie McDaniel of Gone With the Wind fame. For most people, the Roaring 20s conjures up images of flapper dresses, sparkles, and bootleggers wearing fedoras. The press was largely against Flynn (like Chaplin before him, Flynn was a foreigner, and thus possessed of un-American morals). The prowlers were soon connected to President Richard Nixons reelection campaign. Her role in The Postman Always Rings Twice established her as a serious actress at the same time her well-publicized personal life called her morals into question among those inclined to do so. The 1920s were a time of great economic change in the United States. After his departure from the scene Swanson was nearly broke, virtually unemployable following the debacle of her most recent film, and soon to be divorced by her irate husband. Some 40,000 investors entrusted Ponzi with $15 million. Entwistles promise as an actress was stressed in the sensationalized reports of her death, including her performance on a New York stage with luminary Billie Burke (later Glinda in The Wizard of Oz) and a young actor by the name of Humphrey Bogart. Australia had banned daylight swimming or bathing, and female swimsuits were almost religious affairs, covering the wearer from head to toe. Future: Heaven only knows what.. D.H. Lawrence, author of the controversial Lady Chatterleys Lover, also faced criticism for an earlier novel depicting sexual acts, 1915s The Rainbow. The married (and very Catholic) Kennedy was soon involved in an extramarital affair with the actress, one which saw him maneuver to dominate her career, her social life, and her financial affairs. Payton and Neal became engaged after Tone won a divorce over the issue of adultery, but the marriage never came off. Ingrid Bergman, with Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious, was forced to live in exile from Hollywood for several years after her affair with Rossellini. That December night, she kissed six men, caressing and touching them but never going all the way. Prohibition led directly to the rise of organized crime. Katharine Hepburn was interred in Connecticut, thirty-six years after Tracys death. Parisian culture took one look at her naked shoulders and wedding ring and assumed the worst. Cleveland will go down in history as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, but his first term in office was nearly waylaid by a campaign scandal. In other wordsdont hesitate to invest your cash!, Prohibition also played a role in making the citizens susceptible, according to Hendley. Hepburn was from upper-crust New England stock, presenting a prim, proper, and athletic image to her fans, who had for several years been involved in a relationship with Howard Hughes. The queen had recently given birth to her first child. After . The two took it upon themselves to republish a work titled Fruits of Philosophy: or The Private Companion of Young Married Couples, a how-to in contraceptive habits. Harding's campaign slogan, "A return to normalcy," aptly described American politics for the entire period. Americas Forgotten Mass Imprisonment of Women Believed to Be Sexually Immoral, The First Birth Control Pill Used Puerto Rican Women as Guinea Pigs. Petting had a flexible meaning for participants of the events. But the reality wasnt as simpleor as scandalousas it seemed. During her short career, she was linked romantically with Clark Gable, William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Hughes, Baer, Paul Bern, Louis B. Mayer, Franchot Tone, Lee Tracy, James Stewart, and others, including Talullah Bankhead, Clara Bow, and Joan Crawford. The morning of January 15, 1947, saw the beginning of one of Hollywoods greatest scandals as well as one of its most famous unsolved mysteries. The money may have dried up, but the allure of easy wealth had become a permanent part of the American psyche. There was a bubonic plague in India, and Pancho Villa retired. The growing demand for petroleum to fuel automobiles also led to oil drilling schemes concocted by promoters who mailed out literature and handed out flyers that promised a fabulous return. Divorced again, Tone began pursuing Barbara Payton, another actress who was also involved with an actor and former boxer named Tom Neal. She got the matrimonial ring in a secret church ceremony in 1857. In the 1940s the namesake of the phrase, Errol Flynn, found himself in a position neither enviable nor likely to lead to success. Talullah Bankhead. The newspapers made this incident Hollywood's first truly major scandal. The ruse worked a little too well: She was hauled off to a mental institution. Harding was inept, Coolidge was mediocre, and Hoover was overcome by circumstances he neither understood nor could control. Chaplins reputation never fully recovered. She drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, and dabbled in bohemianism. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Wikimedia. Both girls, 17-year-old Peggy Satterlee and Betty Hansen, also 17, accused Flynn of seducing them, Peggy on Flynns yacht and Betty in the home of a friend. Some of the nations greatest film heroes were subject to damaging tales, some true, some speculative, and some criminal. Dina Di Mambro, Classic Hollywood Bios. He documented, often through little more than innuendo, potential homosexual activity, drug use, alcohol use (both during and after prohibition), sexual peccadilloes, extramarital affairs, and political beliefs. The jury decided the lady suffered from puerperal maniapost partum depression. Silent film star Pickford tested her audiences adoration of her by committing an unthinkable act: She divorced her husband, Owen Moore, in 1920, and married Douglas Fairbanks less than a month later. In 1921, Fatty Arbuckle was accused of raping and killing Virginia Rappe. Olive Thomas was a former Ziegfeld Girl, called the Most Beautiful Woman in the World (if so existing photographs dont do her justice), and soon Pickfords bride, though their marriage was what today would be called a long-distance relationship. Getty Images One of the biggest Hollywood scandals of all time was the murder of mobster Johnny Stompanato, the boyfriend of Lana Turner in 1958. Ordinary members of the public could sit down at the breakfast table and over tea and toast, read every juicy, salacious, delicious detail of who did what and to whom. According to one writer, MGM studios maintained an open account upon which their stars could charge the services they requested, thus keeping their expenses secret from wives and husbands. She was committed to an asylum. He insisted their marriage was invalid because of their religious differenceshe was Catholic and she was Protestant. Historic Hollywood scandals were mired in filth, debauchery, and depravity. The first highly-publicized Hollywood scandal, the September 1920 drug overdose death of archetypal movie flapper Olive Thomasshe had starred in The Flapper earlier that yearhad excited the yellow press and shocked the public, but it was nothing compared to what came next: The Arbuckle Affair. In Chicago, Leo Koretz, an immigrant from Bohemia, made a mint selling shares in supposedly lucrative rice plantations in Arkansas that didnt actually exist, as well as in a logging company that he claimed owned land with oil beneath it. Banker and financial swindler, Charles Ponzi, circa 1920. Comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was at a party with an unknown actress, Virginia Rappe, and they ended up in a hotel bedroom together. Eyman, Scott. Here are 10 celebrities and their scandals you may or may not be familiar with. Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images. Eventually, he went to Australia. Their seven-year marriage produced two sons. After her husband responded to the affair by committing suicide (by gunshot, though according to the police he took the time to strip naked before shooting himself), the press speculated whether Jean had been involved in some manner or another. Learn more at erinblakemore.com. Explore American politics in the 1920s to understand why this was a period of transition and corruption. The case is credited with raising awareness of birth control.. A mugshot of Elizabeth Short the Black Dahlia taken when she was arrested for underage drinking before becoming the victim of a grisly murder. And Tone? According to Lita, Chaplin had demanded an abortion prior to their marriage (which she couldnt have because she wasnt pregnant) and told her that their marriage would be short. In the third, he was acquitted, though the press and the public had long before convicted him. Despite President Ronald Reagan's vow not to negotiate with terrorists, National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane went to Iran to make a deal, sending weapons in exchange for the Middle Eastern countrys help brokering the release. It was particularly egregious if you happened to be a feminist or an atheist, which Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh were, respectively. As a result of the dearth of physical evidence innuendo and gossip soon provided theories as to who killed the director. After meeting Charles Chaplin at a dinner party, J. Edgar Hoover began using the resources of the FBI to compile a dossier on what he considered to be the Hollywood stars un-American beliefs and activities. All Rights Reserved. It was the largest divorce settlement in American history at the time. An oil painting completed in 1884, Sargent used socialite Virginie Gautreau as his model, depicting her wearing a black dress held up by two narrow straps. December 2, 1975, Fatty Arbuckle and Hollywoods First Scandal. The married Bergman became pregnant with Rosellinis child, and the resulting scandal was huge, at least in the United States. Verdict for the plaintiff; 500 damages awarded. READ MORE: 8 Ways The Great Gatsby Captured the Roaring Twenties. On the podcast | America's "Roaring Twenties": everything you wanted to know , 1877 was not a good year to argue against sexual repression. The LAPD also investigated the murder as part of a lesbian affair, identifying one suspect only as Queer Woman Surgeon in their files. Eventually, Neal was convicted of manslaughter in her death. Check out 11 scandals that caused more than one decent citizen to nearly drop her hand fan. His cabinet members, known as the Ohio Gang because of their wanton corruptness, were involved in so many shady dealingsthe Teapot Dome Scandal stands at the top of that listthat Harding left office with a reputation as one of the worst presidents in U.S. History. She also became involved with gangsters, investing in restaurants which became money laundering activities for the likes of Lucky Luciano. She cut her hair short, wore dresses that showed off her fashionably slender figure, used daring slang and dated multiple men before marriage. Courage is good. After her arrest, Ann Forester took over the operation, and it remained in business until 1948, when a drive to clean up local corruption among the elected officials of Los Angeles and the police department they supervised led to the business being closed. READ MORE: Americas Forgotten Mass Imprisonment of Women Believed to Be Sexually Immoral, Flappers dancing while musicians perform during a Charleston dance contest at the Parody Club, New York City, 1926, The gatherings may have raised eyebrows, but petting parties werea far cry from orgies, historian Paula S. FasstellsNPR: They both encouraged experimentation and created clear limits.. When she was introduced to film director Irving Thalberg, for whom she was to star in a Hollywood production, she asked him, How do you get laid in this dreadful place? Supposedly a sneering Thalberg told her to ask anyone. Some of the speculators never actually went to Florida themselves. Protestants, Progressives, and women all spearheaded the drive to institute Prohibition. That angst led to the rise of private-sector watchdog groups such as the Better Business Bureau, a nationwide organization formed in 1921 that investigated and alerted the public to unscrupulous operators, and increasing aggressiveness by government regulatory agencies. When she learned that he had similarly stalked other actresses (including Zsa Zsa Gabor and June Allyson) and of his underworld contacts, she broke off their affair. The divorce became a scandal which the newly-minted entertainment tabloids and the mainstream press couldnt get enough of. The 1920's was a grand time for the United States. Americans love a rags-to-riches story, Hendley says. 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The scandal involved ornery oil tycoons,. There are many reasons why mysteries in the 1920s may have remained unsolved. The economy boomed during the Roaring Twenties and rising incomes gave ordinary Americans access to enticing new conveniences, including washing machines, refrigerators, cars and other luxuries that would have once seemed unattainable. Eventually, though, the market stalled, prices fell, and many were stuck with properties worth far less than theyd expected. Traditional girls cared about getting married and raising kids; flappers wanted to party instead of settling down. Once word got out, Pickfords career might have been derailed if not for the fact that Moore was reported to be abusive. The prince was playing at the estate of Arthur Wilson, who hosted a card game that also included army officer William Gordon-Cumming. After his father died in 1898, Paget, the 5th Marquis of Anglesey, inherited property that earned roughly 110,000 annually (today, that would be equivalent to 55 million). Idolized by Louise Brooks in the '20s, Marilyn Monroe in the '50s, and Madonna in the '80s, Clara was an icon of sexual freedom for women everywhere. A jump from the H in the Hollywoodland sign ended the life of actress Peg Entwistle. They repeatedly made lurid claims that . (Eve Blue eventually gave up on petting parties after she was nearly raped.) She created scandal by aborting a pregnancy in which the father was a leading man in one of her films, married to another (William Powell). Several leading ladies were counted among the customers as well, including Talalluh Bankhead, Jean Harlow, and Barbara Stanwyck. NY Daily News Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, Acquitted For Murder Of Virginia Rappe In 1922, Never Recovered From All The Bad Press, Timeline The Mysterious Death Of The Most Beautiful Woman On Earth, Medium The Death of William Desmond Taylor, Factinate Dramatic Facts About Gloria Swanson, Hollywoods Iconic Diva, FBI to keep files on stars, directors, producers, and reporters.