The dark side of old Hollywood - tragedies and crimes in the lives of famous actors

The brilliance of Hollywood dazzles and beckons, but under the beautiful cover there is a gloomy underside. The life of successful actors is filled not only with success and adoration of fans, but also with problems, as, indeed, with all people. The stars of the golden age of cinema looked flawless on the screen, but behind this gloss there were pain, tears and disappointments. Find out what really happened in the fates of the legends of world cinema from our material.

Behind the dazzling brilliance and the perfect picture sometimes lies a gloomy reality. The life of famous Hollywood actors of the last century seemed to their fans a real fairy tale. In fact, in the fate of almost every one of them there were tragedies, trials and the same difficulties as ordinary people.

Many stars of the golden age of cinema hid dark secrets and scandals. That's what really happened in their destinies.

Before Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz appeared in the TV series "I Love Lucy", they had been married for 11 years. The actors secretly married six months after they met in 1940.

Lucille called most of the years of marriage a nightmare. A lover of alcohol and women, Arnaz cheated on her. Once the actress lost control of herself and hit her unfaithful husband with a hammer, from which he fell unconscious.

In 1960, Lucille filed for divorce. The former spouses remained friends, both found new life partners.

Bristol-born Archie Leach turned into Cary Grant - the star of classic films, including "North through the Northwest" and "Raising a Baby." But in the late 1950s, at the peak of his fame, Grant decided to "look for himself." The actor got hooked on LSD, trying to find inner peace and forget about a difficult childhood and unsuccessful relationships.

The Hollywood handsome man took about a hundred LSD pills from 1958 to 1961. Subsequently, he admitted his dangerous infatuation with great stupidity.

The stunning blonde was known for the roles of fatal beauties in Hollywood films. Lana Turner's personal life, like her heroines on the screen, was filled with intrigues.

In 1958, her abusive boyfriend Johnny Stompanato, a well-known mobster, was found dead in the actress' house. The 14-year-old daughter of the star Cheryl Crane confessed to the murder. The girl plunged a knife into the throat of the bandit to protect her mother. Some suggested that Cheryl was in love with the mafia, others said that Turner herself killed him and forced her daughter to take the blame.

The star of the first comedies said that he had slept with two thousand women. The girls he married were much younger than him. The first time Charlie Chaplin married 16-year-old Mildred Harris (Mildred Harris), when he was 29 years old.

When the comedian turned 35, he began dating 15-year-old actress Lita Gray. The girl became pregnant, and Chaplin, in order not to go to jail for having sex with a minor, married her in Mexico. Later, Lita called him a "sex machine" and said that he could make love six times a night.

At the age of 47, Charlie Chaplin married actress Paulette Goddard. The girl lied to him that she was 17. In fact, she was 22 years old.

The actor's last wife was Oona O'Neill. At the time of marriage, she was 18, and he was 54 years old. They lived together until Chaplin's death and became the parents of eight children.

For many years, the actresses said they had never met, denying that both starred in the silent film "Joyless Lane" (1925). But film historian Diana McLellan, after reviewing old footage, proved that both stars played in this tape.

The film expert suggests that a lesbian romance broke out between the two actresses. At that time, Greta Garbo was 19 years old, and Marlene Dietrich was 23. Probably, the sympathy was not mutual. Dietrich later called Garbo a "Scandinavian silly girl in dirty underwear."

A handsome man with a Hollywood gloss, who shone in the movie "The Adventures of Robin Hood", appeared in court in 1943 on charges of raping a minor. He was accused of having sexual relations with two 17-year-old girls. The actor who once said: "I love old whiskey and young women," pleaded not guilty. As a result, he was acquitted, but the reputation of an impeccable gentleman was damaged.

The unpleasant situation did not alienate Flynn from the young beauties. At the time of his death in 1959, the 50-year-old actor was dating a 17-year-old girl.

The idol of the silver age of cinema, Bogart managed to divorce three times, until in 1945 he married the love of his life – Lauren Bacall. But before that, he had slept with thousands of women, including famous actresses, trying to prove to himself that he was not gay.

In 2010, Bogart's biography was published, in which it was claimed that he was on the verge of suicide due to worries about his orientation. Nevertheless, he and his wife lived together until his death in 1957.

On the set of the movie "What happened to Baby Jane?" a conflict broke out between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Crawford even protested when her rival was nominated for an Oscar.

The actress adopted five children. One of her adopted daughters, Christina, wrote a biographical book in which she described Crawford as a violent alcoholic.

The star starred in at least two erotic films before she got to Hollywood. Years after her death, in 1977, information was published that Joan Crawford was bisexual and had an affair with Marilyn Monroe.

The stars of the golden age of Hollywood aspired to have an impeccable appearance. To achieve the ideal, they constantly dieted, swallowing tapeworms and chewing each piece of food 700 times.