Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix [Paperback]

E. J. Fleming (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786401605 | ISBN-13: 978-0786401604 | Publication Date: February 2000

The deaths of film celebrities are sometimes even more fascinating than their lives. Hollywood visitors and natives are often drawn to sites of tragedy involving the rich, the beautiful, and the notorious. This book can make finding those locations simple.

These sixteen driving tours cover over 500 sites relating to celebrity deaths and scandals. Each tour covers a specific area of the world’s film capital, from Sunset Strip to Bel Air, giving specific directions to each location on the tour. Sites include famous graves, like Rudolph Valentino’s, where the Lady in Black made her annual pilgrimage for thirty years; houses and businesses said to be haunted by those as famous in death as they were in life; locations of famous murders and deaths, from William Desmond Taylor to John Belushi; and scandalous locations like the infamous Francis Brothel. Tips for safe and enjoyable touring are also included, and the tours allow everyone from the mildly curious to the completely morbid to find some of Hollywood’s darkest corners.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"E.J. Fleming brings these dark and fascinating tales to life!" -- John Burke, AMC Host

"Entertaining to browse" -- ARBA

"Fascinating" -- Psychotronic

About the Author

Lifelong movie buff E.J. Fleming lives outside Chicago and was featured several times on the American Movie Classics cable series Behind the Screen. Fleming and Behind the Screen host John Burke were filmed during visits to a number of the sites featured in this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786401605
• ISBN-13: 978-0786401604
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Let The Title Fool You - More Than Just a Tour Book, March 17, 2000

By 

J Dean (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix (Paperback)

While there's no denying the book's hook - and the morbid allure - of Hollywood death voyeurism, this book is much more. It's a fascinating look at Hollywood history. Check out the 7 page bibliography; this is not just an address list, the author has done his homework. Looking for someone or something in particular, or to create your own tour; there's an incredibly detailed 17 page index! Every stop on each tour is documented with an easy to read, sometimes lengthy STORY. It's the Britannica of Hollywood tour books. I did much of the "Old Hollywoodland" Tour - once I got my bearings at Hollywood Memorial Park, I was OK. I loved Whitley Heights. Forget about finding anything in the canyons without these directions; though the author doesn't mention the need to stand on the trunk of your car to be able to see into Falcon's Lair! BTW, not every site is gruesome...Timothy Leary's last launching pad is on the Benedict Canyon tour! The book is not cheap; but it's a great read whether you're driving or not.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Things To Do On Your Vacation (or a free Saturday in L.A.), October 26, 2000

By 

gail k. powers (homewood, il United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix (Paperback)

Several years ago an L.A. cemetery worker told me that a Chicago area resident was researching a book about Hollywood cemeteries and death sites. I am assuming this is it. This is a chatty gem of a tour book that examines some uncoventional tourist attractions ----- predominantly suicide, death and scandal sites ----- and is loaded with information. Having done my own bizarre self-designed tours in L.A., I wish I had this book in the past as I would have saved myself much time and trouble. The narrative was informative and well-written and provided a lot of facts, along with some excellent (and fairly current) pictures. For the most part the information was accurate, but I did identify some questionable facts mostly involving dates. My immediate impression was that this book probably should have been proofed better before it went to print, but it is quite apparent that the author really does know his/her subject matter and did a fairly thorough job researching the subject matter. Is it worth the $35 price tag.......definitely! It provided me with a full day's worth of enjoyment and was a lot cheaper and more fun than a trip to Disneyland. Will I use it again? Absolutely........I have only done a couple of the tours so far!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You have to do it to believe it, November 10, 2003

By 

"janetlgalvao" (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix (Paperback)

I have family that lives in the L.A. area and when I visit them, they know we will do a "Death Tour". They teased me at first and then when we started seeing the sites, they stopped!! Now they look forward to the next tour that we will take. This book is an interesting compilation of not only where events have taken place, but also the history behind them. Although, the title can seem a bit ominous, there are a lot of other sites to see in the book besides "DEATH" (stars homes, arrest locations, homes used for TV shows, etc.). So, as for the previous review about this being too morbid, I completely disagree. Besides, death is after all a part of life. Enjoy...I certainly have!