The case of Patricia Douglas is a story about the impunity of members of a large corporation who held everyone in their grips - including representatives of the judiciary. However, her sacrifice was not in vain. It has helped to expose the dark face of the film industry.
1936 was marked by MGM as the best sales year in the studio's entire history. This was a real achievement, as the US was still feeling very badly the effects of the stock market crash seven years ago. Labels fell or barely afloat, but not in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His salespeople pushed forward, earning a fortune.
Hollywood style bachelor party
In gratitude for these services, in May 1937 a real holiday was organized for traders. Parades, meetings with stars, an elegant banquet at the Ambasador Hotel. And it all ended with a party at the giant Roachero ranch in Culver City.
120 young women, mainly dancers, showed up at the party. A large number of them were tricked to Culver City, informing that they would participate in the casting. They all had to change into kuse, cowboy outfits, and they only got to know the true purpose of the trip on the spot. They were supposed to be one of the attractions of the party, which was one big "bachelor party".
1936 was marked by MGM as the best sales year in the studio's history.
Initially, the party was fairly calm. It is true that the open bar offered mainly Scotch and champagne (500 boxes for 300 men), but men also enjoyed other entertainment (including barbeque and boxing shows). There were also performances by stars, including Laurel and Hardy (known in Poland as Flip and Flap). Unfortunately, with the passage of time the drunk guests lost their shape and became insistent and even brutal towards the defenseless women serving them.
"All the men were intoxicated," waiter Oscar Buddin later testified. He had witnessed numerous vulgar taunts and saw many young women trying to avoid the drunken guests who harassed them. Another stated it was the worst, most spoiled party he had ever seen. He stated that "the men ran their hands over the girls' bodies and tried to force alcohol into them." The actor Wallace Beery himself intervened in defense of the 18-year-old, leading her out of the party and "taking out a few men" in the process. Unfortunately, not all of them were so lucky.
Deception and crime
20-year-old Patricia Douglas was one of the girls brought in by trickery. The round, chestnut-haired girl was a sexually inexperienced young lady who treated her work as an honor. It is worth remembering that the interwar period was a time when there was no mention of abuses in the film industry, and thus - many ladies did not know about the threat that awaited them.
Patricia caught the eye of David Ross, a 36-year-old bachelor with a Chicago sales office. He circled her most of the evening. After some time, he turned the verbal harassment into handicrafts, and he and his friend forced alcohol into the woman. “ One pinched my nose so I had to open my mouth to breathe. The other one used it and poured glasses of Scotch and champagne down my throat ”She testified later. Patricia, of course, resisted, but that only encouraged them to continue. After they released her, Douglas ran into the bathroom and vomited.
She decided to leave the banquet hall to get some fresh air. However, in the parking lot, Ross caught up with her again, dragged her to the car, and brutally raped her. When the girl began to lose consciousness during the attack, the man hit her with the back of his hand, growling:“Cooperate! I want you to be awake. " After all, a distraught, shaky Patricia was found by the valet. He also later testified to have seen David Ross flee the scene of the crime.
Nothing happened?
Douglas was taken to the nearby Culver City Community Hospital, where she was told to undress for a good day and then thoroughly… washed. Only after that was she examined by a doctor who (as you can guess) found no signs of intercourse. Anyway, no wonder. Dr. Edward Lindquist, who diagnosed Patricia, was dependent on MGM. He was treated as a family doctor among the studio staff.
Afterwards, the woman was driven home, where she fell into lethargy as a result of traumatic events. Two days later, she came to the Roach studio, from which she was hired by MGM. She had a need to share her tragedy, but all she got was payment for her work during the party - $ 7.5. Then she decided to seek justice in court.
Actor Wallace Beery intervened to defend the 18-year-old, leading her out of the party
Her case was assigned to prosecutor Buron Fitts, who was recently re-elected for a third term despite being charged with perjury in a case involving the rape of a 16-year-old girl. He, too, had a close relationship with Louis Mayer…
When the following weeks did not bring any concrete action, Douglas turned to attorney William JF Brown, famous for his colorful personality and the use of the controversial but effective method of court theaters. When his ex-wife shot another husband, Brown's defense saved her from the gallows. After hearing Patricia's case, the attorney decided to represent her on a pro bono basis.
Cover up the scandal
Disappointed, Douglas also turned to the press. It was perfect. Her story made the headlines, overshadowing accounts of the wedding of the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson and the reports of Jean Harlow's death. Unfortunately, it turned out that the woman waged war against an opponent that no one was able to defeat at the time.
The MGM launched a smear campaign against the girl. She was built to a false image as a fun-loving woman. They were based on the stories of the paid participants and participants of the unfortunate event. Detectives were hired to look for dirt that would tarnish her name. Efforts were also made to persuade Patricia's physician to state that the bladder cyst she had treated previously was in fact a cover for gonorrhea.
Ross 'victim suffered another humiliation in court, where during the interrogations some of the witnesses' statements were first canceled or withdrawn, and then she was ordered to describe the rape in detail. Finally, the rape attorney would point a finger at her and ask the jury, "Look at her. Who would want her? ”. The indictment was canceled, as was the appeal attempt. The farther Douglas wandered, the more corruption perpetrated by MGM tightened around her. One by one she lost allies and her case was eventually dismissed on February 9, 1938.
David Ross died of rectal cancer 20 years after taking MGM, never bearing the consequences for his act. Louis Mayer said goodbye 10 months later because of leukemia. Earlier, however, he made sure that the story of Patricia Douglas was lost in the darkness of history. And he almost succeeded, if not for one inquisitive director, David Stenn.
He came across the case while researching the history of Jean Harlow and decided to publicize it in the documentary Girl 27 . He also found Douglas, who had been hiding from the world for over 60 years. Stenn slowly gained her trust and then encouraged her to share her past. Time was to show that it was the last time. Soon, the ailing old lady passed away, but her victim was not forgotten and contributed to the publicity of the problem of impunity of the sexual predators of Hollywood.