Fatty Arbuckle and the beautiful Virginia Rappe
Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle (1887–1933) was a hugely successful silent film star and director. In 1917, Arbuckle formed his own company and many of his films starred his friend and fellow comedian Buster Keaton. Paramount Pictures had paid him $3m in 3 years to star in 18 films, and he’d signed another $1m contract with Paramount. The comedian’s latest film, Crazy to Marry, was playing in theatres across the country. So in Sept 1921 his friend Fred Fischbach planned a big weekend party at San Francisco’s St Francis Hotel.
Fischbach provided plenty of bootleg booze, despite Prohibition! On Labour Day, Arbuckle awoke to see many uninvited guests. He was walking around in his pyjamas when he saw Maude Delmont and Virginia Rappe, and worried that their reputations might alert police to the booze. Delmont ran a Los Angeles brothel and was a blackmailer; Rappe was a 25 years old model, actress and party girl. But the party food, booze and music were flowing by then, so Arbuckle remained silent.
A story appeared on the front pages of William Randolph Hearst’s national newspapers, even before Arbuckle was interviewed. In a week, Fatty Arbuckle was sitting in a San Francisco cell, held without bail for the killing of actress Virginia Rappe. Crazy to Marry was quickly pulled from theatres, and America was outraged to discover Arbuckle’s sordid off-screen life.
Fischbach provided plenty of bootleg booze, despite Prohibition! On Labour Day, Arbuckle awoke to see many uninvited guests. He was walking around in his pyjamas when he saw Maude Delmont and Virginia Rappe, and worried that their reputations might alert police to the booze. Delmont ran a Los Angeles brothel and was a blackmailer; Rappe was a 25 years old model, actress and party girl. But the party food, booze and music were flowing by then, so Arbuckle remained silent.
A story appeared on the front pages of William Randolph Hearst’s national newspapers, even before Arbuckle was interviewed. In a week, Fatty Arbuckle was sitting in a San Francisco cell, held without bail for the killing of actress Virginia Rappe. Crazy to Marry was quickly pulled from theatres, and America was outraged to discover Arbuckle’s sordid off-screen life.
Front page of the Oakland Tribunal, 1921,
historianruby
Maude Delmont was a prosecution witness who wasn't called to testify against Arbuckle because her story was dodgy. Yet she ruined Arbuckle’s career. She told police that after Arbuckle and Rappe drank together, he pulled the actress out saying, I’ve waited for you 5 years! Delmont soon heard Rappe screaming, so she kicked the locked door. Arbuckle eventually opened the door in pyjamas while Rappe lay moaning on the bed.
A doctor arrived and he allowed Rappe to stay at the hotel for some days before she was taken to a hospital; there she died of a ruptured bladder. The Hearst papers beat up the story, saying Fatty Arbuckle’s scandal got papers sold. While sexually assaulting Rappe, the papers guessed, Arbuckle ruptured her bladder.
Arbuckle turned himself in and was held for 3 weeks in gaol. His lawyers asked citizens to wait for the truth.
Arbuckle finally told his story. After drinking with Rappe, she’d became hysterical, couldn't breathe and tore off her clothes. He was never alone with her, as Arbuckle insisted and his witnesses verified. He found Rappe in his bathroom, vomiting, so some of the guests tried to revive her from alcoholic abuse. Eventually they put her into bed to recover.
Arbuckle was charged with manslaughter (not rape) and scheduled for trial that Nov. San Francisco District Attorney Matthew Brady saw the case as the chance to kickstart his political career, but his star witness Delmont was erratic. And she had a criminal history of fraud and extortion. This Madam procured young women for parties where wealthy male guests were accused of rape, then blackmailed.
Yet Brady proceeded to trial anyhow. The newspapers ensured Arbuckle’s reputation was ruined, even after his friends Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin vouched for him. There was medical evidence showing that Rappe had had a chronic bladder condition, and her autopsy found NO signs of attack. The defence did have witnesses with damaging information about Rappe’s past, but Arbuckle wouldn’t let them testify. The hotel doctor who treated Rappe testified that she said Arbuckle did not try to sexually assault her.
Arbuckle and his team in court, late 1921
At the 1st trial Arbuckle gave evidence in his own defence, and the jurors voted 10-2 for acquittal. In the 2nd trial, the jury deadlocked again. In the 3rd trial, in Mar 1922, the lawyers questioned the witnesses who’d known Rappe. Witnesses attested that Rappe had suffered past abdominal attacks; drank heavily; disrobed at parties; was promiscuous, and had a secret child. The 3rd jury acquitted Arbuckle of manslaughter in 5 minutes, and publicly stated: We feel that a great injustice was done to Roscoe Arbuckle.
Although cleared, Arbuckle faced ruinous legal bills and a public still convinced of his guilt. But in 2021, the mystery remains: why did Rappe die?
I knew about the Hays Code in Hollywood (1930-67) but Arbuckle’s trials were 1921-22! Straight after the 3rd trial, the motion picture industry hired Will Hays as a censor; he banned Fatty Arbuckle from films! This scandal was hugely controversial, and reformers publicly mourned the decline of traditional moral values in post-WWI society.
Roaring 20s Hollywood was a very racy era! Films were dealing with adult content, projecting images of women in power and making their own choices. There were off-screen stories of drugs, alcohol and partying, then the industry was rocked by really huge scandals: the death of young actress Olive Thomas (1920), murder of director William Desmond Taylor (1922) and manslaughter by Fatty Arbuckle.
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Although cleared, Arbuckle faced ruinous legal bills and a public still convinced of his guilt. But in 2021, the mystery remains: why did Rappe die?
I knew about the Hays Code in Hollywood (1930-67) but Arbuckle’s trials were 1921-22! Straight after the 3rd trial, the motion picture industry hired Will Hays as a censor; he banned Fatty Arbuckle from films! This scandal was hugely controversial, and reformers publicly mourned the decline of traditional moral values in post-WWI society.
Roaring 20s Hollywood was a very racy era! Films were dealing with adult content, projecting images of women in power and making their own choices. There were off-screen stories of drugs, alcohol and partying, then the industry was rocked by really huge scandals: the death of young actress Olive Thomas (1920), murder of director William Desmond Taylor (1922) and manslaughter by Fatty Arbuckle.
So in 1922 the film industry created the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association, with Republican policymaker Will Hays as president. Hays’ use of public relations for self-regulation in the industry meant the principles governing The Production Code had to be popular.
Code enforcement also meant Mabel Normand’s work was lost to history. She had directed Charlie Chaplin’s portrayal of his famous Tramp character and collaborated with Buster Keaton. Since she’d made some of her best works with Arbuckle, her career ended in 1927.
Code enforcement also meant Mabel Normand’s work was lost to history. She had directed Charlie Chaplin’s portrayal of his famous Tramp character and collaborated with Buster Keaton. Since she’d made some of her best works with Arbuckle, her career ended in 1927.
Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton
Blacklisted, Arbuckle continued directing film comedies for friends who’d remained loyal, called William B.Goodrich. Until he had a heart attack in 1933 and died at 46. See The Forgotten Films of Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle (2005).
For trial details, read The Many Trials of Fatty Arbuckle