β Scribed by Baxt, George
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
It is 1929, and Hollywood is in chaos. Tinseltown is far removed from the stock market crash, however; the word on everyone's lips is "talkers. The invention of movies with sound means the dawn of an exciting new era in the film industry. But not everyone stands to gain from the demise of silent movies, and some will do anything for revenge.
Alexander Roland, czar of Diamond Films ('If it sparkles, it's a Diamond!"), plans to empty his studios of all the players whose voices don't register well in a soundstage. And mega-producer Samuel Goldwyn intends to do the same, in between uttering his famous Goldwynisms ("Mock my words!''). The tyrannical Marie Darling, whose precious offspringβdarling daughter Annamary, sullen but swashbuckling son-in-law Willis Loring. and doping and drinking son Jackβwere once stars of the silent screen, is determined to make her opinions register.
Amidst the wailing prima donnas, aging playboys, and breathless young hopefuls imported from Broadway, lurks a murderer Of course, everyone in the show-biz community is capable of murder, but only in Hollywood are young aspiring actresses strangled with their own silk stockings.
Police inspector Herbert Villon is brought in to investigate, but ace gossip reporter Hazel Dickson may beat him to it, and then Bertha Grazeβconfidante to everyone, it seemsβand her crystal ball may have a thing or two to tell him.
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