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Elizabeth Short(1924-1947)

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Elizabeth Short
Elizabeth Short was born July 29th, 1924, in Medford, Massachusetts, to Phoebe and Cleo Short. When she was five her father disappeared; his car was later found near a lake, apparently abandoned, which led to the belief that he had committed suicide. However, he later appeared at home and apologized to his wife for leaving the family like that. Nevertheless, she wouldn't take him back, and he left the family again and moved to the West Coast.

Elizabeth developed a passion for movies in her youth, and when she turned 19 she decided to visit her father in California. She stayed with him for a while, but it wasn't long before he kicked her out for "not doing anything with her life"; apparently he also wasn't enamored of the fact that Elizabeth was dating a lot of different men.

After moving out, Elizabeth traveled to Santa Barbara where she was arrested for underage drinking and sent back home to Massachusetts. She returned to southern California in 1946.

On January 15th, 1947, her body was found cut in half in a vacant lot in Leimert Park. It was assumed that she had died the previous day. The press named the crime "The Black Dahlia murder", mostly because of Elizabeth's dark hair and her practice of often times wearing black or dark clothing.

The murder started one of the most intense investigations in Los Angeles history, but although the police said they did have suspects, no arrests were ever made. The case still remains unsolved.
BornJuly 29, 1924
DiedJanuary 15, 1947(22)
BornJuly 29, 1924
DiedJanuary 15, 1947(22)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

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Credits

IMDbPro

Thanks



  • The Black Dahlia Haunting (2012)
    The Black Dahlia Haunting
    3.4
    • acknowledgment
    • 2012
  • James Ellroy's Feast of Death (2001)
    James Ellroy's Feast of Death
    7.0
    • special thanks: American Airlines
    • 2001

Archive Footage



  • Laurence Fishburne in History's Greatest Mysteries (2020)
    History's Greatest Mysteries
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Self - Murder Victim 'The Black Dahlia' (archive footage)
    • 2023
  • Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
    Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
    6.0
    TV Mini Series
    • Self - Murder Victim aka 'Black Dahlia' (archive footage)
    • 2021
  • Biographics (2017)
    Biographics
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Self - Black Dahlia (archive footage)
    • 2020
  • Becoming Evil: Serial Killers (2019)
    Becoming Evil: Serial Killers
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Self - Murder Victim (archive footage)
    • 2019
  • Beyond the Unknown (2019)
    Beyond the Unknown
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Self (archive footage, uncredited)
    • 2019
  • James Ellroy's L.A.: City of Demons (2011)
    James Ellroy's L.A.: City of Demons
    6.9
    TV Series
    • Self - Victim (archive footage)
    • 2011
  • America's 60 Greatest Unsolved Mysteries and Crimes (2010)
    America's 60 Greatest Unsolved Mysteries and Crimes
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 2010
  • 20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes
    5.8
    TV Movie
    • Self - Murder Victim (archive footage)
    • 2007
  • The Truth About the Black Dahlia (2007)
    The Truth About the Black Dahlia
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 2007
  • The Secret Map of Hollywood
    5.3
    TV Mini Series
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 2005
  • 48 Hours (1988)
    48 Hours
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 2004
  • James Ellroy's Feast of Death (2001)
    James Ellroy's Feast of Death
    7.0
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 2001
  • Perfect Crimes? (1999)
    Perfect Crimes?
    6.2
    TV Mini Series
    • Self (Black Dahlia) (archive footage, uncredited)
    • 1999
  • Patrick Macnee in Mysteries, Magic and Miracles (1994)
    Mysteries, Magic and Miracles
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 1996
  • James Ellroy: Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction (1993)
    James Ellroy: Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction
    6.9
    • Self (archive footage)
    • 1993

Personal details

  • Height
    • 5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
  • Born
    • July 29, 1924
    • Hyde Park, Massachusetts, USA
  • Died
    • January 15, 1947
    • Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(homicide)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 5 Portrayals
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

  • Trivia
    This infamous murder has been the subject of intense and sometimes bizarre speculation and theorizing. At least six authors claim to have solved the murder, each offering a different solution. Two separate and unrelated people have published sensationalistic books claiming that their fathers committed the crime. Another author suggested filmmaker Orson Welles as the killer. Author and screenwriter Donald H. Wolf has written yet another book on the case, to be published in 2005, promising to implicate an as-yet-unnamed "Hollywood mogul" in the crime.
  • Nicknames
    • The Black Dahlia
    • Betty
    • Beth

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