Acts of Murder [Paperback]

Jonathan Goodman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Futura (1986)
• ISBN-10: 0708836038
• ISBN-13: 978-0708836033
• ASIN: B001KSVRJE
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Actors and actresses involved in real life murders, July 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Acts of Murder (Paperback)

When I first read the title of this book, I thought it would contain thrilling accounts of real crime, but the accounts were more "academic." The word "act" in the title has two meanings...the act of murder by individuals associated with the stage or screen. Goodman does a nice job of relating circumstances around nine crimes with the first crime taking 40% of the book. In 1897, William Terriss, a celebrated British actor, was murdered by a derelict actor, R. A. Prince. Circumstances and their outcomes are detailed in semi-story fashion, accompanied by a few drawings and photos. The other eight chapters are less detailed and include the suspicion of three 1920's American actresses of murder; Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton's friend, suspected of rape leading to death; the death of Thelma Todd (the "ice-cream blond"); and John Dillinger's death in alley by the Biograph Theater. The book is indexed which causes me to believe that students and aficionados of theater would enjoy this book the most.