The Dark Side Of Hollyweird

Scott Michaels is the creator and host of the Dearly Departed tour of Hollywood. Now Scott has a DVD out, the first in a series that showcases his research and knowledge into some of the most famous murders and accidental deaths in Tinseltown.

Nobody knows more about Hollywood lore than Scott and he presents it in a very entertaining and enthusiastic tour, and now on DVD. You definitely need a dark sense of humour and a strong stomach for a couple of the stories, like the Black Dahlia for example.

We were fortunate enough, about a year ago, to have taken the tour when the Ambassador Hotel was still standing. Now the infamous place where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated is gone, except for the Coconut Grove club which is being preserved. Hollywood has been going through a period of lost history, where legendary buildings have been bulldozed and the Ambassador is just one of the most recent to go.

Scott has done some brilliant things over the years in his quest to meet the famous and infamous in Hollywood. For example, he found out that Dean Martin had a standing date at the Brown Derby to watch baseball so just before a game, Scott positioned himself at the bar so that he blocked the television. Ol’ Dino bought him a beer and asked him kindly to move – and move Scott did, next to Dean, where the two chatted an afternoon away.

If the idea of exploring the darker side of Hollywood history doesn’t instantly appeal to you, forget about it. It’s not for everyone. But if it’s for you, Scott’s work can be found here .

The Dearly Departed Tour was a definite highlight of our LA trip. It goes far beyond “this is Tom Cruise’s house” and “here’s where the Beverly Hillbillies opening scene was shot” – even though those particular nuggets are included. Wray hopes to go on the tour again when he’s back for an annual convention there next summer. After all, there are always new entries being written in the book of Hollywood history.