Black Dahlia Pulp

[shrunkenhead]

In another thread, Rpjb suggested I post some of my pulp stuff in the GA forum. I have a bunch of pulps with covers and/or articles pertaining to the Black Dahlia murder case, though I've got to scrounge around and find the others (I think they might actually be in storage). Here's one that was quick and easy to find. This is pretty lowgrade stuff, which is pretty much the norm with the pulp mags. Anything in Fine is pretty much spectacular when it comes to these books.

 

I threw this on the scanner as soon as I got it. Note: I've since corrected that bottom corner fold with some very hi-tech pressing equipment: my thumb!

[rjpb]

Very cool. It makes perfect sense that the pulps would have jumped on what had to be the most famous unsolved homicide of the 1940s, but I had never seen a Black Dahlia reference on or in one before. Thanks for sharing

[shrunkenhead]

No problemo! As I've got this book handy, I'll also scan a couple pages.

[shrunkenhead]

The splash page

[shrunkenhead]

...and a page from the text

[goldust40]

Nice Aleister Crowley avatar there.........

[rjpb]

Thanks for the additional posts.

Is that actually Elizabeth Short on the splash? I've never seen a picture where she looked so....well, goofy.

[shrunkenhead]

Yep, that really is Lizzie Short. Not the most flattering of photos, to be sure.

 

Incidentally, there a lot of books written on the case (many out of print), but most of them aren't very good. SEVERED is one of the few standouts (I think John Gilmore is the author, could be mistaken). There's also this really weird memoir written by one of the Dahlia's alleged friends where she claims that Orson Welles is the real killer. I've got that book laying around the house here somewhere...now THAT's goofy!

 

And thanks to Goldust for the avatar kudos. I try, I really try.

[rjpb]

I've read SEVERED - well written and convincing. I plan on reading the Steve Hodel's book BLACK DAHLIA AVENGER at some point - have you read it, and what do you think?

 

Brian DePalma is slated to shoot an adaptation of the Ellroy book next year - with Scarlett Johanssen in it (niiice!)

[precodekeith]

Hey guys, thanks for starting this thread! Very informative so far....anyone care to lay out the basics of the Black Dahlia for us laymen who have heard the name over and over, but never got the details???

[gozer]

>> anyone care to lay out the basics of the Black Dahlia

 

Basic story, links, and references to many other sources here at

good old Wikipedia.

 

gozer

-----------------------------

TV gives so much and asks so little.

[shrunkenhead]

Wasn't too wild about Black Dahlia Avenger, to tell you the truth. Didn't have much info that I hadn't gotten elsewhere, and was very overwritten. Also I thought the book tried way too hard to make it theories work....square peg in a round hole kinda thing, ya know?

 

PCkeith, the Black Dahlia was a Hollywood actress named Elizabeth Short. She didn't do much big movie work, but gained some notoriety due to her all-black style of dress (hence the name, a nod to the film The Blue Dahlia) and her mixing and mingling with other celebs (Marilyn Monroe allegedly included in that list). She was murdered in a most brutal fashion. Body was severed clean in half, and entirely drained of blood. The two halves of her body were left, naked, out in the open on a busy street in Hollywood. The murder has never been officially solved.

[rjpb]

Great summation, shrunkenhead, with a minor correction. The body was found in a vacant lot at 39th & Norton, in south central LA, several miles south of Hollywood.

[shrunkenhead]

Erps, yeah, my bad. Remember reading that now. Thanks for pointing that out. I think maybe that street is now a busy area...or something like that(?)

[Thegoldenage]

I think on ogrish.com they have the original photos of the crime scene. Gruesome.

[precodekeith]

Thanks for the info, fellas!!

[Jeffreykli]

Fascinating. I never knew about the murder. Thanks for sharing.