Who Was Dorothy Millette?

Dorothy Millette Bern

My main squeeze took me down to a place called Walnut Grove about six months ago. We traveled a little road along the Delta into this picturesque little town with a drawbridge and everything. We casually cruised through an adjoining old ghost town known as Locke, with its old abandoned and condemned buildings from the 1800s. Later we went down to a place known as the Ryde Hotel. This place is still a hotel, but once back in its heyday it was a very popping joint! Probably more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the Ryde Hotel became a Northern California Hollywood hot spot during prohibition times. 

As we were there, breathing the crisp fresh air and watching the waters from the Delta rush by, I thought of someone, Dorothy Millette Bern. I had written about her life and death a few years back and knew her body had been found in a Slough near the Sacramento River. The exact location, I had never really investigated. I told Roland, “wouldn’t it be weird if they had found Dorothy right around here?”

I just had this feeling, a thought of her when I was there, out of the blue. I didn’t know why I thought of her, but again, she is never too far from my thoughts anyways. In all the stories I have written there are only two that stay close in my mind and heart at all times. One being the murder of Anna Corbin at the Preston School of Industry in 1950 and the death of Dorothy Millette Bern in 1932.

In fact, Roland and I would have never met if not for the likes of Dorothy. It was during my continual research on her that I stumbled across a photograph of Dorothy on a website known as Find-a-grave. I emailed this person who posted her photo on her memorial page, and the rest is history.

Back to the story…..

Walnut Grove

If you have read my earlier article A FORGOTTEN WIFE, A HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE &  AN UNSOLVED  MYSTERY, then you would know that I have been doing some serious digging into Dorothy’s background. As I state in my previous posts, Dorothy was actually born in 1895 in France. In fact I have a copy of the 1920 U.S. Census record that shows this and also places her and Paul Bern as “husband and wife,” residing at the Algonquin Hotel in New York.  You see, when she died, there were no living relatives to confirm her date of birth so they had to make an educated guess. Also, as I note in my previous article about Dorothy, Jean Harlow and MGM DID NOT pay for Dorothy’s funeral or headstone, they merely paid for her body to be put in the ground, that is all. There is a big difference!

Dorothy and Paul, I believe were married. I have yet to find a legal document proving this but I am starting to think they may have married in Canada when they met. For that time period it was very uncommon to claim to be married if you were not. Regardless, Paul Bern’s marriage to Harlow was not valid being that the marriage to Harlow took place in California. California did not acknowledge common law marriage within the state at that time, but they acknowledged common law marriages from other states, which meant either way Paul and Dorothy’s marriage was valid in California, therefore when Paul died it was Dorothy who stood to inherit Paul’s estate regardless of what the Wills stated. Interesting isn’t it? Dorothy had no reason to kill herself, but someone else had reason to get rid of Dorothy……

Now remember I said that I was in Walnut Grove with a friend when I thought of Dorothy? Well, I decided to once again start digging, and I learned that the Georgiana Slough (where her body was discovered) literally starts at the south end of Walnut Grove! Unbelievable, right? Believe it!

Delta King Steamboat

A member of the staff on board of the Delta King Steamboat claimed that upon arriving near Courtland they discovered a piece of Dorothy’s clothing on the deck of the ship. They realized that something was wrong and went to check to see if she was in her stateroom. Once they realized she had gone missing, they started the search for her and on September 14, nearly one week from the date she went missing, her body was found.

Some Japanese fishermen who were in the Georgiana Slough (just south of Walnut Grove) discovered her lifeless and badly decomposing body. They could not determine the color of her eyes and her hair and scalp was missing. I am guessing she hit the propellers of the steamboat or other small boats going by in the river may have clipped her as she was floating in the water. 

Eventually the Coroner had to get Ed Sullivan, the clerk from the hotel in San Francisco where Dorothy had been staying, to identify her body. From the information I have obtained over the years, I have learned that Dorothy was a short lady, and had wavy, auburn hair. She had very good taste and enjoyed expensive things. The Schenectady Gazette dated 9/15/1932 stated that when her body was found that Dorothy was wearing a black dress, made of expensive material. She had silk undergarments and silk stockings on under her clothing. It also mentioned her petite frame and that her wrists and ankles were very small. Another paper reported Dorothy as being "known for her culture, vivacity and beauty."

Was Dorothy Crazy?

As many websites, books and blogs will often claim that Dorothy was the crazy wife of Paul Bern, I have never agreed with any of that. In fact, I hope that by the time you finish reading this article (and hopefully you read my first one too “A Forgotten Wife, Hollywood Homicide & An Unsolved Mystery”) that your outlook on Dorothy will have changed.

I have information that will change the whole scenario on the “Crazy” wife ideas people have been throwing around for nearly 81 years. Guess what?! She was not “institutionalized” and she was not locked away in an asylum for 10 years or in a coma as some state. Dorothy, I believe, wasn’t suffering from mental problems either. 

You see, I have found evidence that places Dorothy as living at the Algonquin hotel from 1917 when she and Paul Bern moved there, when she was only 22 years old. This evidence shows that they stayed there for over 5 years living as man and wife. Then around 1922, they moved out. That is when I believe she checked into the Blythewood Sanitarium and Paul moved out to California. Only about one year later, Dorothy moved back into the Algonquin Hotel alone, and remained there for nearly 10 years. Staff at the hotel confirmed this in several reports and newspaper articles at the time period in 1932 when they learned of her death.

Blythewood Sanitorium- More Like A Rich People’s Rehab

Blythewood Sanitarium was located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Many people think that Blythewood was a mental institution, however that was not the case. In fact, this place was a sort of “Wealthy Rehab” for the elite and rich during that time.  Not to say they didn’t treat mentally ill patients, because they did. But that was not their only purpose. Blythewood catered to the wealthy who were dealing with various issues such as health problems, mental issues, depression and alcoholism.  I encourage you to read a little more about this “upscale institution” in a blog I found titled “Glimpses of Blythewood.”

 In the blog mentioned above, the writer quotes an edition of the New York Times dated November 8, 1936, where it states:

"Blythewood has no locked doors.  The patients are encouraged to follow their natural bents, and the sanitarium has become well known for its art school, studios, pottery work, a button factory and many similar project."

In fact, Blythewood Sanitarium was more like a retreat for the rich who needed therapy. The blog "Glimpses of Blythewood" even mentions "some patients even brought their “valets and chefs” along with them to the facility." 

Inside of Blythewood-Historical Society Photo, Greenwich, Ct.

There are numerous newspaper accounts where Judges, Attorney's and other upper class individuals traveled to Blythewood for recovery for alcoholism, some for nervous breakdowns and some just to recover from a major illness or surgeries. Yes, they treated mentally ill patients, but not the type you keep in asylums. As the newspaper reported, there were no locked doors at Blythewood. Patients could come and go from the building and wander the grounds, take all sorts of classes and yes, also see a psychiatrist when needed. This is no different than the sort of Rehab retreats you hear the Hollywood elite go to for their alcohol and drug addiction issues.

You see, Dorothy could have just went to Blythewood for exhaustion, depression or any other sort of mild issue. She had money, and probably heard of the place from her social circles and decided to go there. Again, perhaps during the separation of her and Paul's relationship, maybe she went there to find some peace. We will never truly know. But it is in very poor taste to just write Dorothy off as some sort of mental case.

We do know now that Dorothy returned to the Algonquin Hotel around 1923-24 according to staff at the hotel. They also reported that Paul Bern sent her two checks in the mail every month, addressed to her at the hotel for the entire length of the time she resided there. She did not move to San Francisco until 1932, very shortly before Paul Bern's death.

A rose from my garden for Dorothy

I guess I just wanted to write this second article about Dorothy to give her a little more in depth back story from the time she married Paul to the time she moved to San Francisco. I think the public has a right to know the truth about Dorothy, not just over embellished rumors about her and her mental state. I will never believe she killed Paul Bern and I will never believe she took her own life either. I believe that both Paul and Dorothy were killed and that MGM and Harlow knew a lot more than they ever led on. Again, that's my opinion of course.

Next:  ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF PAUL BERN'S DEATH, DO WE KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? 

(Copyright 2013) J'aime Rubio - Dreaming Casually Publications

TO READ MORE ON DOROTHY MILLETTE BERN PLEASE CHECK OUT:"A Forgotten Wife, A Hollywood Homicide & An Unsolved Mystery."

Interesting Twist- Toni Mannix Wasn't Married When She Dated Superman!

So as many of you who are familiar with the mysterious death of actor George Reeves, you then are familiar with the affair he had with MGM Vice President Eddie Mannix's wife, Toni. What many may not know though, is the fact that during the beginning of Toni's relationship to George, she was not married to Eddie. In fact, the information I am about to present to you will probably throw you for a loop. I am still actively searching for more information in regards to other aspects of this story, but for now, I will give you what I have dug up so far.


Toni Lanier-

Toni Lanier was born Camille Antoinette Froomess on February 19, 1906 (based on US CENSUS RECORDS 1920) in New York where she appears to be one month shy of 14 years of age at the time. The records also show her to be of Russian ethinicity with her family who immigrated from France.

I cannot find where the name Toni Lanier came into play, however it could have been a stage name that Ziegfeld gave her when she started appearing as a dancer for the Ziegfeld Follies. In fact, she was revered as such a great dancer with the best pair of legs, that Ziegfeld insured them for $1,000,000.00 (one million dollars) while she performed for them. Later on she her legs were insured with Lloyd's of London for $25,000 per leg!

Jesse Livermore, Jr.

When Toni met Eddie Mannix, she had become irate over how she was being treated while on the set of  The Great Ziegfeld so she stormed off and 'allegedly' headed for Hawaii. As the story goes, Mannix was sent to fetch her and bring her back. I guess sparks flew between the two of them and Toni began seeing Mannix.  Although, Eddie was not the only man she was dating at the time. Toni Lanier had a reputation of being a "girl about town" and many newspapers stated her dating several men and even allegedly marrying Jesse Livermore, Jr., who inherited a franchise of the Pepsi Cola Company in 1937.  Mr. Livermore, only 18 years of age at the time of this 'alleged' wedding was the son of Jesse Livermore, Sr. and wife, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer as well, Dorthea Wendt (who was 23 years his junior). Mr. Livermore (Sr.) was a successful businessman often referred to as "Great Bear of Wall Street" or "The Boy Plunger." What I find interesting about this "wedding" of Toni Lanier and Jesse Livermore Jr.,  that allegedly had taken place was the fact that only 6 months later Jesse wed Evelyn Bletzer Sullivan of Baltimore in November of 1937. It seems that Livermore's relationship with Ms. Lanier may have just been publicity hype after all, unless they had an anullment shortly after the secret marriage.
 
Toni Lanier's Personality

 From what I have read on Ms. Lanier, she was a big mouth and a little on the rude side. In fact, I read an article (News-Sentinal June 2, 1936) where she blatently criticized any girl who danced Hula because it "makes the calves bulge."

She went on to say: " Hawaiian beauties haven't got a chance in competition with girls over here because of their hula-ing and because they go barefoot and their legs grow heavy. When girls of this country become as 'leg conscious' as the men are, we'll have healthier women and lovelier legs. There's no excuse for misshapen legs, it requires only a little care to form the muscles properly, excepting of course, in the case of thick ankles. I don't know what can be done about that!"

Sounds like a peach huh?! No wonder Mannix loved her, she was his counterpart!


Someone Was Still In The Way

Toni and Eddie's relationship seemed to pick up steam just around the time that Jesse Jr. married Evelyn.
But, Eddie was still married to his wife of 18 years Bernice Fitzmaurice, daughter of Irish parents back east. According to my sources, Bernice learned of the affair that Eddie was having with Toni and she filed for divorce, moving out towards Palm Springs. The oddity of this whole situation is the fact that I believe that Toni and Bernice knew each other before Toni hooked up with Eddie Mannix. Why you ask?

Well according to The Reading Eagle (August 6, 1934) it states various statements made by stars and socialites in regards to various events or vacations. It says:

"Bernice Mannix postcards from New York that everything "is just ducky!"- And Camille (Toni) Lanier Pensditto"....
I think that they made a typo and meant to say "Camille Lanier pens "ditto," meaning that she agreed with Bernice. Very interesting, if you ask me. What in the world were the two of them doing in New York together? Were they vacationing together? They had to have been friends or acquaintances at least to be mentioned together in the same article.

By 1937, Bernice met a terrible fate when the car she was riding in with Al Wertheimer, a Detroit mobster crashed. Wertheimer was also an owner of  ‘The Dunes’ a popular nightclub where Bernice had been gambling and drinking until the early hours of that morning. According to the book “Spencer Tracy: A Biography” by author James Curtis, Bernice was crushed on impact after the car Wertheimer was driving swerved to avoid a tow truck that was stopped in the middle of the road assisting and broke down vehicle. Wertheimer slammed on the brakes and lost control of his coupe and went off the road flipping several times and throwing Wertheimer from the vehicle. Eddie flew out to Banning as soon as he got word of the accident. Later on Mannix, his niece Alice and Howard Strickling travelled via train to Boston taking with them Bernice’s body to her mother Margaret Fitzmaurice to have her buried. (one note:  Eddie Mannix was said to have been unable to have children, therefore Bernice spoiled her nieces and nephews as if they were her own children.)

Not soon after Bernice was buried, Toni Lanier dug her claws into Eddie Mannix by moving in with him right away. She continued her relationship with Mannix (unmarried) for many years, sometimes she would use the name "Mrs. Mannix" in order to get the right treatment in social circles, however she did not marry Eddie Mannix until 1951. ---Many have speculated that Eddie may have had Bernice killed or even perhaps Toni played a part in the whole thing? Makes you wonder...


The time frame in which Toni met George Reeves is often speculated. In the movie, "Hollywoodland" Reeves character is portrayed running into Toni Mannix at a upscale Hollywood night club near the beach (in California). More than likely Reeves actually met Toni in New York while he was working there. The fact is, Reeves was already "intimately" acquainted with Toni long before her wedded bliss to Eddie Mannix.

One may wonder why Eddie Mannix would put up with that sort of relationship before tying the knot, but you have to recall that Eddie was very close friends with Spencer Tracy, who also was married and had Katherine Hepburn on the side. Open marriages in Hollywood were "taboo" but were also secretly happening. Perhaps Toni had dirt on Eddie and one more dead wife would be too much for even big shot MGM to cover up. Perhaps, Eddie was happy with his affairs and just wanted to make Toni happy by letting her keep her "boy-toy" Reeves. Whatever the case, let it be known, Toni Mannix was NOT married to Eddie Mannix when her love affair with Superman began......

(COPYRIGHT 2013-by:  J'aime Rubio via Hollywoodland Forever, published by Dreaming Casually Publications)


News-Sentinal (June 2, 1936)
Reading Eagle (August 6, 1934)
US Census 1920
Pittsburgh Press (November 15, 1937)
Milwaukee Sentinel (May 8, 1937)
Spencer Tracy: A Biography- by James Curtis

A Forgotten Wife, A Hollywood Homicide & An Unsolved Mystery

copyright: J'aime Rubio

While researching a story for my blog I came across another mystery that I knew was too good to pass up. I had gone to the East Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento to take photographs of the grave of Anna Corbin, the housekeeper who was murdered at Preston Castle in Ione California in 1950. I was going through the list of “famous internments” and came across the name Dorothy Millette Bern.

I didn’t recognize the name at first but after I looked into it I realized that she was the estranged wife of MGM Executive Paul Bern. The same Paul Bern who was also married to famous movie star Jean Harlow and the same man who tragically died from a mysterious gunshot wound to the head in 1932. Many people say it was suicide but from the moment I heard about it that just didn’t sit right with me. Once I heard that Dorothy had died on or about the day after Paul Bern, I became fixated on the story even more.


The more I dug the more unbelievable discoveries I made. This article is a no holds barred look at Dorothy and Paul's life together, what possibly transpired the night of Paul’s Death, and who, what, when and why it was covered up. It will also show that during that period of time, that ‘Show Business’ reigned supreme in Los Angeles, and not even the Police or the District Attorney could control the powerful leviathans who ran Hollywood.

DOROTHY MILLETTE
 

Dorothy Millette was born in France in 1895 (NOT 1886 as her grave marker claims). She immigrated with her family to the United States in 1899. I find it quite strange that I have read so many articles where people claim she was born in Indiana, Idaho or Ohio and that she was married before. All of these theories are simply untrue. There were even newspaper articles after her death of people who falsely came forward claiming she was a “long lost sister” in hopes that they would cash in on any estate she could have left behind (or inherited from  Paul Bern).  Dorothy was not born a U.S. Citizen and she had never been married prior to her relationship with Paul Bern.

It was confirmed through Paul’s sister and brother that Dorothy met Paul in Toronto, Canada and then later lived in New York with him after he had graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Their relationship began around 1911 and continued into the 1920s. In fact, the US Census records for 1920 show Paul and Dorothy as man and wife living in the District “Borough of Manhattan" at the Algonquin Hotel.

It was reported that around August of 1920 Dorothy started showing signs of a mental illness (although no one has ever been able to prove if this is true, or what type of symptoms she was having). Eventually she went to stay at the Blythewood Sanitorium in Greenwich, Conneticut.  During her stay there, Paul continued to support her financially, paying for all of her needs and care and even visiting her on occassion.

I have read accounts that Dorothy went “mental” after Bern’s mother committed suicide due to the fact that he was living with a non-Jew, but that simply isn’t the case. In fact, Dorothy was with Paul for over 9 years before Paul’s mother passed away in October 1920.  There were employees from the Algonquin Hotel who actually stated that she was not committed to any institution,  but remained a tenant at the hotel and was living there at the hotel for over 10 years. I believe she may have stayed at Blythewood for a time period and moved back to the Algonquin, where her and Paul's apartment was, thus the reports from staff at the hotel confirming her continued residence there.

Allegedly, The Blythewood Sanitarium lost all of their records in the 1950’s therefore there has never been any clear cut facts of the ailments that Dorothy suffered from or if she even was a patient there at all.  Newspapers claimed that she was very much of sound mind according to her doctors when she was released however, there are no real doctor's reports quoted in the newspaper articles. Also, think about this. There were also rumors she had been in a coma for ten years. Again, we DO NOT know why she went to Blythewood. We can only assume...there are no facts proving she was "mental."

Whatever the case, Dorothy was released and moved back into the Algonquin Hotel. According to Paul's brother, Dorothy went back to New York sometime between 1930 and 1932. But my sources say she moved back to the Algonquin actually around 1923-1924.  Paul continued to send her money every month and paid for her stay. He also would visit her along with his brother Henry Bern (who was fond of Dorothy) whenever they were in New York.

During the time that Dorothy was staying in New York, Paul and Jean Harlow were kindling their new found relationship. So many speculated that it was an odd pair but the couple acted as if they were in love.

Paul's good friends claimed that Jean was the pursuer in the relationship and that eventually she pulled Paul into her web. It was also said that Harlow was told the only way to the top was to marry up…meaning no more actors and low life thugs—only big wig producers…funny how she just fell into Bern’s lap huh? 

The unlikely pair, married on July 5th , 1932. They seemed to have rushed into things, not even planning the wedding but just “winging it” at the last minute.

Jean was starting to make the big bucks thanks to Paul getting her contract bought by MGM, but Paul was having some money problems of his own. Although he was more established in Hollywood with a highly regarded name, he was secretly going broke. Living lavishly and not taking in as much as he was spending, he ended up owing people all over town. People even made jokes that he couldn't even afford to buy a can of cat food let alone buy Jean a home. Perhaps Jean sought Paul out with the thought of "making it big" with his help and his money, but ironically in fact Jean had more money than Paul.

Actually, the house on Easton Drive was originally Paul’s. He deeded the home to her after taking out a mortgage of almost the value of the home just to sustain his lifestyle. Jean didn’t want the house and wanted to sell it, but Paul loved the home and wanted to remain there.

Money issues seemed to be the root of their problems, although many claimed he was sexually inadequate to perform intercourse. Louis B Mayer's doctor claimed Bern had a penis the size of a infant boy. But the people who knew Paul were aware that he was sexually active. After all, he had been with Dorothy for well over 9 years. Also, he was sleeping around with his secretary Irene Harrison, although he never made the relationship much more than a “booty call”. The idea that he couldn't perform in the bed was just a farce so that people would believe that could have been a reason to have killed himself. It wasn’t true.

In May 1932, Dorothy moved to the Plaza Hotel in San Francisco for “a change in climate”. Dorothy called Paul frequently and wrote letters often. Paul also sent Dorothy $350 monthly for her expenses. Many times Paul wrote her back or had his secretary Irene Harrison send the monthly payments. Nevertheless, Paul's “relationship” with Dorothy was friendly.

Jean adamantly denied having any prior knowledge about Dorothy but, in fact the wooden beams to the Tudor Styled home that Paul deeded to Jean, had four carved faces on them. One of the faces was none other than Dorothy Millette Bern. Henry Bern confirmed that Dorothy was spoken of regularly within Paul’s inner circle of friends which included his new wife, Jean.

Jean must have known all about Dorothy and continuously denied it. Also it was stated that Mama Jean, Marino Bello (a mob connected opportunist) and Jean all took a day trip up to San Francisco months before Paul’s death and only stayed an hour before returning back to Los Angeles.

Perhaps they had a meeting with Dorothy to see if she was telling the truth about being the wife of Paul Bern? It was said that Dorothy had spoken to them and shown them letters that Paul had sent her. It seemed that Jean wasn’t happy that Paul had a woman from his past, who was still present in his life.

Another thing to mention was that Paul Bern had more than one will, he had three. Many sites mention two, however the Daily Capital News (9/27/1932) states that Herman Koch  hired Attorney Chester Gannon to represent Dorothy's estate. Letters of Administration was granted in the California Superior Court in order to prove that Dorothy was in fact Paul Bern's wife. 

Koch also claimed that two of the three wills that Bern had drawn up listed Dorothy as his wife. The first will bequeathed a monthly annuity to Dorothy in the amount of $1,200 (per month). However, the last will which was dated  July 29,1932 (a few weeks after the marriage to Harlow) bequeathed his entire estate to Harlow, and left out Dorothy. 
Another tidbit of info:  Paul Bern had taken out a life insurance policy on Dorothy, noting that she was his "wife." So what do you think?


THE NIGHT OF PAUL'S MURDER

So it was Sunday, September 4th , 1932 and Paul was home. Before we get into the possible scenarios of how, when, where or why, lets state the facts. Paul died Sunday evening. His death wasn’t reported to the Police until 2-2:30 pm on Monday, September 5th. So between the time he was murdered and the time the police arrived, there were so many stories of what could have happened that it could make your head spin.


Truly what I am about to tell you is what Hollywood movies are made of:

Lies, Sex, Murder, Pay-Offs and Cover Ups……


Scenario # 1:

So the first scenario is the one most people assume as factual, even though there was no proof. The story was that Dorothy was upset that Bern had committed her to a Sanitarium so many years ago that she planned to get back at him. That and the fact that her husband was married to Jean Harlow and they were enjoying the life that Dorothy thought she deserved.

So did she kill him?

If so, why did she travel so far to Sacramento to "allegedly" kill herself? She could have killed herself right there on Easton Drive. Also, if she was so mentally disturbed, why then was she released and deemed as being “cured”? If she had suicidal tendencies, she would have committed suicide while institutionalized, one would think, and not wait until she was free. I personally feel that Dorothy has gotten a bad rap all of these years just because of her past history, and that is not fair.

Scenario # 2

Maybe Paul was two timing Jean with Dorothy all along. His secretary Irene Harrison who also had been rumored to been having a sexual relationship with Bern, sent letters and money (as ordered by her employer Bern) to Dorothy every week. If she had any suspicion that Dorothy had intentions to kill him or even that she was ill tempered, she would have spoken up wouldn’t she? Irene was the one who was not happy about Bern marrying Harlow and that was a fact that she admitted even after Bern's death.

So perhaps Bern had invited Dorothy over to speak with him since Dorothy had allegedly came to L.A. for the weekend. Perhaps he told her to come over for drinks so they could talk. Harlow had been working all day and over the weekend at the studios and had agreed to stay at her mother’s home on Saturday night due to her step father Marino Bello having gone on a fishing trip with Clark Gable. Mama Jean reportedly “didn’t want to be alone,” so Jean stayed over.
What about the fight? According to the Ottawa Citizen 9/10/32, it states that Harlow and Bern got into a fight the night of his death because he didn’t feel like going to Jean’s mother’s home.  Bern eventually blurted out : “Get out and leave me alone, if you don’t- I will kill you!”

FACT: Saturday night Paul had met with a friend at a hotel to help fix his friend up with a mistress and then was supposed to go over to a party at Fredric March’s home but he never showed up. 

According to reports, he had stated he didn’t want to go to the party without Jean. Maybe he was using it as an excuse to see Dorothy at her hotel that night. A witness did report seeing Paul with a unknown woman dining at a hotel restaurant on Saturday evening. Interesting, isn’t it?

CONFLICTING STORIES: On Sunday, Jean claimed to have had dinner at home with her husband. After dinner, Paul allegedly sent her back to her mother's home, saying he would be along after he read over some scripts. In another report, Jean said he claimed to have had a headache and wanted to be alone. That sounds to me as if she couldn’t get her story straight.

Did Jean come home to find Dorothy and Paul drinking and swimming together in the pool? Remember, some may have claimed Paul was the one who fell for Harlow but many people who knew them stated that Harlow was the pursuer of the relationship. No doubt she would have been infuriated at the sight of her husband spending time and showing affection for another woman at her house. Remember also, Jean was in a big hurry to marry Bern, and the MGM executives rushed to get a new will drawn up leaving all of Bern’s estate to Jean Harlow and not to Dorothy. 

Paul was found naked, shot in the head by his own gun. He usually kept his gun in the top pocket of his coat, which he obviously wasn't wearing. Where he kept the gun was something that Jean was well aware of because he would tell people that he had to carry it to “protect his baby.” How then would Dorothy have found it without him noticing her searching the house for a weapon? Only Jean would have known where it was, and only Jean could have had time to get the gun.

The servants, whose quarters were located outside at the other end of the property, claimed to hear a scream after the gunshot. If Dorothy had killed him, why would she have screamed right after shooting him? Perhaps Jean shot Paul. Dorothy could have been so shaken by it that she screamed and ran for her life out of the house and down to the limo that had been waiting for her as ordered by Paul.

That would make sense as to why she left her bathing suit behind and why she didn’t even stop to pick up the shoe that had fallen off as she was running away. That also explains why she told the limo driver not to stop but to keep driving faster.

Once Dorothy made it to the hotel in San Francisco, she placed her valuables in a trunk and left it at the front desk of the hotel stating she was going on a “little trip but that she would return.” She then boarded the steam boat “Delta King” on Sept 6th departing San Francisco to Sacramento. Reports state that she was seen dining on the boat and it was said she took a stroll on the deck of the ship and later disappeared.

 There is no way to know the whole truth but somehow she was thrown overboard. Some say she was overcome with guilt from killing Paul herself, but it is also not impossible to say that someone could have followed her onto the steam boat and when the available time came, someone tossed her overboard to conceal the truth--that Jean had killed Paul.

Whether Jean pulled the trigger or had someone do it for her, the fact of the matter was that Dorothy needed to be silenced if in fact she knew who killed Paul, whoever the killer was. Also, if word got out in Hollywood gossip that Paul Bern was already married prior to marrying Jean, it would have ruined Jean's career regardless of whether she killed Paul or not, It would have also put a damper on the Bern’s estate because California did not recognize common law marriages performed in California, but it upheld common law marriages from other states. Meaning, with Bern dead- his estate would have belonged to Dorothy and the new will could have been contested and thrown out in court. The fact of that scandal would have embarrassed Jean to no end. She had to keep that whole story quiet, no matter what the cost.

Scenario #3

This is where it gets good. There was also rumored speculation that Jean’s mother, Mama Jean, who was often controlling and nosy, had just about enough of her son in law. There is no doubt that Jean had told her mother about Paul’s first wife and all the problems within the marriage.

FACT: Jean had dated a gangster, Abner “Longie” Zwillman aka " The Al Capone of New Jersey", and he had allegedly “taken care of some blackmailers” who had threatened to go public with nude photographs of Jean in 1917.  

Could it have been that Mama Jean called her daughter’s ex and asked him for another favor?

FACT: Paul was secretly broke and it was evident he was spending more than he was taking in. He mortgaged his home on Easton Drive for almost the face value of the home, He then deeded it to his wife, making it look like he gave her a wedding gift even though Jean didn’t like the house.

 In reality, he just didn’t want to lose it. He needed Jean’s money to support Dorothy, too. It was common knowledge that he owed people all around town. Even after his death, Jean had to pay over $20,000 in bills incurred by Paul, not counting the mortgage. Where did she get the money since Paul was broke? She collected his life insurance.

Could Mama Jean, her husband Marino Bello or perhaps even Jean herself have planned the whole thing? Maybe it was Jean who invited Dorothy down for the Labor Day weekend. She may have told her to come over to ‘bury the hatchet’. The fact is that someone sent a limo up to San Francisco in Paul’s name to pick up Dorothy and bring her to L.A. The same limo took her back to San Francisco on Sunday night. Paul was seen on Sunday night telling the Limo driver to take her back but there is no way to know if he had ordered the limo to pick her up.

Maybe when Dorothy showed up, Jean was waiting for her. Paul never left the house that day so the scenario of him walking in and finding Jean and Dorothy “hanging out by the pool” wouldn’t be possible. Plus, there was only one female bathing suit found wet, hanging to dry (which was NOT Jean’s size). So it was obvious this scenario wouldn’t have worked out.

It is still possible that Jean invited Dorothy over, planning to have both her and Paul murdered to make it look like a murder suicide. She was well aware of Dorothy’s reputation of mental instability due to her having been institutionalized in the past.

Maybe Jean had someone waiting there on the outskirts of the property, looking for a convenient time to take both of them out. When the first shot was fired, the hired gun wouldn't have expected Dorothy’s scream to be so loud it alerted the servants. She would have ran for her life as the servants came hurrying up the path to investigate. Maybe the hired “hit man” knew he had to get out of there so he left, and followed Dorothy back up to Northern California to finish the job.

Scenario # 4

The scenario that the police ruled, a suicide. To this day some people still think Paul killed himself although this is the one scenario I just don’t buy. He wasn’t said to have been depressed or even suicidal. There were rumors of homosexuality or even that his penis was the size of a woman’s pinkie finger. Another rumor was that his inability to perform sexually would have drove him to commit suicide but that was another lie I believe conjured up by MGM. Was that because they were trying to place blame on Paul and away from any possible scandal that Jean could be pulled into?

By the way, the note that said:  

"Dearest Dear,
Unfortunately this is the only way to make good the frightful wrong I have done you and to wipe out my abject humiliation, I Love you.
Paul
You understand that last night was only a comedy"

This was actually an entry in a guest book (not a journal) and it was some sort of joke that had been written long before Paul Bern's death. In fact, friends of Bern claimed they had read that note in the guest book at a party months prior to his death. This was used as a cover-up suicide note, but in fact had NOTHING to do with his death.


BACK TO THE MYSTERY.......

After Dorothy's body was found in the Delta by fishermen, the San Francisco Police reported that when they arrived at Dorothy’s hotel room at the Plaza, it had been ransacked.  Her diary was missing as well as other items. Her belongings found in her room on the Delta King were intact and there were “friendly” letters from both Paul and his Secretary found in her bag as well. Another item found was a box that contained a swim cap that matched the bathing suit that was found at the home of Paul Bern.

Both MGM executives and Howard Hughes thought Jean had killed Paul Bern but the opinions remained within the confines of inner circles of friends, and they intended to keep it there. It was obvious that MGM covered up the scene of the crime to avoid scandal. It is also possible that members from MGM or even Howard Hughes may have played a role in tying up loose ends as well. Jean lied to the police when she said she had never seen Dorothy before and had no knowledge of her.

Dorothy had come to Los Angeles for the Labor Day weekend. Someone must have invited her or had she just decided to show up? Either way, her appearance at Paul’s home was by no means unwelcome

Jean also lied about her alibi, saying that she ate dinner at home with Paul and then went back to her mother's house. But Howard Hughes’ housekeeper, Beatrice Dowler stated that Jean Harlow came to Howard Hughes estate, distraught on Sunday Sept 4th late in the evening. Howard Hughes even confirmed to Noah Dietrich that he had seen Jean on the night of Paul’s death.

Jean told Howard Hughes that she went home and discovered Dorothy running out of the house. When she entered the home, she found Paul's body. He had been shot. She then stuck the gun under Paul's body to make it look like a suicide. This was because she didn’t want anyone to find out that Dorothy and Paul were still married because it would ruin her career. Now she had to make sure that Dorothy could NEVER be found to be questioned or suspected because then the truth would come out. Perhaps Dorothy “couldn’t be found” because if she had, then she would tell a story that Jean had been the one who shot Paul, causing Dorothy to scream and run for her life.

Noah Dietrich (Chief Executive Officer to Howard Hughes Empire) was stated to have said that he wouldn’t have “put it past Howard” to have “taken care of Dorothy” as a favor to Jean.  It seems after this incident, Howard Hughes' opinion of Jean as a person or as a friend began to deteriorate. Perhaps it was because he knew what type of person Jean really was? Maybe he blamed Jean for getting him involved with silencing Dorothy to save Jean’s career?

Whatever the case, whether it was Howard Hughes’ men, The MGM men, or Abner Zwillman's gangster boys, they had a common denominator, Jean.  Jean was apparently responsible for making sure Dorothy disappeared, along with the real story.

WHAT ABOUT THE CRIME SCENE?

Several people from MGM showed up at the property two hours before the police were even notified (around 11:30 am), but yet the newspapers had reported Paul’s death hours before the police knew about it.

Who leaked the information to the press?

The police never once questioned anyone about that. The D.A. Buron Fitts was not convinced of Jean's innocence in the matter, but he was “paid off” by MGM to look the other way and rule it as a suicide. MGM even went so far as to make sure the police never even attempted to question or look for Dorothy Millette Bern.

WHAT FRIENDS AND STAFF STATED

Ilse Lahn who was considered a “Senior Member” of the German community in Hollywood and also a personal friend of Paul’s claimed that Paul was miserable and that he regretted marrying Jean. He wanted to go back to Dorothy and thought it was the right thing to do, since the doctor’s felt she was cured. He stated he wanted to divorce Jean. Jean would have not only suffered from being humiliated in the Hollywood community for being left for another woman but also it would have come out that Paul had committed bigamy and Jean was not legally wed to Paul. Her career would have been ruined. She was convinced that Paul was murdered by Jean Harlow and claimed she never liked her.

Samuel Marx, a story editor for MGM and good friend of Paul’s, claimed that he showed up at Bern's house to find Irving Thalberg there still interrogating the servants. It was also noted that the butler was the one who had found Paul Bern’s naked body in the bedroom. He notified the other servants and quickly called MGM. Louis B Mayer along with Whitey Hendry and Irving Thalberg showed up. For over two hours the men were there clearing away all traces of murder in the house and trying to convince the staff to go along with the story that Paul had committed suicide to avoid any further scandal.

Howard Strickling told Louis B. Mayer to hand over the “suicide note” he had taken from the home. The note which was written in a guest book was mistakenly noted as a diary.

Personally, I believe that Louis B. Mayer took the book to see if he could find any writing in it that could be used to forge a letter. Upon finding the note he could have realized that this could be used as a suicide note. Friends of Paul’s said they previously had seen the note in the guest book. Obviously, it had been written it in the past. They decided to turn the note into the police.

Samuel Marx met a man who claimed to have been a drinking buddy of retired MGM security chief, Whitey Hendry. This unidentified man told Marx that Hendry told him that he had accompanied Mayer to Bern's house the morning Paul Bern’s body had been discovered and it was more than obvious he didn’t commit suicide.

So as the story goes, Hendry volunteered to plant the gun in Bern's hand and the suicide note was faked. Just days after this person confessed his story to Marx, this unidentified man ended up dead. I guess someone believed in the saying "dead men tell no tales."

The servants, Clifton Davis, the gardener, and Irene Harrison, Bern’s secretary, were also convinced that Paul was murdered. The butler told police that Paul and Jean seemed happy but he had heard Paul mention suicide more than once. It was uncertain whether or not the butler was “bought off” by MGM, The story he told to the police contradicts Davis’, Ms. Harrison’s and even the butler’s own wife Winifred Carmichael, the cook. They all stated that Paul was not suicidal and that Jean and Paul often argued about money. Jean didn’t like the house and wanted to sell it. Winifred even went on to say that an “unfamiliar” woman was at the home on that Sunday evening and that they heard her scream once. It was also said by Winifred that a wet bathing suit was found by the pool along with two empty glasses. Winifred also stated during the inquest that she witnessed a woman running down to the limo that evening.

The gardener, Davis, also told police that there had been a small puddle of blood near the pool right behind Paul’s favorite lounge chair but there was no mention of that in the investigation afterwards.

My assumptions are that MGM told the servants that they had to go along with their story that Paul killed himself in the house. Davis also claimed that the alleged suicide note Louis B. Mayer provided police with was in actuality someone else's handwriting and not Paul Bern’s making it a forgery.

My personal belief is that Paul was shot outside near the pool. I also believe that the bathing suit and the two glasses that were found, had been moved after MGM showed up to clear up any evidence that contradicted their tale of suicide. The bathing suit was then hung up to dry in the bathroom and the glasses put away. The blood, no doubt, was where Paul was originally shot.

Perhaps the murderer or the people covering it up, moved Paul’s body and removed his clothing to make it look like he had just showered.
 

Dorothy Millette Bern

Whatever happened that fateful night of September 4th, we may never truly know. Dorothy knew, and she lost her life because of it. She drowned in the Delta. Her body was found in a slough of the Sacramento River.

I visit Dorothy’s grave at the EastLawn Cemetery in Sacramento on occasion, and sometimes I leave a rose on her marker out of respect. 

WHO PAID FOR THE BURIAL, FUNERAL, HEADSTONE?
 
It was stated that MGM had paid for internment and Jean paid for the funeral. Let me make this clear, JEAN HARLOW DID NOT PAY FOR DOROTHY MILLETTE BERN'S GRAVE OR FUNERAL!!!

However it was Mendel Silberberg who happened to be both MGM and Jean Harlow's attorney, who directed Coroner James Garlick to bury Dorothy and send him the bill. MGM told Silberberg to direct the Coroner to bury Dorothy and nothing more.   Basically, MGM was just trying to use it as a publicity opportunity and gave credit to Harlow to make her "look good." They only paid for the burial. There also was NO HEADSTONE placed or paid for by MGM or Harlow....literally Dorothy's grave was just a pile of dirt within East Lawn Cemetery.

There were accounts in the papers that some people stepped up to claim Dorothy's inheritance of Bern's estate, however there has been no legitimate record that these people were ever truly related to Dorothy. No one even seemed to know her date of birth, thus her headstone was marked incorrectly.  Personally, If it weren't for the Census records available now I don't think I would have been able to locate the information either. Thank goodness for all the archived records of the past! 

Although Dorothy was buried right away, It wasn't until later on when Public Adminstrator Herman Koch, with the help of Attorney Chester Gannon, both were able to raise funds through an auction to pay for Dorothy's headstone, to make sure that she received a proper funeral.

According to several newspaper archives such as the Miami Daily (5/26/1933) and Reading Eagle (5/26/1933) state that the funds used to pay for Dorothy's marker and inscription were made by auctioning her clothes that were found in her stateroom aboard the Delta King.  Given the fact of the high profile status of her death and her attachment to Paul Bern's death, they were able to get enough money together to mark her grave.

In death, Dorothy was looked on as the “estranged wife” of Paul Bern, or the “crazy” wife of Paul Bern due to her stay at a sanitarium. You know back then even the smallest anxiety or depression, even undiagnosed bi-polar disorders were looked upon as being “mental" or "crazy." I feel like in life and in death Dorothy never got the respect she deserved.

I truly do not believe for one second that she killed Paul. I believe she witnessed his murder and ran for her life. That’s why she was even trying to get out of San Francisco but Jean had other plans for her.   I love all the Hollywood starlets of the past but something about her just didn’t sit well with me. I think Jean had some serious issues and everyone was blind to it because she was the “flavor of the month” back then.

Paul Bern is dead, Dorothy is dead, and Jean Harlow is dead so the mystery remains just that, an unsolved mystery. Poor Dorothy, she was forgotten in death as she was in life. But, I for one will not forget. 

CLICK HERE TO READ "WHO WAS DOROTHY MILLETTE?"

J'aime Rubio © 2011
originally published via Dreaming Casually 6/11/11