Eddie Diggins(1903-1927)
- Actor
Diggins attended St. Mary's College High School in Berkeley for one
year and began amateur boxing. By 1920 had become very well-known in
boxing circles around San Francisco. He began his profession as a
lightweight boxer in January of 1921. He fought against some of the
greats of the day: Dick Hoppe, Charlie Sullivan, Gene Watson, Earl
Force, Eddie White and Jack Stahl. In July of 1921 he started boxing in
Oakland where he boxed against Eddie Landon, Tommy Cello, Johnny Nunes
and Harry Eagles. In 1924, Diggins moved to Los Angeles and broke his
hand in a fight forcing him to leave boxing for a time. He'd just
returned to boxing when was stabbed in a brawl with Charles Meehan, a
bootlegger, at the Hollywood Crescent Athletic Club. Witnesses were
Diggins' wife Marion a script writer, Meehan's wife Irene Dalton an
actress, Jack Wagner a screenplay writer and actors Jimmy Sinclair,
Billy James and Lloyd Hamilton. In all, nine people were taken in for
questioning following the incident. Diggins and Meehan were drunk at
the time the fight broke out. Meehan sustained slight injuries but
Diggins died shortly after a knife wound above the heart - he died in
the arms of screen comedian Lloyd Hamilton. Diggins funeral was handled
by the Catholic Film Guild of Hollywood where he was a member.
