Movieland Mystery Photo -- Updated

Los Angeles Times file photo

[Updated Oct. 30, 8:58 a.m. Yes, these are more photos from the William Desmond Taylor photo file. Above, a photo of Taylor from “Iconoclast.”] [Several people have speculated about the signature on the letter I posted earlier in the week. There’s no information on the back, but here’s an enlargement of the signature.] Update: I've decided to extend our mystery chap through the week. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.  Here’s our weekend mystery chap. This week’s mystery guest was Tish Sterling with mystery companions Michael Douglas, Nicholas Buttle and her mother, Ann Sothern. There's a new photo on the jump!

Los Angeles Times file photo   [Update: This is Sgt. William Desmond Taylor, left, in an undated photo taken in Bergues, France.] Here’s our mystery guest with some mystery companions.

 

Now folks, notice the three stripes, which I’m sure everyone will realize indicates the rank of sergeant.

Los Angeles Times file photo

 
Pvt. William Desmond Taylor, right, with Co. B, 5th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, Bergues, France.

 

Los Angeles Times file photo

[Update: Mabel Normand on the witness stand in William Desmond Taylor's inquest, with Coroner Nance at extreme left.]

Here are some mystery folks talking about our mystery chap. (Yes, the photo is unfocused, dark  and heavily retouched). Please congratulate Herb Nichols, Pat in Michigan, Allison Francis, Mary Mallory, Eve and Steven Bibb for identifying our mystery fellow.

 

Los Angeles Times file photo

 

[Update: I have no idea who this fellow is. There’s nothing on the back of the photo and the caption published in The Times said the district attorney’s office was protecting his identity.]

Here is a mystery companion who truly is a mystery companion. The district attorney’s office kept his identity a secret in the case of this week’s mystery guest. Please congratulate Dewey Webb and Rick Scott for identifying our mystery chap.

 

Los Angeles Times file photo

 

Los Angeles Times file photo

Here we have some pages of a mystery letter! Unfortunately, it’s incomplete. Please congratulate Donna for identifying our mystery fellow.

 

Los Angeles Times file photo

Here’s our mystery fellow – not much of a mystery anymore!  Please congratulate Steve Stoliar, Julie Merholz, Periwinkle, Waldo Lydecker, Mike Hawks, Rance Ryan, Rick, Sandy, Randy Skretvedt and Kauma for identifying our mystery guest.

Comments

[Sarah]

Arthur Guy Empey

[Stacia]

I recognize nothing except the uniforms and what looks like a trench bugle.

[Rick Scott]

Okay, let's go back two weeks. The gent on the left of soldier pic looks like William Desmond Taylor (especially if folks are being interviewed). One of the other soldiers, the lanky one to the right of the tent entrance, looks like William Beaudine.

[Donna]

One of the guys in the military shots looks like William Desmond Taylor. But it can't be him, you just did his apartment!

[Mary Mallory]

Is today's guest his brother?

[herb nichols]

the mysterious edward sands

[Julie Merholz]

is todays mystery companion Howard Hawks?

[juile]

Today's picture is DW Griffiths, isn't it?

[Stacia]

The mystery chap looks like one of the soldiers in the earlier photos, the smug looking one. But it's blurry, so I could be wrong.

[Julie Merholz]

Paul Bern

[Steve Stoliar]

William Desmond Taylor.

[Julie Merholz]

William Desmond Taylor

[periwinkle]

Could it be the victim found in last week's mystery location, William Desmond Taylor? It only took a sledgehammer for me to figure it out.

[Waldo Lydecker]

One more go at it -- William Desmond Taylor.

[Mike Hawks]

I hope I finally got this right, William Desmond Taylor.

[Rance Ryan]

william desmond taylor

[rick]

it's obviously William Desmond Taylor. There's a reference to the Army pictures in Taylorology 40

[Sandy]

William Desmond

[Randy Skretvedt]

William Desmond Taylor!

[kauma]

William Desmond Taylor.

[Pamela Porter]

William Desmond Taylor; the letter threw me, because it references "WD" and I assumed it was written by the mystery guest, who thus couldn't be WDT.

Gah.

[fibber mcgee]

Well, you've done the equal to my opening the hall closet door. I don't see the mystery dude's name anywhere. Not everbody on this poor, doomed planet is a Hollyweird history wonk or am I wrong?

[Sarah]

I found the full text of the letter in issue 10 of Taylorology, but I couldn't find the name of the author, other than the description of a "well educated man" of "unsound mind". "...the handwriting of the man whose name was signed to the 'confession', said to be a prominent figure in the motion picture industry, in no way corresponds to that in which the correspondence was written."

I hope you identify the real author of the letter and the "prominent figure", because I can't read the signature.

[d celle]

William Desmond Taylor.

[Stacia]

Sarah, is what you're quoting from Taylorology saying that the person who wrote this signed the name of a prominent Hollywood person but wasn't really that person? I can't tell what the signature reads, either, although it looks like J.C. DeH------.