Thought it was really interesting what they did with Elizabeth Short's story -- in terms of the AHS world, they gave us a really plausible story. The Black Dahlia case, as everyone knows, is still unsolved and the subject of media coverage to this day -- countless books have been written on theories surrounding her murder. I thought it was fantastic that the writers took a real life American Horror Story in the case of the Black Dahlia and applied it to the show, all the while answering the great mystery.
They followed what happend to the body pretty closely -- from what I read on Wikipedia (I claim to be no expert on this, haha.) her body was cut in two, sort of meticulously and severly mutilated. Apparently some had believed that it might have been done by a doctor because of the precision. Her face was slashed from the corners of her mouth to near her ears, apparently this is called a "Glasgow smile." We got a reason for this -- Dr. Montgomery was getting drugged up, doing what he does best -- mutilating dead beings. Gross.
He offers his fellow doctor the explanation that he drained the blood for easier transporting. Charles also explains that her face was just too sad looking and that's why the slashings were there.
Interesting.
However, she was also said to severly beaten and it looked as if she or her body had been tied up.
"Gilmore surmised in his book that before the coroner's report was handed to the police working on the case, only Elizabeth and her mother knew about her sexual limitations. Knowledge of this fact only added to her mother's pain in the few weeks following the murder when the press portrayed her daughter as a man-chaser and a hooker."
Check out the article the excerpt from above is from -- a good read about Elizabeth short if you're interested.
So apparently, the writers stuck more with the media-fabricated story than the truth, but I'll take. I thought it was really interesting. Not sure if it plays into the story any further than the piggy man guy did, but it was cool and she is a ghost in the house we haven't met yet. What did you think?
Leads to me to think that maybe she was supposed to serve as an example for what Tate needs? She wanted help from Ben because he was a therapist. It seemed like after their talk Hayden helped her -- she snapped her out of her dream and made her perhaps accent her death and the circumstances surrounding her? Could Tate just need to accept his death and the circumstances leading it to be a peaceful soul?
Back Miss Short. I was happy to see her reappear and her story be given an present day ode-to (for the second time!) later in the episode after Hayden kills Travis who just wants to be famous as well. Travis' ghost, Hayden and Elizabeth plan for him to be found just as Short was, convincing Larry to cart him to some grass near a basketball court.
In that scene, it really does seem like Elizabeth has come to grips with her death and achieving her dream because she encourages Travis to follow her lead.
Wonder if we'll see her again? I doubt it, but it would be fun!
What do you think of the whole Black Dahlia inclusion?
-- EDITED --
Apparently, the story AHS fabricated for Elizabeth Short's death isn't too far off from one of the actual suspects' in the case -- Walter Bayley is now considered a suspect -- he was a fine surgeon at the time, suffering from a degenerative brain disease. It is said that he was seperated, but his mistress knew a deep, dark secret of his. Read more about him and other suspects in the case here.
A blog all about the best horror show on TV, American Horror Story -- complete with character analysis, research and dissection of the many clues.
Showing posts with label The Black Dahlia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Black Dahlia. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2011
RECAP: EPISODE 9 "SPOOKY LITTLE GIRL" (PART 1)
An old school yellow cab pulls up on a residential block. Black pumps step on the sidewalk and a beautiful woman steps out; she looks up at none other than the Murder House. She's there to Dr. David Curan, a dentist new to her and to the rest of us. She's dressed all in black with a white dhalia highlighted in her shiny black hair. It's 1947.
They enter his office and she explains that she hears he helps girls without a lot of money, she makes an advance for a mutual unofficial arrangement, putting a mask on her, Dr. Curan says "Just breathe."
-- Cut To Credits --
Well, at least we didn't have to wait to see Mena Suaveri in the episode. We cut back to present day: Ben walks into the bedroom where Moira is making the bed. He asks her to make a sandwich for Violet and she just starts talking... and he just starts looking. She tells him that she misses Viv, they became close, makes a few advances at him in between.
"Don't worry your secret's safe."
"What secret?" Ben replies, bewildered.
"The way you look at me, the way you fantasize about me. You have a diseased mind, Ben, must be why you become a therapist."
They go back and forth taking shots at eachother, Ben gets loud and Moira walks away to make Violet's sandwich, muttering "It's only a matter of time, the mind is unwilling but flesh is weak." (I think!)
We cut Constance (so glad to see her again) painting in her kitchen. Ironically enough it's looks like a demon thing, maybe the devil, with an apple and a naked woman, presumably Eve. Her young beau comes in and she starts talking to him like he's absolute garbage-- meanwhile she's committing an ultimate crime: smoking his last cigarette. He elects to run down to the store to grab a carton (chain-smokers?!) with the dog -- on his way he runs into a very clever Hayden.
She's hanging on the fence of the house as he walks by and strikes up on a conversation. Hayden suggests that the lady next door seems a little old for him and is a royal b*tch, he suggests they should run away together.
They have a grand old time -- Hayden gives him some advie on his relationship with Constance -- leave her alone for a bit and she'll miss ya, basically. He says he's in love, then asks her story, how she lives there -- Hayden confesses she doesn't yet, but she will soon be moving in -- her and Dr. Harmon are in love.
The next morning presumably, there's a ring at the doorbell. Ben goes to answer it -- apparently it's Hayden's sister and the missing person's police officer, that Ben creepily recognizes. Anyone else seeing a pattern here? Hm? Hm?
They start harassing him -- bringing up things like how Ben was digging around the time Hayden went missing on her master plan to move to LA and get him to take care of her and their baby. Ben's starting to sweat, when to his surprise, Hayden walks in and acts like the world is just peachy keen.
Cut to Hayden cleaning up after guests like a good wanna-be wife, when Ben walks in declaring she has ten seconds to give him some answers. Hayden plays apologetic -- saying she was a crazy hormonal pregnant bitch when she came here last. But she's always been there for him, and she had the abortion -- just so he doesn't have to worry about it anymore. Right. What an actress of a ghost!
Cut to the woman from the opening scene, obviously the Black Dahlia, in Ben's office, unexpectedly. He's insisting she needs an appointment, she sits on the couch and starts talking about a dream that she can't wake up from. Ben makes her an appointment for the next day, and she offers herself as payment -- Ben has a vision that he succumbs to her, but then snaps out of it when his phone rings. It's the OBGYN, she declares that she doesn't want to have to tell him and not Viv, but the twins have two different fathers.
WOW. Rubber Man and Ben?
Ok, I just needed to acknowledge that, as I guessed something crazy like that was coming, but what a twist. And what are the consequences of this? Is this evil baby of Tate's going to eat Ben's good baby or something? Creepy.
Now, I want to note that the during their little 'session' -- the woman tells Ben her name is Elizabeth Short -- doesn't that ring a bell to him with her appearnace and all?
Anyway, our next scene is with Moira and Constance -- Constance is convinced it was Violet that fooled around with her beau and dog-walker, Travis the other night, but Moira insists that Violet wouldn't do that. Afterall, she's 'in love' with Tate. Moira then spills the beans that Viv is pregnant with two different men's babies and declares Violet won't believe in love so more when she finds out the truth about that.
Constance rushes down to the basement, calling out to Tate -- who appears looking quite timid this time around. Constance asks if what's she's heard is true. I thought it was interesting that Constance says they finally have someone to help him - how does Constance think Ben's therapy is going to help Tate cross over? It's hard for me to believe that Tate doesn't come to grips with the fact that he's a ghost, how else does he think he gets away with the things that he does? Appearing in a flash, for instance.
Also, I thought that the house held all of the souls that died there, or are we not being told something? Why else would Constance have told Violet she needed her help in getting Tate to 'cross over'? It seems like Moira is pretty with it though and understands what the deal, why can't she cross over? Or Beau? Why is he just a tortured soul in the house? Maybe Hayden doesn't have it all figured it, because Constance seems hell-bent on this issue of freeing Tate.
Could be that it's not to free Tate of the house, but free Tate of his violence actually. Anyway, back to the recap.
Upstairs, Ben walks in on Miss Short and Moira getting kinky -- they ask if he wants to join, Ben is drawn to them, has a mini-fantasy about it and then demands they leave. Moira retorts, Ben fires her and walks out. The Black Dahlia starts crying and exclaims, "You told me this was what he wanted!" and that she needed the help. Hayden appears: "She's using you."
Hayden sits down to chat. She explains that her selfish dreams about coming famous will never come true. We see a softer side of Hayden, ask if she knows who she is -- Elizabeth Short. Hayden starts to explain that she is famous -- we cut back to 1947.
Dr. Curan is having some fun with a passed out, now dahlia-less girl. He takes the mask off her, to begin the dental procedure (way to pretend to be a good guy!) and realizes that she's unresponsive. He panics and brings her down to the basement and man startles him -- who just so happens to be none other than Charles Montgomery. He assures him he will take care of it and goes to work.
He ends up cutting the body in half, and draining it of blood for easy, traceless transporting. Apparently, he also thought her face looked so sad, so he gave her a creepy, creepy smile. Cut back to present day, Beth is saddened that she was found naked and dead. Hayden comforts her with the fact that she was on the covers of newspapers for 2 months. Beth realizes that she finally did become famous.
Next we join Ben on a visit to the insane asylum. We learn from a nurse that Viv had be restrained because she attacked one of the workers after he offered the theory that the rubber man rapist was a sexual fantasy. Ben walks in and Viv seems overly enthused. Not. She won't even look at him, when he goes off on this tyrade about how everything was a sham this whole time and she played him out worse than he did her. Blah Blah Blah. I thought it was a low blow how he started the monologue, "You're probably thinking 'Thank God' he's here to get me out of this terrible place -- it's like hell."
Speaking of their were a ton of Catholic references in this episode -- including Ben's reference to Viv being in hell here. As well as Constance's weird painting -- more on that in a separate post.
-- End Part 1 of the Recap, my fingers are tired! --
They enter his office and she explains that she hears he helps girls without a lot of money, she makes an advance for a mutual unofficial arrangement, putting a mask on her, Dr. Curan says "Just breathe."
-- Cut To Credits --
Well, at least we didn't have to wait to see Mena Suaveri in the episode. We cut back to present day: Ben walks into the bedroom where Moira is making the bed. He asks her to make a sandwich for Violet and she just starts talking... and he just starts looking. She tells him that she misses Viv, they became close, makes a few advances at him in between.
"Don't worry your secret's safe."
"What secret?" Ben replies, bewildered.
"The way you look at me, the way you fantasize about me. You have a diseased mind, Ben, must be why you become a therapist."
They go back and forth taking shots at eachother, Ben gets loud and Moira walks away to make Violet's sandwich, muttering "It's only a matter of time, the mind is unwilling but flesh is weak." (I think!)
We cut Constance (so glad to see her again) painting in her kitchen. Ironically enough it's looks like a demon thing, maybe the devil, with an apple and a naked woman, presumably Eve. Her young beau comes in and she starts talking to him like he's absolute garbage-- meanwhile she's committing an ultimate crime: smoking his last cigarette. He elects to run down to the store to grab a carton (chain-smokers?!) with the dog -- on his way he runs into a very clever Hayden.
She's hanging on the fence of the house as he walks by and strikes up on a conversation. Hayden suggests that the lady next door seems a little old for him and is a royal b*tch, he suggests they should run away together.
They have a grand old time -- Hayden gives him some advie on his relationship with Constance -- leave her alone for a bit and she'll miss ya, basically. He says he's in love, then asks her story, how she lives there -- Hayden confesses she doesn't yet, but she will soon be moving in -- her and Dr. Harmon are in love.
The next morning presumably, there's a ring at the doorbell. Ben goes to answer it -- apparently it's Hayden's sister and the missing person's police officer, that Ben creepily recognizes. Anyone else seeing a pattern here? Hm? Hm?
They start harassing him -- bringing up things like how Ben was digging around the time Hayden went missing on her master plan to move to LA and get him to take care of her and their baby. Ben's starting to sweat, when to his surprise, Hayden walks in and acts like the world is just peachy keen.
Cut to Hayden cleaning up after guests like a good wanna-be wife, when Ben walks in declaring she has ten seconds to give him some answers. Hayden plays apologetic -- saying she was a crazy hormonal pregnant bitch when she came here last. But she's always been there for him, and she had the abortion -- just so he doesn't have to worry about it anymore. Right. What an actress of a ghost!
Cut to the woman from the opening scene, obviously the Black Dahlia, in Ben's office, unexpectedly. He's insisting she needs an appointment, she sits on the couch and starts talking about a dream that she can't wake up from. Ben makes her an appointment for the next day, and she offers herself as payment -- Ben has a vision that he succumbs to her, but then snaps out of it when his phone rings. It's the OBGYN, she declares that she doesn't want to have to tell him and not Viv, but the twins have two different fathers.
WOW. Rubber Man and Ben?
Ok, I just needed to acknowledge that, as I guessed something crazy like that was coming, but what a twist. And what are the consequences of this? Is this evil baby of Tate's going to eat Ben's good baby or something? Creepy.
Now, I want to note that the during their little 'session' -- the woman tells Ben her name is Elizabeth Short -- doesn't that ring a bell to him with her appearnace and all?
Anyway, our next scene is with Moira and Constance -- Constance is convinced it was Violet that fooled around with her beau and dog-walker, Travis the other night, but Moira insists that Violet wouldn't do that. Afterall, she's 'in love' with Tate. Moira then spills the beans that Viv is pregnant with two different men's babies and declares Violet won't believe in love so more when she finds out the truth about that.
Constance rushes down to the basement, calling out to Tate -- who appears looking quite timid this time around. Constance asks if what's she's heard is true. I thought it was interesting that Constance says they finally have someone to help him - how does Constance think Ben's therapy is going to help Tate cross over? It's hard for me to believe that Tate doesn't come to grips with the fact that he's a ghost, how else does he think he gets away with the things that he does? Appearing in a flash, for instance.
Also, I thought that the house held all of the souls that died there, or are we not being told something? Why else would Constance have told Violet she needed her help in getting Tate to 'cross over'? It seems like Moira is pretty with it though and understands what the deal, why can't she cross over? Or Beau? Why is he just a tortured soul in the house? Maybe Hayden doesn't have it all figured it, because Constance seems hell-bent on this issue of freeing Tate.
Could be that it's not to free Tate of the house, but free Tate of his violence actually. Anyway, back to the recap.
Upstairs, Ben walks in on Miss Short and Moira getting kinky -- they ask if he wants to join, Ben is drawn to them, has a mini-fantasy about it and then demands they leave. Moira retorts, Ben fires her and walks out. The Black Dahlia starts crying and exclaims, "You told me this was what he wanted!" and that she needed the help. Hayden appears: "She's using you."
Hayden sits down to chat. She explains that her selfish dreams about coming famous will never come true. We see a softer side of Hayden, ask if she knows who she is -- Elizabeth Short. Hayden starts to explain that she is famous -- we cut back to 1947.
Dr. Curan is having some fun with a passed out, now dahlia-less girl. He takes the mask off her, to begin the dental procedure (way to pretend to be a good guy!) and realizes that she's unresponsive. He panics and brings her down to the basement and man startles him -- who just so happens to be none other than Charles Montgomery. He assures him he will take care of it and goes to work.
He ends up cutting the body in half, and draining it of blood for easy, traceless transporting. Apparently, he also thought her face looked so sad, so he gave her a creepy, creepy smile. Cut back to present day, Beth is saddened that she was found naked and dead. Hayden comforts her with the fact that she was on the covers of newspapers for 2 months. Beth realizes that she finally did become famous.
Next we join Ben on a visit to the insane asylum. We learn from a nurse that Viv had be restrained because she attacked one of the workers after he offered the theory that the rubber man rapist was a sexual fantasy. Ben walks in and Viv seems overly enthused. Not. She won't even look at him, when he goes off on this tyrade about how everything was a sham this whole time and she played him out worse than he did her. Blah Blah Blah. I thought it was a low blow how he started the monologue, "You're probably thinking 'Thank God' he's here to get me out of this terrible place -- it's like hell."
Speaking of their were a ton of Catholic references in this episode -- including Ben's reference to Viv being in hell here. As well as Constance's weird painting -- more on that in a separate post.
-- End Part 1 of the Recap, my fingers are tired! --
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The Black Dahlia Murder
So we learned from the preview and various interviews with the cast and Ryan Murphy that this episode is going to feature a very special guest star -- Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Short. (Check out an article announcing this here.)
I thought it would be interesting to explore a bit of the back story of the Black Dahlia before tonight's episode, so here goes nothing. **Note: Credits are at the bottom, if you'd like to do further reading on the subject!**
Elizabeth Short
Short was born on July 29, 1924 in Hyde Park, MA to Phoebe and Cleo Short -- she spent most of her childhood in MA. In 1929, her father dissapeared -- many ruled it a suicide as his car was found abandoned at the foot of a bridge. Years later he sent a letter to his wife apologizing for dissapearing, but she refused to let him back into the family.
Apparently Beth matured quickly and enjoyed going to the movies with her mother growing up. It was there she decided she wanted to be an actress, so at 19, Beth moved to Vallejo, CA to live with her father -- who soon kicked her out for being lazy and staying out too late.
Beth moved closer to Santa Barbara, where she was eventually arrested for underage drinking -- the police urged her to return home to MA. Apparently, she had listened to them, but soon returned to CA to continue to pursue her dream of being in the movies.
Many have labeled her a tease, manipulative playgirl, but it is apparent that Elizabeth Short, was immortalized by the media as an American girl, with a dream to be in the movies, who came to Hollywood and became "the pin-up girl of Los Angeles Noir." (Source: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/dahlia/index_1.html)
Beth was last scene mid-January of 1947, it is said that she was to meet a gentlemen at the hotel but after leaving, she was never seen alive again. Her body was found, severed in the Crenshaw District on January 15, 1947.
The Murder
"On January 15, 1947, a passerby spotted her nude body in a vacant lot near Hollywood. Her body, cut in half, was bruised and beaten. Grass had reportedly been forced into her vagina, and she had reportedly been sodomized after death. Rumors of henna in her hair and BD carved into her body, as of yet to this outlet, have not been verified." (Source: http://www.bethshort.com/the-murder.php)
Apparently many came forward (a figure quoted around 50) to confess to the murder of Elizabeth Short, coined "The Black Dahlia" for her black hair and attire by the press, but none could be confirmed.
"So, what is it? Murders happen every day, everywhere. What makes Elizabeth Short any different?
First, she was a small town girl who reportedly wanted to make it in movies. Other peoples dreams are a huge factor in why we become interested in a case. She was considered, at times, a drifter. Couple that with her beauty -- yes, the appeal factor of both a female victim and suspect play a role. Then add the fact that she was severed in half, hacked, brutally murdered. The headlines were shocking, and the descriptiveness in the news stories even more so. Take note that the crime scene images published in 1947 were far more graphic than what we'd see in any city newspaper today.
Not to mention the hordes of people who admitted to the crime. More than 50 "confessing sams" attempted a claim to fame in this case." (Source: http://www.bethshort.com/the-murder.php)
NOTE: The girl who comes into the house, pretending to be a patient of Ben's explains that she keeps having a dream where she is cut in half by an elevator -- later that night during the Home Invasion -- she is essentially almost cut in half by Tate. The police later tell Ben/Viv that she was found a few blocks away, severed in half -- the police offer the explanation that maybe since the crew's re-enactment in the Murder House went awry, they decided to go Black Dahlia on one of their own. Also to note, in the murder of the Black Dahlia is noted everywhere that her body was drained of blood (Ice Truck Killer anyone?) -- we also know that the Infatata feeds off blood, relation?
Further Reading/Sources:
The Black Dahlia Website -- here.
The Black Dahlia story on TruTV's website -- here.
Wikipedia -- here.
Have to say that TruTV's breakdown of the Black Dahlia murders was the best I read -- I'm really interested to see how this plays out on tonight's episode. Think the references to cutting in half from earlier episodes will be interesting. Also I've read in various places that this episode shows a relationship between Moira and the Black Dahlia -- I wonder how that will play out.
What do you think about the draining of her body? Could this relate in anyway? Apparently from the article I linked to at the beginning of the post, it has been suggested that tonight's AHS episode will provide it's theory on this unsolved murdery mystery.
I thought it would be interesting to explore a bit of the back story of the Black Dahlia before tonight's episode, so here goes nothing. **Note: Credits are at the bottom, if you'd like to do further reading on the subject!**
Elizabeth Short
Short was born on July 29, 1924 in Hyde Park, MA to Phoebe and Cleo Short -- she spent most of her childhood in MA. In 1929, her father dissapeared -- many ruled it a suicide as his car was found abandoned at the foot of a bridge. Years later he sent a letter to his wife apologizing for dissapearing, but she refused to let him back into the family. Apparently Beth matured quickly and enjoyed going to the movies with her mother growing up. It was there she decided she wanted to be an actress, so at 19, Beth moved to Vallejo, CA to live with her father -- who soon kicked her out for being lazy and staying out too late.
Beth moved closer to Santa Barbara, where she was eventually arrested for underage drinking -- the police urged her to return home to MA. Apparently, she had listened to them, but soon returned to CA to continue to pursue her dream of being in the movies.
Many have labeled her a tease, manipulative playgirl, but it is apparent that Elizabeth Short, was immortalized by the media as an American girl, with a dream to be in the movies, who came to Hollywood and became "the pin-up girl of Los Angeles Noir." (Source: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/dahlia/index_1.html)
Beth was last scene mid-January of 1947, it is said that she was to meet a gentlemen at the hotel but after leaving, she was never seen alive again. Her body was found, severed in the Crenshaw District on January 15, 1947.
The Murder
"On January 15, 1947, a passerby spotted her nude body in a vacant lot near Hollywood. Her body, cut in half, was bruised and beaten. Grass had reportedly been forced into her vagina, and she had reportedly been sodomized after death. Rumors of henna in her hair and BD carved into her body, as of yet to this outlet, have not been verified." (Source: http://www.bethshort.com/the-murder.php)
Apparently many came forward (a figure quoted around 50) to confess to the murder of Elizabeth Short, coined "The Black Dahlia" for her black hair and attire by the press, but none could be confirmed.
"So, what is it? Murders happen every day, everywhere. What makes Elizabeth Short any different?
First, she was a small town girl who reportedly wanted to make it in movies. Other peoples dreams are a huge factor in why we become interested in a case. She was considered, at times, a drifter. Couple that with her beauty -- yes, the appeal factor of both a female victim and suspect play a role. Then add the fact that she was severed in half, hacked, brutally murdered. The headlines were shocking, and the descriptiveness in the news stories even more so. Take note that the crime scene images published in 1947 were far more graphic than what we'd see in any city newspaper today.
Not to mention the hordes of people who admitted to the crime. More than 50 "confessing sams" attempted a claim to fame in this case." (Source: http://www.bethshort.com/the-murder.php)
NOTE: The girl who comes into the house, pretending to be a patient of Ben's explains that she keeps having a dream where she is cut in half by an elevator -- later that night during the Home Invasion -- she is essentially almost cut in half by Tate. The police later tell Ben/Viv that she was found a few blocks away, severed in half -- the police offer the explanation that maybe since the crew's re-enactment in the Murder House went awry, they decided to go Black Dahlia on one of their own. Also to note, in the murder of the Black Dahlia is noted everywhere that her body was drained of blood (Ice Truck Killer anyone?) -- we also know that the Infatata feeds off blood, relation?
Further Reading/Sources:
The Black Dahlia Website -- here.
The Black Dahlia story on TruTV's website -- here.
Wikipedia -- here.
Have to say that TruTV's breakdown of the Black Dahlia murders was the best I read -- I'm really interested to see how this plays out on tonight's episode. Think the references to cutting in half from earlier episodes will be interesting. Also I've read in various places that this episode shows a relationship between Moira and the Black Dahlia -- I wonder how that will play out.
What do you think about the draining of her body? Could this relate in anyway? Apparently from the article I linked to at the beginning of the post, it has been suggested that tonight's AHS episode will provide it's theory on this unsolved murdery mystery.
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