For much of the last century, a victim's sexual history was allowed as evidence at trial. It became legally admissible after a state Supreme Court ruling in 1931, which was the result of a high-powered and well-funded effort to protect one of Hollywood's biggest names. 

In 1929, 17-year-old dancer Eunice Pringle alleged that early Hollywood mogul Alexander Pantages attacked her in an office of his Los Angeles theater. Moviegoers that day witnessed Pringle running into the street in a torn dress and screaming that she had been assaulted by “the beast.” 

In today's episode, host Tracy Pattin and Variety's Matt Donnelly go back nearly 100 years in the Variety archives to tell the story of Alexander Pantages.

For a full list of citations and footnotes from this episode, please visit variety.com/h/variety-confidential.

For much of the last century, a victim's sexual history was allowed as evidence at trial. It became legally admissible after a state Supreme Court ruling in 1931, which was the result of a high-powered and well-funded effort to protect one of Hollywood's biggest names. 
In 1929, 17-year-old dancer Eunice Pringle alleged that early Hollywood mogul Alexander Pantages attacked her in an office of his Los Angeles theater. Moviegoers that day witnessed Pringle running into the street in a torn dress and screaming that she had been assaulted by “the beast.” 
In today's episode, host Tracy Pattin and Variety's Matt Donnelly go back nearly 100 years in the Variety archives to tell the story of Alexander Pantages.
For a full list of citations and footnotes from this episode, please visit variety.com/h/variety-confidential.

Variety Confidential is a new true crime podcast that dives into Variety’s historic archives to explore stories of sex, money and murder in the entertainment industry. Season one, titled “The Secret History of the Casting Couch,” will detail the notorious Hollywood casting couch through the decades and draw parallels between recent sex scandals and those of the past, illustrating that sexual predation in the industry is as old as the Hollywood Hills.

Variety Confidential is a new true crime podcast that dives into Variety’s historic archives to explore stories of sex, money and murder in the entertainment industry. Season one, titled “The Secret History of the Casting Couch,” will detail the notorious Hollywood casting couch through the decades and draw parallels between recent sex scandals and those of the past, illustrating that sexual predation in the industry is as old as the Hollywood Hills.

Variety Confidential

Alexander Pantages "The Beast"

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bd18100b-9d91-4e8d-9ae6-b0d5016d30e9/transcript

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