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Lana Turner boyfriend murder....
Lana Turner boyfriend murder....
Item # 598764
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April 05, 1958
FITCHBURG SENTINEL Massachusetts, April 5, 1958
* Movie actress Lana Turner
* Johnny Stompanato murder
* 14 year daughter Cheryl Crane
The front page has a six column headline: "Lana Turner's Daughter, 14, Kills Hoodlum" with caption: "Underworld Figure Stabbed In Actress' Bedroom After Stormy Scene" and subhead. (see photos) 1st report coverage on the murder of Johnny Stompanato by 14 year old Cheryl Crane.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout. Complete in 12 pages, minor spine wear, otherwise nice.
wikipedia notes: Turner met Johnny Stompanato during the spring of 1957, shortly after ending her marriage to Lex Barker. At first, Turner was susceptible to Stompanato's good looks and prowess as a lover, but after she discovered his ties to the LA underworld (in particular, his association with gangster Mickey Cohen), she tried to break off the affair out of fear of bad publicity. Stompanato was not easily deterred, however, and over the course of the following year, he and Turner carried on a relationship filled with violent arguments, physical abuse, and repeated reconciliations.
In the fall of 1957, Stompanato followed Turner to England where she was filming Another Time, Another Place, costarring Sean Connery, later of James Bond fame. Fearful that Turner was having an affair with Connery, Stompanato stormed onto the set brandishing a gun. Connery managed to land a single punch to Stompanato's jaw and took away his gun. Stompanato was soon deported by Scotland Yard for the incident.
On the evening of April 4, 1958, Turner and Stompanato began a violent argument in Turner's house at 730 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. Fearing her mother's life was in danger, Turner's then 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl Crane grabbed a kitchen knife and ran to Turner's defense.
Many theories abound as to what happened afterward, but it appears Crane stabbed Stompanato, killing him. The case quickly became a media sensation. It was later deemed a justifiable homicide at a coroner's inquest, at which Turner provided dramatic testimony. Some observers have said her testimony that day was the acting performance of her life.
Category: The 20th Century
No Longer Available
