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Johnny Depp To Tell Fatty Arbuckle Story

TUESDAY AUGUST 1 2006 7:00 PM

Submitted by Alyk. Edited By Alyk.

TAGS: Johnny Depp, Fatty Arbuckle, Film Rights, Trial, Virginia Rappe

Johnny Depp took on a new controversial project: the story of disgraced actor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Depp purchased the rights to the most notorious sex scandal in Hollywood history, hoping to bring it to the big screen.

At a raucous, three-day party in 1921, a young starlet became severely ill and died four days later. Newspapers went wild with the story: popular silent-screen comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle had killed Virginia Rappe with his weight while savagely raping her. Though the newspapers of the day reveled in the gory, rumored details, juries found little evidence that Arbuckle was in any way connected with her death.

Despite the highly publicized trial and his acquittal, Arbuckle never recovered from the scandal; the public reveled in repeating salacious gossip regarding the case, believing the actor was guilty. Theaters stopped showing his films, and the film industry blacklisted Arbuckle.

Depp wants to tell the entire Arbuckle story, including the gory details of Rappe’s death and the infamous trial that followed.

Depp confided in BBC Radio London DJ Jono Coleman that he had set his sights on the lead role.

Coleman says, "Johnny recommended I read I, Fatty, Arbuckle's fictional memoirs by Jerry Stahl. He told me he had bought the rights and I got the feeling he'd like to play the title role. But he hasn't got the figure."

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21 Comments

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Geraldine

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

AUG 01, 2006 07:07 PM

Oh wow!! I really want to see this! Virginia Rappe is buried here and I've visited her grave a couple of times.

RedBstrd

Pomona, CA

April 2004

AUG 01, 2006 07:12 PM

Jerry Stahl wrote the fictional memoirs, so I am sure the project will be good.

bairdduvessa

Centerville, MA

April 2005

AUG 01, 2006 07:14 PM

cool

Cereal_Killer

Westfield, NY

December 2002

AUG 01, 2006 07:18 PM

certain to be another in a long line of rather obscure movies from mr. depp. you know i'll go see it for sure.

just the general premise sounds good to me.

TheInsomniac

Washington, DC

October 2003

AUG 01, 2006 07:34 PM

Wow. How will Johnny Depp play "Fatty" Arbuckle? Make-up, or do you think he'd actually gain the weight?

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA

July 2004

AUG 01, 2006 07:35 PM

Another rumored cause of her death was that he penetrated her vaginally with a Coke bottle so vigorously it caused internal injuries. It had no basis in truth however...

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA

July 2004

AUG 01, 2006 07:37 PM

Damn

Machino

Brooklyn, NY

June 2006

AUG 01, 2006 08:15 PM

For an amazing account of the scandal in a fantastic book, check out Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon.
Stahl's cool too.

desidia

Reunion

September 2002

AUG 01, 2006 08:19 PM

Then he should do a bloody carbuncle story.

PhLaXuS

Fort Lauderdale, FL

November 2005

AUG 01, 2006 08:31 PM

ThisIsWhoWeAre said:
Another rumored cause of her death was that he penetrated her vaginally with a Coke bottle so vigorously it caused internal injuries. It had no basis in truth however...

...and back in that day, didn't Coke have coke in it?