reviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
I found the ending very satisfying
Listen to the last episode (the interview one) it helps lay out the motive. There are a TON of ads though, really trying to force you to buy wondery+
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Well executed, but disappointing story line
Well performed and executed, but the twist and turns in the plot lacked intrigue. A lot of characters introduced with background, but you rarely feel a connection to any of them. I don’t think I would listen to it if I had to do it again. The setting was the most interesting part of the story.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Good Story
Very noir, and well acted in the recreations. I agree that the weird stab-in-the-dark solution was not really within the flow of the rest of the story, but overall, it was good. Nice history, interesting to listen to.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Awful
I can't believe I wasted all that time on a murder mystery that not only doesn't know who done it, but at the end, out of the blue, takes a wild stab at who did it and then offers no possible motive why! Way too much pointless detail, way too many irrelevant characters, way too many confusing time jumps. Just a complete waste of time. Who greenlighted this mess? Wondery, you're dead to me.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Great Story. Great Production.
An addictive story with the usual top notch writing and production from Wondery. A fascinating portrayal of Hollywood in the 1910’s with all the money, drugs, gin blossoms, flighty personalities and violence one would expect as the new entertainment industry was born.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Love love love
Love James Remar’s work. Perfect actor to be the host of a crime noir story! Love these type of stories from golden Hollywood era.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Too much going on
I listened to several episodes but decided to stop listening. I thought the story was hard to follow and ended up becoming boring.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Fantastic flashback
Great! Fascinating story, great production, it really transports you to another, romantic time.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Amazing true story
Thank you for sharing! It was really interesting. I wish we could find out who actually did it!!
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Disappointed
I have always enjoyed the Wondery podcasts so I assumed this one would be good as well. I won’t make that mistake again. The story jumps from time period to time period and from starlet to starlet making it difficult to keep up with who they are talking about. Much of it seems like made up dialogue when the characters are interacting with each other. Then the ending just throws in some random people that have never been discussed until the end. Did the movie ever get made? I’m so confused and wish I would have looked at the written reviews before wasting my time listening. Not well written.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Boring, hard to follow
This is the first wondery podcast I have not enjoyed. I found it hard to follow and it did not hold my attention. Too many characters to keep straight and it kept jumping forward and back in time between different narrators.... I just found I really didn’t care about random Hollywood starlets from the 20s.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Superb!
Well done! I was intrigued and informed. Very well narrated and voiced.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Weak ending brings it down some
I can’t fault a true crime story too much for the circumstances of an ending. However when that story is framed as a murder mystery, the end is more important than with other tales. And not only was the who a last minute addition to the layout of the story but the why was non existent. In that sense, it could have been told better.The overall presentation was enjoyable and James Remar was very good. The description of early Hollywood was also well done. Probably had more episodes than necessary, but the disappointing ending may color that opinion.If you want to listen mainly for a story that describes the early movie business, go for it. If you’re looking for a cool, real life murder mystery, you may be left wanting in the end.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Fascinating and mysterious
Thanks for this fascinating true and historical mystery. I also learned a lot about the in-and-outs and early history of Hollywood — I doubt that much has changed over the years—quickly fading careers, salaries, unions, etc. Thank you for this great podcast.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Good stuff
I liked the format and it was very professionally done. Good acting. I would have appreciated seeing the source material, citations etc. That would have given it more legitimacy. It’s nice to hear an exact conversation about magazines in a car between two dead people but unless I see a citation for it, I assume it’s fiction and completely made up. The author of the book on which it’s based did a lot of research and some of it could have been put up on the website for those who wanted to see it, without having to go through all of Taylorology online.Can somebody do one about Arbuckle and Rappé? That would be fun!
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Confusing and cheesy
Split into a bunch of different timelines, across a bunch of characters, with no real sense of direction or suspense. They spent five of the six episodes following one thread and then totally switch gears for the finale and bring in people we’ve never even heard of. This was a really bad podcast.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Informative
Hollywood, THEN and NOW, a hot steaming mess.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Awesomeness
WOW!!!! Love this podcast!!!
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
Weak ending - wasted my time
It’s a decent dramatization but there’s a lot of overacting and overt conjecture that took away from it. It was really irritating however to have no definitive conclusion. You had King Veeder in 1966 “knowing” who murdered Taylor but he never says who. (We’re to assume it’s Mary.) And then out of the blue you just say “nope, it was this bit player we touched on from time to time, making a deathbed confession back in 1964, to Ray Long, who’s never been a factor in the story and who seemingly kept this confession out of the news (or else King Veeder would have known about it). The whole thing just irritates me. I won’t be listening to another Wondery production. Sizzle without the steak.
Reviewed on Apple Podcastsreviewed: Murder in Hollywoodland
OMG: STOP THE MULTI-NARRATIVE STYLEd
Wondery has been criticized time and time again over Tracy Pattin’s line of confusing, split narrative podcasts. There’s no way they listen to it when editing and say, “yea, this flows well.” There must be some other ulterior motive for writing it like this. Anyway, it’s just not any good. Too much flash without the substance. Needs to be more well thought out.
Reviewed on Apple Podcasts
It's February 2nd 1922, and all of Hollywood is about to wake up and learn that William Desmond Taylor, the most famous film director in town, was murdered in his home last night. The investigation will shine a light on some of Hollywood's most scandalous affairs, backroom deals, and underground drug dens. This real life Murder Mystery is one of the most iconic "whodunnit" cases of the 20th century that will leave you guessing and second guessing who killed William Desmond Taylor for weeks to come. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin & James Remar
It's February 2nd 1922, and all of Hollywood is about to wake up and learn that William Desmond Taylor, the most famous film director in town, was murdered in his home last night. The investigation will shine a light on some of Hollywood's most scandalous affairs, backroom deals, and underground drug dens. This real life Murder Mystery is one of the most iconic "whodunnit" cases of the 20th century that will leave you guessing and second guessing who killed William Desmond Taylor for weeks to come. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin & James Remar