Breaking... Juan Romero Dead (Oct 1, 2018)

The LA Times is reporting tonight that Juan Romero has died of a heart attack at the age of 68. Romero was the busboy seen cradling the head of a mortally wounded Robert F. Kennedy in the iconic photograph taken shortly after Kennedy had been shot in the head by an assassin's bullet. Romero was forever haunted by what happened just after midnight on June 5, 1968, when he was on duty as a busboy at the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Blvd. near Koreatown in Los Angeles. Romero was just 17 at the time. Romero was in the habit of leaving flowers at that monument each year to mark RFK’s death. He said he often felt we as a nation were moving further politically from what he saw as a Kennedy legacy of tolerance and compassion.

Deathiversary: Janet Leigh (October 3, 2004)

The OG Scream Queen. Leigh died in October 2004 at age 77, following a year-long battle with vasculitis - an inflammation of the blood vessels.

In 1960, Leigh was cast in her most well-known role as murder victim Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). Leigh was reportedly so traumatized by filming her character's shower murder scene that she went to great lengths to avoid showers for the rest of her life. Leigh received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Leigh's role in Psycho became career-defining, and she later commented: "I've been in a great many films, but I suppose if an actor can be remembered for one role then they're very fortunate. And in that sense I'm fortunate." Her character's death early in the film has been noted as historically relevant by film scholars as it violated narrative conventions of the time, while her murder scene itself is considered among both critics and film scholars to be one of the most iconic scenes in film history.

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Deathiversary Part 2: Rock Hudson

Throughout his career, numerous magazines declared Rock Hudson "Star of the Year" and “Favorite Leading Man.”  Hudson appeared in nearly 70 films and starred in several television productions during a career that spanned more than four decades. In 1956 he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Giant" - alongside James Dean. Hudson died from AIDS-related complications in 1985, becoming the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.

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Deathiversary: Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson died on this day in 1985. While Hudson’s career developed, Hudson and his agent Henry Willson kept the actor's personal life out of the headlines. In 1955, Confidential magazine threatened to publish an exposé about Hudson's secret homosexuality. Willson stalled this by disclosing information about two of his other clients. Willson provided information about Rory Calhoun's years in prison and the arrest of Tab Hunter at a party in 1950. Hudson's homosexuality was well known in Hollywood throughout his career, and former co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Saint James claimed that they knew of his homosexuality, as did Carol Burnett 

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Dead in San Diego: Betty Broderick

The latest issue of Dead in Hollywood, Dead in San Diego: Betty Broderick (issue 7.5) is for sale now in our store. CLICK HERE for a copy. Dead in Hollywood: Stalked was my favorite issue, but the Betty Broderick issue has to be my new favorite. The more I put into each issue the harder it is for me to let go of whoever I’m writing about - something I’m sure Betty understands. She wasn’t able to let go and because of this… she is serving a life sentence behind bars for killing her ex-husband and his new bride.

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Dead in Hollywood: Betty Broderick

Dead in Hollywood will be debuting the zine “Dead in San Diego: Betty Broderick” next weekend at the San Diego and San Fernando Valley zine fests. If you don’t know who Betty Broderick is, you’re in for a rollercoaster ride through the upscale neighborhoods of the San Diego suburb, La Jolla, California. This story has always intrigued me. Treat yourself and watch the episode of Betty on the Oprah Show. Today, I spent my morning watching the TV movie “A Woman Scorned.” Meredith Baxter Birney plays Betty! The full movie is on YouTube. “A Woman Scorned” is based on an L.A. Times article by the brilliant journalist Amy Wallace. More to come on the Betty Broderick story... 

TBT: Did John Ritter Have to Die?

Did John Ritter have to die? On September 11, 2003, Ritter suffers from heart problems while rehearsing for his sitcom “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” He begins sweating profusely, vomiting, and complaining of having chest pains. He is taken to the hospital across the street from the studio - coincidently it is the same hospital where Ritter was born. Physicians misdiagnose Ritter and treat him for a heart attack; however, his condition deteriorates. He is then diagnosed with an aortic dissection - a tear in the aorta that grows. Ritter dies during surgery, six days before his 55th birthday. He would have turned 70 today. Ritter is interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

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John Ritter & Disneyland

In 2003, John Ritter sat down next to me on a Bug's Life Ride at Disneyland. A few days later, he died. I grew up on reruns of the TV show "Three's Company” and I watched "Bride of Chucky” on a loop when I was in high school - Ritter plays against type as a baddie police chief whose death pays tribute to Pinhead from the horror movie “Hellraiser.” And of course, his episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is one of my all time favorites - during the filming of the final confrontation between Buffy and Ted, both Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ritter were ill. Gellar had the flu whereas Ritter had food poisoning from the night before. When Ritter sat down next to me on a Bug's Life Ride, he looked really sick. He was breathing heavy and sweating profusely. What I remember most is that I was able to hear him breathing over the sounds of the ride. In less than a week, he would be dead from a tear in the aorta. September 11 of this year would’ve been his 70th birthday. 

Zodiac Was Here (Washington and Cherry)

I took a Yellow Cab to the corner of Washington and Cherry in San Francisco, California. Washington and Cherry is where the Zodiac serial killer murdered his last victim, a cab driver by the name of Paul Stine. This photo is of me and my dog, Slink - named after Slinky Dog from the movie “Toy Story” standing in front of one of the houses Zodiac passed while making his escape. Police officers even stopped Zodiac, but let him go because they were looking for a “negro male.” Turns out, kids don’t make great eyewitnesses. I will be covering Paul Stine’s murder in an upcoming Zodiac Zine. For now, check out ZODIAC ZINE - VOLUME ONE: THE LAKE HERMAN ROAD MURDERS.

From Your Secret Pal, Zodiac

Will be premiering Zodiac buttons this Sunday at the San Francisco Zine Fest! ☠️ The Zodiac serial killer threatened San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery with a Halloween card in October 1970. "From your secret pal," taunted the dancing skeleton on the front of the spooky card that the cryptic killer addressed to Avery - misspelling Avery as "Averly." Inside the card, Zodiac printed neatly in felt-tip marker: "Peek-a-boo! You are doomed!” "I Am Not Avery” buttons started popping up all over town. By that time, police had already linked Zodiac to at least five random, brutal murders, dating back two years. He challenged police to catch him in boastful letters to The Chronicle and other Northern California newspapers, enclosing elaborate cryptograms and even scraps of one victim's bloody shirt as proof of his deeds. Zodiac also sent letters commanding the people of “San Fran Bay Area” to wear “Zodiac symbol" buttons even growing angry in another letter: “This is the Zodiac speaking… I have become very upset with the people of San Fran Bay Area. They have NOT complied with my wishes for them to wear some nice (Zodiac symbol) buttons.” He promises to punish them if they do not comply with his wishes.