Friday, September 15, 2006

Black Dahlia Without the Hyperbole.

Since today is the release date for the Black Dahlia movie, only 59 years and 9 months after the body was found, and since this means a lot of you in the interwebs are looking for some information regarding the Black Dahlia murder and how well the movie portrays history, I am offering some links to what I think is a reasonable analysis.

First, a little background. Like most people, I had a vague knowledge of what the Black Dahlia murder was, but hadn't become wrapped up in its mystique. Then last year I attended an LA Press Club event regarding the Donald Wolfe book The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, The Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles where Wolfe reveals his theory that Bugsy Segal was behind the murder because Norman Chandler wanted to cover up a pregnancy. I thought the theory was crazy, still do, but it got me looking around the interweb looking for better information.

That's when I found Larry Harnisch's blog (Harnisch is essentially the Los Angeles Times "Black Dahlia Guy" and his methodology is rigorous) where he decimates the Wolfe book and provides robust analysis of the murder. Harnisch also has a site dedicated to his own theory about the murder. Harnisch also has a piece in today's LA Times, as does James Ellroy.

You can find a lot of crazy stuff on the web, so stick with the links above and you'll better be able to view the film critically.

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