Visiting the grave of actress Virginia Rappe - Her shocking death caused Hollywood's first scandal!

[@edgarlee2802]

I read a biography on Fatty Arbuckle. Thanks for this. There was no winners. Well, apart from the newspaper owners.

[@Corgis175]

This is my favorite cemetery. Glad her grave is well attended and has flowers. RIP.

[@shellyalstead9159]

I read years ago that she had had peritonitis from a botched abortion. I really believe Fatty Arbuckle got ruined for something he did not do

[@marianneegland5576]

I agree. I have read similar things

[@DavidSmith-en8yl]

One should always be mindful of their surroundings. He must have been alone with Ms. Rappe otherwise there wouldn’t be any reason to assume he had anything to do with her death.

[@shellyalstead9159]

​@DavidSmith-en8yl they were alone. Look up Mysteries and Scandals Fatty Arbuckle here and they go through the story

[@joconnor9256]

Check out “ They got away with murder “ it’s very detailed and gives you all the facts

[@dellascorner317]

Very sad, but it appears someone or someone’s have been garnishing her gravesite with flowers.

[@kaymad143]

Thank you for sharing Virginia Rappe, I visited her grave last year, she was beautiful.

[@rhvoriginals3083]

After his third trial and acquittal, the jury said of the case against Fatty, “Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done him... there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime." Virginia had brought a friend with her to the party she had met days prior. Her friend, Bambina Maude Delmont, was Fatty’s main accuser. Bambina had a criminal record however for extortion, blackmail, and prostitution. So, her testimony was easily negated. It’s impossible to say what happened to Virginia. I am of the mindset that Virginia’s bladder ruptured spontaneously. Virginia had had a UTI at the time of her passing, and should not have been drinking alcohol. Once Virginia’s bladder ruptured she likely died of sepsis rather quickly given her UTI. In other words, heavy drinking, on top of a UTI stricture, and urinary retention, caused Virginia’s bladder to burst and the result was death.

[@SurfCityBill]

Forensic science just wasn't good enough to reveal the truth back then.

[@pattibrooks1907]

Thank you Steve ! Always enjoy your videos !Tragic deaths are always sad to me to many people !

[@johnpeddicord4932]

Thanks again for sharing, Steve

[@barbaramosley8123]

Thank You Steve Again….Another Great, Interested And Sad!!😓

[@colemahaffey2366]

Thanks for the story Steve! Have a great weekend!

[@SurfCityBill]

Today I suspect the coroner would have been able to determine a more accurate cause of death.

[@patriciafontenot7273]

Like your stories Steve. Been watching a long time. Hope everything is well with you and your family. God Bless.❤

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks so much Patricia and the same to you. 😀👋

[@GaryTBuffalo24]

I was at Hollywood Forever a number of years ago and I could not find her. Thanks for posting.

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Hi Gary, it took me a few trips to find her too!

[@sallykohorst8803]

I did hear about her story and glad to hear your perspective on it and see her grave.RIP.

[@ElijahRetro1982]

Another great video in the books Steve 👍🏽😎👍🏽

[@monikameza4107]

Thank you Steve for sharing ❤

[@maryannlockwood7806]

This was such a huge thing back in the day. Of course I wasn’t around then, but it was a huge Hollywood scandal.

[@nondemify]

Wikipedia says she was born in 1891 which would have to be true if she was 30 when she died. So what gives with the dates on her grave marker?

[@DavidSmith-en8yl]

Back then, many Hollywood stars were dishonest about their age.

[@tomtransport]

I would believe the marker long B4 I would believe anything Wikipedia printed out years later.

[@JiminPalmSprings]

Yeah, I also noticed that the grave marker says she was born in 1895 and died in 1921 which would make her around 26?

[@LawyerCalhoun1]

Even then, people, especially entertainers, often shaved a few years off their ages.

[@tomtransport]

Yes, depending on exact date of her birth in 1995 she was 25/26 in 1921. I would believe the marker long B4 I would believe anything Wikipedia printed out years later.

[@mariaday712]

She is buried in a beautiful cemetery. I hope she rests in peace. Thanks for doing this story on her. Take care.

[@texadonkey34]

Wow, that’s a sad story. Hollywood mysteries are so I intriguing. Thank you for the informative content. Is there a grave site for the Black Dahlia?

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Yes, there is. I visited it in Oakland, California, but I decided not to film it. It’s been found by hundreds of other KZbinrs. Yes, definitely the saddest of all the true crime stories of its kind. 😢

[@edgarlee2802]

I think she pronounced it "Rappay. "

[@Melanie220]

Came to the comments to say this as well. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I've heard it once or twice pronounced Rappay or "RuhPAY," probably on a TCM documentary about the scandal sometime in the past. Such a tragic, sad story. 😥

[@dsinavich5141]

No never heard of her...poor woman to pass so young RIP to her...thanks for vlogging this story.....take care..... Deborah 🇨🇦

[@johnbastien3872]

This one has always been a mystery. It could have been an accident. We will never know.

[@leesashriber5097]

Happy Saturday Steve!!😊 It's always great to see a new upload. Very sad and tragic to know what she went thru. May she be resting eternally and peacefully. 🕊️❤️🙏

[@reneerednour3951]

So young. Thanks for the interesting story. 😊

[@devlinadams4166]

Actually she was either 25 or 26 years old when she died in 1921 she would have been 30 in 1925 since she was born in 1895. If she was born in 1891, then why is her grave marker dated her birth as 1895??

[@Melanie220]

Grave markers are often incorrect. As a family historian, I often see gravestones of my own family members with birth or even death dates off by a year or more from other documentation. It can be very frustrating when you're trying to be as accurate as possible when building your family tree!

[@kevinallen8162]

@@Melanie220, my experiences have been similar when working on my family tree. I learned quickly that the dates of birth/death as recorded in the family bible didn't always agree with those reported on death certificates at the county courthouse. One of the things that I learned in my rural area, prior to about 1950 many if not most farm family births were home births and may or may not have been attended by a doctor or midwife. My mother's family was a farm family and all twelve children were born between 1895 and 1917, and only a few were attended by a doctor or midwife. My mother's elder sister was the one who took responsibility for filing for official birth certificates for herself and all of her siblings during the period of WW II. In my mother's family the birth certificates that my aunt filed for all agreed with the family bible, but I have heard from other families who didn't have the same experience in our county. Then I also ran into one instance of a date of death that did not agree with the family bible, and that was for my mother's eldest brother who had been estranged from the family and passed in 1929 according to the family bible. When I finally located his grave, obituary, and information about his family, I learned that his date of death was actually in 1932 and had been well documented in the society pages of a metropolitan newspaper where he had been a prominent attorney.

[@carlacook5181]

Thank you Steve.

[@tomtransport]

Great video Steve, as always. For some reason when my eyes see dates like this my brain starts to do math whether I Like it or not. So I saw 26 but sometimes it may still be off by months because the exact "birthday" that year may not have come yet. In any case I think the marker would be "more" right then anything because when she was laid to rest relatives visiting after marker placed would have seen the dates were wrong in 1921 or anytime after marker placed.

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Hi Tom, gravemarkers are headstones usually aren’t placed for about six months to a year after the burial. it’s not uncommon for dates to be incorrect, but sometimes it’s hard to know if that is incorrect or if the online information is incorrect. Thanks.

[@Lava1964]

@@TheGraveyardChannel Lou Gehrig's headstone contains an error on it too, listing his birthdate as 1905 instead of 1903. Apparently it cannot be corrected as Gehrig has no living descendants--and it would take one of them to authorize the correction.

[@CapitanFantasma1776]

Wow! Thanks!

[@marlenepearson3936]

Thanks Steve. 😊 A very well visited grave in a beautiful Cemetary. May she rest peacefully. This was and still is considered quite the Hollywood scandal. 😮

[@MarthaJOHNSON-iu4wk]

Thanks you

[@DavidSmith-en8yl]

Oh I wish you would’ve made a longer video on Virginia Rappe

[@kerrystiffler7735]

I saw a special about the house where she died. The story was mostly about the house, a party was being held,everybody that was anybody was there. According to this show, fatty did R her and he ended up crushing her to death!! 💥💥💥

[@Reyne-fb7mj]

She was at the St Francis hotel, in San Francisco, not a house.

[@cmkarma5554]

A mystery is always so fascinating to me .

[@lisad476]

Thanks Steve...

[@Linda-in9ns]

Short life! Sad story for the young girl. Some had such tragic things going on back then. Good day Mr. Steve 👋😌

[@marshahedgeman6889]

Think this story was In a book I read called,,,,A Cast of Killers,,,It was really good,,been a good while since I thought of It,,If you like stories set back in Silent era,, maybe 20s 30s 40s,,✌🏾

[@larryhatcher8927]

I know it was over a 100 years ago, but they could not tell if someone did that with a bottle? In any case......

[@cheowteetan3762]

Mistake: the tomb of the birth is not 1895, it supposed to be 1891

[@dawnalilly7200]

please visit cindy williams grave

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have one yet. ☹️

[@julienielsen3746]

Sad hearing about the passing of an actor I liked. Tom Bower, who played Mary Ellen's husband on "The Waltons".

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks for mentioning him, Julie!

[@tedlawrence4189]

She was 26 not 30!

[@quotemenot7520]

Steve, just an observation. Her gravestone reads 1895 to 1921 yet you mentioned she died aged 30. Something does not quite add up

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

I may have got it wrong, but it’s very common for headstones not to match online information. Sometimes female stars, especially would not reveal their actual dates of birth. Thanks for mentioning that. 👍

[@quotemenot7520]

@@TheGraveyardChannel Again Steve, not a criticism, just an observation. I'm sure no actress has ever given her real age and got younger as they got older. Just amused by the numbers on the gravestone and she being only being 26. Maybe she was really 40!!!! 😂😂

[@josephosheavideos3992]

I do have one question; while you said (and the Wikipedia agrees) that Ms. Rappe was born in 1891, her grave marker clearly gives her birth year at 1895. Why the discrepancy?

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Hi Joseph, over the years I’ve noticed that happens a lot. Sometimes they are typos. But quite often movie stars Would say they were much younger than they actually were in order to keep working. So birthdays are often incorrect in cases like this.

[@jtx38]

Apparently actor Chris Farley was going to play Roscoe 'Fatty" Arbuckle in a movie but, of course, he died before it became a reality.

[@johnmorelli3775]

She was very beautiful. It is very sad that she died so young and as a result of fowl play. Thank you for visiting her grave. May she rest in peace.

[@Lava1964]

Fowl play?

[@Willchannel90]

Lucky journalists believe she's alive that only wants to move on.

[@janetslicer3637]

I didn't know this story Steve, but it is sad all the same. I wanted to wish you and Jim Happy Pride Month! All your LGBTQ+ friends and acquaintances too! Washington, DC really kicked it off today with a great big parade! Best wishes to everybody! ♥️🎉☘️

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thank you so much Janet! 😀👍

[@jillmarshall4718]

Hi Steve, Read about Virginia Rappe story. Its a shame that Tragedy struck not only her, But Fatty Arbuckle his life and career, Was ruined. He died, I believed in 1933 of a Heart Attack., Very Sad!🙏🙏

[@gregdiamond6023]

She died from a ruptured bladder and peritonitis 4 days later. Think of the word fiancé. That’s how Rappe is pronounced. I only know all of this because Hollywood Graveyard covered her grave and story. I'm sorry Steve. I didn’t mean to leave spam.😊

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Hi Greg, thanks for the update. 👍

[@mitchcolburn1216]

Sad that she died so young but also sad that Arbuckle was falsely accused and it ruined his career. Cancel culture was a thing even back then.

[@spooky3120]

Is this where the term "raped" comes from?

[@danielmkubacki]

How sad.

[@Lava1964]

This was one of the first examples of someone trying to extort money from a celebrity. Read The Day the Laughter Stopped for a full account of how this beloved comedian's life was ruined by schemers.

[@DavidMcknight-ei3rq]

Your videos aren't bad but they need to be longer there's just no point in shooting a minute or two minute video

[@stevepaul6955]

There's an excellent book titled " Framed " by Andy Edmonds which tells the story of the incident involving Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and Virginia Rappe. It goes into detail about Her background and what may have happened at that party hosted by Arbuckle.

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks for sharing that with us Steve 👍

[@craigcorsini8241]

He was acquitted at the third trial. Theory is that she had a urinary tract infection, which led to her death. This occurred before the discovery and development of antibiotics.

[@CatherineLeighe]

This was a drinking party. All the men were seasoned drinkers. Director & actor Lowell Sherman was one of the attendees, a more notorious womanizer & boozer did not exist. Remember this was 1920 & during prohibition. The booze must have been lethal. This was no place for innocent young women & honestly they weren’t there. One thing overlooked is that new studio contract worth a couple of million bucks. The studio heads at Paramount were not happy with it yet had no real out. There were so much new talent & the rough & tumble slapstick of the nineteen teens had really run their course. The aftermath of this party gave them the out.

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks for sharing this with us Catherine!

[@juggler64]

The first time I read about this incident, the author was virulently anti-Arbuckle. The next time was from a different author, and he was just as virulently anti-Rappe. I'm glad to read some of the comments from other viewers, because it may well be that both parties were innocent victims.

[@Luvoldmovies-Kat.St.Aug.]

Thanks Steve , this is indeed a sad ending to such a aspiring young woman. I read stories and heard stories here on KZbin. 😇🪦💐

[@ronchase1673]

1895-1921 is 26 years old

[@Angelkat757]

My gut feeling says he had something to do with it. Idk could be wrong,but my angels and spirit guides tell me this message. I'm just the messenger. Steve I tried to look in other areas for you couldn't find much info on her. May she r.i.p. Sad story wow Have a great day "Discokitty" Hope you and jim are well

[@roadrunner381]

I was at that party, and Fatty didn't do anything to her, he was passed out drunk on the couch!😁

[@cheowteetan3762]

Roscoe Arbuckle killed Virginia rappe and was arrested in 1921. I didn’t know Roscoe killed Virginia but god will forgive him and Roscoe will apologise to Virginia in heaven.

[@steve2474]

If you want to learn more about this tragic episode, there was a documentary series done in the late 1970s called "Hollywood" that was narrated by the actor James Mason that explored the world of silent movies from their beginning to the end when the advent of sound came in. It was very well done and contained loads of original footage plus interviews with some of the actors and others who worked in the industry towards the end of their lives. There was an episode called "Single Beds and Double Standards" of which part of the episode explored the Arbuckle-Rappe case. Some things haven't changed over the past one hundred or so years. We still have yellow journalism, rumors are knowlingly printed as fact complete with sensationalized headlines, and self promoting and corrupt prosecutors. I highly recommend the episode as well as the series. Here is a link to the episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZSWZWmfnduGmas

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thank you for sharing this with us Steve. I will watch it. 👍

[@flmlvr]

First of all, just to get this out of the way, I believe Roscoe Arbuckle was innocent. He did not cause her death - it was health issues. Years after the scandal, with his career in front of the camera all but ruined, it would be Marion Davis who wanted Arbuckle to direct her in "The red Mill". Davis' boyfriend William Randolph Hearst visits the set. Arbuckle sees him and approaches him and says "Why would you let me direct her in a movie when it was your papers that ruined me?" And Hearst, showing his concern for his fellow man responded "Oh Roscoe, you're taking this way too personally. It sold newspapers." And that should explain why I have a particular hatred for William Randolph Hearst. And that was just for what he did to ruin Roscoe Arbuckle - there was other stuff. But I've noticed things like TCM showing Arbuckle's films - and something is happening I was sure would never happen. And that is Arbuckle is slowly getting his reputation put back together and his place in film history will soon be established as it should be. What happened to Virginia Rappe (btw, it's pronounced "Rap-A") was tragic, but I know for all her faults (she had a reputation, trust me), I know she NEVER would have wanted something like this to happen. (Before she died she did in fact tell police that was at her bedside "No, he didn't hurt me."). All around tragedy.

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks for sharing this with us! 👍

[@joshuabeatty7406]

Her death certificate would say what the cause of death was

[@gregorykacsandy5005]

🙏👍

[@phineas117]

poor soul. but steve...I think her last name is pronounced rap--pai.

[@Dazamic]

Rip

[@michael.miller7011]

On June 12th, 2024, disney Composer richard m sherman would have been 96th this yeah he is interred at hillside memorial park culver city California I just though find a grave thinks composer richard m sherman is interred at mount siani memorial park hollywood hills but he isn't and because his composer brother robert b sherman is buried at hillside memorial park culver city California, the composer richard m sherman's plot is the garden of leah just near the grave of connie sawyer at hillside memorial park culver city California as well as the grave of composer burt bacharach

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Thanks for the heads up Michael. I visited Connie Sawyer’s gravesite a few years ago and I think I visited Robert Sherman’s grave there too. Not sure if I will be going back to that cemetery, but if I do, I will definitely visit all of their gravesites.

[@michael.miller7011]

@TheGraveyardChannel thank you because find a grave for richard m sherman's grave on the memorial page, is dodgey and richard m sherman is not buried at mount siani memorial park hollywood hills and simi valley but the news statement says richard m sherman is buried at hillside memorial park culver city California same cemetery as burt bacharach

[@bethtyree6346]

RIP Virginia Rappe

[@paulroberts6889]

Are you sure about her age being 30 because the years of birth & death don’t add up if those yrs are correct she’d have been 26/27

[@TheGraveyardChannel]

Hi Paul, I’m not sure which date is correct. Headstones are fairly often different from information online. Sometimes mistakes are made on one of the other and sometimes star is just didn’t reveal their actual ages.

[@buckshot6481]

She was with Arbuckle ? Ruptured bladder ? Sounds like someone liked it a little rough. Ugh.

[@kathrynmolesa1641]

Virginia got sick at the party and Fatty carried her into the bedroom to rest.

[@lafarruspennington5831]

She was 26 when she died not 31 , do the math ...

[@danadavis6097]

Wikipedia may have birthdate wrong. I think if the date on her grave stone was wrong her family would have had it corrected. Someone is wrong.

[@Melanie220]

@@danadavis6097 See my response to devlinadams just above. Even if it's quite literally 'etched in stone,' a date on a grave marker isn't always correct. And in Rappe's case, it's quite possible there's no one left of her family to correct hers (only guessing, I have no idea!).

[@tomtransport]

@@Melanie220 I believe the marker not Wikipedia, besides, a relative would have seen the mistake "anytime" after the marker was placed in 1921/22 or so. You are right, I too have seen born/death dates off by a year or two but being off 5 years?? I have never come across.

[@Melanie220]

@@tomtransport I'm not the one who referenced Wikipedia (which is often incorrect), I didn't bother looking her up. My point was simply that grave markers are not always the be-all and end-all of accuracy. She might have been 30 at death, she might have been 26. If we had a birth certificate or baptismal record available, that would help, but birth certs weren't generally issued prior to 1900, and she may not have been baptised or christened. Suffice it to say she was somewhere between 26 and 30 at her death, and no matter which, it was way too young to die, and it was a horrific way to die as well. 😥

[@tomtransport]

@@Melanie220 Yes, but she may not have even been 26. She may have been 25 because her birthday in 1895 did not come yet by the time she died in 1921. For instance, I was born 1942, quick math to 2024 makes me 82 but hey, not so fast! My birth month is November so I won't be 82 till 11/11/2024.😝😝

[@joachimgoethe7864]

It's my understanding Fatty abused her with a champagne bottle, which caused internal hemorrhaging leading to her death. Newspapers at the time were reluctant to print things of that nature. Hence the confusion. Fatty's career never recovered.

[@saramagdalena2126]

😮

[@VanessaDo-lu7cd]

Viringa repp