On The Anniversary Of Paul Bern's Death

Paul Bern

Okay, so yesterday was the day Paul Bern died...well late last night anyways. Well, if you read my blogs "Dreaming Casually" or this one, "Hollywoodland Forever" you would know I am a mystery and history fanatic. So when I first read of Paul Bern's death many years ago, I was drawn to the enigma surrounding it. So many possibilities, so many suspects.....

A lot of times people want to just go and blame Dorothy Millette, the "estranged" wife or as many often refer to her as the "mental" or "crazy" ex-wife of Paul Bern. Honestly, I have yet to find one book or blog that can state as much information on Dorothy as I have in the past 3 years. What I always find so amazing is how NO ONE ever wants to even think for a second that Harlow could have committed the murder. Come on, "Baby" wasn't as innocent as she appeared. So why blame Dorothy? No one knows much about her and yet they are so quick to label her the murderer? We know Harlow's background, and it wasn't all that great.

Anyways, if you are really interested in knowing about Paul, Dorothy and both of their deaths, then I suggest you read both articles, "A Forgotten Wife, A Hollywood Homicide & An Unsolved Mystery," and also "Who Was Dorothy Millette."

Easton Drive Home

Being that it is the 81st anniversary of both Paul and Dorothy's deaths (her death being sometime between the 6th and 7th of September, his being September 4th), I thought I would throw out a scenario that has been running through my head for quite some time. After re-reading all the research and my own articles, going over and over the details, I noticed something no one else has mentioned before.

Just think about it...       

                  

        A SUMMARIZED VERSION OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED THAT NIGHT ON EASTON DRIVE.

Paul and Jean

Paul Bern's body was found dead in his home on September 5, 1932. Some speculate he committed suicide, while others say he was murdered. Always they blame his first wife Dorothy for the murder, but let me ask you this.....If Paul was found naked with a bullet hole in his head, and the servants accounts stated that there were two empty wine glasses and a wet bathingsuit near the pool and a pool of blood behind the back of Paul's favorite lawn chair, (his body was so obviously moved after MGM's people got there)....that would mean he and another woman (which facts prove the bathing suit belonged to Dorothy) were naked, together. 

Is it possible that Jean Harlow found the two of them together, having sex and in a fit of rage due to the fact of her complaining of never "consummating" her marriage to Paul, then went to his coat, where she knew he kept his gun and shot him in the head?

Me @ Dorothy's grave

Dorothy, in shock, screams alerting the staff. Perhaps she grabs a robe or coat and runs to the limo that had been waiting outside. The servants said they saw her running and was in such a scared state that she left one of her shoes in the driveway...... Scared and not sure of what to do, Harlow runs over to Howard Hughes home and confesses and begs for his help. Whether he helps her or she ends up calling her step-father Marino Bello, someone was brought in to finish the job.

Somehow, someway....Dorothy ended up dead 2 days later. Drowned from falling off the Delta King riverboat in the Sacramento River....her death, written off as a suicide....but really, was it?'

Again, this is just a thought..... has anyone else contemplated this theory?

( J'aime Rubio - Copyright 2013)

The Shroud Of Mystery Behind Thomas Ince's Death- Part One

Thomas Ince

Not too many people know who Thomas Ince is, or was. Tragically his death overshadowed his legacy of being a true pioneer in the silent film industry. The few who are familiar with his story are usually at odds deciding on whether or not  his death was from "natural causes" or worse, if he was murdered. This story is one that is complex and filled with twists and turns at every corner. But for the truth seekers such as myself, it only added more fuel to the fire. The more I dug,the more I uncovered clues in regards to what really happened that night on the Oneida. After reading this story, I hope that you will put two and two together to see the story unravel right before your eyes. In the end, you will draw your own conclusions to this mystery and hopefully you will leave this page, satisfied with your opinions.

Birthday Invite Aboard W.R.'s Yacht!

Thomas Ince's name went down in history not for being a mogul the film industry, not for being the "Father of the Western" but rather for the fatal demise  that has been shrouded in mystery ever since he stepped foot on William Randolph Hearst's yacht, the Oneida, the weekend of November 15th, 1924. In fact, when the yacht left bound for San Diego from San Pedro that very day, Ince himself missed the initial departure and had to take a train to San Diego that following day, Sunday morning (the 16th) in order to board the yacht and enjoy the last day of the weekend with Hearst and his other companions on board.

Davies greeting Ince aboard the Oneida

"W.R." had invited Ince to share in the festivities of the weekend, even going so far as to plan a celebratory birthday dinner in honor of Ince on Sunday evening. Little is known about who actually was on board that evening. The guest list has changed a bit off an on over the years, but always the common denominators of the story remain:  William Randolph Hearst, Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, Louella Parsons, Thomas Ince, Margaret Livingston and of course Dr. Goodman always seem to be among those listed in every story.

According to the "official" records and reports, it states that the evening of Sunday, November 16th, that Thomas Ince grew ill from a bout of indigestion and had to be removed from the yacht in the night. According to Dr. Daniel Carson Goodman (a licensed though non-practicing physician) who was employed by Hearst as film production head, he claimed that he escorted Ince to San Diego where they boarded the train. By the time they hit Del Mar, Ince's condition had worsened so they got off the train and went to a hotel. Goodman contacted Ince's wife, Nell and told her to join them at the hotel where they called a doctor.  He eventually was moved to his Benedict Canyon home, (1051 Benedict Canyon Rd.) known as "Dias Dorados" where he eventually passed away on his wife's birthday, November 19th (which was a Wednesday, not a Tuesday as many claim). It is quite possible he died towards the early morning hours of November 19th, having had taken a turn for the worst Tuesday evening.  The idea that Thomas Ince fell ill to indigestion and later died from heart failure has always been scrutinized over the years. In fact, there are just too many conflicting reports in regards to that scenario, that it raises suspicion even more.

Other Theories:

Secret Affair & A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Swanson, Chaplin & Davies

The most popular of rumors was that Hearst invited Charlie Chaplin as one of his guests that weekend to observe Chaplin with Hearst's mistress, actress Marion Davies. The rival newspapers of Hearst's empire had published accounts just a week prior to the trip, stating that Davies and Chaplin were seen together in an inappropriate manner. Perhaps Hearst, wanting to see for himself, had invited Chaplin to find out if the rumors were true. He had to know if his beloved mistress Marion was being unfaithful or not.

As the rumor goes, Chaplin and Davies had been seen by Hearst below deck conversing, eventually Chaplin left his hat and retreated back to his stateroom for the night. In a jealous rage, Hearst went back to his stateroom and retrieved his diamond studded revolver (that he was most famously known for shooting down seagulls with) and went back to where Davies and Chaplin had been seated.

Somewhere during W.R.'s stroll to retrieve his gun, Ince had got up and found Davies alone. What they were talking about is unknown to this day, but the outcome proved to be fatal. Some rumors state Ince picked up Chaplin's hat and put it on as a joke to Davies as they sat there chatting. Mistaken for Chaplin, Hearst shot Ince in the back of the head. Feeling so overcome by guilt for shooting the wrong person, Hearst swore everyone on the yacht to secrecy (probably "buying them off") and covered the whole story over.

Another theory in regards to the whole Chaplin-Davies-Hearst love triangle was that there was a fight and that Hearst flat out shot at Chaplin and missed, while the bullet some say exited out of a porthole and struck Ince in the forehead while he was strolling on deck. Another says Ince was trying to break up the fight between Chaplin and Hearst while the gun went off, striking him in the head. No matter which theory you choose out of this category, Hearst remains the shooter in these scenarios.


The Incidence of Rape and Self Defense

Another quite messy scenario is that of an unknown character, Abigail Kinsolving. Miss Kinsolving happened to be Miss Davies Secretary, and from most stories she is not among those listed as being aboard the Oneida that night. However, apparently through the Hollywood gossip circuit, the story claims that Abigail was raped by Ince aboard Hearst's yacht and that she shot him in self defense or even quite possibly stabbed him in the head. Another report states that she only admitted to being raped by Ince, but never mentioned anything about how he died, or even if the death was related to her rape.

Margaret Livingston, Ince's mistress

Stories go on to state that Abigail became pregnant from that incident and gave birth to a daughter, Louise just months later. As you know, a pregnancy takes an entire nine months. So for her to give birth just a "few months" later sounds fishy to me. Also, the reports claim that Ince raped her on Saturday night, the 15th of November.

That is impossible, Ince didn't even board the Oneida until Sunday morning (the 16th) in San Diego because he had been busy at the premiere of  "The Mirage" and an ongoing production deal he was negotiating with Hearst's International Film Corporation. So if Abigail claimed to have been raped by Ince on the 15th aboard the Oneida, then that was a lie.

Now, if she wanted to claim that Ince was the father of her baby, whom I am now assuming that she was already "expecting" long before stepping foot on the Oneida that evening, perhaps she was enraged with jealousy when she saw that Hearst had invited Ince's mistress, Margaret Livingston. Was Abigail also one of Ince's mistresses? Given the circumstances, and her "delicate condition" I could imagine that she was beyond livid at that point.

As we all know the saying:

Heav'n has no rage like love to hatred turn'd
Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd.- 

(act III of William Congreve's The Mourning Bride, 1697)

There are so many possibilities to the scenarios behind the Abigail Kinsolving theory. If she was in fact having a sexual relationship with Ince prior to this yacht trip, she could have confided in him that she was pregnant with his child and he could have said it wasn't his, or that he wouldn't leave his wife for her. Perhaps she was just a "fling" to Ince, although it might have meant much more to her. Again, there really is no way to know if Ince was secretly seeing Abigail or not, but had she really been pregnant with his child and became so enraged at the sight of Ince with Livingston, or upset that Ince refused to acknowledge her pregnancy, perhaps she lost it that night and she shot him herself.

It would be very easy for her to claim rape to Hearst, given the fact he was quite the conservative and would have swept that whole thing under the rug for an innocent victim, and even more so for a woman. Also, think about this, Marion Davies was everything to Hearst. Abigail was Davies Secretary, she spent a lot of time with Davies, so she probably spent a lot of time with Hearst. He would have been well aware that a scandal of that magnitude would have ruined Davies' career and brought a never ending rainstorm of unflattering publicity to Hearst as well if it made the papers. 

Hearst would do anything for Davies, he created Cosmopolitan Pictures just for her, so that she could star in all the films. If he would do that for her, he would cover over anything if it meant protecting her image.
I also find it interesting that Abigail died shortly after giving birth to Louise. Her body was found among the wreckage of an auto accident near "La Cuesta Encantada"-- Hearst's Ranch in San Simeon. Allegedly, Hearst's bodyguards discovered her body, where they also found a suicide note.

Many speculated that the note was written by two different people, given the two distinct sets of handwriting on the note. Upon looking into this further, I have read that some people with "variable personalities" have been known to write with two distinct sets of handwriting. Some go from cursive to print, which is actually quite normal. While others can change styles completely which could mean something a little more complex. Could this have been a clue that Abigail had a split personality? Could she have been mentally ill? Did she really kill herself? Or was her death another unsolved mystery forever lurking in the shadows of W.R. Hearst? Unfortunately, we have no idea what the note said or what it looked like, as I am sure it was destroyed long ago. So there is no way to determine whether both sets of writing were from Abigail, or someone else. As the story goes, after Abigail died, Marion Davies quickly took Louise and placed her in an orphanage that Davies financially supported, making sure Louise would be taken care of.

Patricia Van Cleve (Hearst's daughter)

More proof of Hearst's capability to cover over or conceal secrets was one he held on to the grave. For many years Marion Davies claimed that the young blonde that would occasionally visit the Ranch in San Simeon was her "niece." However, as the years went on and secrets were whispered, this girl claimed to be the "love child" of Davies and Hearst. It is unknown when she was born, sometime between 1920-1923 but according to the Lake family, Marion gave the child to her sister Rose to raise after the loss of her own baby, while Hearst saw to it that she was financially cared for. On her death bed, Patricia Van Cleve Lake claimed that Marion Davies confided to her when she was 11 years old, and was told to keep her mouth shut about it. Even on her wedding day, six years after Davies had told her, Hearst  himself took her aside and told her that he was her real father and embraced her.

Patricia claimed that she had to pretend as if she didn't know, in order to make sure Hearst thought the secret had never been spoken prior to that day. Even after he admitted it to her, she knew that the charade was not over, in her entire life neither one of her biological parents could ever publicly acknowledge that she was their daughter, even if she knew they were her parents. Upon her deathbed, Patricia made sure that the world knew the real truth, she wanted to leave this world with the secret revealed. It makes you wonder, that if Hearst could hide a love child, what else could he hide?

Several historians have claimed to have dis-proven this theory by divorce records of  Rose and George, showing the constant animosity and fighting for custody of Patricia but there really is no way to know for sure who the girls parents were without DNA testing. Adoptive parents fight over their children all the time, plus the fact they had lost a child in death once, they may have been holding on to Patricia with all their might, regardless of whether she was biologically theirs or not. Whether it was George Van Cleeve and Rosemary Douras who parented her or Marion Davies and Hearst, the mystery will always remain.

No Autopsy

According to the papers, Wednesday morning's edition of the Los Angeles Times revealed a headline,
"MOVIE PRODUCER SHOT ON HEARST'S YACHT!"- but by the afternoon edition, that headline had been pulled, with any other information in regards to Ince's injuries.  One of Hearst's own papers published a headline reading "SPECIAL CAR RUSHES STRICKEN MAN HOME FROM RANCH."

Timeline of Events

In fact, at first Hearst wanted the public to think that Ince was actually at his Ranch in San Simeon, and that he was rushed home when he fell ill. When the rumors got out that people knew he had boarded the Oneida that Sunday morning, the papers had to backpedal there story and change it quickly. Then the story claimed that Ince fell ill due to ulcers and indigestion and later caused him a heart attack.

When Ince died at his home in Benedict Canyon, his personal Physician Dr. Glasgow signed the death certificate stating the cause of death was "heart failure." Ince was shot or became "ill" on Sunday evening (16th) and departed from the yacht early Monday the 17th. He died on the 19th and his funeral took place just two days later on Friday the 21st.  Upon those present were Marion Davies, Charlie Chaplin, Ince's brothers Ralph and John, accompanied by Elinor Ince and her three sons William, Thomas and Richard. Several other celebrities and family friends attended while services were done in the Chapel at the Hollywood Cemetery. Hearst himself was not present, which calls to mind that if Ince really had become ill on board of Hearst's yacht, why not pay Ince the respect of attending his funeral...that is, if it really wasn't any fault of W.R.'s in the first place. Right?

Ince's remains were cremated immediately after the ceremony, but records state that it was an open casket ceremony at the funeral. It is interesting to note that according to the book, "Thomas Ince- Hollywood's Independent Pioneer" written by Brian Taves, he states that the Chief of Homicide in Los Angeles dispatched two officers (J.B. Fox and William Bright) to Strother and Dayton's Mortuary in Hollywood, where Ince's body was being prepared for his funeral. According to the book, both officers along with the studio manager Reeve Houck witnessed as he states "Dr. Day" (whose name in actuality was Dr. Dayton not Day) turned the body of Thomas Ince over to reveal nothing. No mark, no wounds, nothing to indicate death occurred from anything besides natural causes. Could it be?  It is always likely that cops were paid off but it does make you stop and wonder, is it possible that Ince did die from natural causes after all? But then again, we are talking about Hollywood here, and Hollywood is very capable of  making people forget what they saw. Hollywood is also very good at using makeup, so it is possible that they cosmetically altered Ince's body or head to make the wound not visible.

What About The Witnesses?

Although many records state that Thomas Ince died Tuesday night, it was actually the early morning hours of Wednesday, as the records state he died on November 19th, which was in fact, a Wednesday. What is interesting about the witness accounts is that most on board of the Oneida either had no accounts or seemed to come down with a sudden bout of forgetfulness.

Marion Davies claimed that Nell Ince called her from the studio on Monday, letting her know Thomas had died. Well history shows this is impossible, being that Ince didn't die till the early hours of Wednesday.  Charlie Chaplin stated that he was never on board of the Oneida that weekend and that he, Hearst and Davies came to see Ince at his home a week after he became "ill". He also went on to state that Ince didn't die until two weeks after. Funny, because Chaplin was present at Ince's funeral that same week, so he knew very well that Ince died days, not weeks later.

Louella Parsons (who we will discuss in great detail in Part 2), claimed that she wasn't even in California at the time, and that she was all the way in New York when Ince became ill and died. Interestingly enough, Vera Burnett, a stand-in for Marion Davies at the studio, recalled seeing Louella with Marion at the studio the day of their planned weekend trip aboard Hearst's yacht, proving that Louella was in fact on the Oneida at the time.

Another witness that many have ignored over the years is the account of Chaplin's driver, Toraichi Kono, who claimed he actually saw Ince being transported by ambulance off the yacht. Kono confided the strange account to his wife that it appeared as if Ince's head was "bleeding from a bullet wound." Among the domestic workers in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, this rumor spread quickly. In a matter of days there were several calls to Los Angeles authorities as well as the authorities in San Diego, asking for them to investigate Ince's death, if not for murder, then for the illegal alcohol consumption which could have also led to his illness.  Because the public had doubts about the truth to Ince's death and many believed Hearst used his influence and control to cover it up, within three weeks San Diego District Attorney Chester C. Kempley was forced to look into the matter.

The odd part about the whole thing is that Kempley only questioned one person, Dr. Goodman, the man who accompanied Ince from the yacht, to the hotel and then onto Ince's Benedict Canyon home. The D.A. never questioned the guests who were on board the Oneida, nor did he even dare question Hearst. That to me, also sounds a little fishy. Of course the D.A. concluded that the matter was closed, being that Ince's death did not appear to be anything other than natural causes.

"I am satisfied that the death of Thomas H. Ince was caused by heart failure as a result of an attack of indigestion....as there is every reason to believe that the death of Ince was due to natural causes, there is no reason why an investigation should be made."- Chester C. Kempley, San Diego District Attorney.

As usual, the story was covered over and smoothed out by the Hearst papers, but there was far more to the story than just this. We are just scratching the surface.

CLICK HERE TO READ-- PART TWO- THE SHROUD OF MYSTERY BEHIND THOMAS INCE'S DEATH!

J'aime Rubio- Dreaming Casually Publications/Hollywoodland Forever 

Copyright- 2013

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