Movie star beaten to death, November 1, 1968

Photograph by the Los Angeles Times Newsmen gather outside Ramon Novarro's house, 3110 Laurel Canyon, after he was found beaten to death, 1968. View Larger Map The 3100 block of Laurel Canyon, where Ramon Novarro lived, via Google maps' street view.

Ramon Novarro, a wealthy movie star of the silent era, is beaten to death in his Hollywood Hills home, 3110 Laurel Canyon. Note that The Times couldn't say he was gay so we used the code phrase "a lifelong bachelor who lived alone." Novarro was found naked on a disarranged bed. The garbage cans were full of liquor bottles and bloody men's clothing was found on a neighbor's fence, The Times says.  In 1969, brothers Tom and Paul Ferguson were convicted of the killing and sentenced to life in prison. Paul R. Ferguson won a PEN award in 1975 while still incarcerated.   According to Internet sources of unknown reliability, they were released.

Comments

[Jamie Tyroler]

Someone claiming to be Paul Ferguson made several entries in the message boards for Ramon Novarro on IMDB.com duing 2007. The Paul Ferguson on IMDB.com makes several claims that the death of Novarro was not a murder but a homicide (splitting hairs).

[Jay Michaels]

I just found this http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/no-war-stuff-about-god-anymore/6466086 and so I ordered it. I was shocked at how good it really was.

[Jay Michaels]

oh, yeah, forgot to mention, this author is one of the brothers in this blog.

[Richard]

Ramon Novarro. I just saw him in the movie CRISIS (1950) with Carey Grant. It's worth checking out.

[Jeff Cohen]

Thanks, Larry, for what you've provided on your Mirror blog.
I've been able to reaquaint myself with the history of the L.A. area and learn a ton of new information. Like Batchelder tiles, the swampy La Cienega, phases of growth of downtown, and so much more. Good luck and keeping blogging.