The Scene
Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle was a silent film star whose popularity as a comedian was second only to Charlie Chaplin. His films had earned for him both the adulation of fans and a very sizable income. He was a huge man, perhaps in the neighborhood of 300 pounds, and his girth and pratfalls were enjoyed by millions of Americans.
That popularity, and his career, came to a crashing end in 1921 when he was blamed for the death of a young actress. In September of that year Arbuckle was working on a film in San Francisco. There was what was later called an "orgy" at the St. Francis Hotel. Among those at the party was a young actress named Virginia Rappe, who soon left the party area to go into a bedroom with Arbuckle.
Within a short time she began screaming. The first person to get to her was another actress named Maud Delmont, who later reported that Virginia said, "He hurt me." Within four days she was dead, and Arbuckle was charged with murder.
The Victim
Although portrayed at the trial by the prosecution as a young innocent actress, Virginia apparently wasn't that innocent. She had had a number of abortions, including one shortly before her death. She also had gonorrhea at the time of death.
The Investigation
The coroner ruled that she died of peritonitis and a ruptured bladder.
The Trial
There is some evidence that the prosecutor knew the testimony of the main witness, Maud Delmont, was not truthful. If that is true, he nevertheless pursued the case.
The jury only took 3 minutes to arrive at the verdict of "Not Guilty."
The Aftermath
Arbuckle was finished as an actor. His last film, "Gasoline Gus," was pulled from Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and elsewhere his films were booed. He did manage to find some work as a director, under an assumed name.
Yallop, David A. The Day the Laughing Stopped: The True Story
of Fatty Arbuckle. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976.
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