Customer Reviews:
Evidence.......2007-07-03
The Black Dahlia is the iconic name of the Urban myth and legend that has filled the Tabloids for several generations. Yet underneath the horrific exploitation is the story of a beautiful vibrant young woman who came of age during WWII, one of the many heydays of Hollywood where the murder took place. Elizabeth Short (the real name of the Black Dahlia) was the older childhood friend of the author. The News of the murder came on the night time newscast in an era when there were no grief counselors to turn to for help. The author was haunted by dreams of the murder into her adult life.
At the time Mary Pacios started her research and turned to writing this book I was attempting to be a part of the "new age movement" by going to ashrams and doing yoga. I had seen the author's incredible art work and she asked me to watch a few movies with her as a part of her research. I am aware of some of the work that went into writing this book but I am still amazed at what it covers.
In answer to those who think the author has a faulty conclusion as to the guilty party, let me say that I sometimes watch TV true crime stories when the forensic "experts" say "circumstantial evidence" is how they build their case and there are no "coincidences" such as Scott Peterson being at the Marina on Christmas day, the day of his wife's murder.
The interviews with the LAPD have revealing stories of the era and include information on the "Star System" in Hollywood that used "news protection" to keep a tight grip on information released to the public and might have hampered the case. The cover mesmerizes with the stunning blue eyes of Bette and brings into focus a beautiful person beyond the tabloid victim. Also included is a list with reviews of possible suspects and an extensive list of books and web sites.
What a Trip!.......2007-05-27
I have to say, I never had even a remote idea about the lifestyle of Beth Short, but after reading "Severed" I feel like I know her life so well. Of course, I know that there are definately two sides to every story, and Beth Short aint talking; but, one of the reasons so few people knew facts about her life is because of the fact that she wasn't talking then, either! she was too quiet and standoffish about what was going on in her life when friends and acquiantances tried to talk to her or ask her what was bothering her when it was obvious something was wrong. She just wouldn't share. I certainly had no idea that her lifestyle was so "carefree and trusting of strangers" like she was. She moved around!! Went out on more dates in one month than I did my whole 22nd year! I feel like she used guys a lot, and she finally met one who reacted very harshly. Her murder was such a "hate crime" and talk about overkill! This is a good book. I couldn't put it down.
I kept going back through previous chapters & paragraphs to re-read stuff before even finishing the book. This also sheds some light on how the police worked murder cases back in the day.........talk about not protecting evidence at a murder scene & this sorta "race or challenge" between the cops & the newspaper reporters to see who could solve the mystery first! I recommend this book to anyone who loves good books!
Background Reading ONLY.......2004-12-13
If you're interested in *who* Elizabeth Short was, you might consider reading this book, written by a woman who knew Elizabeth as a child, and who feels Short's reputation needs defending.
There is interesting 'backstory' material in this book -- none of it very well footnoted, which makes follow-up somewhat difficult -- but much that overlaps in one way or another with *Severed* (including whole paragraphs, in peculiarly stiff prose, that are identical, leading a close reader to conclude that Pacios cribbed from Gilmore and/or vice-versa).
If you're interested in the crime as such, this book has nothing to offer either as a framework for understanding what happened when, or as a procedural: Pacios' suspect is ludicrous, and she offers nothing remotely like evidence for her assertions. In fact, in some senses this book is a libel perpetrated on one dead person at the same time that it's a (partial) rehabilitation of another dead person -- an inauthenticity of which I'm not sure the author was aware.
Good and sad read.......2003-05-23
I was very impressed with this book. I'm a bit amazed that anyone could judge it as harshly as the people below. Are you sure you read the same book? You guys seem really angry. The info was well documented, so it's difficult to see where you're coming from.
VANITY PRESS HOKUM.......2003-05-11
There are many deceased, great stars of the silver screen often targeted for exploitation, but I can't think of any other that has been accused of murder. This amateur writer has self-published a book that accuses the great film maker Orson Wells of having murdered the Black Dahlia! Seems a recent fad for others to blame their fathers for the murder, but this is the first major star to get tagged. There is no evidence to back up the ridiculous accusation. What we have is vague, circumstantal nonsense no doubt pieced together in this would-be writer's imagination. Also she claims to have been a friend of the Black Dahlia murder victim, but again lacks any concrete proof of this, except to say they lived in the same neighborhood when the author was a child, considerably younger than the Black Dahlia. Usually the most preposterous and unprofessional drivel seems to find a market these days, but even the less reputable publishers seem to have passed on this one. Tyrone Power anyone? Rock Hudson? How about W. C. Fields? But Fields died in 1946, shortly before the Black Dahlia was murdered. If you can blame Orson Wells for murder, does such nit-picking really make a difference in this sort of non-"fiction" writing? Hardly.
Average customer rating:
- waste of time
- Black Dahlia
- Black and blue
- Black Dahlia
- The book was better.
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The Black Dahlia
James Ellroy
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0446698873 |
Book Description
On January 15, 1947, the tortured body of a beautiful young woman was found in a vacant lot in Hollywood. Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, a young Hollywood hopeful, had been brutally murdered. Her murder sparked one of the greatest manhunts in California history.In this fictionalized treatment of a real case, Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard, both LA cops obsessed with the Black Dahlia, journey through the seamy underside of Hollywood to the core of the dead girl's twisted life."Passionate, violent, frustrating...imaginative and bizarre." (Los Angeles Times)"Building like a symphony, this is a wonderful, complicated, but accessible tale of ambition, insanity, passion and deceit." (Publishers Weekly)
Customer Reviews:
waste of time.......2007-09-05
I listened to the whole thing, the plot was complicated and illogical. Big disappointment, but I'm more disappointed in myself for not stopping the audiobook and returning it to the library before I wasted any more of my time.
Black Dahlia.......2007-08-27
Please, don't pay attention to 4 star's customer's review. The book is boring. I've read such better books than this one and they don't make the movies - I don't understand why. My first Ellroy's book is probably the last one.
Black and blue.......2007-06-01
In 'book noir' circles, the very stylish Ellroy is cult king - there surely is nobody quite like him. Hard to believe that he didn't actually live through the real-life experience of the infamous Black Dahlia murder of 1947 but Ellroy himself wasn't born until 1948. He dedicated this masterpiece to his mother, who was murdered in LA in 1958, her killer never being found. Perhaps this defining moment in the writer's life is the key to his obsession about those dark days of crime and corruption (on both sides of the law) in the twilight years of Hollywood's Golden Age.
As a background, Ellroy himself was a young man haunted by his mother's ghost; he became a thief, an alcoholic, a drug abuser and a sexual pervert who became notorious as a peeping Tom fixated on women's underwear. He broke into people's houses, he stole stuff, things like food and lingerie. He served time in jail. He declared himself to be a Nazi to get a rise out of people. Thankfully he eventually channelled his energies into writing, and what a gift he has given us.
This first of the author's famed 'LA Quartet' is based on the notorious murder of the young, beautiful and promiscuous Elizabeth Short, who has been found cut in half, disemboweled and bearing evidence that she had been tortured for several days before dying. Dubbed "The Black Dahlia" by the press, the victim becomes an obsession for two LAPD cops, narrator Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and his partner, Lee Blanchard, both ex-boxers who also happen to be best friends and in love with the same woman. Despite a huge and highly publicised investigation, things go nowhere, and Bucky causes himself problems by sleeping with the casually bisexual Madeleine Sprague (daughter of a corrupt real-estate tycoon) who knew "the Dahlia" and slept with her once; he knows he has suppressed vital evidence in the case. With bent cops all around him Bucky fears for his life, but such is his all-consuming obsession with bringing the killer to justice that he eventually sets out on a personal vendetta and painstakingly recreates the last few days of Betty Short's life, eventually digging up new witnesses and evidence that the official investigation failed to discover.
This is a superb mixture of dark fact and even darker fiction, no doubt fuelled by Ellroy's life-long desire to find his own mother's killer and an outstanding example of ambition, insanity, passion and deceit, not to mention sexual obsession, set against the background of a booming, post-war Los Angeles.
Black Dahlia.......2007-05-09
This is undoubtedly one of the worst books that I have ever read. Maybe I just don't like the genre, but I found the book to be convoluted and boring. I even tried to watch the movie, thinking that I just needed a boost. WRONG! It was awful too!
The book was better........2007-03-11
Ugh!
Worst narrator ever. Strange forced affectation and laughable accents and voices. As far as the book is concerned,I read the book a long time ago and enjoyed it for what it was--a mystery/thriller--not a piece of art. I enjoyed the whole trilogy in fact. This narrator is killing it for me though. I wouldn't be able to stand another Ellroy or any author for that matter, with this guy. He might be good in a different genre but this just sounds forced and odd.
I wonder how Ellroy feels about this recording.
Book Description
The Black Dahlia murder hit post-War Los Angeles like a bombshell and this impenetrable mystery was the haunting crown jewel of LAPD's unsolved murders. Even before her savage death, beautiful 22-year old Elizabeth Short, an aspiring starlet and nightclub habitu,, was known as the Black Dahlia. Since her horrible demise, she has become a magnetic icon in American pop culture, a mythical symbol of noir Hollywood. In this new, expanded edition, John Gilmore plumbs to the dark core of this terrifying story that he argues can never be truly solved and delivers to us the real Elizabeth Short, the girl who became the enigmatic Black Dahlia. He ushers the reader into her world and her life in intimate, searing, explosive, first-hand revelations.
The most satisfying and disturbing conclusion to the Black Dahlia case. After reading Severed, I feel like I truly know Elizabeth Short and her killer. -- David Lynch
The most uncanny evocation of LA during and after the war... His portrait of Elizabeth Short as a strange, unknowable somnambulist sleepwalking through that unique junction of time and space is permanently haunting. -- Gary Indiana
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-08-24
Due to the mystery and sensationalism surrounding her murder, Elizabeth Short has been much over-glamorized by both the media and crime buffs alike. In "Severed," John Gilmore does an amazing job of portraying Ms. Short as a real person...warts and all. I've read many works on this case (both fictional and non-fictional) and this is the first one that's left me feeling as if I could relate to Ms. Short as a human being.
I think what I admire most about this book, though, is the author appears to stick to the facts and ONLY the facts. I get the impression that if something wasn't documented and couldn't be verified, Mr. Gilmore elected not to include it.
Unlike some other readers, I feel that Gilmore's theory of who killed Beth Short is probably the most plausible of any I'm aware of. It may not be the sexy revelation we've all been wishing for, but as Freud said, "sometime a cigar is just a cigar."
I agree with VERONICA T... this is the best book on the subject.......2007-05-31
I agree with the previous reader called Veronica T.
This book is by far the best book on the subject of the BLACK DAHLIA, (written thus far). It's the only book written to date, that makes any sense.
I've read other books on this same subject and most of them did not come close. Infact, some other books written on this same subject were down right un-imaginable & unbelievable (eg: some books proposed that the Black Dahlia serial killer was the "father of a known L.A. Police Officer",and this was stated in the other books... without showing many facts,other than a few photos that looked nothing like the Dahlia, etc...).
However, by contrast, the facts in this Gilmore book are very well presented by the author.
An easy book to read.
As I said, it's the best one out there on the subject.
PS: The photos in this Gilmore book are so shocking, so plz beware (gulp!).
A true crime classic.......2007-04-26
Severed is a truly great read. I was totally absorbed into this book. It's a brilliant, genre-breaking transcripted oral history noir, given by those involved, many of whom were still alive at the time, and are taken and crafted in the diffuse light of another less than promising LA Wednesday morning back in January, 1947, before the fog burned-off at about 10:30 AM. Then you could see her nude body, brutally tortured and completely severed at the midriff, drained of all fluids, carefully washed, and posed for the shutter bugs, who always got there first.
The horror over on Norton, north of 39th. Street, south of Coliseum. Formerly Elizabeth Short of Medford, Mass. The paperboys always know the way. You should believe him when he says he saw a car there at six. A black Ford. That's what the morning paperboys know. That's what the morning paperboys did; fold papers and ID cars.
Martin Lewis, the shoe salesman with a story to tell, to me, formed an interior ring of truth, around which Gilmore's other subjects have spun their true stories. That's how you know it's true. A slight return. It chords with something else, and it buzzes in your head...Gilmore has her there, for a moment, the Black Dahlia herself, and then is all but predictably knocked, skidding, off of her real killer's trail, just as his alkie protagonist and anti-hero, Lanky Jack Wilson is suddenly taken from him, and us, deus ex machina.
"A signature sex killing." Ellroy says. I call it the perfect crime. Did Jack Wilson do Elizabeth Short in? No way in Hell. But, no matter. I suspect the real killer is in there, somewhere. Down the list. Lucid, and at times transfixing, written in seemingly effortless prose, and annealed with the inclusion of some truly shocking crime scene photos, this is the best place to start your own search for the killer, who could still be alive and at large. There is no statute of limitiations on the truth when it comes to LA's darkest and most infamous and unsolved murder case.
Best Black Dahlia book out there.. .......2007-04-02
Living in Southern California, I always love reading true crime books with So-Cal historical content. Loved it. The pictures inside are fantastic (some graphic). There are pictures of Elizabeth Short in death and in life. There's also a great map of the Los Angeles area that gives 48 places frequented by Short and mentioned in the book. Some are still in existence too. Map also points out the site of the body discovery.
The best pictures and illustrations I've seen in a true crime book.
It's an exciting read from start to finish. As compared to some other Dahlia books I've read, I think this one gives us a glimpse into Elizabeth Short - the person. It's obvious from reading this book that the author has done extensive research to create the most accurate picture of one of the most haunting unsolved murders in Los Angeles.
I think the author is right on the mark with his theory into the main suspect.
Read this one before the other Dahlia books.
The best out there.......2007-03-02
I wholeheartedly agree...this is tense, good and written without an agenda. Much research has gone into this book..and the writer's style is flawless..
As a true crime book-lover,I say read this one first... then read all the other "Dahlia Theory' books next.. for fun...
Also... Ellroy.. if you like a good, raw novel with typical Ellroy style.
Amazon.com
For 56 years, the Black Dahlia murder case remained one of the most notorious and high-profile unsolved crimes of the 20th century. Now, Steve Hodel, a 24-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, believes he has finally solved the case. On January 15, 1947, 22-year-old Elizabeth Short—"The Black Dahlia"—was found dead in a vacant lot in Los Angeles, her body horribly mutilated, bisected at the waist, and posed in a bizarre manner. The horrific crime shocked the country and commanded headlines for months as the killer taunted the police with notes and phone calls. Despite the massive manhunt, the murderer was never found. Hodel began working on the case after he retired from the LAPD when he chanced upon an intriguing piece of evidence that led him on trail that he had no choice but to follow since it pertained directly to him. As he dug deeper, he came to believe that the killer was also responsible for over a dozen other unsolved murders in the Los Angeles area around the same time. He also found copious evidence of corruption at the LAPD, leading him to accuse the department top brass of covering up the Black Dahlia murder in order to conceal a deeper conspiracy involving crooked politicians and gangsters. Despite a lack of physical evidence (which had been destroyed), Hodel is able to connect numerous dots and make a plausible case, complete with lurid tales of wild orgies that were attended by celebrities such as the artist Man Ray, the director John Huston, and a host of other Hollywood elites. He also discloses his killer's obsession with the Marquis de Sade and Jack the Ripper and how he modeled his own crimes on their behavior. In particular, there is a disturbing connection between the work of Man Ray and the horrific circumstances of Short's murder. It is doubtful that this will be the final word on the Black Dahlia murder—too much myth surrounds it and much of his evidence is circumstantial--but Hodel's labyrinthine tale adds much to this intriguing case. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
In 1947, California's infamous Black Dahlia murder inspired the largest manhunt in Los Angeles history. Despite an unprecedented allocation of money and manpower, police investigators failed to identify the psychopath responsible for the sadistic murder and mutilation of beautiful twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Short. Decades later, former LAPD homicide detective-turned-private investigator Steve Hodel launched his own investigation into the grisly unsolved crime -- and it led him to a shockingly unexpected perpetrator: Hodel's own father.
A spellbinding tour de force of true-crime writing, this newly revised edition includes never-before-published forensic evidence, photos, and previously unreleased documents, definitively closing the case that has often been called "the most notorious unsolved murder of the twentieth century."
Customer Reviews:
Less than one star.......2007-09-18
Just imagine you could fall down and die at any moment. You do not want this to be the last book you ever read. Give this one a wide berth.
A gripping portrait of murder and madness and a son's search for the truth.......2007-09-02
This was one of the most fascinating "true crime" books I've ever read. Not only does it provide an insider look at Hollywood in the post-war years, it was psychologically fascinating as a portrait of a modern day monster and the son who sought truth for the victims. I found the story horrific and what drew me to the story was not just one of the oldest murder mysteries from Hollywood, but also why a man who had reconciled with his distant father, would want to pursue such ugly truth and reveal the dark secrets of his family. An absolute must read!
Well, I believe the conclusion...........2007-07-09
There's a ton of reviews here, so I'll cut the plot synopsis to the quick.
The author finds two photographs of Elizabeth Short -- the victim in the Black Dahlia murders -- in his father's possessions. Now, the author is an ex-LAPD detective and launches his own investigation into the crime and comes to the conclusion that his father was the killer.
In order of proof there are a number of conclusions that come to light.
1. There was a cover-up of the crime in terms of distruction of evidence and basically nobody gives a hoot about this case inside the LAPD anymore (This one seems awfully clear to me)
2. His father was a suspect in the case (documents did come to light that showed this)
3. His father was a nasty piece of work -- and had even nnastier friends (again, clear)
4. His father was being "protected" through freinds in the corrupt LA/LAPD at the time (again, fairly clear, if not for this murder for something)
Now his also concludes....
5. His father was the prime suspect in the murder (harder to say since much evidence is missing)
6. His father and an accomplish actually committed the murders (now a LOT of the other reviews take issue with this. I'll say its at least a case where the circumstantial evidence the remained and was also uncovered fits the theory -- along with the outside expertise, such as handwriting analysis, that Hodel was able to bring in)
7. His father was a serial killer of possibly dozens of victims. (on this last one Hodel even admits that some assignments are tenuous. I felt that he threw every murder at his dad and tried to make them stick here).
The book was detailed -- examined the evidence as well as could be -- and the conclusion was plausible enough to me. I found it pursuasive.
Read it yourself for your own opinion though. The block for it being 5 starts to me was the attempt at the end to bring in every unrelated murder.
Even if you aren't convinced of Hodel's father's guilt, you will take away a portrait of LA in the post-WWII era through the image of a very disturbed member of the LA decadent elite.
A Great Read to Say the Least.......2007-05-08
Steve Hodel has a masterful grasp of prose. The story unfolds clearly and elegantly without being tawdry. His talents as a writer are manifest and his skill as a careful investigator are obvious. From the first page the story is interesting and, although the reader knows where it's leading, it becomes more and more engrossing because of his able narrative. The people involved are all intriguing, making the story all the more intriguing. Hodel deserves a standing ovation for coherently relating a nearly unbelievable set of events with neither ranting exaggeration nor sparing himself exposure of the most embarrassing family incidents.
Wander Lust.......2007-04-05
Hodel's book is often disjoined and poorly organized; however, the subject matter is facinating. Although many of the theories are not based in fact, the conjecture gives alternative explainations not explored in the original case. I would advise a reader to read this book when you are able to sit down and digest the material. Overall, Hodel's novel covers a facinating subject with style and content.
Book Description
Bridging the worlds of high art and true crime, Exquisite Corpse presents a unique perspective on the most notorious unsolved murder case of the twentieth century--the bizarre 1947 killing of Elizabeth Short, better known as the Black Dahlia murder.Unlike previous books on the Black Dahlia, Exquisite Corpse provides a detailed and compelling explanation for the unusual nature of this gruesome killing. Exquisite Corpse reveals, through visual comparisons and historical research, what seem to be profound connections between surrealist art and the Black Dahlia case--both before and after the murder. The evidence includes startling crime-scene and autopsy photographs of Elizabeth Short, rarely seen photographs by Man Ray, and surprising comparisons with a wide range of surrealist artworks. A +web of connections+ indicates a direct link or one degree of separation between the alleged killer and a host of influential people in the arts and film industry in Los Angeles in the 1930s and 40s. A timeline provides a revealing chronology of events surrounding the murder.Exquisite Corpse is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime, art history, Hollywood noir, and the infamous Black Dahlia case.
Customer Reviews:
Strange, Yet Convincing.......2007-01-15
This unusual book argues that the killer of Elizabeth Short aka the Black Dahlia was a Surrealist who worked on the Hollywood scene. It does provide a surprisingly convincing case that the killer was a member of a particular artistic school that had a particularly strong influence on the movies of the time.
The book is very well illustrated with ghastly photos from the crime scene and is recommended to all true crime buffs.
SURREALIST SIGNATURES.......2006-11-12
KUDOS TO MARK AND SARAH. As relates to the Nelson/Bayliss EXQUISITE CORPSE: SURREALISM AND THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, I would like to add my heartfelt appreciation and high praise for their outstanding research, dedication and documentation. I believe their independent and academic investigation, adds mountains of evidence to my original lay/foundational thesis that suggested surrealism and its art were the key to the DAHLIA crime signatures. Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss have connected the dots and the people and presented them for all of us to see. They have taken the long silent voices of those who knew (or suspected) and by holding up their works (riddles wrapped in mysteries)--HAVE MADE THEM SPEAK!
Steve Hodel
Los Angeles
Amazing, actually.......2006-11-11
I was aware of the Black Dahlia murder as one of those notorious, super-mediafied events that was big enough to sorta stay in the public conciousness through the years. It's incredible to me that, after all this time, there is still stuff to discover about the murder. And one might be inclined to say why bother dwelling on it? And, for me, the answer is that this book is about something much more interesting than just the murder: it's about the connection between the murder, the murderer, surrealist art, and some of the major artists of the 20th century. The author's arguments are convincing and the connections they surface are -- to me -- amazing. It says a lot about art and the culture of artists. As an artist myself, I find this particularly interesting.
I read some of the other reviews of this book. I think it'd be best if people who review a book have actually READ the book. Nobody would read this book and give it only 1 star. Even if you don't like the subject, you can't deny that the authors have approached the subject soberly, argue their points well, and that the research/images/writing are good. This is no shrill, sensational supermarket pulp product. It's a good read and an *interesting* read on many levels.
I learned some new things about art, artists, culture and the experience was wrapped in a remarkable bit of art-historian sleuthing about one of the most grisly, notorious murders ever. The fact that one of the most horrific murders in US history was actually part of a dialogue with a major movement in 20th century art is, well, amazing...
I recommend the book. Read it and you'll know what i mean.
Rotten.......2006-10-16
I can't see anyone finding much value in this book except the kind of people who enjoy looking at pictures of mutilated dead bodies. Even that group ought to save their money, as the photos here have probably already been scanned and posted all over the internet by now, thanks to the more industrious members of that particular club. What little else there is of this book hardly bears mentioning. It amounts to little more than a poorly organized magazine article attempting to connect an almost random selection of art works to the crime. Sort of throw back to the old-time practice of dressing up prurient material as "educational," I suppose.
Life imitating art imitating death........2006-10-03
The book attempts tie together surrealistic art and the death of Elizabeth Short. It does an ok job of that. The book seems to be more about the art work created by people like Man Ray then it is about the murder of Elizabeth Short. It offers loose comparisons of death portrayed in art. The book gives examples of many Surrealistic artists of the day and a short biography of their work for those who aren't familiar with their work. It also attempts to familiarize people with the idea of surrealistic art. The book is less about the details of the murder and more about the theory of surrealism in the thought process of the murderer and the possible artistic motivational factors behind it.
The mystery's behind the death of Elizabeth Short have been who killed her and why was she posed in that position, was it to imitate art perhaps so otherwise why cut the body the way it was and position it in that manor. The book does go into some detail about the art Scene in Los Angeles at the time of the murder and it's influence on the art scene afterwards. It asks questions like why was the body cut in half, perhaps to imitate existing pieces of art work including Man Rays Minotaur.
The book is nicely put together there are a lot of photos that I had not seen before and a lot of comparison artwork to support the books theory. It's a quick read but interesting read if you buy into the theory that Elizabeth Short died so that a macabre art work could be created.
If you like Crime scene photography or photos of the Elizabeth Short murder then this is a 4 star book. It you are looking for the facts behind the murder then this is about a 2 start book. If you are looking for surrealistic art then it's also about a 4 star book.
Book Description
In 1946, movie star wannabe Elizabeth Short traveled to Hollywood to become famous and see her name up in lights. Instead, the dark-haired beauty became immortalized in the headlines as the "Black Dahlia" when her nude and bisected body was discovered in the weeds of a vacant lot. Despite the efforts of more than 400 police officers, homicide investigators, and the arrest of numerous suspects, the heinous crime was never solved.
Now, after endless speculation, theories, and false claims, bestselling author Donald H. Wolfe discovers startling new evidence and reveals the shocking secrets of the sealed autopsy -- buried in the files of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office for more than half a century. Furthermore, Wolfe discloses that the brutal murder of Elizabeth Short was the work of one of the most notorious mob leaders of the era, a brazen playboy known for his explosive temper and pathological bouts of violence -- Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.
How did this ordinary young woman from Medford, Massachusetts, end up the victim of Los Angeles's most powerful political and criminal elements? Wolfe evokes the time, place, and converging circumstances that led her down a tangled trail to her death. Desperate for cash and showbiz connections, Short entered a labyrinthine world of Syndicate-run clubs, brothels, casinos, and other shady velvet rope operations that catered to Hollywood's elite and preyed on naive, ambitious beauties such as herself. Soon after she took a job with Madam Brenda Allen's call-girl ring, which fell within Bugsy Siegel's vice-map, Short found herself involved with the most powerful political figure in the city, the mogul who ran Los Angeles -- Norman Chandler. Wolfe discovers that the real trouble began when Short became pregnant with his child.
In recounting the whole noir tale in The Black Dahlia Files, Wolfe not only reveals the motive behind the murder and identifies the killer and his accomplices, but also shrewdly unravels the large-scale cover-up behind the case. With the aid of more than 150 archival photos, news clippings, and investigative reports, Wolfe documents the riveting untold story that stands apart from all other works on the Black Dahlia case and casts a far wider net -- implicating practically an entire city and Hollywood way of life in the murder of an aspiring starlet.
Wolfe's extensive research, based on the evidence he discovered in the recently opened LADA files on the murder, make The Black Dahlia Files the authoritative work on the mystery that has drawn endless scrutiny but remained unsolved -- until now.
Customer Reviews:
A Dahlia fan must read.......2007-07-07
As a long-time researcher of the Black Dahlia case I have read everything that is published and a ton of unpublished work about the crime, the victim and the many hypotheses on the case. This book will give you a deep look into the Los Angeles arena in which the victim lived and died. You will learn about the mob scene in 1940's Los Angeles and be able to come to a few of your own conclusions about what may have happened on that fateful day in January 1947. As a research tool, it is indispensable and will surely help me in my endeavors.
Elizabeth Short - May you rest in peace.
The Black Dahlia Files: Gruesome murder; corrupt LAPD; Mobsters galore is covered in t his excellent book .......2007-06-02
The most macabre murder in LA occurred in January, 1947. The murdered person was Elizabeth Short. Elizabeth was a raven headed beauty from Medoford, Mass. Her murder has been the subject of countless media articles; films and tons of books. As of this date her murder is still offically unsolved. The case is cold and what really happened to this tragic lost soul is still the subject of heated debate among Dahlia buffs.
Into this mix add the new book "The Black Dahlia Files" by native Angeleno Donald H. Wolfe. Wolfe was a young man at the time of the murder. He injects into his narrative his feelings at the time of the horrific murder. He also, more importantly, has given a very plausible scenario for the perpetrators of the foul homicide.
Wolfe concludes that:
a. Elizabeth was murdered in a mob hit by the infamous Bugsy Siegel who was having a turf war for the vice trade in LA with a longtime mafia opponent, Bugsy had accomplices including an abortion doctor who severed the young beauty's body in two.
b. Elizabeth was likely pregnant at the time of her murder. Wolfe speculates that the father was Norman Chandler the owner/publisher of the LA Times who was in cahoots with the corrupt LA police department in covering up various nefarious activities in Los Angeles.
The book is profusely illustated with coroner's inquest testimony; pictures of the chief characters in the sleazy drama and includes a thick bibliography. Wolfe has done his homework. His theory is plausible to this reviewer. This is one of the better tomes on the Black Dahlia murder. It will keep you turning pages.
I wanted to read about Black Dahlia but I got All these Unrelated Stories...........2007-03-13
Well, I was really really undecided whether to get the fictional version of Black Dahlia or this book. Then I figured, I wanted to read about facts. So, I chose this book instead but it was a disappointment. Not much about Black Dahlia but all these other stories about Bugsy, etc. It was interesting to find out about the LAPD, corruptions, and the newspaper companies at that time but all I really wanted was the story about Black Dahlia. So there, I thought Mr. Wolfe was all over the place and not really concentrating on the main subject matter of this book....
Black Dahlia - Review/Comment.......2007-01-19
I found that this book was most fasinating and the most plausible answer as to the murder of Elizabeth Short, AKA the Black Dahlia. I also learned that she got this name from all of the trendy bars she visited and worked at as a B-Girl.
When I first heard of the murder of the Black Dahlia, I thought she was a sweet and innocent girls like most would think victims are. Though I soon came to realize she was very, very close to a prostitue and that she was indeed pregnant before she was murdered. The killer tried to cover her c-zection up by bisecting her in half. In the book they say the murderer was a doctor, and behind it was Bugsy Seigel. A boss-like person to Elizabeth Short.
She did try to get away from it all. She tried to flee but she made a vital mistake, going back to L.A.. I am guessing she did not want an abortion but was then forced to have one and murdered in the process. Than that the 'sacred setting' of her body was a cover up. Trying to make it a psychopathic murder.
I really enjoyed this book as well as the documentations. It was very informative and kept the reader on the tips of his/hers toes. I was very, very glad to have stummbled upon in.
Thank you Mr. Wolfe.
A HEARTBREAKER!!!.......2007-01-17
"She'd come into our drugstore frequently. She'd usually wear one of those two-piece beaching costumes, which left her midriff bare. Or she'd wear black lacy things. Her hair was jet black and she liked to wear it high. She was popular with the men who came in and they usually called her `The Black Dahlia'"
"Each time she would be gone for the day or two saying that she was going to hitch a ride downtown to Sixth Street. Upon her return, she was always loaded with money and would pay all her bills."
I felt for Elizabeth Short. I felt for her poverty and what she thought she had to do to get money, with hopes of seeing her names in lights and eventually becoming a move star.
I sense that most of these young girls when starting out never imagined what they were in for until it was too late and they stared danger in the face. But these girls wanted the same as all others, love, acceptance family and marriage no doubt. It is just that they chose a different way which might have seen easier and more lucrative at first; then they saw the dead end; literally.
What I would like to know though is why did these rich guys that courted her never had the presence of mind to help Elizabeth Short with her dental work. She must have gone through so much stress having to put Paraffin candles on the parts of her teeth that has gone bad. (I know someone who put White correction fluid on theirs as a temporary measure until they got to the dentist.)
This true story was well told but I cannot help the heavy feeling of sadness for her, and especially her mother who seemed a strong woman holding everything in. If these greedy men in higher echelons wanted to get rid of her so badly, so that shame would not be reflected on them, they should have paid her a good sum to get lost in Australia or some part of Europe, and that would have done her well, I'm sure. Why did they have to cut her up like that?
I sincerely hope that young women will read this book and be cautious in their journeys to other states looking for stardom.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 16/01/07)
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Nora Roberts In the Garden CD Collection: Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, Red Lily (In the Garden)
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 1423323149
Release Date: 2007-05-29 |
Book Description
A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…
Blue Dahlia: Young widow Stella Rothchild, along with her two energetic little boys, has moved back to her roots in southern Tennessee - and into her new life at Harper House and In the Garden nursery. She finds a nurturing friendship with Roz and with expectant mother Hayley. And she discovers a fierce attraction with ruggedly handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge. But someone isn't happy about the budding romance…the Harper Bride.
Black Rose: A widow with three grown sons, Rosalind Harper survived a disastrous second marriage, and built her In the Garden nursery from the ground up. Hired to investigate Roz's Harper ancestors, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie finds himself just as intrigued with Roz herself. As they begin to unravel the puzzle of the Harper Bride's identity, Roz is shocked to find herself falling for the fascinating genealogist.
Red Lily: Hayley Phillips has found a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend... But Hayley's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own.
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- black Dahlia
- Black Dahlia
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Black Dahlia (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)
Mel Odom
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 0761512136
Release Date: 1998-02-25 |
Book Description
Complete and detailed sleuth-through
Breakdown of all characters and their motives
Solutions to every dark and demented puzzle
Quick Trip walkthrough for players in a hurry
Hands-on resource to keep track of all clues
About the Author
Mel Odom is the author of many Prima electronic game books including Zork Grand Inquisitor: Unauthorized Game Secrets, Nightmare Creatures: The Official Strategy Guide and Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!: The Official Strategy Guide.
Customer Reviews:
black Dahlia.......1999-03-02
The best game
Black Dahlia.......1999-03-02
The best game
Book Description
It is one of the most enduringly fascinating crimes in American history. On January 15, 1947, passersby made a grisly discovery in a vacant lot in Los Angeles: the body of a naked young woman, cut in two, and savagely mutilated. The victim was identified as Elizabeth Short, a struggling Hollywood actress. Nicknamed the Black Dahlia by a headline-hungry press, her lurid demise sparked a desperate manhunt. But the mystery of the Black Dahlia murder remained unsolved for nearly half a century -- until now.
A victim of incest and brutality from infancy, Janice Knowlton was an old hand at repressing hideous memories by age ten, when she watched her father, George Frederick Knowlton, torture, kill, and dismember Elizabeth Short in the detached garage of their California home. It was not the first of Daddy's murders Jon had witnessed, and it would not be the last -- but she had been so traumatized that it took over four decades for fragments of her memory to resurface. Aided by a family counselor specializing in child abuse, Jan experienced a nightmare flood of childhood memories -- and realized that she had witnessed her father commit up to nine savage and sadistic murders, including that of her own infant son, a child of incest. Using census records, maps, family interviews, police reports, and clippings from a dozen newspapers to document her searing memories, Janice exposes her father's thirty-year rampage of rope and murder in this astonishing survivor's testament -- and provides persuasive evidence that Los Angeles low enforcement authorities always knew the shocking truth...
Customer Reviews:
Poor Janice.......2007-03-15
I can not say this book was well written. It did way too much skipping around to hold my concentration. I usually will finish a book of this size in one day. It took me over a week to finish this story. It also appeared that Janice wanted to use catchy phrases,throughout the book, that just backfired. I do belive Janice had the most horrible of childhoods, and did truely belive her daddy WAS the black dahlia killer. I pray Janice finds the peace in death that she never had in life.
The Devil in Disguise.......2007-02-13
Even though "Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer" is a good read the reader will have the tendency of getting lost about what the book is all about. The author goes into great detail describing the family ties of Janice Knowlton. After an exhaustive description of the family members, the author then describes, again, comprehensively the psychological misgivings of Janice Knowlton. This would have been not only interesting and important information if the author had not extensively described both subjects. The extensive exhaustive family descriptions and psychological misgivings make the reader feel as if he or she was reading a Professional Manual in the study of Genealogy and Psychology.
However, after getting out of that forest of Professional Manuals, the reader is able to get back in to what the story is all about. It is interesting and sad at the same time the Los Angeles police department at the time botched the investigation in such a way that not even the evidence provided by Janice Knowlton closed the case.
The reader is led to believe someone or something made sure the case would never be solved. The Los Angeles police refused to make the Black Dahlia file open to the public for scrutiny and perhaps find out why the case has never been solved despite the extensive and credible evidence provided by Janice Knowlton.
The story has various graphic and gut-wrenching parts which makes one think why didn't someone stopped the grotesque, devilish, unbelievable, and animalistic actions against human beings by Janice Knowlton's father. The reader will not be able fathom how a human being is able to perform such atrocious devilish acts.
I recommend the book with the reservation that children and adolescents do not have access to it.
Delusional.......2006-10-16
This is one of the worse books I've ever read. This poor woman needed to believe that the abuse she suffered had to be connected to a greater evil. It simply doesn't make sense in connection with the case. Add to it the fact that she was bipolar and eventually committed suicide- I think anything this woman said was warped by her own need to validate her experiences.
Gutsy, touching, true..........2006-09-16
I can't believe the negative reviews of this book. I read it a few years ago and it has haunted me ever since. (I believe I wrote a positive, earlier review.) The recent movie about the subject is based on James Ellroy's novel, which I did not enjoy anywhere near as much as this truly amazing horror tale. I completely believed the author; it was a great story; it was a terrifying, disturbing story, and it all made (and still makes) sense to me. I found it a great read - one of the best "true crime" books available, and I support Janice Knowlton's coming forward with an incredibly tragic story. Yes, it all adds up, including the fact that her father and Elizabeth Short came from Medford; and I was in agreement that it's possible her father was the Boston Strangler, too, since he was living in Medford and commuting to the neighborhood where the stranglings took place...at the time that they did. Everyone from Boston knows Albert DeSalvo was probably not the Strangler. I can't imagine why this story is not taken more seriously. It could be that people need the killer to be a physician or person from the Hollywood community....not a "common" serial killer no one's ever heard much about. I highly recommend this book, and I just wanted Ms. Knowlton to know that I still think about her and wish her all the best...she deserves it.
Dreadful fantasies of a very mentally ill woman.......2006-09-11
This is a worthless book as regards the Black Dahlia case. It could serve as an example of the damaging effects of "recovered memories", that is, encouraging confabulation in someone already mentally ill. The author eventually committed suicide.
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THE BLACK DAHLIA
JAMES ELLROY
Manufacturer: MYSTERIOUS PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Ellroy, James
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ASIN: B000KPTZI8 |
Product Description
The flawed boxer-turned-lawman becomes obsessed with L.A.'s notorious unsolved 1947 torture-murder case, as well as the secret life of his missing partner, Lee Blanchard. Hoye proves a fine match for Ellroy's hardboiled prose, shuttling easily between hard and soft tones, crystallizing Bleichert's mix of cynicism, confusion, hurt and rage. Set in booming postwar Los Angeles, this tale of ambition, deceit and obsession builds to symphonic proportions. Throughout, Hoye skillfully modulates his narration to distinctly render each charactercorrupt cops, city officials, pimps, GIs, Mexican bar owners, prostitutes, society matrons and even the sound of a bullet piercing canvas. Hoye especially shines during heated police interrogations, able to shift his voice on a dime. The audio includes a new afterword from Ellroy, which might have delivered more punch had Ellroy read it himself. But in terms of this gritty, sprawling novel, Hoye was unquestionably the right man for the job.
Books:
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- Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3)
- Conspiracy in Death (In Death)
- Crazy for Casseroles: 275 All-American Hot-Dish Classics
- Cut And Run
- Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy
- Dark Hollow
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- Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1)
- Dead Wrong: A Novel of Suspense (Joanna Brady Mysteries)
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The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles
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