Room 1219: Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood (37 page)

Rappe modeling an outfit of her own design, circa 1915.

The Hotel St. Francis. Arbuckle’s suite is visible on the top floor of the leftmost wing. At the upper left corner of the facade is one window of room 1220; to its right are two windows of room 1221. Room 1219 is out of view on the left side of the building.
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

Arbuckle’s mug shots after being arrested for the murder of Virginia Rappe, just before midnight on September 10, 1921.

The preliminary hearing. Seated at the table, left to right: defense attorney Frank Dominguez, Assistant DA Milton U’Ren, and District Attorney Matthew Brady. Arbuckle is seated behind the lawyers, between U’Ren and Brady.

Arbuckle and wife Minta Durfee in court on September 28, 1921, the final day of the preliminary hearing, when the judge announced that Arbuckle would be tried for manslaughter.

Arbuckle and his defense team on November 18, 1921, the opening day of the first trial. Left to right: Nat Schmulowitz, Milton Cohen, Gavin McNab (standing), Arbuckle, Charles Brennan (standing), Joseph McInerney.
Library of Congress

Will Hays, the man charged with cleaning up Hollywood in the aftermath of the Arbuckle scandal.
Library of Congress

Arbuckle’s second wife, Doris Deane, in 1925.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

Arbuckle directing, circa 1931.

Arbuckle with his third wife, Addie McPhail, in 1932.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

*
In fact, the contract paid Arbuckle $3 million for twenty-four movies. In addition, Lou Anger and Comique president Joseph Schenck took their shares of Arbuckle’s pay.

*
In 2011 an Arbuckle 1919 baseball card sold at auction for $5,288.

*
The Tigers won the PCL title again in 1920, without controversy. But without Arbuckle and without alcohol (Prohibition had begun), attendance plummeted. Before the 1926 season, the team was sold, moved to San Francisco, and renamed the Mission Reds.

†
A former vaudeville dancer, Coogan had a truncated film acting career before going into producing. His son, also known as Jackie Coogan, achieved greater fame, first as an actor (he played the titular role in Chaplin’s
The Kid),
then as the namesake of the Coogan Bill, which financially protects child actors. The junior Coogan fondly remembered playing with Arbuckle in the summer of 1919.

*
Keaton repeated this dangerous gag in his first short without Arbuckle,
One Week,
and, famously, in his feature
Sherlock Jr.

†
During this time, Arbuckle interacted with Virginia Rappe, as she was at Lehrman’s studio filming
A Twilight Baby.

*
Arbuckle turned thirty-two in 1919.

*
After making his name customizing Arbuckle’s car and the autos of others among Hollywood’s elite, Earl designed numerous now-legendary automobiles while at General Motors from 1927 to 1959.

That’s what Fatty Arbuckle said, and you know what they did to him.

—H
UNTER
S. T
HOMPSON,
F
EAR AND
L
OATHING IN
L
AS
V
EGAS

T
hree weeks and three days after the death of Virginia Rappe, on October 3, 1921, the
Los Angeles Times
published a letter that began:

Now that the wave of insanity, for it was nothing less (nor more) in regard to the Arbuckle case has passed over, it would seem that disappointment is to be the daily portion of those who, blind to the fact that no evidence is forthcoming, merely hoped for the downfall of Roscoe Arbuckle for no reason but that he was a successful screen star.

This was the sentiment of the minority, but it was growing fastest in Los Angeles, which depended so profoundly on the likes of Arbuckle for its image and a principal industry. That industry’s defensive strategy is best exemplified by an October 1 editorial in
Moving Picture World:
“Enclosed in the following space is our idea what should be said by everybody in the motion picture business about the Arbuckle Case from now forth until the entire matter is settled.” The remainder of the page was blank.

Arbuckle himself was no longer generating any industry. So complete was the banishment that one of his movies was pulled from a screening in Sing Sing prison and future Fatty films were banned there. The warden’s reason was “the same which kept scrupulous theater men everywhere from putting on the films.”