Episode 402 - Lupe Velez Part 3

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1:04Ask your doctor about SkyRizzy. The number one dermatologist prescribed biologic and psoriasis. Visit SkyRizzy.com or call 1-866 SkyRizzy to learn more. Hello, welcome to Hollywood crime scene. This is Rachel Fisher. This is Dazzy Daneckin. Dazzy. We are back with part three of Lupé Vales. This is the final installment in this series. Finally, we're here. We're here as last time my main source for this episode is the book Strickly Dynamite, the sensational life of Lupé Vales by Eve Golden. I also read some newspaper articles from the past. Should we get started? There's a lot to get to. Okay, where did we leave off last time? I don't know. I'm looking. I wrote it down. Well, where we last left off Lupé's tumultuous relationship to Johnny Weismueller is being

2:08regularly covered in the press. They love it. She's getting more press for her relationship than her movies. Also, there are speculations that he's hitting her. Yes. In 1937, the LA Times announced that Lupé and Johnny were separating again. There was always news about them separating or planning to divorce. Then they would just get back together. Real on and off. Real on and off again. They of course would get back together a week later. Yeah. Meanwhile, the films that Lupé is being cast in aren't very good. We talked about this last week. They didn't really know where to put her. Yes. That same year, she was cast in a Mexican film called La Zondonga. The film shot in Mexico City. Despite the fact that five years earlier, Lupé's film The Broken Wing had upset Mexico City's government with its unflattering portrayal of Mexico. This time,

3:08Lupé was greeted by thousands of adoring fans when she returned her home country. Now, this film did really well in Mexico. It also did well amongst Spanish-speaking audiences in the States. In 1938, Lupé was cast in Cole Porter's new show. You never know. You never know. I've never heard of this one before. I've got to tell you it was not a very popular show. I mean, if we haven't heard of it, probably. That kind of sucks because you're thinking, oh my god, I'm cast in a Cole Porter show. You're like, oh, not the one he wrote when he was real drunk. And this is the one. Lupé starred alongside Clifton Webb and Libby Holman. This show would premiere on Broadway on September 21, 1938 at the Winter Garden Theater. But that's been around for a while. I was gagged when I saw that. The Winter Garden Theater.

4:15I honestly would not have thought. I just feel like the Winter Garden Theater in my mind, it just materialized in the 1980s when cats came out. Yeah, I agree. Even though I know logically, that's not the case. And I only know. That's really what put it on the map. I didn't even grow up in New York. I only know about the Winter Garden Theater and those commercials from you and Brendan. Well, that's because we had to see them at 800 times a day. Throw it up. And they're burned in our brains with other local commercials in New York. Yeah, it's kind of crazy. The local commercials. You guys had elite local commercials. Yeah, they're pretty good. You know why? Because I think the cat stuff got parodied on SNL at some point too. Because it was like someone was hypnotized. I feel like John Levitts was a hypnotist. Character. And so people were like cats. Or they were reviewing his show, but it was a parody of

5:17the cats commercial. I can't remember what it was. I wouldn't need to find that. But yeah, anyway. During rehearsals for this play, the press anticipated a blow-up between the stars, Loup-Avellez and Libby Holman. She also had a reputation for being fiery. I think she murdered someone. Well, she was accused of murdering the cigarette air. Now, I think we need to do an episode on her. For sure. Because she has had a very interesting life. She got with the air to the RJ Reynolds to back up. People love that. They got the airs back then. They were so many powerful airs back then. She got with him, then he died by gun shot. For something. And she was accused of murdering him. And then, and she was also a bisexual icon. I didn't do it. She said murder. Is that what she said? I don't know.

6:20I didn't do it. And then she became close friends with MLK Jr. and was in the civil rights movement. Interesting. So she had a very interesting life. She's got to be an episode at some point. Anyway, these two powerhouses come together at the Winter Garden Theatre. And everyone is like vibrating. We're going to get the best tea behind the scenes rehearsal, explosions between these two powerful personalities. In the weeks leading up to the show's opening, the Associated Press reported, the bursts of temperament whirling from the vicinity of movie star Lupé Vales and blues singer Libby Holman had become themselves at least temporarily today. But the musical's title became almost embarrassingly true to real life earlier this week. When director Roland Lee walked out of storming rehearsal saying that he would return when Miss

7:24Vales and Miss Holman decided who was going to be the boss and leading star of the show. So this implies that there was some kind of fight between the women about who was the star of the show. And they got so mad and it was so hostile that the director stormed out of the theater. We got to hear their songs and then we'll decide who the star was. Well, it was Lupé because they didn't really give Libby as much to do. Right. I mean, I'm just guessing it would have been her too. I think she was way more famous at that time. Yeah, absolutely. I don't know. I don't know when she shot that guy allegedly. Allegedly. Didn't shoot him. Wait, what was the show called again? You never know. You never know. And you know what? There it is. At one point there was a rumor that Lupé had given Libby Holman a black eye. She even was seen wearing sunglasses and they're like, see, there's a black eye behind there.

8:26A celebrity wearing sunglasses. I know. But both actresses denied it. All I kept thinking about is Heather Gay and the black eye. Yes. The other iconic black eye. Yeah. And film history. Lupé was interviewed by the associated press. She met with a reporter at a restaurant. She was dressed in pink silk pajamas. I love it. Really cute. The article said, a few of the more conservatively attired diets. Okay, that's a misspelling. Attired people. Drop their forks and started. Oh, stared. But the pajama clad, the les was unconcerned. I botched that hole. I was sentenced because I auto-correct. Oh, I'm like, I was trying to figure out what happened. Did you just say that the guys are starting with their forks?

9:27No, no, no, no. Would have he started something? No, not that. The guests at this restaurant, the diners, they saw Lupé the les enter in her pink silk pajamas and they were scandalized by it. I see. They dropped their forks. Around this time, fan magazines and tabloids gossiped about Lupé's supposed feuds. Yes. Obviously, Dolores Del Rio was mentioned. But among the other stars she was rumored to be feuding with. Some pretty interesting names. Mickey Rooney. Of course. Which is hilarious because is he still a teenager in 1938? I don't know if he's a teenager, but he's pretty young. He's pretty young. Errol Flynn. Okay. That's that makes sense. Yeah. Wallace Beary and Joan Blondell. Joan Blondell? Yes. What she do. Allegedly feuding. I don't know. And I couldn't find any information. I googled Mickey Rooney,

10:29Lupé the les and the stupid fucking AI prompt that I don't know how to get rid of pops up. And it's like they were both famous in the 1930s. We have no information for what you asked. So we're going to give you some other random facts. Like, I didn't know. I wonder if he probably tried to hit on her. I, that sounds, that makes sense. I bet he tried to hit on her and she was like, you're disgusting. Yeah. She's like, you know, I'm not a gardener. I'm going to give you a chance. Now before the show went up, Lupé filed for divorce from Johnny Weiss Mueller yet again. No one was holding their breath, but this time would actually be the last. Okay. The story of the end of their marriage was later told by Johnny's son, Johnny Jr. Now he said that this is what his father told him. But this has not been verified and it's probably not true. Okay. This is what Johnny Jr said.

11:30He said that Johnny's dog, auto died. His dog named auto died. And Lupé was like, I don't know what happened. Maybe someone broke in and poisoned him. And that's when Johnny accused Lupé of killing his dog. Johnny then killed Lupé's parrot in front of her. What? Now the author of the book, that's my main source, does not think any of this makes sense. Because we know that Lupé loved animals. Yeah. She would never harm a dog, even if it was a dog she didn't like. She would kill him for her. She would absolutely kill him before she would hurt an animal. That's just not in her nature. We also don't know that she ever had a parrot. Right. That's never been reported anywhere. So I think this is a lies. Right. Well, the son might be telling the truth. But the dad is what the dad lied to him.

12:31Well, yes. What we do know is that Lupé had cited cruelty each time she had filed for divorce from Johnny. There were those rumors also in accusations of him being violent with her. Yeah. Punching wall, he was a wall puncher. Yes. And a furniture thrower. And there were alleged to be bruises on her. Right. The United Press reported that Lupé described Johnny as a quote, cruel caveman who threw China wear and broke furniture around the house when he became displeased. I believe it. I do too. In divorce court, Lupé testified that Johnny had threatened to break her neck and kill her little dog. Oh. She said that she didn't that he didn't like anything she did. Quote, I tried so hard, but it got so I couldn't so I couldn't stand it. He would insult me all the time. So this sounds like classic abusive relationship. Right. Stuff. And in 1939, Lupé finally had a hit film.

13:35It had been a while. The film is called The Girl from Mexico. This was a B comedy from RKO Pictures. Lupé plays Carmelita Fuentes, who's a singer that charms an ad executive played by Donald Woods. This film did well at the box office and it spawned several sequels as part of the Mexican spitfire series. Now I talked about I think in our first episode, I watched the Mexican spitfire the sequel. I think it's a standalone movie. I think the way they're written, you can really jump in at any movie. I liked it. I thought she's so funny. Yeah. She's a very talented comedic actress. Very physical, her facial expressions are hilarious. Her delivery is hilarious. I think she is one of our most under song comedic actresses of the Golden Age. Now eight of these films would be made.

14:37Lupé received rave reviews for her performance as Carmelita. The LA Times said, she has bloomed forth as a brilliant comedian, spontaneous and vibrant, and not only is Lupé a first class comedian, but she is glamour, a lore, and varied talents. She can show dancers how to dance and teach singers how to sing. The third film in the Mexican spitfire series was 1940s Mexican spitfire out west. Now this film shot on the same lot and at the same time as Citizen Kane. Oh. Both RKO Pictures. At the time, Lupé had been given a motorized tricycle. I don't know who gave her that. It had a basket in the front and she put her chihuahua in it. And she would just ride this tricycle all around the set. So it was adult size. It was adult size. That's kind of chic. I like it. And she would just ride it all around the lot.

15:41One time she sped through the set of Citizen Kane shouting, beep, beep. That's fun. And Orson Walsh was pissed. I bet. But she was just trying to have some fun. That's funny. But not everything was coming up roses for Lupé in 1939. That year she got scammed by a psychic. Oh no. This woman, her name is Bessie Piona. She showed up on Lupé's doorstep one day asking for directions because she was lost. As a thank you, she offered Lupé a reading. And Lupé said, okay. And at the end of the reading, Lupé wrote this woman a check for $15. This lady showed up back at Lupé's house the following week. Oh no. Offering to blessed Lupé's hanker chiffs. And Lupé was like, okay. Oh my god. And she wrote her another small check. Now this woman, Bessie Piona, is thinking,

16:42I have a sucker on my hands. Yes. This is great. So she came back a day later and told Lupé that she was cursed. Oh my god. She's like, you have a lot of enemies. A curse has been placed upon you. And only I know how to remove it. And Lupé was probably like, yeah, like my ex-husband. Basically, this explains everything. This explains everything. Everything my ex-husband also, I'm like, where are all my dramatic films? Like I'm making money still, but I'm not getting these juicy roles. I'm doing B movies. Yeah. So there was like plenty of things in Lupé's life that she could have pointed to to think she's cursed. Right. She said, I can remove the curse if you give me some of your stuff to pray over. So Lupé gave her address and some stockings. She returned her blessed garments the next day and Lupé had like a placebo effect. She's like, I feel better already.

17:42Oh my god. So Lupé gave this woman $159 cash to pray over and bless. Okay. Because the woman's like, give me some money and I'll bless your money. Yeah. And like, that'll help even more. I like that it's $159. She gave her a hundred years of everything. I $159. This psychic went home. She prayed over the money and she brought it back. But the next day, the psychic was like, you know, it's actually better if I pray over more money. Oh my god. Give me $10,000. Jesus. And Lupé said, are you nuts? Oh good. I'm not giving you that. I'll give you $2,500. Oh my god. So she gave her the money. Bessie Piona, this woman, took the cash and she wrapped it up in a piece of red silk from one of Lupé's nightgowns. She then instructed Lupé to wear it around her neck for three days. Lupé was like, okay.

18:43But when the woman left, Lupé was like, wait a minute. And she checked the parcel that this woman had given her and instead of cash was just torn up paper. So she had done some kind of sleight of hand. Yeah. To take the cash and leave her with paper. Lupé was fucking pissed. She'd been had. Good. She called the police and the story made the papers. She didn't even care about the money. She just wanted to kick this woman's ass. Yeah. She told the associated press just wait until I get my hands on that woman. A month later, Bessie Piona, whose real name was Mary Baker, was arrested. Good. In Indiana. Oh. After she pulled the same scam on another woman. So she's just showing up on the doorsteps of whoever. Yeah. And this is something that she had been doing for a while because it had been discovered that she had scammed over $30,000 from other victims.

19:43And even before she showed up on Lupé's doorstep, the police were looking for this woman. Wow. Lupé told the United Press, I'm really going to fix her up. Number one, I punch her in the nose. Number two, I kick her in the teeth. Number three, I pull her hair. I mean, honestly, other people have done worse things to Lupé than this woman. Do you know what I mean? I think it was probably like she didn't like being had. Yeah. I mean, this woman's like the original miscleo, like the scam site. Before they had owned me around. Or still be around. Yeah. Well, it's like the paying thing. Right. Um, anyway, she didn't like being conned. The press of course had a big laugh about it and we're like, oh, she's so dumb. Yeah, I mean, it's pretty embarrassing. It was embarrassing. Yeah. That's why she's really mad. I think that's a big part of it is she felt like a fool.

20:44Yeah, for sure. And we know that she's not actually a stupid woman. No. In the summer of 1940, Lupé began dating the actor, Gwynn Big Boy Williams. By October, they announced their engagement. They were both interviewed in modern screen magazine. Big boy was asked about Lupé's famous temper and he replied, she must have lost it long before we met. Lupé said, I don't go out much anymore because if I enter a nightclub and say to my escort, please, my coat, the next day appear headlines, which read, Lupé Vales screams in night spot. The way they write about my language drives me crazy. Now, according to Errol Flynn, who was Big Boy's friend, Lupé, he said, Lupé was at my house and we got into an argument. Errol Flynn says that she then beat him over the head with a framed photo of him

21:49before she took the picture out of the frame and tore it up. Wow. Then he says she peed on his carpet. Oh. Oh, wow. Now, the author of Lupé's memoir does not think this sounds like her. She's like, Lupé wouldn't pee. Right. She said this sounds like something that Talula Bankhead might do. Oh. Maybe Errol is confused. Wasn't he a big drunk? I mean, he's a lot of bad things. I mean, he was definitely a harasser. I mean, I feel like all of them were drunks back then. I think they were. They're pretty drunk. I'm just saying I think he had her confused. You might have had her confused. Or maybe she was really drunk. I don't think she peed on Errol Flynn's carpet. I do. Lupé, why wouldn't she? What if she accidentally peed? Oh, you think it was an accident? I don't know. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. The dog killing is definitely a no.

22:50No, that's not in her personality. The Detroit Free Press mainly reported on Lupé and Big Boy in their Hisses and Kisses column. Oh. They said Hisses to Lupé Vales for her continued bad taste. Oh. But especially for insisting that she and Big Boy be seated next to her ex, Johnny Weissmuller at a nightclub and then proceeding to heckle Tarzan until she made a scene. What's Big Boy look like? Is he hot? Why is he called Big Boy? It's disturbing. Gwen? Big, look him up. Gwen, Big Boy Williams. Gwen. Gwen is spelled like, Gwen. Gwen. W-Y-N-N? No. G-U-I-N-N. Oh. Oh. He's a Big Boy. I think he's like, six, five. Gwen. Big Boy. I think this is the one that the Eve Golden said

23:50looked like George W. Bush. Oh. In the face. In the face. Like George W. Bush. Let me see it. Let me see it. Yeah. Wait, that's crazy. He really looks like George W. Bush. Isn't that crazy? Okay. That is really insane. Like dying. Yeah. I mean, not in every picture, especially this one. No, that picture. Okay. That is the same eyebrows as W. Wait, and I can't kind of wait like a minute. He kind of looks like the older George W. But our George Bush too. A little bit. In that picture, he looks like senior. Yeah. He has a bush face. Dude, he even makes the same dumb expressions as his face. When's he eyes too? That's really fun. They have the exact same face. That's crazy. It's really crazy. So that's big boy. Let's take a break here. We'll be right back. You know around 6 p.m., you're starving, panic, feeling hungry, and somehow there's nothing in your fridge.

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30:02In the spring of 1941, Lupé and Gwynn Bigboy Williams ended their engagement. Terrible. The Bigboy was short-lived. Later that year, Lupé began dating Eric Paul Remark. He's the guy who wrote all quiet on the western front. So he's a screenwriter. He wrote the book. Oh, he wrote the book. Oh wow. Yeah. Once again, the press was very rude about her love life. The Cincinnati inquire wrote, Lupé Vales, the tamale terrific, has just returned from a raid on Marlena Dietrich's own private held stagline. Oh, so they were like she's getting her leftovers. That's, that'd be mad. Now this was also not a long relationship. They broke up the following year. In February 1942, Lupé reconnected with her co-star from La Zandunga. His name is Arturo de Cordova and they started dating. Around the same time,

31:05Lupé signed on for three more Mexican Spitfire films. The sixth in this series was titled Mexican Spitfire Cesar Ghost. It always goes there. I love it. I had to look up what this movie was about. Here's the premise on Wikipedia. It says, Carmelita and Uncle Matt find themselves in a haunted house, but the ghosts are actually enemy agents who are trying to frighten away visitors in order to develop a nitroglycerin bomb. Jesus. That sounds good. It sounds so good. I need to find this movie. Some of our movies are difficult to find. Right. Because they're, yeah. And not that famous. Yeah. But I think this one sounds good. It's perfect for October. We need to find it. And even more hilarious about this movie is that this film was shown as the main feature on a double bill with Orson Wells, the magnificent Amberson. Hilly. Which is a very serious prestigious drama.

32:09Right. But at the time, it was kind of a bomb. So I wonder why they put them together. Orson Wells was pissed. Yeah. He was like, how dare you. They're probably like, let's get him some views. Because the Mexican's Bitfire series is actually getting some butts in the seats. Yeah. He's like, that crazy lady who drove her tricycle on set. I love it. I think it's funny. These films, the Mexican Spitfire series, they're being turned around really quickly. The seventh installment is called Mexican Spitfire's Elephant. Oh, that came out a mere months later. They're like, just give us a gimmick. Anything. Anything. I mean, another one is like, Mexican Spitfire has a baby. Yeah. She travels across the sea. She goes into a, she goes into like a fancy English dinner. Yeah. Like a fish out of water scenario. Is that the Queen's banquet and makes a full of herself? I mean, that's kind of like

33:12these, at least the one that I watched in the one that I watched, it's just called, it's like the sequel because the first movie is called The Girl from Mexico. The sequel is called Mexican Spitfire. And that one I watched, she, her husband or fiance or whatever he is. I think he's her, yeah, he's her husband. He's an ad exec and he needs to impress this guy, a potential client for dinner. And he's really snobby and British. Oh. And so, um, Uncle Matt, who's a character, reoccurring characters in these films, he's like, let's play a prank on your husband. I like how these are like sitcom synopsis. Well, it's funny because the the memoir that I read, it did kind of compare the series to like early sitcoms or these kinds of series that get turned around because people loved these reoccurring characters. And this premise is very sitcom because this is like a, this film was like a mistaken identity kind of farce or whatever. But it's like,

34:16let's put her in another situation. Yeah, they just keep putting her in funny situations. And this one's great because it ends with a food fight. Oh, shit. Class. I love a food fight. And it's, she's so funny in this. Oh wow. She's so funny in it. I, I recommend watching just to see her comedy chops. Um, even it, it is a dumb film. Yeah, it's dumb. Um, but she's great. Anyway, in between the filming of the seventh and eighth Mexican Spitfire films, Loupa made two other B movies that were both released in 1943. Ladies day and redhead from Manhattan. In ladies day, Loupa stars as Papita Zerita, a Hollywood actress who goes to a baseball game and becomes the object of affection of their pitcher, wacky waters. And then hilarity ensues. Yes, always ahead of filming,

35:18Loupa was sent to a game at Rigglyfield to become more familiar with baseball, but also for publicity. During the game, Loupa spotted the angels first baseman, Eddie Whitekiss. And she was like, he's hot. Hmm, he wasn't that hot, but she thought he was hot. The name is not hot. I'm sorry. Eddie Whitekiss. She just doesn't sound that hot to me. I don't even know if I'm pronouncing it, right? So after the game, Loupa went to the locker room. She knocked on the dorms like, hey, boys, nice, the dream later. She emerged from the locker room with her lipstick smeared, clothes all rumpled. Wow. And then Eddie emerged shortly after with lipstick all over his face. Nice. Love it. Following her trip to the ballgame, she was asked about her opinion of baseball by the Pittsburgh press. Loupa said, it can never really be the national sport until they have women

36:20on the field in every league. There are women wrestlers, women barbers, and women war workers. A woman umpire wouldn't object to changing her mind. That's a woman's right. And when we have women umpires, most of the fights will stop. For it is usually that the umpire who gets sucked and no ball player is going to sock a woman before 10,000 people. A woman umpire would do something about the players sliding into bases. All it does is soil or tear the clothes and get everyone annoyed. They're big strong fellows. Why can't they run standing up? What? No, she lost me there. I like the slides. I like the slides. I want them to get rougher. Yeah, I like a slide. I like when one ball player slides into another ball players butt face first. I like a slide. I don't want me to say clean. No, but I do think it's funny having a woman umpire. I like the changing her mind. Yeah, I like that. It's my prerogative. It's my prerogative. The final Mexican spitfire film,

37:26Mexican split spitfires, blessed event, not not the most intriguing title. This came out that same year. Around this time, Lupi had grown weary of only making B movies. Yes, she was getting paid, but she was relegated to these stereotypical fiery Latina roles. And the press of course just continued to portray her as this hot tempered unhinged star. Right. Meanwhile, things were not going great with her boyfriend, Arturo. He still hadn't divorced his wife for one. Wait, who's Arturo? Oh, he's the writer. No, he was he was her co star in the Mexican. Oh, right, right. Okay. She goes to a lot of guys. She has a lot of boyfriend's. He still hadn't divorced his wife. And then on top of that, he suggested to Lupi that they have an open relationship. Oh, very progressive. I mean, she had one with Johnny Weissmuller. Yeah, they had we talked about that. But she was like, fuck you. Yeah. First, you won't divorce your wife. And now you're asking for

38:30an open relationship. Right. She was so irritated that she responded by sending him a bill for $500. She's like, this is for all the home cook dinners I made you. This is very Mariah Carey. I love it. And then she said, and I'm going to sue you if you don't pay it. Yes. Or Arturo apologized and they made up. But they did end up breaking up. Right. Because he just wouldn't divorce his wife. He just got out of the lawsuit. And he just he's like, let me just get back with her and then I'll forget. I do feel like she should have resubmitted or refiled the lawsuit. I agree. For wasting her time. She should have got the money at least when he came back. Well, he did give her the money. Oh, good. He did. And he apologized. Lupi next signed on to star in a Mexican film called Nana. This was adapted from the 1880 Amie Zola book of the same name. This would be her first dramatic role in many years. Lupi, however, had some problems with the script.

39:33She told Luela Parsons. The script is bad. This woman is so stupid. I don't want to play it. They said they can fix it. And if they do, I may have to go and make the picture. They already paid me $20,000 in advance, but I'll return if they really, I'll return it if they release me. Oh, shit. Well, they must have fixed the script because she didn't did end up doing the film. And this would be her final movie. Okay. Lupi's performance in the film was praised. But she went back to Hollywood where sadly, film offers just weren't pouring in. And the two films in Mexico that Lupi was offered ended up falling falling through. She did have a new boyfriend, 26-year-old Harold Raymond, who was an Austrian actor. In July of 1944, Lupi signed on to star in the play. Signed on to star in the play. Glad to see you. Okay. This show was scheduled to premiere in

40:36Boston and Philly in the fall, followed by a show on Broadway in December. A month later, Lupi became pregnant, but she didn't know it yet. Lupi left for New York in early October to begin rehearsals. Broadway columnist, Earl Wilson, interviewed Lupi on part of her train ride. He asked her about a column that claimed that she didn't wear underwear. Whoa. He's like, is that true? That's a gross question. Yeah. She should have threw him from the train. Exactly. But what she did was funny. She said, oh, so I don't wear panties, huh? What's this? And she pulled up her skirt on the train and she showed him her underwear. Good for her. Then on October 9th, it was reported that Lupi had quit the play. This is like a few days before she gets into town or a few days after

41:36she gets into town. She told this same columnist, Earl Wilson, honey, I got a story for you. Ooh, I quit the show. The script does not suit my personality. Okay. Though she never told anyone about her pregnancy, she had to have known by now she was pregnant or at least was experiencing symptoms. That's why she quit the show. That's what people think. Yeah. Because it was very abrupt. And this is like at this point, she would have been two months pregnant. So she couldn't have continued the play. She would have been more obviously pregnant. Yeah. And she's also not married. Yeah. Yeah. This is that would have been a big scandal. If she was if she wants to get rid of it, it's also yeah, she can't like it's just it's not good. Like she needs to not do this place. She has to go home basically. A few weeks later,

42:36Luella Parsons spoke to Lupi again to ask her about the feud between her ex Arturo and his co-star Joan Fontaine. Joan Fontaine now? Well, she wanted a comment. She's like, what do you think about your ex-boyfriend feuding with his co-star Joan Fontaine? Oh, they want to comment from her. Yes. And Lupi said, what do I care? I don't ever want to see him again. Exactly. In November, Lupi invited in her sister Josephina about her pregnancy. According to Josephina, Lupi told her that she wanted her sister to pretend to have this baby. So she could kind of do like a loretta young Clark Gable situation. Wasn't there something earlier with the baby, the four-year-old that she had for a bit? That was the speculation that like, oh, is this really her baby, but it couldn't have possibly been her baby. But this time, Lupi is suggesting that they pull a stunt like this because she's unwed. Right. And she tells her sister Josephina, look,

43:41we'll go down to Mexico, we'll lay low for a while. I'll give birth to the baby. And you take it? Yeah. And all adopt it later. Right. Basically. And Josephina was like, I want you to buy me a house and give me $5,000. Damn. Just to keep the secret. Yeah. And she admitted that to the press. Yeah. That she asked that of her sister. Which I think is is kind of fucked up. I think it's fucked up. It's different if she needed expenses paid for to help keep the secret or something. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. Yeah. Like if it was like, I think she just needed expenses in general. Like she just needed money in general. Exactly. Yeah. Like I can see it if it's like, well, I'm going to have to get a bigger house to hide you. So we need to pay for that somehow. Like you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, I don't think it wasn't that. It was like she already did want money. She wanted money for helping her sister basically. Yeah.

44:47I mean, Lupi was really rich. Later that same month, Lupi announced to the press that her and Harold had gotten engaged. Oh, this is the Austrian guy. But by the dad, he's the dad. Okay. But by December 9th, the engagement was broken. Oh, Lupi told the press. I told him to get out. I like my dogs better. And I was going to take them to New York with me Saturday. I mean, she just have bad taste in mind. Yeah, they're kind of losers. I don't I haven't I don't think I think Gary Cooper was the best. He was stuck too. Well, because he couldn't stand up to his mom. Yeah. Alice Cooper. Right. But that's really unattractive. It is unattractive. Yeah. But he was the honest and like the most successful. Yeah. And I'm sure it was painful for Lupi to watch her one that got away, succeed and have this crazy, huge career while she's floundering. Yeah, totally. That must have been because they could have been like an eight couple.

45:49Dude. And that would have helped her immensely being with him. Absolutely. I fucking hate his mom. Yeah. She sucks because that would have been a really cool couple. They went the distance. Yes. They did love each other. Now, Harold later told a few different versions about why they broke up. In one version, he said that he told Lupi, look, I'm only going to marry you to give the baby a name, I guess like legitimize whatever. But then he said to her, no, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I was just mad when I said that. Don't you don't need to all him. He's not that great. I don't know why it's it. He also said that he told Lupi he couldn't marry her until he finished some business engagements that he had. I don't think he had anything going on. He really was not like a big, he was even have Wikipedia page. No, I don't think he does. And then they fought about that. On December 13th, Lupi was getting ready to go to the East Coast

46:54because she had a five week long personal appearance tour. She was getting a lot of money for this. Lupi's personal assistant, Bulla Kinder was there with her at her Beverly Hills home. She told the press, Lupi was home all day and feeling very low. It was an extremely personal matter that I can't discuss now, but which I suppose will all come out in time. That evening, Lupi's two friends actress Estelle Taylor and Veneta Oki came over and they had dinner and hung out until late in the night. Estelle recalled Lupi's singing distressed. She said she was pacing around her house and saying, I'm just weary of this whole world. Estelle said that Lupi had told her about being pregnant and she didn't seem happy about it, but that she also couldn't have an abortion. Veneta left Lupi's house at around midnight and Estelle left at 3 a.m. Lupi was a night owl.

47:55At 4 a.m., Lupi went upstairs to her bedroom and put on her blue silk pajamas. Then she sat down to write two notes, one to her assistant, Bulla, and one to Harold. To Bulla, she wrote, my faithful friend, you and only you know the facts. For the reason I am taking my life, may God forgive me and don't think that of me. I love you so much, take care of my mother, so goodbye and try to forgive me. Say goodbye to all my friends and the American press that were always so nice to me, Lupi. And on the backside of the note, she instructed her to take care of her two dogs, chips, and chops. The note to Harold was definitely more negative. Oh, she wrote, may God forgive you and forgive me too. But I prefer to take my life away and our babies before I bring him such shame or kill him.

48:58How could you fake such a great love for me and our baby when all the time you didn't want us? I see no other way out for me, so goodbye and good luck to you, love Lupi. This suicide is shocking to me because it does seem abrupt. Right. There was something like an incident that happened. It does seem like an incident that happened. It does seem like an incident that happened. I mean, this clearly, her getting pregnant with this guy, clearly, I don't know if it was like a flood of hormones. I don't know what it was about this particular instance or if it was a perfect storm of like everything that was going on in her life that she felt out of control of her career. You have to remember she's 36 years old at this point and she's aging out of these roles and she's not getting cast and stuff. She's not getting cast in the thing she wants to be cast in. Right. She feels like her career is over.

50:00Yeah, basically. And she doesn't have a successful relationship. Yeah. Maybe it's like, I don't even have that to fall back on. She's not like this guy, Harold isn't her true love. No. So we just don't know. We don't know what was going on internally with her. It doesn't seem like, well, it either wasn't an issue throughout her life or the book didn't have information about her internal life. I don't think anyone did. Yeah. Because it was shocking to people. Right. It was a shocking death. She didn't have a history of drug abuse or alcoholism or sort of like suicidal ideation. She didn't have a history of depression. Yeah. Or any kind of mental illness. So yeah, it's very shocking. And you think about it and you're like, yeah, on paper, you're like, oh, this doesn't seem like something to end at all over. So she had been pregnant for a while.

51:03At this point now, she's been pregnant for four months. I'm just saying you would think finding out would be the moment maybe you want to end it. Do you know what I'm saying? Like she lived with it for a while. Right? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what her thought process was. It is interesting to have the notes though. I know. Because you don't always get information. Because she gave a little information, but it's still vague. It's still very vague. But I do appreciate a negative suicide doubt. Where they're like, and it was you. Like I have to say, well, that is kind of crazy. The Harold, she was like, fuck you. Yeah, it wasn't like this sort of like, I mean, it seems almost rash. Like it seems like it was almost a kind of maybe it maybe she wanted to not succeed. Well, that was possible. That was that was sort of

52:03because the author of the book said with the amount of secondals she took, it wouldn't have been possible to be. It wouldn't have been possible for it to have just been a cry for help. It wouldn't have been possible. No, because secondals are very fast acting. So you can't throw it up. Yeah, you're dead within minutes. And the very powerful barb issue it. Like I don't know what she knows about secondals. Yeah, because I wouldn't have known that. Yeah. It's not like what she had Google. No, she's like, what's the best way she didn't have Google? I don't know. Just based on her history, it seems like it was in the moment. Maybe not like, I hope I don't die. But I kind of get to where it would do. Like to get it to just make a dramatic point even. Like not thinking it through. It seems more plausible to me than actually wanting to die. I think she clearly had more going on than she was letting on to people. And this night, this particular night, it all reached like every ahead.

53:04Right. It seems like impulsive. It does seem impulsive to me. Because she had she was packing. She had plans to go to New York to do this publicity or this personal appearance tour. She's getting a lot of money for it. I mean, like I said, it could have been a perfect store for things. Ending the engagement with this guy. Being pregnant, feeling having an existential crisis about her career. Right. Everything in the world. And how people viewed her, how the public viewed her and feeling like she was a joke sometimes, which is really tragic. Because she was immensely talented and did deserve so much better. Right. Then what Holly would had to offer her. Yes. At 6 a.m., Lupi got into bed and took a bottle of burpitsuits. She died from an overdose rather quickly. At 10 a.m., Bula arrived at Lupi's house to wake her up as she usually did. She discovered Lupi in bed and she said it looked like she was asleep.

54:04But she soon learned the grim reality. She called the police. A Hollywood columnist at the Los Angeles Herald Express name Harrison Carol wrote that Lupi's death quote is the greatest shock Holly would have had in years. Hundreds rise to defend her, especially the grips, makeup people, etc. with whom she worked. Lupi didn't have many close friends among the Hollywood great, but she was universally loved by the lesser people. Herald Raymond told the Associated Press, I'm so confused, I never expected this to happen. The last time I talked to Lupi, I told her I was going to marry her any way she wanted. If Lupi was about to have a child, I cannot understand why she broke our engagement. So he didn't know she was pregnant. I thought he did know he did know. Oh, so to the press. He sang. Yeah, the press is fine is learning because of the autopsy. Right. And because like she never told anyone except like her sister and obviously Herald.

55:07But he's acting like in the statement that he didn't know. Oh, I guess he didn't know. Okay. Why didn't nobody was taking it? But he also is giving very different versions of stuff. That's what I mean. It seems like he's lying. So it looks like he's not the bad guy. But I don't know because he does because right, because before he is saying stuff like that he told the press after her death. Oh, we thought about the child. Yeah. So he is acting. He's going back and forth. Now at this time, everyone's like, fuck you, Herald. Yeah. People are like, we hate you. You have the note, Herald. You suck, dude. Imagine getting like dragged for filth and someone suicide note. It's awful. It is so awful. You gotta like be like, shit man. Even if it's someone that sucks, I mean like, it's not a good feeling. It's, I mean, you have to defend yourself then. Yeah. Again, someone like who obviously was in a great deal of pain.

56:08Right. Whatever. So Herald. Everyone's pissed at him and a week after loop based death, people are like digging up dirt on him. Shit. I mean, this is like, they're going back into his old tweets. They're going back into his old tweets. They're looking at his Instagram posts from 2014. And they're like, oh my god. Yeah, why'd you fave this? Why'd you fave this post? Why is this your caption? Who, what, what is this picture of you? Oh my god. With Tucker Carlson. Explain. Yeah. They're going into get the dirt. Absolutely. On him. It was discovered that he had a lawsuit filed against him by a widow from New York who claimed that he scammed her out of $2,000. Damn. In the lawsuit, the woman called Herald, quote, a kiss collecting run jiggle-o, who while making love to her,

57:10boasted of his conquest of rich elderly women. Now, I cannot imagine telling someone while you're fucking them that you love fucking rich old women. I want to hear that. Tell me about you. I fucked the grandma. Leave out the elderly. Leave out the, I mean, in less it's a kink you both agree on. I guess. Yeah. Yeah, that could be. Now, Lupé was not elderly, but she was eight years older than Herald. So that's like, like, then, yeah, the older woman, this adds some fodder for that. They're like, oh, look, he's just loves scamming older women. And she wakes up from her death and she's like, excuse me. Don't put me in with the grandma. Exactly. Kitting me. Fieryl services were held in both Los Angeles and Mexico. Lupé's body was transported to Mexico for its final resting place on December 23rd.

58:13Now to add to the tragedy of Lupé's death was, of course, the rumor of the manner of her death, which became canon when Kenneth Anger published his book, Hollywood Babylon. Now, I didn't know anything about Lupé Vales, except the way she allegedly died. Yeah. As described in this book. Yes. Did you? No. I don't think most people, she's not well known. She's not a well known actress. She's not a well known actress. Her films are not well known. Her films are not well known. Most people would tell you if they even know who that name is, is because of this book. Right. Which is really sad. Yeah. Now, in Hollywood Babylon, it claimed that Lupé took a bottle of pills to kill herself, but that the quote's, you know, spicy Mexican meal that she had eaten beforehand caused her to become sick.

59:16So she ran to the bathroom, slipped, and fell headfirst into the toilet and drowned. Yeah. Which, come on, that seems really impossible to drown in a toilet. Well, I don't think it would be impossible, but it would be really hard to slip and have your head fall right into the bowl. I'm saying for all those things that happen, you would hit your head on the toilet, maybe, and fall back or something. No, the head went headfirst into the toilet. That's just, that's clearly made up. Yeah, but like that's all anyone knew about her. Of course, because it's so dramatic for decades. And it's so like sick, you know, it's like no one would want to die that way. It's so embarrassing. But why would, why would he go after her like that? Would she do? I told you like so crazy. Don't know. He just made shit up like that. No, when people asked him, I was reading like people asked him in the 70s or whatever, when the paperback edition of his book came out.

1:00:17And he was like, well, I talked to her housekeeper about it. And that's what she told me. And I talked to her gardener. It's kind of like today when people want to believe the more salacious or untrue version, because it's more interesting. Yeah. There's zero facts or anything proving it. Right. But it's kind of like you want to find that weird Reddit rumor or explanation to something. Or even going back to the stuff with Harold, it's like you can see a world where people want to believe he had something to do with it. Yeah. When it's like no, two things can be true. Was he the best dude she was dating? No. Did he have anything to do with her death? Also no. Oh, right. And like obviously people will, you know, kill themselves. No one is truly responsible for that act. Even if they had a bad relationship or gotten to a fight, it's like, oh, man, you could say that to millions of people.

1:01:17I'm talking about people who took the conspiracy angle that, oh, he killed her. Oh, that he killed her. And it was a cover up. Oh, okay. I didn't realize they went that far. Well, I mean, like maybe he, they killed her because he didn't want the baby and like that's what they were. They wanted money or whatever. Whatever it was. I'm saying you see that a lot because of online. You see it nowadays if somebody dies and it's a tragic overdose, we think there's got to be a bigger explanation for that. Right. I think sometimes people have a difficult time accepting. Sometimes a tragedy is just a tragedy. People overdose and die. People take their own lives. And there's no crazy conspiracy around it. No, everything is a conspiracy now. But it seems like it always was kind of. Why? Right. Yeah. That's why it's interesting. Because there was also something that added to the conspiratorial element of it.

1:02:19Was the fact that her manager was at the scene when the police arrived. And he had a connection with the LAPD. Right. And so they're thinking, you know, he got them to do a cover off. And that is a thing that was happening. And it was too. So it's like, so you take something where there's like a grain of truth to something or a possibility that it could be true. Yeah. But you can't apply it to every situation. No. You have to look at the facts. Yeah. And the reality is is in the photos of the scene, she's not laying down in a toilet. Yeah. There's no signs. There's no signs of vomiting anywhere. Right. Right. Like she looked like she was sleeping. Right. Anyway, that's obviously not true. And like we mentioned, sadly, you know, loopay, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. But to this date, you know, there hasn't been a loopay,

1:03:19but as biopic, at least a big one, I'd like to see it. Yeah. I'd like more people to know her story and her contribution to film. And hopefully, this has been debunked for people. Yeah. It's funny because I was getting her initially confused with Maria Montez, who was also in Hollywood, Babylon. And had a crazy death in the book. Yeah. So that's what I was like initially. I was like, which one was she? I was trying to like remember. But Maria Montez is, do you remember her? Her was that she was trying to reduce. She was in a skull. She scalded herself in a hot tub. Yes. Yes. So they both had a bathroom element too. I think that's like people love a embarrassing death. Yes. Well, especially in Hollywood, Babylon. Well, yeah. It was like all of them were like a little,

1:04:22there was something about them that was kind of like, oh, how like ghost. Like whatever. Well, it's like how undignified. Yeah. And it was like seeing these like people taken down and it's undignified death. Well, it's we did an episode in the way early days of this podcast, debunking the cast Elliott death. Yes. She did not die choking on a ham sandwich. No. But that became canon. Oh my God. Yeah. So because you hear that like we were just talking with Kara where someone said that no scrubs was about Dave Kool-A2 but like dead ass serious. Yeah. On a thread about you ought to know. But even that was just like that is very funny. So I can see why people would want to believe that. But it's just not true. Like so when you take more than two seconds you're like that is impossible. How would that be? That's not true. Like that's and that's something someone pulled out of their ass.

1:05:23Or they they they knew he was the the subject of a song but got it wrong and have always thought the wrong thing and now are presenting. How do you know mixed up? I have no I guess because they're both about bad guys or I don't know. Scrubs isn't even about a particular guy. No, no. It's about a type of guy. Yeah, exactly. That's so dumb. That's so dumb. I was so dumb. I just but that's a very funny story to believe. It's crazy. Yeah. I mean yeah like there's definitely like less harmful stories that I've believed that I'm like you know what? I need that to be true. Yes. Yeah. I agree because it's not really harming anyone. Yeah. Those rumors like doesn't really matter. Dave Kool-A would probably embrace being the subject of no scrubs. One great. At this point. He's lucky enough that any woman wrote a song about that. I mean. Yeah. For sure. Come on. Oh my god. Oh yeah.

1:06:23That's the end. That's the conclusion to our series on loop Avales. I hope you enjoyed it. And next week we'll be back. It's Halloween month baby. Yeah. So we're going to have some Halloween content for the rest of the month. I'm excited. Me too. Get excited everybody. Bye. Bye. When it comes to managing money, forget the hype and look at results. Bill has a trillion dollars of secure payments powering our bill pay tools. Instead of just moving money, Bill is powering the financial operations of nearly half a million customers. So stop the guesswork and start scaling with the proven choice. Ready to talk with an expert? Visit bill.com slash proven to get started. And grab one hundred and fifty dollar gift card as a thank you. Terms and conditions apply. See you off her page for details.