The Cat's Meow

[Tuesday Afternoon]

I wonder what really did happen on that boat :shrug:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266391/
In November of 1924, a mysterious Hollywood death occurred aboard media mogul William Randolph Hearst's yacht. Included among the famous guests that weekend were, Charlie Chaplin, Hearst's mistress, starlet Marion Davies, the studio system creator, producer Thomas Ince, and feared gossip columnist, Louella Parsons.

Tom Ince
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ince
On November 19, 1924, the silent film producer and 'father of the Western' died, officially of a heart attack suffered while on a weekend boat trip with William Randolph Hearst aboard Hearst's lavish yacht, the Oneida, while attending a cruise in honor of Ince's 42nd birthday. Other prominent guests in attendance were actor Charlie Chaplin, newspaper columnist Louella Parsons, author Elinor Glyn and film actresses Marion Davies, Aileen Pringle, Jacqueline Logan, Seena Owen, Margaret Livingston and Julanne Johnston.

In the years since, several conflicting stories have circulated about Ince's death, often revolving around the claim that Hearst shot Ince in a fit of jealousy (or shot Ince accidentally while fighting with Chaplin over Davies) and used his power and influence to cover up the killing.

A 2001 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, The Cat's Meow, tells a tale based on these rumors. Bogdanovich claims he heard the story of Ince's death from director Orson Welles who in turn said he heard it from writer Herman J. Mankiewicz. Ince is portrayed in the film by Cary Elwes, William Randolph Hearst is portrayed by Edward Herrmann, Marion Davies is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, and Charlie Chaplin is portrayed by Eddie Izzard.

Patty Hearst co-authored a novel with Cordelia Frances Biddle titled Murder at San Simeon (Scribner, 1996), based upon the death of Ince.

Plot synopsis
It's November 15, 1924, and among those boarding the luxury yacht Oneida in San Pedro, California are its owner, publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, and his mistress, silent film star Marion Davies; Ince, whose birthday is the reason for the weekend cruise, and his mistress, starlet Margaret Livingston; Charlie Chaplin; English writer Elinor Glyn; and Louella Parsons, the film critic for Hearst's New York American.

Elinor Glyn provides the narration: "In November of 1924 during a weekend yacht party bound for San Diego a mysterious death occurred within the Hollywood community. However there was no coverage in the press, no police action, and of the 14 passengers on board only one was ever questioned by authorities. Little evidence exists now or existed at the time to support any version of those events. History has been written in whispers, and this is the whisper told most often. The yacht you see belonged to William Randolph Hearst. Only in a place like this do reporters and autograph hounds have absolutely no scruples about stampeding mourners at a funeral. Welcome to Hollywood, a place just off the coast of planet Earth. After we all leave the man in the box will disappear, just his ashes will remain, after all its fire that can hurt you, not ashes"

Several of those participating in the weekend's festivities are at a crossroads in their lives and/or careers. Chaplin, still dealing with the critical and commercial failure of A Woman of Paris and rumors he has impregnated sixteen-year-old Lita Grey, who appeared in his film The Kid, is in the midst of preparing The Gold Rush. Davies longs to appear in a slapstick comedy rather than the somber costume dramas to which Hearst has kept her confined. Ince's eponymous film studio is in dire financial straits, and he hopes to convince Hearst to take him on as a partner in Cosmopolitan Pictures. Parsons would like to relocate from the East Coast to more glamorous Hollywood.

Hearst suspects Davies and Chaplin have engaged in an affair, a suspicion shared by Ince, who hopes to find proof he can present to Hearst in order to curry favor with him. In the wastepaper basket in Chaplin's stateroom, he discovers a discarded love letter to Davies and pockets it with plans to produce it at an opportune moment. When he finally does, Hearst is enraged, and his anger is fueled further by the discovery of Davies' brooch in Chaplin's cabin. He assumes it was left there during a romantic liaison, unaware she and several other guests had gathered there the night before to indulge in moonshine and marijuana.

more at link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat's_Meow