William Desmond Taylor: Hollywood's First Murder Mystery

[@Biographics]

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/BIOGRAPHICS for 10% off on your first purchase.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

I smell a casual criminalist in the makings...

[@clintstewart5545]

Do a video on Frank Zappa Please !!!

[@michaelgreen1515]

He didn't enlist in the British Army, he enlisted in the Canadian one! It is possible that his parents influential family helped him make the step from a good rank in the CEF to a British Officer?

[@Tremont24]

Please do Booker T. Washington next

[@donsandsii4642]

Kudos to your research team. A gem of a story from early Hollywood

[@kcbarbo78]

I used to be obsessed with this case and read every word of Taylorology. I’m so happy to see that this channel has tackled this mystery.

[@courtneywilliams5565]

Since you went ahead and made this phenomenal video you might as well make one about Thomas Ince and the mystery around his death ☺️

[@TheManzfield7]

A story printed in L.A. Magazine in 1980,81. Marion Davies was drunk on the Hearst yacht, SHE PICKED UP HIS GUN that he would shoot seagulls with. Chaplin tried to take it away from her to avoid an accident. The gun went off, the bullet went through a wall to the cabin Thomas Ince was sleeping in, the bullet caught him in the head as he slept. He never knew what happened to him. Hearst covered the whole thing up with having Ince cremated. Paid off Ince's widow. Printed a fake story, "special car rushes man home from ranch". Eileen Pringle says she saw a bullet hole in Ince's head when they removed his body on a stretcher. This story was told by a city official in L.A. at the time. His name I don't recall.If nothing else. This may be the best evidence. M.

[@jonmarc8078]

Virginia R AAH PAY

[@courtneywilliams5565]

@@TheManzfield7 whatttttt that’s crazy I never heard that rumor I only heard about Marion allegedly affair with Chaplin that was starting to pick up steam in the gossip department lol and Hearst found out about it and he tried to shoot at Chaplin thinking it was Thomas Ince and he was killed from the bullet wound and the gossip columnist Louella Parsons seen this happened and allegedly that’s got she got her job and her long career it was made into a movie called Cat’s Meow with Kirsten Dunst pretty good 🤘🏽

[@KristinShoots]

In this heat, I just got chills listening to the DAs statement! How utterly fortunate this man was to have a competent and standup district attorney speak the truth! Seriously, chills.

[@camille.c]

the way i was JUST asking for this on Casual Criminalist yesterday..! please cover this, it deserves a good ol' in-depth look and you could take actually devote some time to the 'casual mentions' like the whole Gibson confession. bonus point for the possibility of Simon's inevitable tangents about the shady shenanigans going on in Hollywood culture at the time

[@camille.c]

another Biographics I'd really like to see - Vasili Mitrokhin, he was a Soviet archivist who secretly spied on the regime for over a decade (the absolute legend)

[@kieronparr3403]

There's a lot of legendary spies on every side of most wars. He could make a channel on it ;)

[@awzthemusicalreviews]

Is it bad that I watched this specifically to see if you tackled the Peavey nonsense? Jesus Christ, that story never fails to get a facepalm and a laugh out of me. Fun fact: the guy under the sheet was a man named Al Weinshank, who was later killed in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

[@tangogent]

?Que?

[@hakeemfullerton8645]

Can you do videos on fellow old Hollywood names like Mabel Normand, Will Hays, Mack Sennett and Harold Lloyd

[@pauljones4826]

great video. Always wanted to learn about Taylor's death. You should do a piece on the Hayes code

[@brendakrieger7000]

Thank you for covering this. I've heard this referenced before but wasn't familiar with the details. Great job writing legends😘

[@emeltser]

Cold Case Chronicles: Mysteries, Murders & The Missing by Silvia Pettem has a chapter on him. It also includes a photo of his crypt in the Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles.

[@kchara7078]

Murder, Madness and Morphine by William Mann is a an excellent in-depth look at this case. Yes, noone was ever convicted but Mann seems to have done the background work and come up with a viable suspect.

[@WittyOriginalUsername]

Great book, he really did a great job with all the details and alibis

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

@K Chara when was it authored?

[@kchara7078]

@@St.Linguini_of_Pesto I have the audiobook and (my apologies) the correct name is Tinseltown. Audiobook came out in 2014 on Audible. I really like your online name.....R'Amen!

[@vidstoricalfilms]

This is a fantastic video to the legendary case. As I am a film historian enthusiast, at 19:40, the woman in the photo is not Mary Miles Minter but silent film actress Mary Pickford.

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

The newsboys in that photo were adorable. What a mindblowing period in history, all over the globe.

[@John-qz8fq]

Thank you for making this one. I dated a girl several years ago in Liverpool who shared the surname with William, specifically Deane. The story in her family was that before sailing to New York he had a short stay in Liverpool, had a brief relationship and managed to get his lover pregnant before suddenly leaving - and the girl I knew claimed William was her great-great-grandfather (or there-abouts), at least that was the story in the family anyway. No idea of that's true or not but thought it was interesting nonetheless.

[@chasehedges6775]

Biographics never disappoints with its content. 💯💯

[@scottohta2192]

That is Mary Pickford at 19:39 not Mary Miles Minter.

[@MahatmaMichael]

Suggestions for videos: - Royal Raymond Rife - Carleton Daniel Gajdusek - Constantin Buteyko - Ernst Muldashev - George Lewin (Triton workbench man)

[@michaelsinger4638]

Sounds like the case was bungled at first, and then someone influential was sabotaging it later on. This is one case where it really is hard to see who would be the most likely suspect?

[@JanissGoddess]

Great retelling of my favorite unsolved murder! My favorite book about it is A Cast of Killers by author Sidney Kirkpatrick, which follows the attempt of director King Vidor to solve the mystery in the 1960s.

[@DerBernsteinfrost]

Please can you do a video on Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, the Finnish war hero. Love the content

[@shariarfani6733]

Great video! I recommend making a video about Franklin Pierce’s tragic life

[@littleblackduck3134]

I think he already did

[@shariarfani6733]

@@littleblackduck3134 link?

[@aethergasm]

Idk about anyone else but I totally lost it at the sheet ghost. 🤣

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I’m only halfway through this but already it would make a great movie! … Have yet to hear about the murder yet!!

[@spendz_stax]

That was def a Scooby-Doo plot 😂

[@garycrombie6038]

This is the one I’ve been waiting for! 😍

[@neopagan1976]

Hey, Simon. I dare you to do a Biographics episode of Actor "Johnny Depp". 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@qwebb911]

Hey Simon, have you considered doing a biographics about Rosemary Smith? She was a rally driver from Ireland who became the oldest person to do a lap in a F1 car a few years ago. I personally can't say I know much about her, but I'm sure she would be very interesting to have a video about!

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:50 - Chapter 1 - Early years 5:15 - Chapter 2 - Hollywood here i am 7:30 - Mid roll ads 9:00 - Chapter 3 - Sitting in the director's chair 11:50 - Chapter 4 - Murder, most foul 14:15 - Chapter 5 - Who did it and why - Chapter 6 -

[@susannawolfe8743]

Klondike Goldrush was Canadian, Dawson City area of Yukon, not Alaskan. Klondike is a district of the Legislative Assembly of Yukon Canada.

[@Parasiteve]

i will never not laugh at the name "fatty arbuckle" lmao i do feel bad for him and what happened to him. poor dude.

[@kokomo9764]

The girl that was killed in the Arbuckle scandel was really pretty.

[@christinebenson518]

@@kokomo9764 She wasn't killed. She died because she had health problems she didn't try to take care of.

[@PinkyJujubean]

I'd laugh harder if his name was Arby Fatbuckle

[@michaelmadson2817]

He hated that nickname and if anyone called him fatty he would reply with "I have a name you know"

[@BoudicaJ]

Didn’t realise people actually thought things like that were funny

[@armandotalampas4800]

Please make also a video about silent film legend Mabel Normand...

[@spiritchanger]

Imagine pissing your dad off so bad that he sends you to Kansas 💀

[@Ricky_Bobby2314]

Too many suspects to declare who pulled the trigger. They all had a legitimate reason for taking him out but who 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@John-cj6pr]

Simon I know this will be lost in the millions of requests but pleas do a biographics on Aldous Huxley!

[@AlphaGator9]

I truly appreciate your use of "allegedly" when it comes to the rumors of things that took place after his death. Too often people state speculation as fact. SMH

[@daftirishmarej1827]

"madly fond of each other" cracks me up 😂

[@ravertaking6343]

Radu Alexander a Biographics story I would love to see is about a WWI "flying ace" names Raoul Lufberry. I believe he served in the French or British air force. My dad was named after him.

[@VenusDeMilitant]

The very Best book on this subject is "A Cast of Killers" by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick. King Vidor, the famous silent director, solved this mystery quite satisfactorly in this fabulous book.

[@johnmiller8975]

Can confirm, this is an excellent resource.

[@seethevolcane]

Nope. It's just more speculation.

[@travisinthetrunk]

0:36 100 years later it’s grimier than ever.

[@jeromemalenfant6622]

Omitted in this retelling is that while the police were in Taylor's house, before they discovered the bullet hole in Taylor's back, an unknown man came into the house, saying he was a physician. He examined the body and declared that Taylor, who was known to suffer from stomach cramps, had died of a stomach hemorrhage. The man then left and was never seen again. A monogrammed handkerchief found near the body by the police disappeared around the same time. (From 'A Cast of Killers' by Sidney Kirkpatrick)

[@PinkyJujubean]

Nobody names their kid Fanny anymore. Its a darn shame

[@Wildxroses]

It comes from Francis Nobody really gets called Francis anymore either

[@sonyslyer9946]

Give us George Carlin, pleaseeeee! I love all your videos and seeing a Carlin video in the future would be amazing! Truly a voice and person that deserves recognition

[@TheBLGL]

For what? Copying Lenny Bruce? Climate change denial?

[@sonyslyer9946]

@@TheBLGL 👀 you seem to be a little upset man. You okay?

[@Dank-gb6jn]

AYYYEEE another fan!! Together, we’ll get Simon to make a Carlin doc.

[@sonyslyer9946]

@@Dank-gb6jn yes!

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@sonyslyer9946 ignore the haters my friend, we’ve got all the power. A vocal minority can’t outweigh the silent majority who keep the likes flowing!

[@shanewilliams9122]

The novel Tinsletown is a good book on the subject

[@Gamerdad8787]

Very good video you should do dw Griffith next since his story is quite the fascinating one

[@davidhiatt1486]

Boy, I wish Biographics got as much attention as Casual Criminalist. I'd way rather hear more facts on a hero than the tragic details of a psychopath.

[@Booka60]

Towards the end you pointed out Mary Miles Minter, then showed a obvious photo of Mary Pickford. If you ever hear the tapes of MMM, and learn of her Mothers previous insane gun threats (a number of times, to a number of people) the killer isn't so mysterious. I adore you Simon, and can't stand to think you would lie or mislead me. Best Regards.

[@yankee9niner400]

The former butler vanished after the murder and was never seen again. Upon hearing hooves don't think of zebras and all that.

[@kittymervine6115]

King Vidor and Colleen Moore (the actress), decided to investigate this later in life. There is a almost non fiction book about their investigation, romance, and conclusions.

[@arlenedavis5770]

"almost"

[@s3ymour]

How about a video on William Dudley Pelley?

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

Once knew a Bill Taylor and he was a drunk. Never knew a William Desmond Taylor who was a prestigious actor. Difference in name really.

[@footnotedrummer]

One question.... is Lume (the commercial that likely played for all of us before this video) eatable? I'm mean... this is really the important question, no? LOL

[@daithipol]

You don't get many British accents in Carlow, 😉

[@1231crazykiller]

I would love to see a video about some wrestlers like Chris Benoit, Bruno Sammartino...

[@openeyz]

Hollywood is tame now compared to back then .

[@laurabustos6560]

Wow, posted 4 min ago! I caught a super fresh whichever one of Simon's many, many, many channels this is!🤣🆒🤣👍

[@Dank-gb6jn]

Humbly requesting George Carlin. A comedian and satirist who oftentimes hit the nail more than just on the head; and whose bits were infinitely more than just satire. The guy was a comedian, satirist, begrudged philosopher, and even the narrative voice of Thomas the Train.

[@TheBLGL]

🙄 Maybe they don’t want to highlight a climate change denier.

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@TheBLGL so that’s a good reason to deny a once in a generation individual from a Biographics video? What a crock. You’re like the people who claim Carlin doesn’t deserve a video because he was an Atheist, or a supposed communist, or a whole host of other excuses. Gimme a break with the “Green New Deal” crap.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

It seems he doesn't respond to comments...maybe try to talk to one of the writers ?

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@ignitionfrn2223 heh, he responded to one of these comments a hot while ago when I was posting them on like *all* of his channels. As for the writers, I don’t know them 😂

[@littleblackduck3134]

This is the 2nd Carlin request in the comments HBO has a nice documentary about him we could watch

[@PresidentAutumn]

I think you should do more golden age Hollywood actors and actresses, like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Cary Grant. Also more US Presidents need to be done, most especially Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.

[@MarkRoss-er4yq]

I’d love see a video on Marlon Brando or Rudolph Valentino ❤️❤️

[@walterblock5082]

Why? The more obscure the better, those you listed have too much about them already.

[@dylanthepickle6428]

@@walterblock5082 I like these more obscure videos.

[@dylanthepickle6428]

He has done a video on 25 Presidents. That’s pretty good so what are you complaining about? SMH

[@sandybarnes887]

He did Lincoln 2 years ago on Today I Found Out

[@constantinostsoudis3392]

Do one of Aristotle Onassis

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@austinsullivan5225]

You should do Philippe Petan! I love the WW2 videos

[@TheMightyDevilLuis]

Could you do Sasaki Kojiro in the future please?

[@MandatoryFruit]

I'm surprised to hear that he didn't seem like that bad of a guy. Just someone who had a hard time with commitment because of his asshole father. Sucks to hear his fate. Side note: As a Nova Scotia resident, it was really cool to hear that he visited the province. Don't know why, we just don't get much attention.

[@hanndonfield91]

Edison didn't even invent the motion picture camera louis le prince did, the film industry moved from new Jersey to Hollywood due to lightning issues, and taylor only had one stint as a miner not two and no mention that at one point he was gravely ill from a bug he picked up touring with a theatre troupee which gave him his big break as a bit player

[@Biographics]

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/BIOGRAPHICS for 10% off on your first purchase.

[@donovankriasol]

Love from México Simon! 🇲🇽🙋‍♂️

[@BP-dn9nv]

I couldn't help but laugh at that ghost stunt. I know it was kind of sad that they were willing to go so far but still that's just so stupid!

[@Hamzakhan-dt3gv]

Interesting video

[@rahley6572]

please do morgan freeman . denzel washington and robert oppeinheimer

[@ericwarmath1091]

Do a biography on james brown.

[@spiritchanger]

This one right here 🔥

[@lioness7582]

i asked my mother years ago when i was about 20 if she knew anything about Fatty Arbuckle.She said everyone she knew in yhe 40s all said he raped Virginia with a coke bottle,now all these years later i feel so awful for Arbuckle, with people thinking that really happened,he should have sued the woman at the party for saying he raped Virginia.

[@keithhammerman6235]

I dig a pymie, by Charles Hawtry and the deaf-aids. Phase 1, in which Doris gets her oats!

[@plinkitee]

Just a nitpick: in the quote from the DA at 16:35, "blackguard" should actually be "blaggard" which means "scoundrel"

[@jazzbo13]

A black guard is an unscrupulous person. One who behaves in a dishonorable way.

[@twocvbloke]

Ah hollywood scandals, they never seem to bring any new surprises to the table even to this day... :P

[@agateplanet]

So many suspects. Nothing conclusive. Q.E.D: It was an alien, a ghost or the ghost of an alien. Case closed. Thank you Simon. I have learned so much from viewing your channels. It has honed my logical instincts beyond that which I imagined possible.

[@joezephyr]

Phillip Petain! Phillip Petain! Phillip Petain!

[@ryanatkinson2978]

This dude looks like Odo from Deep Space 9

[@franciscojose6496]

Well no doubt of course classic channel congratulation interesting information

[@heatherporterfield7343]

Cool !!!!!!

[@darrenangus6919]

Laural and Hardy full story would be great to hear

[@josephkmeyer5178]

I’m wondering if you all would ever be willing to do one on Governor George Wallace? I think his trip from moderate to the face of segregation, his presidential campaign and assassination attempt, all the way back to moderate is an interesting story. Just how chasing the vote and populism can change someone for the worse.

[@samwamm85]

They'd begun experimenting with a prop that would produce a small blast alongside the gun so that from the right angle it would appear that the gun had fired. The gun itself wasn't supposed to be loaded at this time but a round had been mistakingly left in the firing chamber. Unexpectedly the flare charge exploded both forwards and backwards since it was now sat in a metal pipe rather than the firework mortar launcher it was designed for. The reverse blast injured the hand of the person firing the gun but also caused the gun to fire shooting the bullet into the victim's back. The work hand now realizing the situation they were in, quickly escaped out the back turning up later as part of the movie crew. Soon after another person sneaked into the back of the house as they often did and found the dead man there. Having somewhat lost their composure now they accidentally left out the front of the house instead of the back, being the person that was witnessed. It had been intended for the person who entered around the back to meet with the two after they tested the prop. That's why there was only a very short time between the work hand leaving and the other arriving as they were already on their way before the event. The person that was seen exiting the house did pass by another person on the street who greeted them as "Nicky" in passing as they walked by. It's unclear whether Nicky is a male or female or even whether the word was used a slur and not actually their name.

[@WittyOriginalUsername]

Never read that anywhere. What’s the source? I even read a whole book about the murder and never heard about a “prop” incident. In his home?

[@WittyOriginalUsername]

Also how the hell would a flare fired from a FIREWORK MORTAR, be hidden, and made to look like a gunshot coming from the gun the actor was holding?? That’s like using a grenade to fake a small fire cracker going off.

[@samwamm85]

@@WittyOriginalUsername i don't think you understand the wording i was using. flare has more than 1 definition and so does mortar. also a small pipe alongside the barrel would easily hide it. a blast from which if leaked backward could fire a bullet depending on the type of gun used.

[@elkeraaijmakers4276]

Yes!!!! Another Simon Whistler episode!

[@kevinbergin9971]

Margaret Gibson angle always sounded interesting to me. But, as they said in Titanic, "An actress boss."

[@jamesmartin6050]

Future Video suggestion - Eamon DeValera (1882-1975) - prominent political leader in 20th century Ireland who, after the Irish war of independence from 1919 to 1921, was in the public eye for over forty years from 1922 until his death were he served as head of government (Taoiseach) and head of state (president). He was nearly executed in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was key in putting into place the new constitution on 1937. A very prominent figure in Irish history.

[@ethanramos4441]

And it’s most controversial as some people consider him a villain

[@rami_ungar_writer]

Has anyone made a mystery novel based on this guy's murder?

[@TheMattTrakker]

Still a cesspool.

[@radas92]

I'm enjoying listening to your videos , however I find some of them inaccurate or lacking some important information . For example in video about Trotsky you've pertained him as a very average character , not too cruel not too positive . In fact he was behind creating infamous CheKa , organisation which murdered thousands of civilians across USSR . I'm not hating it's just my opinion

[@agamemnom]

he's a spitting image for the actor Garwin Sanford!!!

[@pistongreg]

Can you do a bio on Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratton?

[@v.emiltheii-nd.8094]

Ceausescu when?

[@chrisyanover1777]

I still will campaign for a Biographics on Vince McMahon, now former CEO of the WWE. He has a fascinating story with tons of salacious details and controversy.

[@JohnnySturdivant]

Man, I’ve been haunted by this story since the Ghoul Boyz told this story it’s tragic and intriguing

[@fidelio9301]

Pier Paolo Pasolini next?

[@donsandsii4642]

White Pass and Yukon railroad good subject for Mega Projects

[@conorbannon5024]

This yearis the 100 anniversary of the death of Micheal Collins. Irelands greatest patriot. Would be appropriate to do a video on him. I'll keep asking till I get one 🤣

[@michaelpipkin9942]

Yo. If you are a server or a bartender or a busser, treat everyone like they are a VIP. Treat everyone as if they are Brad Pitt or a homeless person. They both get the same level of respect. Your movie star guest will appreciate it and the homeless guy will appreciate it. Promise.

[@secularbelt]

F that. Be cordial at first, then treat guest accordingly. If not guests will treat you like servants, not servers

[@VintageVera]

Olive Thomas' death wasn't mysterious. She accidentally swallowed poison.

[@tabulldog2743]

Do Bob Crane!

[@taygang8068]

What is a feminine walk? Like I’m seriously asking is there a difference unless a girl is switching or something?