'Sins of Hollywood' Summary

This book, written anonymously but later attributed to former *Photoplay* editor Ed Roberts, serves as a potent critique of the Hollywood film industry in the 1920s. It utilizes a highly sensationalized style to chronicle a string of scandals that rocked the industry, portraying Hollywood as a breeding ground for vice and immorality. The text focuses on the perceived transgressions of various celebrities, including Rudolph Valentino, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Wallace Reid, and others. While often relying on rumors and innuendo, the book paints a vivid portrait of the cultural anxieties surrounding the rapid rise of Hollywood and its perceived threat to traditional values. The book's lurid descriptions and its focus on the darker side of Hollywood fame contribute to its status as a historical artifact, reflecting the moral panic that engulfed the nation during the era.