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In 1921, one of the biggest movie stars in the world was accused of killing a woman. What followed was an unprecedented avalanche of press coverage, the original trial of the century, and a wave of censorship that altered the course of Hollywood filmmaking for five decades. ����������������������� It began on Labor Day, when comic actor Roscoe �Fatty� Arbuckle, then at the pinnacle of his fame and fortune, threw a party in San Francisco�s best hotel. As the party raged, he was alone in room 1219 with Virginia Rappe, a minor actress. Four days later, she died, and he was charged with her murder. Room 1219 tells the story of Arbuckle�s improbable rise and stunning fall�from Hollywood�s first true superstar to its first pariah. Simultaneously, it presents the crime story from the day of the �orgy� through the three trials. Relying on new evidence and a careful examination of documents, the book finally reveals, after almost a century of wild speculation,�what most likely occurred in room 1219. In addition, Room 1219 covers the creation of the film industry�from the first silent experiments to an all-powerful studio system capable of making and, ultimately, breaking a beloved superstar. Greg Merritt is the author of Film Production: The Complete Uncensored Guide to Independent Filmmaking and Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film. He has written hundreds of feature articles for a number of magazines. He has an MFA�from the American Film Institute. (less)

In 1921, one of the biggest movie stars in the world was accused of killing a woman. What followed was an unprecedented avalanche of press coverage, the original trial of the century, and a wave of censorship that altered the course (…more)