Author Tony Piazza

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A Murder Amongst Angels

September 24, 2014 By tonypiazza Leave a Comment

Sexy, platinum blonde movie siren, Gertrude Hurd had it all-fame, men, and riches. But now she was dead. A fallen angel, whose broken body and tarnished halo was lying on a hillside behind her beach front cafe. It’s 1931, and private detective Tom Logan is back, once again immersed in a perplexing mystery, that has him racing against time to track down a merciless killer. As the body count grows, so do the suspects, as his investigation soon has him bucking against corrupt city officials, the mob, and the Hollywood studio system. Packed with mystery, action, romance, humor, and characters you won’t easily forget, this fantastic sequel delivers everything promised from the first novel and more. A Murder Amongst Angels is an nostalgic, hard-boiled detective mystery that takes readers back to the era of Chandler and Hammett, while creating a niche all its own.

Filed Under: Featured, Film and Television Tagged With: Tom Logan, Tom Logan Mystery

Piazza on Dave Congalton Show 8-2-2013

August 9, 2013 By tonypiazza Leave a Comment

NewAuthorPhoto2 4-12-13

Dave Congalton Show excerpt: author Tony Piazza talks about his new novel, A Murder Amongst Angels. Based loosely on the Thelma Todd death, Piazza discusses how he transformed this true-life mystery into the plot of his latest Tom Logan novel.

 

Filed Under: Media Appearances Tagged With: A Murder Amongst Angels, Anything Short of Murder, Author Tony Piazza, Dave Congalton, Hal Roach, hard-boiled detective, Hot Toddy, Laurel & Hardy, Loni Anderson, Mystery novel, The Marx Brothers, Thelma Todd, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, Tom Logan

The Thelma Todd Murder? By Tony Piazza

July 22, 2013 By tonypiazza 6 Comments

 

Thelma_Todd_in_Corsair_3Thelma Alice Todd

During the morning of December 16, 1935 a famous film comedienne’s maid slides opens a garage door to collect her mistress’s automobile. She was planning to drive it down to the rear entrance of a café at the bottom of a steep Pacific Palisades hill, whose summit overlooks the peaceful waters of the Pacific. It was a routine the maid had followed over the course of her employment, but this day there would be a difference. The population of Southern California was just starting their day, but the hustle and bustle of the crowd would be minus one: that of her mistress, Thelma Todd, who she’d discovered lying dead slumped upon the front seat of her Lincoln Phaeton automobile, still dressed in the fur and evening clothes she had worn to a party two nights earlier.

 DSCN0047

 View from the top of the stairs looking towards the Pacific Ocean

I believe it’s a prerequisite to have a fascination with puzzles in order to write a good whodunit. Anything that even hints at more to it than meets the eye, intrigues me. This was what attracted me to this type of literature, and why I poured through countless fictional detective novels (as well as true-life cases) starting from my youth- and why I eventually chose this genre as an author. One particular mystery came to my attention in the 1990s. It was first brought to my attention in the form of a made-for-television movie entitled “Hot Toddy”, starring Loni Anderson. It was a sensationalized screenplay, based on the book by Andy Edmonds, relating the events leading up to the mysterious death of film actress/ comedienne, Thelma Todd. The story of this beautiful actress and the circumstances surrounding her death left an impression that clung onto me like a wet towel all these years, and when I decided about a year and a half ago to write a sequel to my bestselling novel, “Anything Short of Murder” this mystery came instantly to mind. I did an enormous amount of research to prepare for my character’s new adventure: devoured two books on the subject, read numerous articles, looked up the autopsy reports and photographs, located some first hand testimony, and finally viewed the crime scene itself…soaking up the atmosphere for my new novel.

Cafe 1

Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Cafe as it appears today (Piazza photo)

Thelma Alice Todd was born July 29, 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to John and Alice Todd. Her goal was to be a school teacher, but winning the title of Miss Massachusetts in 1925 changed her ambitions. She caught the attention of a Hollywood talent scout and soon was whisked off to Hollywood to begin a career in films. She started in silent films, and eventually transitioned to talkies. Hal Roach signed her to perform in his comedies, which eventually led in 1931 to her own series. Teamed initially with ZaSu Pitts and later Patsy Kelly, her series was designed by Roach to be the female version of his other highly successful team, Laurel and Hardy. Later she was loaned out by the Roach Studio to play opposite other major comedians such as the Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton. Thelma married Pat DiCicco- an agent/producer in 1932.  The marriage lasted two years and ended in divorce. She then continued her romance with director Roland West who she eventually shared living space (but separate flats) atop the café business she co-owned with West and his ex, and carried the Todd name- Thelma Todd’s Sidwalk Café.

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Another view of the cafe, looking at the entrance 

Books have been written about that fatal night, the aforementioned “Hot Toddy” by Andy Edmonds which looked at the tragedy from a sensational angle, and “The Life and Death of Thelma Todd” by William Donati which was more grounded, but in my opinion went too far in trying to disprove what Edmonds conjectured. In truth, I think the facts lie somewhere in-between. Examining the case from every aspect, I believe there are certain details which don’t add up and could suggest murder. I believe Donati may have been too quick to accept the conclusions of the inquest- accidental death, which seemed suspiciously slanted and perhaps tainted by a whole host of interested and influential individuals.

 DSCN0043

Close-up looking at tile work over the arch 

Let’s examine the facts. Thelma was invited to a party at the Café Trocadero, Saturday night, December 14th. It was being held by her friend Ida Lupino and Stanley, Ida’s father. Thelma had a busy afternoon, visiting the dentist, and Christmas shopping with her mother. She was now looking forward to a night of dancing, good food, drink, and lively conversation with both old and new friends. Resplendent, in blue metallic dressing gown, ornate brooch, and dark mink, she bantered with West at the entrance of the cafe about what time she was to return home that night. He was going to stay and manage the business, and was concerned that she not drink too much, or stay out too late. The chauffeur heard him say, “Be home by 2:00 a.m.” She retorted, “2:05.”

 Trocadero

Cafe Trocadero 

As it happened, Thelma did indeed lose track of time, staying well past the 2:00 a.m. closing time of the Trocadero. Her chauffeur escorted her into her car at 3:15 a.m., and drove her back to the café above which was her living quarters. He offered to escort her up the back steps and see her in- as he had done on numerous occasions, but on this rare occasion she told him it was not necessary- “not this night.”

 DSCN0055

View from pedestrian bridge over Pacific Coast Highway (formerly, Roosevelt Highway). 

Early Sunday morning was the last that the chauffeur, or anyone saw of her, until her maid, Mae Whitehead discovered her body in the garage on Posetano Road the following Monday.

 dece2bd08289e6b84f2f3fa3e466d0b6

Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk cafe shortly after tragedy 

What was believed to have happened, and as such, became the official conclusion was that after the chauffeur had parted she discovered that she was locked out- the house key she was carrying in her small evening bag was for the inside door, but the outer had been locked by West earlier that evening. Not wanting to disturb him she climbed a steep staircase of 270 steps, alone in the freezing dark to reach the garage where she knew her car would be parked. The garage door being unlocked, she entered and took refuge in the car, supposedly starting its engine to generate some heat to get warm. The garage being closed, carbon monoxide quickly built up, and she was overcome by the fumes. Accidental death- case closed.

 

posetano garage

Garage on Posetano Road where Thelma’s body was found

Or was it? Her mother, Alice Todd didn’t think so. She claimed her daughter was murdered.

 

 DSCN0036

 Stairs which run alongside the cafe

Some evidence was glossed over during the inquest. Witnesses either recanted their earlier testimony, or what they testified was excused away by the investigators. Testimony, like: West claims that her dog was whining in the night, as if for its mistress, who it had sensed. West heard running water in the apartment early that morning and thought she’d returned home. He also saw the cushions in the ladies lounge that looked to him as if they had been slept upon by her. Ida Lupino indicated that Thelma had something on her mind the night of the party, a secret she wanted to share with her, but the conversation never went beyond that. Thelma’s ex showed up at the party with a date, but snubbed her. A disagreement followed. She supposedly had a heart condition, yet aware of this attempted climbing the steep staircase leading up the hill (in my investigation, I climbed those stairs and was breathless by the time I reached the top). She had been getting threatening letters, which had frightened her enough to purchase a guard dog, but yet she had turned down the chauffeur’s offer to walk her to her door, and then she attempted traveling that distance up the hill, alone in the dark…and in delicate party shoes! Burglars were also recently terrorizing the neighborhood. Blood was found in the car, and she was bleeding from the mouth. A tenant who is a light sleeper lived over the garage, but claimed he heard nothing during those early hours when she was supposedly running the car’s engine. The coroner’s office recorded that the death took place early Sunday morning, but three witnesses claimed they had contact with her Sunday afternoon. One was a friend, Mrs. Martha Ford who invited her to an afternoon party. She said that Thelma called her Sunday and asked if she could bring a guest…that this person would be a “surprise” to her. Someone claimed they saw Thelma in a pharmacy Sunday, using a telephone in a booth. And finally, Roland West’s wife said she saw Thelma in her Lincoln Sunday, driving down one of the boulevards, a strange man at the wheel.

DSCN0045

A view, looking up at a portion of the staircase

There were various ways that Buron Fitts and his investigators approached each of these issues in the inquest in an attempt to explain them away, but at least to my thinking, I had trouble accepting most of their conclusions. They were surprisingly incomplete, and suspiciously far reaching.

 1332524968_Hollywoodland

If you examine the characters in this real-life drama, you instantly realize that there were plenty of suspects with possible motives: there was her ex-husband, DiCicco (who, she had an argument with that evening); Todd’s live-in lover, Roland West (angry with her carousing?); West’s ex-silent screen star wife, Jewel Carmen in which he was separated, but not divorced (jealousy?); and the LA mob, who had shown interest in the café and was also offering “protection” (in which she’d indicated she’d have nothing to do with). And finally, who was this mystery man that Thelma hinted at? Could he be her killer?

 amongstangelsfront cover 3

My novel, “A Murder Amongst Angels” is a work of fiction, loosely based upon this case. Dates, names, and most incidents have been altered, but the general framework of this Todd mystery is still presented intact. I wrote it as pure entertainment, adding memorable characters, humor, romance, thrills, and surprising twists. Tom Logan is back on the job, and inviting you to follow along on what I guarantee will be a satisfying experience.

————————————–

Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His next novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was released early 2012 and is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden.  His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites,  or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels has been published!

Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available soon in e-book format.

 

amongstangelsfront cover 3

 

 

Filed Under: Film and Television Tagged With: A Murder Amongst Angels, Anything Short of Murder, Author Tony Piazza, Buron Fitts, Buster Keaton, Celebrity murders, celebrity mystery, celebrity scandals, Hal Roach, Hot Toddy, Ida Lupino, Jewel Carmen, Laurel and Hardy, Loni Anderson, Mae Whitehead, Marx Brothers, Pacific Palisades, Pat DiCicco, Patsy Kelly, Roland West, Stanley Lupino, Thelma Alice Todd, Thelma Todd, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, Tom Logan, Tony Piazza, ZaSu Pitts

A Murder Amongst Angels: A New Tom Logan Mystery

July 17, 2013 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

 

 

Finally available! The sequel to the bestselling mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder.”

This time Logan tackles a case based partly upon a real Hollywoodland mystery which occurred in November of 1935!

amongstangelsfront cover 3

This Angel Had a Tarnished Halo!

Sexy, platinum blonde movie siren, Gertrude Hurd had it all- fame, men, and riches. But now she was dead. A fallen angel, whose broken body and tarnished halo was lying on a hillside behind her beach front café. It’s 1931, and private detective Tom Logan is back, once again immersed in a perplexing mystery, that has him racing against time to track down a merciless killer. As the body count grows, so do the suspects, as his investigation soon has him bucking against corrupt city officials, the mob, and the Hollywood studio system. Packed with mystery, action, romance, humor, and characters you won’t easily forget, this fantastic sequel delivers everything promised from the first novel and more. A Murder Amongst Angels is an nostalgic, hard-boiled detective mystery that takes readers back to the era of Chandler and Hammett, while creating a niche all its own.

Available by following link below to Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Amongst-Angels-Tony-Piazza/dp/1482344386/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374084257&sr=1-7&keywords=tony+piazza

Filed Under: Media Appearances Tagged With: A Murder Amongst Angels, Anything Short of Murder, Author Tony Piazza, bestseller, bestselling, detective, hard-boiled detective, Hollywood, Hollywood History, mystery, scandals, Tom Logan, Tom Logan Mystery, Tony Piazza

Locations of Film, Television, and My Novel. By Tony Piazza

October 11, 2012 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

A SF Classic filmed at Bradbury Building

As a writer, I try to go the extra mile for my readers. I do so by ensuring accuracy in details. In my latest novel the protagonist from Anything Short Of Murder, Tom Logan, returns. He’s got himself one humdinger of a case which finds him visiting many sites around the City of Angels. It has always been my aim to make my stories feel real, and in effect,  give my readers a true sense of being there. To do this convincingly I realized that I had to make them feel real to myself first. I discovered that the best way I could accomplish this was to travel and experience them firsthand. I did it successfully with Hawaii in The Curse of the Crimson Dragon, so naturally I was up to applying it again. Therefore, earlier this month I made a special trip to several locations (being written into my latest novel) in or around the downtown Los Angeles area- landmarks that have stood since the book’s setting, circa 1930. I thought I would cover these over a series of short articles, the first examining the BRADBURY BUILDING.

 

This building could be overlooked by the uninformed

First off, the building is not named after author Ray Bradbury. Having gotten that misconception out of the way I can say that it was commissioned by L.A.mining millionaire Lewis L. Bradbury, designed by George Wyman, and completed in 1893. From the outside, the property at 304 South Broadway doesn’t seem remarkable (brown brick, sandstone with terra cotta panels), but pass through the front door and you’re in for a surprise.

 Magic happens when you cross this portal

 If you feel a certain amount of déjà vu when you observe its unique interior, you’re not alone. It has been the location for numerous television and feature films, most notably: Blade Runner (1982) with Harrison Ford, I, The Jury (1953) with Preston Foster, D.O.A. (1950) with Edmond O’Brien, Marlowe (1969) with James Garner, and Chinatown (1974) with Jack Nicolson. These are just a sampling of features. For television- to name a few: The Outer Limits, Mission Impossible, Banyon, and The Night Strangler.

 A view from the ground floor

The architect, Wyman had been influenced by the 1887 science fiction novel Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, hence its unusual design, and perhaps why it was utilized for Blade Runner.

 One of the caged elevators

My FACEBOOK friend, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s film adaptation of her novel, Pay it Forward, was also shot here. And it has been the location for numerous novels, comics, and even a setting for music videos.

 A view from the first floor landing

With its film noir connections, I think you can see why I chose the Bradbury Building as a setting for my next novel. As a writer, film lover, and former member of the entertainment industry, I design my books like the classic movies I love. I relish playing director, or location scout searching out properties that will add something visually to my storytelling. It is one of the perks of being a writer, and quite frankly I am enjoying every minute of it!

Author Tony Piazza at Bradbury Building

An additional note: The most recent film to utilize The Bradbury Building was The Artist (2011).

amongstangelsfront cover

UPDATE: The novel mentioned above was published in 2013, its’ title, A Murder Amongst Angels, and was well reviewed and an Amazon as a bestseller.

Look for the new Tom Logan mystery coming in 2015

——————————————————–

Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His second novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was next released early 2012, and in July of 2013, his latest Tom Logan Mystery, “A Murder Amongst Angels” was published and is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. A new Tom Logan novel has been completed and is scheduled to be released in 2015. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden.  His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites,  or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Tony Piazza is a member of three prestigious writer’s organizations: Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the SLO NightWriters.

NEW! COMING SOON!

SepiaPhotoASOMcopyad

The novel that started it all. The first in the Tom Logan mystery series- read by actor James Romick,will be available on Audible, Amazon, and I-tunes.

Also:

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” and “Anything Short of Murder” now joins “A Murder Amongst Angels” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

CofD

ASofM

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels is discounted for e-book.

Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

 

amongstangelsfront cover 3

Filed Under: Film and Television Tagged With: Anything Short of Murder, Author Tony Piazza, Banyon, Blade Runner, Bradbury Building, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Chinatown, D.O.A., Downtown Los Angeles, Edmond O'Brien, Edward Bellamy, George Wyman, Harrison Ford, I, Jack Nicolson, James Garner, Lewis L. Bradbury, Looking Backward, Los Angeles film locations, Marlowe, Mission Impossible, Pay it Forward, Preston Foster, Ray Bradbury, The Curse of the Crimson Dragon, The Jury, The Night Strangler, The Outer Limits, Tom Logan, Tony Piazza

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