William Copley; Dudley Murphy; George Hodel: Surgeon
Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss
Exquisite Corpse: Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder
So much to report, so little time. Where to begin?
First, a belated "Blog Thank-you!" to my business partner David Zaza for throwing us an amazing book launch party on October 12, 2006. Thanks also, to Max and everyone at Max Lang Gallery in New York for giving us their gallery space for the evening and for making us feel at home at such a great venue. Among the 200 or so friends and art world associates who came out for the event were the artist Billy Copley and his wife Patty Brundage. Billy's father, the pioneering dealer and artist William Copley, plays a prominent role in our book, and we are grateful to Billy for his support throughout this project.
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Around the same time that Exquisite Corpse came out, the University of Minnesota Press released Susan Delson's book Dudley Murphy: Hollywood Wild Card. The definitive biography of an iconoclastic film director, this seemingly quiet book presents an audacious theory: that Murphy, not Fernand Léger, was the driving force behind the early avant-garde film Ballet mécanique. It was during the making of that film in Paris that Murphy became closely acquainted with Man Ray.
After twenty years in the movie business, Murphy became a successful hotelier and restaurateur, owning and operating the Holiday House resort in California. In the early 1950s, he and his wife, Virginia, gave Dorothy Huston Hodel safe haven there after George Hodel (under investigation for the murder of Elizabeth Short) abandoned his family and left for Hawaii.
In Hollywood Wild Card, Delson writes: "During the later years of his self-imposed Hollywood exile, which lasted from 1940 to 1951, Man Ray was a regular at Holiday House. In Self Portrait, [Man Ray] blithely dismissed the career of his erstwhile collaborator. 'Dudley took [Ballet mécanique] back to Hollywood and got some work on big films as a result, made some money, and opened a charming restaurant and motel on the Pacific coast, which I myself frequented during my séjour in Hollywood in the Forties...He was a charming and generous host, but never referred to the movies again.'"
Delson and I met shortly after the publication of our respective books. Surprised by the overlap in our very different works, Susan told me that it was Dorothy Huston Hodel who encouraged Murphy to write his own memoirs later in life.
For more on Dudley Murphy: Hollywood Wild Card,
see www.susandelson.com
–---
Though Sarah and I are both busy (who isn't) we intend to add relevant content to this blog when we can. Previously, we posted a document detailing the documents and photographs that track the relationship between George Hodel and Man Ray from 1944 and 1951. This month we submit the document "GeorgeHodel: Surgical Experience and Practice" (a downloadable PDF in the "online content" section near the top of this blog) to collate some of the information on George Hodel's surgical ability. This document doesn't prove that George Hodel killed Elizabeth Short, but it proves that Hodel had the technical skill necessary to perform such a gruesome task.
–---
Finally, thanks to everyone who has written with comments or questions. We will post an "FAQ" document sometime in the near future to address the most common queries.
- Mark Nelson
Exquisite Corpse: Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder
So much to report, so little time. Where to begin?
First, a belated "Blog Thank-you!" to my business partner David Zaza for throwing us an amazing book launch party on October 12, 2006. Thanks also, to Max and everyone at Max Lang Gallery in New York for giving us their gallery space for the evening and for making us feel at home at such a great venue. Among the 200 or so friends and art world associates who came out for the event were the artist Billy Copley and his wife Patty Brundage. Billy's father, the pioneering dealer and artist William Copley, plays a prominent role in our book, and we are grateful to Billy for his support throughout this project.
–---
Around the same time that Exquisite Corpse came out, the University of Minnesota Press released Susan Delson's book Dudley Murphy: Hollywood Wild Card. The definitive biography of an iconoclastic film director, this seemingly quiet book presents an audacious theory: that Murphy, not Fernand Léger, was the driving force behind the early avant-garde film Ballet mécanique. It was during the making of that film in Paris that Murphy became closely acquainted with Man Ray.
After twenty years in the movie business, Murphy became a successful hotelier and restaurateur, owning and operating the Holiday House resort in California. In the early 1950s, he and his wife, Virginia, gave Dorothy Huston Hodel safe haven there after George Hodel (under investigation for the murder of Elizabeth Short) abandoned his family and left for Hawaii.
In Hollywood Wild Card, Delson writes: "During the later years of his self-imposed Hollywood exile, which lasted from 1940 to 1951, Man Ray was a regular at Holiday House. In Self Portrait, [Man Ray] blithely dismissed the career of his erstwhile collaborator. 'Dudley took [Ballet mécanique] back to Hollywood and got some work on big films as a result, made some money, and opened a charming restaurant and motel on the Pacific coast, which I myself frequented during my séjour in Hollywood in the Forties...He was a charming and generous host, but never referred to the movies again.'"
Delson and I met shortly after the publication of our respective books. Surprised by the overlap in our very different works, Susan told me that it was Dorothy Huston Hodel who encouraged Murphy to write his own memoirs later in life.
For more on Dudley Murphy: Hollywood Wild Card,
see www.susandelson.com
–---
Though Sarah and I are both busy (who isn't) we intend to add relevant content to this blog when we can. Previously, we posted a document detailing the documents and photographs that track the relationship between George Hodel and Man Ray from 1944 and 1951. This month we submit the document "GeorgeHodel: Surgical Experience and Practice" (a downloadable PDF in the "online content" section near the top of this blog) to collate some of the information on George Hodel's surgical ability. This document doesn't prove that George Hodel killed Elizabeth Short, but it proves that Hodel had the technical skill necessary to perform such a gruesome task.
–---
Finally, thanks to everyone who has written with comments or questions. We will post an "FAQ" document sometime in the near future to address the most common queries.
- Mark Nelson
Labels: Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Avenger, Dudley Murphy, Elizabeth Short, Exquisite Corpse, George Hodel, Mark Nelson, Sarah Hudson Bayliss, Steve Hodel, Susan Delson, William Copley
posted by nelsonbayliss at 5:17 PM
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