Top 5 Dark Secrets Hollywood Is Trying to Hide
You probably already know this, but Hollywood is not what is may seem on the outside. The dark underbelly of the glitz and glam is full of secrets that Hollywood doesn't want exposed. Rumour has it that Golden Globe, Emmy or Oscar always went to the performer with the most merit, but we need only look at the 2016 "#OscarsSoWhite" controversy for proof that this isn't always true. Other examples of this notion could include judges accepting a bribe, or when a high profile actor may be enjoying a "hot streak. Another rumour is that Hollywood has had connections with organized crime. One of the worst kept secrets of old school Hollywood was its reported connections to organized crime. High profile performers such as Tony Bennett, Debbie Reynolds, Lana Turner, and Frank Sinatra were all said to have had mafia connections, while mob boss Mickey Cohen was involved in various Hollywood unions.
#5: Awards Aren't Always Given to the Most Deserving
There are a lot of factors that go into the awards show business, and a variety of reasons behind why actors win certain honors. Sure, it would be nice to think that every Golden Globe, Emmy or Oscar always went to the performer with the most merit, but we need only look at the 2016 "#OscarsSoWhite" controversy for proof that this isn't always true. Other examples of this notion could include judges accepting a bribe, or when a high profile actor may be enjoying a "hot streak." It wouldn't be surprising, then, for an actor in this latter situation to win an award, even if the movie in question may not exactly be their best.
#4: There Have Been Instances of Animal Cruelty or Negligence on Movie Sets
Thankfully, stories of animal cruelty and abuse are few and far between within the modern Hollywood system. However, it wasn't all that long ago when movie sets weren't as closely regulated by organizations such as PETA or the ASPCA. Western films were notorious for including some very dangerous stunts for their horses, while the first "Friday the 13th" film featured the killing of a live snake on camera. Elsewhere, the Japanese crew on "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" were accused of killing or injuring multiple cats and dogs during production, yet these allegations didn't stop Columbia Pictures from releasing a dubbed and edited version to American theaters in 1989.
#3: Hollywood Has Had Connections With Organized Crime
One of the worst kept secrets of old school Hollywood was its reported connections to organized crime. High profile performers such as Tony Bennett, Debbie Reynolds, Lana Turner, and Frank Sinatra were all said to have had mafia connections, while mob boss Mickey Cohen was involved in various Hollywood unions. There's also the case of Gianni Russo, a first time actor who amazingly managed to score the gig of a lifetime playing Carlo Rizzi in "The Godfather." How did he pull that off? Well, Russo supposedly possessed ties to the Colombo Crime Family, and used this influence as "intermediary" in an issue Paramount Studios was having in order to collaborate on the film.
#2: Scandal Fixers Make Problems “Go Away”
If you've seen the Cohen Brothers film "Hail Caesar!," then you might remember Josh Brolin's portrayal of Eddie Mannix, a real life Hollywood "fixer" from the 1950s. Mannix was a producer and executive at MGM, whose job was to protect the public reputations of the studio's biggest stars. This umbrella position included such activities as tracking down and destroying embarrassing films for stars such as Joan Crawford, to "convincing" journalists and newspapers to hide such juicy information as illegitimate children or even the odd murder from the public. For a fixer, making problems go away is a full time job, and it's a career that continues to this day.
#1: Drugs Are Sometimes Included Within the Budget
Top 5 Myths About Drugs
Just as cocaine fueled much of the popular music scene during the 1970s and 80s, so too has drug use permeated the film industry... so much so that the cost was sometimes included within the budgetary bottom line. Actors such as Dan Aykroyd and Dennis Quaid have come out in interviews saying as much, commenting that petty cash was often was often used to supply cast and crew with coke on the sets of such films as "The Blues Brothers" and "The Big Easy." This drug budget can lead to an actor's substance problem being enabled, rather than confronted. This practice could also reportedly extend itself to promotion, specifically with journalists in exchange for a positive review of a film.
