Early morning on 29 November 1981: Actress Natalie Wood was found dead today. Her body was discovered fully clothed in the waters off Catalina Island. Too Young to Die s1e5: Natalie Wood
It was the death of an actress who even as a little girl had given the term ‘child star’ a new meaning. ibid.
The death of Natalie Wood is one of Hollywood’s great mysteries. ibid.
‘God created my daughter. But I made her.’ ibid. mother
Natalie took refuge in a dream world. She fell for a handsome film actor eight years her senior: Robert Wagner. ibid.
In those years Natalie Wood belonged to everyone … except herself. ibid.
Natalie was nominated for an Oscar and signed an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers. ibid.
Hollywood loved Natalie and Natalie loved her life as an actress. ibid.
The two led a life in the public spotlight. ibid.
Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. Her life was marked by triumphs and tragedies. She was a Hollywood star, a goddess on stage, and the most famous drug addict of her day. Too Young to Die s1e7: Judy Garland
‘The Wizard of Oz has been seen by more people than any other movie in history.’ ibid. biographer
‘She needed to take off weight and they did that with pills. It was some kind of speed that she took.’ ibid. personal assistant
Within fifteen years Judy Garland made over thirty films. She was the most commercially successful star of her time. ibid.
On 22nd June 1969 Judy Garland died in London of an overdose of tablets. She was 47 years old. He body was flown to New York for the funeral. ibid.
He was a star who didn’t want to be, certainly not one from Hollywood. He wanted to be an actor pure and simple: an actor from New York. Philip Seymour Hoffman refused to be typecast. He seemed to fit every film perfectly. Too Young to Die s1e8: Philip Seymour Hoffman
‘A truly kind wonderful man and one of our greatest actors – ever.’ ibid. Mia Farrow tweet
The news of Philip Hoffman’s death in February 2014 hit an exceptional number of people exceptionally hard. ibid.
‘The greatest character actor of his generation.’ ibid. Jack Garner, film critic
He demonstrated his versatility in over fifty films; he was nominated for an Oscar four times, and was awarded one. He appeared in the theatre on Broadway and off of Broadway and was regarded as one of the top stage actors. ibid.
Grace Kelly: Oscar winner and one of the world’s best loved movie stars. Her films watched by millions. Her Hollywood movies have stood the test of time but her screen career lasted just five years. Tabloid rumours pursued Grace Kelly throughout her life. At the height of her fame she surprised everybody, swapping her Hollywood royalty for real royalty. But was Princess Grace the one role she didn’t enjoy playing? Grace of Monaco: Hollywood Princess, Channel 5 2020
It was one of the first truly global media events. An estimated 30 million people tuned in. ibid.
Grace was a bit of a rebel but took her craft seriously. ibid.
Dial M for Murder … The Country Girl … One of the youngest Oscar winners when she lifted the trophy … She was the toast of Hollywood … To Catch a Thief … High Society … ibid.
He allegedly wanted a large dowry. ibid.
Princess Grace’s wedding dress seems to have inspired bridal fashions for six decades. ibid.
Rumours circulated of tensions in the marriage. ibid.
She also had a minor car crash … Grace had vowed not to drive again after her previous crash but she took the wheel and followed the route that one of her movie characters had driven more than 25 years earlier. ibid.
Grace Kelly: Hollywood Icon … Her legacy remains, captivating audiences in some of the era’s greatest pictures. While she shone on screen, off screen she was a force to be reckoned with. Grace Kelly: The Hollywood Years, Channel 5 2021
High Noon: Aged just 21, Grace was just 30 years younger than Gary Cooper but she created a convincing on-screen chemistry. ibid.
At 28 years her senior, Gable was the first older man Grace had been involved with. ibid.
Hitchcock was already planning their future collaborations. Grace was one of Hollywood’s most popular stars now with nine film under her belt. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932 to American parents: Sarah, an actress, and Francis, an art dealer. They lived in Hampstead along with Elizabeth’s brother Howard and spent summers at a holiday cottage at Cranbrook, Kent. Elizabeth’s early years were privileged and secure. A Life in Ten Pictures: Elizabeth Taylor, BBC 2021
By the age of 18, Elizabeth Taylor was one of Hollywood’s sought-after leading ladies. And her private life was box office too. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor’s first job as an independent actor was the defining role of her entire career – Cleopatra was an epic in every sense. ibid.
Elizabeth Taylor: the unofficial queen of Hollywood. Two times Oscar winner and star of over forty films including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She was the first actress to bag one million dollars for one movie. Her high-octane love life resulted in eight marriages, marked by passion and excess, by diamonds. Her many addictions threatened to destroy her. Elizabeth Taylor: A Fierce Love aka The Story of Elizabeth Taylor, Channel 5 2021
She was born in London in February 27th 1932 to a life of privilege. Her parents were Americans who moved in high society. ibid.
[Eddie] Fisher left Debbie Reynolds for Liz … She was brazen about it. ibid.
This latest affair with Burton would cause an international sensation. ibid.
When a suave young Frenchman named Christopher Rocancourt landed in Hollywood … he was the perfect illusion … Rocancourt was infiltrating the lives of famous people all over Los Angeles. Very Bad Men s1e7: The Faux Rockefeller, ID 2006
In a 60-year career that began with hand-cranked cameras and silent movie stars and ended with wide-screen technicolour and method actors Hitchcock would taste both success and failure. Reputations s6e4: Hitch: Alfred the Great, BBC 1999
The Hitchcocks were devout Catholics. ibid.
By the end of the 1930s he was ready for the biggest move of his career: Hollywood. ibid.
Hollywood musicals have been loved by generations. But many songs in the most famous musicals were not sung by the stars themselves – their voices were secretly replaced. Some stars were not told that their voices would be removed. A number of big stars have never forgiven the film studios. Secret Voices of Hollywood, BBC 2013
Singin’ in the Rain: So Debbie Reynolds, who was playing the Ghost Singer in the movie, eventually had her own voice ghosted. ibid.
Roughly half the movies made featured ghost singing. ibid.
The King & I: Kerr refused to keep quiet about being ghosted. ibid.
The royalties from record sales were not being shared by the performers. ibid.
The start of a public backlash against ghost singing. ibid.
After the Sound of Music there was a stampede to produce more musicals. ibid.
The musical all but died out. ibid.
Alexis Neirs & Nick Prugo: They were members of a burglary ring. The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist I: The Fame Game, news, Channel 4 2022
I was raised to never steal … but with Rachel [Lee] I had never known a friendship like that. It gave me that confidence. And I didn’t want to give that up. ibid. Nick
That’s when we got the idea to rob Paris [Hilton]. ibid.
The movie doesn’t really capture how much adrenalin was pumping through our bodies. ibid.
We’re doing Paris Hilton’s coke. ibid.
We have to stop looking at the victims as being responsible. The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist II: Fame, Fortune & Felony, rozzer investigates gang
The real-life story of a gang of teenagers whose obsession with celebrity led to a headline-making burglary spree. The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist III: Fame & Misfortune