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.