5 Golden Age Hollywood Scandals That Still Rocks The World

Margot Nolan

Thanks to the tabloids these days, we rarely miss out on the latest piece of celebrity gossip. From licking a donut without paying for it to a cheating scandal. Celebrities seem to have no bought when it comes to their scandal.
That's why we consider these pieces of gossip a form of Entertainment and don’t often think too much about it. The same cannot be said about older days in Hollywood, however.
In an older, more conservative Tinseltown, anything that is remotely controversial can make people bring out their torches and pitchforks. That means a lot of the “scandals” from the old days scandals would not even register on today’s tabloid radar.
Or is it? Some Hollywood scandals are so huge they are still being talked about today. See for yourself 5 huge scandals from Golden Hollywood, and whether they actually were as bad as people say.

#1 Judy Garland was hooked on pills by MGM

Judy Garland said that she was forced to maintain a very rigorous diet while working at MGM. She was also subjected to frequent insults and harassment from the MGM executives. The story goes that they'd worry about her weight and want her to be active. Therefore, she was made to adhere to a rigorous diet and use diet pills.
MGM forced the actress to follow a diet of black coffee, chicken soup, and 80 cigarettes with diet pills when she was 18 years old. Judy Garland spent her whole life struggling with eating problems and substance misuse as a result of this.

#2 Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich have an alleged affair

Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich shared many similarities: both were European-born actresses who came to Hollywood. In 1925, the actresses appeared together in the silent German film The Joyless Street.
According to Diana McLellan, who thoroughly researched the film's footage, the actresses were a part of the film, and they had an affair that ended horribly. However, Marlene Dietrich had denied ever appearing in the picture. And there was no way to verify it because no entire print of the picture remained. The actresses spent most of their lives fighting this rumor, but it was a huge scandal then.

#3 Jean Harlow’s husband's suspicious death

Only two months after their wedding, Jean Harlow's husband, Paul Bern, committed suicide under strange circumstances in 1932. When he was discovered in his flat with a gun in his hand and a message, it caused quite a stir.
The cops mistook it for a suicide note, but they couldn't p out why. Jean Harlow kept quiet about it, only informing authorities that she was at her mother's house on the night of the suicide. The actress's studio, MGM, was fast to cover the story. Later investigation revealed that Bern may not have committed suicide.

#4 Spade Cooley murdered his wife

Spade Cooley, the self-proclaimed King of Western Swing, was overwhelmed by fame. He had a television program, hit albums, and film deals. He became increasingly worried as his celebrity grew. Spade grew irritable and impulsive á a réult.
His celebrity made him delusory as well, and he was certain that his wife was having an affair. In 1961, he murdered his wife, Ella Mae, in front of their daughters. Cooley confessed to his crime as a consequence of the trial, which became one of the most infamous scandals. He died of a heart attack in 1969.

#5 George Reeves’ mysterious death

He is well known for his performance as Superman in The Adventures of Superman. In 1959, the actor committed suicide in a bizarre manner. Though it was ruled a suicide, it became a massive controversy, with much suspecting murder. It was because the tragedy occurred shortly after reports of George Reeves' romance with Toni Mannix appeared.
Toni Mannix was the wife of Eddie Mannix, a well-known Hollywood fixer. Toni Mannix overheard a friend admitting to a priest that Eddie Mannix murdered Reeves several years after the actor's death. However, most historians believe it was a suicide attempt.