The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murders (35 page)

By March the case was ready to be conducted. Christian’s character was first to be dragged through the mud, a psychological report describing him as being prone to violence, a dropout and
a threat to society, concluding that his violent outbursts were escalating.

His defence psychiatrist Dr Saul Faerstein had assessed him and claimed that Christian was chronically depressed with a somewhat diminished capacity due to drug abuse, saying, “He is a
tempestuous kid from a tempestuous family, frustrated and angry about his life.” He put some of the blame on Christian’s parents. “Neither of them provided a stable, protective,
safe emotional environment for Christian to grow up in.”

By the second day of the hearing Marlon Brando was called to the stand to defend his son. The courtroom was packed, and so too were the streets outside. Everybody wanted to get a glimpse of the
star and wanted to see how he was bearing up under the stress of his son’s ordeal.

Marlon Brando was first questioned by his son’s defence council, Robert Shapiro starting by asking him a range of questions, during which he displayed a whole range of emotions and was, on
occasions, reduced to tears. He testified that he had not always been there when his son was growing up, but he felt that he had not neglected him and didn’t consider himself to be a bad
father. He did however lay some of the blame for Christian’s upbringing on his mother, Anna Kashfi, saying, “She was probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, but she
came close to being as negative a person as I have met in my life.” He then turned his thoughts to himself and admitted, “I led a wasted life, I chased a lot of women. Perhaps I failed
as a father, the tendency is always to blame the other person. There were things I could have done differently, I did the best I could.” Then Brando’s demeanour changed, maybe because
he felt that he had opened his heart too wide. He suddenly became angry and said, “This is the Marlon Brando case. If Christian were black, Mexican or poor, he wouldn’t be in this
courtroom. Everyone wants a piece of the pie.”

Turning to where Dag Drollet’s family were sitting he apologized to them in French, their native tongue, “I cannot continue with the hate in your eyes. I’m sorry with my whole
heart,” before going on, still in French, to say that if he could exchange himself for Dag Drollet, he would gladly do so.

Unfortunately his sentiments were lost on the grieving Jacques, who was unimpressed by Brando’s “performance”, later admitting that he didn’t believe a word of it and was
still so angry he could have killed him.

After being on the witness stand for several hours he was able to stand down. Tired, he tried to make a quick exit via the back entrance, not wanting to face the mob of reporters who were
eagerly awaiting his exit at the front of the courthouse. The swarm of media men and women who staked out the courthouse day by day wanted a piece of Brando’s performance for themselves. They
had heard of his “Oscar winning” display of emotions, the crying, then the anger, the apology in French, all of which would make great copy. The headlines came thick and fast –
this certainly was a major production and Brando, as usual, found himself playing the lead part.

On the third day Christian took the stand. Appearing remorseful he pleaded, “If I could change places with Dag, I would.” He also used his time on the stand to apologize to
Drollet’s family and added, “I’m prepared for the consequences.”

Christian’s admission of guilt in exchange for the lesser charge of manslaughter meant that the prosecution could only hope to pursue the longest sentence available. They fought hard to
show Christian as a man who had lived a life of contented luxury, spoilt beyond any normal measure, and who believed he could have anything he wanted and do anything he wanted, without impunity.
The prosecution set out to make an example of this young man – what he had done was to shoot a defenceless man in cold blood; in any other court it would have been first-degree murder. In
their view Brando had already been shown leniency, his charge had been reduced, so the least that Drollet’s family could expect was a proper prison term, one which reflected the enormity of
the family’s loss.

After both sides had summed up and presented their final statements all that was left was for the Judge to pass sentence. The packed courthouse was silent as he spoke about the sad loss of Dag
and the dreadful effect the whole situation had inflicted upon both families. He summed up by stating, “The only thing everyone can agree on is that this was a tragic situation for everyone
it touched.” And with these words still resounding in the ears of those gathered in the court, the Judge declared that he was handing down a sentence of just ten years to Christian. A murmur
of discontent swept through the gallery, although the defence team breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Christian was immediately taken away to start his sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. With an amount of time already served while in custody, if he kept a clean
record while in prison, there was every chance he would be freed within four years. The Drollet family were unhappy with the sentence, claiming that it was far too short. They also knew that after
Christian’s comparatively short incarceration, he would be a young man, with plenty of money, enjoying the life that he had denied their son. Public opinion mirrored that of the Drollet
family, but within weeks their mood softened as their daily fix of gossip on Christian slowed down. It seemed that the tabloids had run out of exclusives from his “friends” and former
lovers, he was able to serve his time quietly and would be a free man in just four years.

While Christian was serving his time his sister was struggling – by now she had been formally diagnosed with schizophrenia and was on daily medication. Her friends in Tahiti had all but
turned their backs on her, some claiming to be afraid of her. She was still mourning the loss of Dag Drollet and no doubt felt at least partly to blame for his death at the hands of her brother,
confessing that when her thoughts turned to Drollet, she wished she could join him. Five years later she hit rock bottom when she lost custody of her son, the point of no return. In her
mother’s home in Tahiti on Easter Sunday, 1995, 25-year-old Cheyenne took her own life and hung herself. Her father was so devastated to lose his beautiful, troubled daughter, he was unable
to travel to attend her Tahitian funeral. Also missing from the service was Christian, who was still serving his sentence.

When he was informed of his sister’s fate he was distraught, having never had the chance to see her one last time, to say his goodbyes and make his peace. Tarita, Cheyenne’s mother,
applied for custody of her grandchild Tuki, which was granted and he continues to live in Tahiti with her.

After negotiations between Marlon Brando and Jacques Drollet it was decided that Cheyenne could have her last wish – she wanted to be buried with her former love, Drollet, permission was
granted and she was buried in the Drollet family crypt next to him.

Marlon Brando went on to appear in more blockbusters, but when not filming he became increasingly reclusive – obviously the strains of his son’s incarceration and the death of his
daughter had taken their toll. On 1 July 2004 he died in hospital from lung failure, and was cremated, as he had wished, in a strictly private funeral, only attended by close friends and members of
his family. He was prepared for death and had even taken time to write an address to be read at the service.

He left behind a dynasty of children and grandchildren, and will always be remembered for his astonishing acting ability which will live on for generations to come.

Christian was released from prison in 1996 after serving his sentence. He initially led a quiet life, until his name hit the headlines once again when he was involved in yet another murder
trial, this time involving the death of his former lover, Bonnie Lee Bakely. Bonnie was drawn to stardom, the rich and the famous; her dream was to become a movie actress and she moved in those
circles most likely to assist with her ambitions. Another unhinged personality, she had married a number of times, always to those with money. She had become pregnant at the time that she was
involved with Christian, but after having DNA tests it was confirmed that the child was that of her husband, Robert Blake. After discovering the true father of the child, she and Blake married in
November 2000. Not long afterward, having eaten out in Los Angeles, Bakely was shot and murdered while she sat in the car waiting for her husband who had returned to the restaurant to collect
something he had left behind. Christian’s name was associated with the case but he was exonerated when he was able to provide a satisfactory alibi. Blake is still awaiting trial at the time
of writing.

Whether Christian’s sentence was long enough has been hotly disputed in the media – if the court got nothing else right at least the Judge’s final comments were accurate, for
this tragic event certainly did touch the lives of both families. In the end Brando lost the most, and ironically the man who committed the crime became the last one standing, enjoying his liberty,
life and a good portion of his late father’s estate. The press believed there was one other victim – justice.

Hollywood in the swinging twenties, the era of the silent movie, was as loud and abrasive as the Hollywood of the twenty-first century, just as packed with characters and with
no less gossip and scandal. Hollywood film-making was in its infancy but the actors and actresses who adorned the silver screen earned plenty of money and learned quickly how to enjoy themselves.
The rules and expectations though were different to those enjoyed in today’s Hollywood. Prohibition meant that alcohol was not always readily available, not through the normal channels at
least, and drug use was a pastime only the rich and famous could indulge in. Sex was a subject much practised but a little less discussed and one’s sexuality, if different from the norm, was
a secret that needed to be guarded. Secrets, however, were not always easily hidden, even long before the advent of
Hello
magazine; Louella Parsons was the biggest gossip columnist of her
day, a friend and foe to the stars in equal measure.

One of Hollywood’s most respected directors from the silent era was William Desmond Taylor, who directed such stars as Mary Pickford and Dustin Farnum, and won many plaudits for his screen
work. Amongst the films he directed were such great titles as
Davy Crockett, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn
and the especially notable
Anne of Green Gables
.

In line with Taylor’s status as a top Hollywood film director he had the living arrangements to match, with a large house in the then fashionable West Lake Park area of California. His
home on a private-gated community at Alvarado Court was of Spanish design with an elaborate landscaped garden. The houses, all of which were built around a U-shaped road, were mainly occupied by
other members of the movie-making fraternity; Charles Maigne, another big director lived next door. Among his other neighbours lived the actors Douglas Maclean, Agnes Aires and Edna Purviance, a
real upper-class social scene if ever there was one.

It cannot be doubted that Taylor was certainly enjoying the fruits of his success, both in material terms and in his social interactions. However the enjoyment of his well-earned status came to
an abrupt end on 1 February 1922 when he was gunned down within the relatively safe confines of Alvarado Court.

Taylor had enjoyed a close relationship with the actress Mabel Normand, although reports differ as to the nature of their friendship. Some said they were in love and others that they were merely
friends. What they certainly shared, in addition to a joint interest in books, was a fascination with mind-altering drugs, not unlike many of the Hollywood A-listers of the day. For Normand though
the interest had turned into a deep-seated dependency, a reliance which risked her life. Taylor was aware just how on the edge she was and was concerned for her well-being, determined to help her
kick the habit.

On the day of Taylor’s murder Normand had visited Alvarado Court to pick up a book on German philosophy, leaving at around 7.45 p.m. Taylor had walked her across to her car where he
noticed a copy of the
Police Gazette
, a tabloid gossip magazine, on the back seat. They laughed as Taylor commented on the extremes of her reading material, from gossip to philosophy, and
kissed cheeks as Normand jumped in the car before setting off down the horseshoe lane to head home.

Taylor turned and headed back indoors and within minutes, sometime around 8 p.m., he was shot in the back with a single bullet and killed. Douglas Maclean and his wife Faith, who occupied the
house nearest to Taylor’s, heard the sound of the shot and went to their window to look out. Faith saw a stranger, aged around 20, outside Taylor’s residence; for a moment they looked
across at each other before the man turned and unhurriedly walked back into Taylor’s house. The man’s calm behaviour made Faith less suspicious and eventually she and her husband put
the noise down to a car backfiring. They had seen Normand’s car outside Taylor’s house earlier and assumed it had come from her vehicle as she left. A short time later Faith saw the man
again as he emerged from the house and strolled across the piece of land that separated Taylor’s house from the MacLeans’, his calm composure allaying any fears that he may have been up
to no good. As the stranger disappeared into the night Taylor lay dead in the hallway of his house and the opportunity to call the police had gone.

The following day Taylor’s butler and general helper, Henry Peavey, arrived at 7.30 a.m.; he had with him the director’s breakfast as well as a bottle of milk of magnesia which
Taylor had requested. Letting himself in with the key he walked headlong into the bloody scene, in the middle of which lay Taylor, a chair peculiarly astride one of his legs. Reeling back from the
scene Peavey began to scream until a small group of people had gathered round the doorway. Taylor was found to be fully clothed with his wallet, which contained 78 dollars, still in his trouser
pocket. His jacket pocket contained a silver cigarette case and an ivory toothpick, not to mention an expensive Waltham pocket watch. His finger sported a rather obvious two-carat diamond ring, a
present from the studio, and above this on his wrist, the latest in fashionable timepieces, a wristwatch. If the motive of this cowardly murder had been robbery then the perpetrator had bungled the
crime completely. Further inspection of the house also indicated that the killer had neither taken nor disturbed anything in the process of looking.