Taylorology

Below is the contents list for issues of "Taylorology", with an electronic link to each issue. The publication centered on the unsolved 1922 murder of silent film director William Desmond Taylor, but there is also reprinted material on, and interviews with, some silent film stars. Some issues contain old web links which are no longer active; the inactive web pages might still be found via the Wayback Machine.

If you are totally unfamiliar with the Taylor case and would like a general introduction, read "I Know Who Killed Desmond Taylor" in Taylorology 50 or, for those more visually inclined, read Rick Geary's graphic novel Famous Players: The Mysterious Death of William Desmond Taylor.

If you think the book "A Cast of Killers" (1986 edition) is accurate, you may find Taylorology 65 of particular interest. Most of the historical errors were corrected or qualified in the Twentieth Anniversary Edition.

If the links below are not working, or are only partially loading, Taylorology can also be obtained here. Unless otherwise indicated, all material on this website may be freely redistributed.

Taylorology Issues

Taylorology 4:
A Few Murder Suspects
Fragments from Taylor's Life
Suggested Reading
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder":
Foreword (by Kevin Brownlow), Introduction, Prelude, Bon Mots


Taylorology 5:
The Connette Episode
Deposition by Leslie Henry
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 2:
Wild Hollywood Parties--Fact or Fiction?, William Desmond Taylor


Taylorology 6:
Why Taylor's Servant Thought Mabel Normand was the Killer
1929 Interview with Charlotte Shelby
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 3:
Mabel's Reading Matter, The Funeral, The Investigation, The Law
Index to A CAST OF KILLERS


Taylorology 7:
The Case Against Thomas Dixon
Fragments from the Police File
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 4:
Love Letters, Frozen Horror, Untamed Hollywood,
Frank Mayo vs. The Press, Tall Tales #1: Walter Underwood


Taylorology 8:
Wallace Smith: February 8, 1922
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 5:
Doug and Mary Run the Gauntlet; The Fourth Estate;
Tall Tales #2: Harry Fields; Psychic Visions


Taylorology 9:
Mary Miles Minter vs. American Film Co.
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 6:
Evil Hollywood, Hollywood Treads Softly, Editorial Contemplations


Taylorology 10:
25 Flashes of Mabel Normand
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 7:
The Kidnapping of Henry Peavey; Odds & Ends;
Tall Tales #3: The Atlantic City Confession


Taylorology 11:
"Hollywood Mysteries"--Shredded
"The Humor of a Hollywood Murder" Part 8:
Confessions, Confessions; Poetry Potpourri; The Public Speaks;
Epilogue: August 1923


Taylorology 12:
Time-Life's "Unsolved Crimes"--Bravo!
Did a Canadian Army Veteran Kill Taylor?
Charlotte Shelby's Last Two Interviews (1937)
Interview with Mary Miles Minter (1937)
Wallace Smith: February 10, 1922
"The Truth About Hollywood":
Part 1 [A brief tour of 1922 Hollywood]


Taylorology 13:
"The Truth About Hollywood":
Part 2 [Drugs, Alcohol and Sexual Morality]
Part 3 [What Happens to a New Girl in Hollywood?]
Part 4 [Brief Tour of Some Hollywood Studios]


Taylorology 14:
March 1926: Cyclone around Keyes
"The Truth About Hollywood":
Part 5 [How Much Do the Stars Earn?]


Taylorology 15:
William T. Sherman, Guest Editor:
Some Responses to a Number of Points Made in TAYLOROLOGY
In Defense of Mabel Normand
The Issue of Peavey's Credibility
The Credibility of Howard Fellows' Testimony
The Time Element Problem
Evidence for a Cover-Up
Summaries of the Cases against Charlotte Shelby and Carl Stockdale


Taylorology 16:
William T. Sherman, Guest Editor:
Some Glimpses of The Shelby Family Caught up in The Taylor Case
"The Mystery of the Movie Director" by Sidney Sutherland
A Look at the Character of D.A. Thomas Lee Woolwine & His Administration


Taylorology 17:
The Return of Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner
Allegations that Henry Peavey Murdered Taylor
When did Mary Miles Minter Learn of Taylor's Death?
Flashes of Margaret Shelby
Wallace Smith: February 11, 1922


Taylorology 18:
Adela Rogers St. Johns:
Eulogy, Apology, Psychology, Mythology


Taylorology 19:
The Case against Edward Sands:
Who was Sands?
Items Suggesting Sands was the Killer
Sands' Sexuality
Was Sands the Person Seen by Faith MacLean?
Was Robbery an Element of the Murder Motive?
Strange Phone Calls Received by Taylor
Conclusions Regarding Sands
Wallace Smith: February 14, 1922


Taylorology 20:
Mini-Reviews: Munn and Martinez
Did James Kirkwood Kill Taylor?
Hollywood Social Events 1914-1922
Wallace Smith: February 15, 1922


Taylorology 21:
The Last Day of Taylor's Life
Wallace Smith: February 16, 1922
"Has Mabel Normand Solved the Taylor Murder?"


Taylorology 22:
The 1937 Grand Jury Investigation
Statements by Carl Stockdale
Where was Adolph Zukor on February 2, 1922?
Interviews with Julia Crawford Ivers
Who was the Drug-Addicted Scenario Writer?
What was the Real Name of Mary Miles Minter?
The Path of the Fatal Bullet
Wallace Smith: February 20, 1922


Taylorology 23:
"The Colorful and Romantic Story of Wm. D. Taylor's Remarkable Life"
Wallace Smith: February 21, 1922


Taylorology 24:
Contemporary Reviews of Films Directed by William Desmond Taylor
Sources for More Information about Taylor's Films


Taylorology 25:
The Court-Martial of Edward Sands
Wallace Smith: February 22, 1922


Taylorology 26:
Review: New Book on Mabel Normand
Juanita Hansen, Part I
Wallace Smith: February 23, 1922


Taylorology 27:
Juanita Hansen, Part II
Wallace Smith: February 24, 1922


Taylorology 28:
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle


Taylorology 29:
Taylor's "Lost Years" -- 1908-1912
Wallace Smith: February 25, 1922


Taylorology 30:
"The Sins of Hollywood: An Expose of Movie Vice"


Taylorology 31:
Douglas and Faith MacLean
Wallace Smith: February 27, 1922


Taylorology 32:
Interviews with Mary Miles Minter: The Taylor Years
Wallace Smith: February 28, 1922


Taylorology 33:
The Life and Death of Olive Thomas


Taylorology 34:
The Dispatches of Richard Burritt


Taylorology 35:
Testimony of Charlotte Shelby
Testimony of Leslie Henry


Taylorology 36:
Ray Frohman Interviews:
Charlie Chaplin, Dorothy Gish, Louise Glaum, William S. Hart
Ruth Roland, Blanche Sweet, Clara Kimball Young


Taylorology 37:
Mary Miles Minter in Hawaii
Mary Miles Minter Moves Out
Minter and Chaplin


Taylorology 38:
Silent Films of Taylor's Associates on Home Video
Wallace Reid, Part I


Taylorology 39:
Woolwine's Statement Regarding Mary Miles Minter
Wallace Reid, Part II


Taylorology 40:
Taylor in the British Army
Personal Appearances by Silent Stars in the Weeks after the Murder:
Monte Blue, Hobart Bosworth, Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne,
Mary Carr, Lew Cody, Viola Dana, Miss DuPont, Elsie Ferguson,
Pauline Frederick, Hoot Gibson, Lillian Gish, Mildred Harris,
Hazel Howell, Louise Lovely, May McAvoy, Martha Mansfield,
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Marie Prevost, Herbert Rawlinson,
Will Rogers, Ruth Roland, Gladys Walton, Claire Windsor


Taylorology 41:
The Casting Couch and Sexual Harassment in Early Hollywood
Leslie Henry's Suicide Plan


Taylorology 42:
"Mabel Normand's Own Life Story!"


Taylorology 43:
"Untold Tales of Hollywood"


Taylorology 44:
"Untold Tales of Hollywood" (conclusion)


Taylorology 45:
Interviews with Taylor's Ex-Wife
Mabel Normand on the Witness Stand:
Testimony at the William Desmond Taylor Inquest
Testimony at the Horace Greer Hearing
Testimony at the Horace Greer Trial


Taylorology 46:
Flashes of Charlie Chaplin


Taylorology 47:
The Photoplayers' Club


Taylorology 48:
Kathlyn Williams


Taylorology 49:
The Screenwriters Defend Hollywood in the Murder Aftermath:
Gertrude Atherton, Beulah Marie Dix, Elinor Glyn, Frances Harmer,
Rupert Hughes, William Parker, Louis Sherwin, Rob Wagner,
Frank Woods and Thompson Buchanan, Waldemar Young


Taylorology 50:
"I Know Who Killed Desmond Taylor"


Taylorology 51:
Charlie Chaplin Interview from 1916
Anita Loos


Taylorology 52:
William Desmond Taylor's Words:
Articles Written by Taylor
Comments Attributed to Taylor


Taylorology 53:
Louella Parsons Interviews with Actors:
Monte Blue, Douglas Fairbanks, George Fawcett, Robert Harron,
Sessue Hayakawa, Houdini, Harold Lloyd, Tom Mix,
Wallace Reid, Ben Turpin, Rudolph Valentino


Taylorology 54:
Mabel Normand Here and There


Taylorology 55:
Interviews with Mary Pickford
Taylor Case Errors in "Forbidden Lovers"


Taylorology 56:
Taylor/Minter Film Available on Home Video
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day One


Taylorology 57:
Antonio Moreno


Taylorology 58:
Minter and Shelby in Paris
In Defense of Charlotte Shelby
"The Tragic Life Story of Mabel Normand"
Interviews with Taylor's Sister-In-Law
Mary Miles Minter and "Broken Blossoms"
Two Interviews with Mary Pickford


Taylorology 59:
Richard Willis:
William Desmond Taylor's First Hollywood Interview
Poetic Eulogy for Taylor
More Interviews by Richard Willis:
Carlyle Blackwell, Mona Darkfeather, Hobart Bosworth, Adele Lane,
D. W. Griffith, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley


Taylorology 60:
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Two


Taylorology 61:
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Three
Mary Miles Minter: The Pre-Taylor Years


Taylorology 62:
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Four
Who's Who in the Taylor Case
Clara Beranger Comments on "The World's Applause"


Taylorology 63:
Louella Parsons Interviews with Actresses:
Beverly Bayne, Betty Blythe, Clara Bow, Marguerite Clark,
Elsie Ferguson, Dorothy Gish, Juanita Hansen, Osa Johnson,
Alice Joyce, Mae Marsh, Violet Mersereau, Alma Rubens,
Gloria Swanson, Blanche Sweet, Alice Terry


Taylorology 64:
Mabel Normand and "Goldwyn"
Another Taylor Film on Home Video?
In Print: "The Big Book of Scandal!"
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Five
Hollywood Studio Production During the Week of Taylor's Murder
Photoplay Editions of Taylor's Films


Taylorology 65:
175 Errors and Contradictions in "A Cast of Killers"


Taylorology 66:
Interviews with Edna Purviance
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Six


Taylorology 67:
Louella Parsons Interviews with Directors:
J. Stuart Blackton, Herbert Brenon, William De Mille,
Abel Gance, D. W. Griffith, Ralph Ince, Rex Ingram,
Ernst Lubitsch, Fred Niblo, John S. Robertson, Victor Seastrom


Taylorology 68:
Six Interviews with Buster Keaton
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Seven


Taylorology 69:
Retraction: The Drug-Addicted Scenario Writer
Henry Peavey Accuses Mabel Normand
Testimony of Margaret Shelby Fillmore
Letter from Marjorie Berger to Mary Miles Minter
Public Response to the Taylor Murder
Mabel Normand and the Police Gazette
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Eight


Taylorology 70:
Review: "Mysteries & Scandals"
Jeanie Macpherson


Taylorology 71:
Drugs in Early Hollywood
The Death of Zelda Crosby
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Nine


Taylorology 72:
Flashes of Charlie Chaplin, Part II


Taylorology 73:
Taylor's "Tom Sawyer" on Home Video
Review: "Death in Paradise"
Mabel Normand Here and There, Part II
"The Indiscretions of a Star"


Taylorology 74:
Fragments of Taylor in Hollywood
Fifteen Years after the Murder: Mary Miles Minter Speaks
Gossip from "Capt. Billy's Whiz Bang"
The Mishawum Manor Scandal
Statement by Lowell Sherman Regarding the Arbuckle Party
A Dictionary of Flapper Slang
"The Jinx on Mabel"


Taylorology 75:
Errors in "Fallen Angels"
Capt. Edward A. Salisbury


Taylorology 76:
Mary Miles Minter Here and There


Taylorology 77:
Maurice Tourneur


Taylorology 78:
Contemporary Reviews of Films Directed by William Desmond Taylor, Part II


Taylorology 79:
Contemporary Reviews of Films Directed by William Desmond Taylor, Part III


Taylorology 80:
Blanche Sweet


Taylorology 81:
Review: "Balboa Films"
"Balboa Films": Response from the Authors
Charlotte Shelby's 1929 Statement
Mary Miles Minter's "Engagement" to William Desmond Taylor
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Day Ten


Taylorology 82:
Mabel Normand in "Photoplayers Weekly"
Fragments from Official 1922 Statements: Fellows, Dumas, Maigne
The Federal Trade Commission vs. Famous Players-Lasky
Rudolph Valentino characterizes Charles Eyton
Affidavit filed by Charles Eyton regarding Rudolph Valentino


Taylorology 83:
"Suzanna" on Home Video
Mack Sennett


Taylorology 84:
Margaret Gibson's Deathbed Confession:
"I Killed William Desmond Taylor!"


Taylorology 85:
James Bean's Theory Regarding Taylor's Killer
Rumors, "Solutions," and Strange Reports
William Desmond Taylor's Injuries
Why Margaret Gibson Changed her Screen Name
Margaret Gibson Arrested for Extortion
More Thoughts Regarding Margaret Gibson
Additional Comments on Margaret Gibson by Ray Long
Letter from Margaret Gibson's Husband


Taylorology 86:
Reporting the Taylor Murder: Days 11 and 12
Fan Magazines React to the Taylor Case


Taylorology 87:
Contemporary Editorials Discussing the Taylor Case


Taylorology 88:
Some Errors in A&E's "City Confidential"
Herb Howe's Last Article about Mabel Normand
May Rupp's Accusation
Taylor Fighting Censorship
Flashes of Neva Gerber
More Gossip from Capt. Billy's Whiz Bang
D. W. Griffith Comments on the Taylor Case


Taylorology 89:
Gareth Hughes
James Kirkwood


Taylorology 90:
Taylor the Actor: Vitagraph Film Plots
Don Osborn
The First Fictionalization of the Taylor Murder
Injury and Illness in 1914 Hollywood
"Perfect Crimes? Nickell/Taylor" by Ray Long


Taylorology 91:
Marguerite Clark


Taylorology 92:
Thomas Ince


Taylorology 93:
Interviews with Actors and Actresses Directed by Taylor:
Ethel Clayton, Dustin Farnum, Elsie Ferguson, May McAvoy,
Jack Pickford, Theodore Roberts and Myrtle Stedman


Taylorology 94:
Did Drug Gangsters Kill Taylor?
"Filming the Great Idea"


Taylorology 95:
The Motion Picture Directors' Association


Taylorology 96:
Alvarado Court: The 1920 Census
Taylor's Activities in the Week Prior to his Death
Interview with George Lasher
A Visit to the Favorite Players Studio
Itinerary of the Fanny Davenport Troupe during the Taylor Years
E-Mail Bouquets from Taylorology Readers


Taylorology 97:
Three Documents from the Police File


Taylorology 98:
Was William Desmond Taylor a Drug Pusher?
Did Antonio Moreno Hear the Fatal Shot?
When Did Mabel Normand First Return to the Murder Scene?
The NAACP and the Taylor Case
The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill and the Taylor Case
Were Taylor and Robert W. Service Roommates?
Why were Minter's Love Letters Given to the Newspapers?
Eulogy Fragments


Taylorology 99:
Robert P. Shuler


Taylorology 100:
Twisted by Knaves
"What I Think of Mary Miles Minter" by Jeanie Macpherson
The 1929/30 Flare-Up of the Taylor Case
Mary Miles Minter vs. CBS

Email Bruce Long: bruce@asu.edu