Virginia Rappe

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Virginia Rappe
File:Virginia Rappe, head-and-shoulders portrait) - Hoover LCCN2006686217 (cropped) (cropped).tif
Virginia Rappe c. 1920
Born (1891-07-07)July 7, 1891[1]
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Cause of death Ruptured bladder and secondary peritonitis
Resting place Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Other names Virginia Rappae
Years active 1909–1921
Partner(s) Robert Moscovitz (1916–1916, his death)
Henry Lehrman (1919–1921)

Virginia Caroline Rappe (/rəˈpeɪ/; July 7, 1891 – September 9, 1921)[2] was an American model and silent film actress. Working mostly in small bit parts, Rappe died after attending a party with actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who was accused of manslaughter and rape in connection with her death, though he was ultimately exonerated.

Early life and career

Virginia Rappe was born in Chicago in 1891 to Mabel Rapp, who died when Virginia was 11.[3] Virginia was then raised by her grandmother. [4][5] At 18, she began working as a commercial and art model.[6]

In 1916, Rappe relocated to San Francisco to pursue her career as an artist's model. There she met dress designer Robert Moscovitz and they became engaged, but shortly afterward he was killed in a streetcar accident, and Rappe moved to Los Angeles. In early 1917, she was hired by director Fred Balshofer and given a prominent role in his film Paradise Garden, opposite screen star Harold Lockwood. Balshofer hired her again to costar with early drag performer Julian Eltinge and newcomer Rudolph Valentino in Over the Rhine, for which she was awarded the title of "Best Dressed Girl in Pictures".[6] This film was not released until 1920, when Balshofer recut it and released it under the title An Adventuress, and later in 1922, after Rappe's death, as The Isle of Love.[7]

In 1919, Rappe began a relationship with director/producer Henry Lehrman. The couple eventually became engaged and lived together, although in the United States Census of 1920, the young actress is listed as a "Boarder" in Lehrman's home in Los Angeles.[8] Rappe appeared in at least four films for Lehrman: His Musical Sneeze, A Twilight Baby, Punch of the Irish and A Game Lady. However, since many of Lehrman's films are lost, the exact number of roles she performed for him cannot be determined.

Following Rappe's death, rumors arose, supposedly to besmirch her character, that she had given birth in Chicago in 1918 and put the baby in foster care. These rumors were proven false by autopsy.[9]

Death

File:Virginia-Rappe-Coffin-1921.jpg
Rappe's casket arrives in Los Angeles, September 17, 1921.
File:The American florist - a weekly journal for the trade (1921) (17957015190).jpg
Casket of Virginia Rappe

The circumstances of Rappe's death in 1921 became a Hollywood scandal and were covered widely and sensationalized by the media of the time. During a party held on Labor Day, September 5, 1921, in Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's suite at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Rappe allegedly suffered a trauma. She died four days later on September 9 from a ruptured bladder and secondary peritonitis.[10] She was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[11]

File:Virginia Rappe Grave.JPG
Grave of Virginia Rappe at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

The exact events of the party remain unclear, with witnesses relating numerous versions of what happened. It was alleged that Rappe had died as a result of a violent sexual assault by Arbuckle. Arbuckle's accuser, Bambina Maude Delmont, had accompanied Rappe to the party; she had first met Rappe only a few days earlier.[12] Delmont had a police record for extortion, prostitution and blackmail.[13] Subsequent witnesses testified that Rappe had for some time suffered from cystitis, a condition which could have been aggravated by consuming alcohol.[14] Witnesses also testified that Rappe had previously suffered from venereal disease, so there were allegations that her death was brought on by her health rather than by an assault.[13]

After three manslaughter trials, Arbuckle was formally acquitted; his acquittal in the third trial was accompanied by an unprecedented statement of apology from the jury stating, in part, that, "Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done him… there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime."[15] Nevertheless, Arbuckle's reputation and career were ruined because of the scandal.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1916 The Foolish Virgin Salesgirl Uncredited bit part [16]
1917 Paradise Garden Marcia Van Wyck Lost film [16]
1918 Wild Women and Tame Lions Lost film; allegedly uncredited
1919 His Musical Sneeze (it)

[17]
1920 A Twilight Baby
1920 An Adventuress Vanette Reissued in 1922, severely re-edited, as The Isle of Love

[7]
1920 The Kick in High Life Uncredited
1920 Wet and Warmer Undetermined role Uncredited
1921 The Punch of the Irish The Object Of Attention
1921 A Game Lady Undetermined role

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WC-F8M : 10 March 2018), Mabel Rapp in entry for Rapp, 07 Jul 1891; citing p.254 no.12677, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,737.
  2. ↑ Notorious Crimes, Criminals and Criminal Trials in American History ISBN 978-1-610-69594-7 p. 30
  3. ↑ Slapstick Divas: The Women of Silent Comedy ISBN 978-1-629-33132-4 p. 1967
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Ellis & Ellis 2005, p. 445.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ellis & Ellis 2005, p. [page needed].
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ "The Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920", City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, enumeration date January 10, 1920. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Hallett 2013, p. 196.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hallett 2013, p. 182.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

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Further reading

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External links

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