Marilyn Monroe died at 36. Her death certificate lists “Acute Barbiturate Poisoning. Ingestion of Overdose” as the cause. Just below that line, you can see that the person who issued her death certificate typed “Probable Suicide.” Many people question whether her death was a suicide, an accident, or possibly a homicide. A death certificate is an intriguing document. It encapsulates a person’s life story on one page—the birthplace, parents, education, length of career, residence, time, place, and cause of death and finally, what happened to the remains. The information required for a death certificate can vary since each state looks at it differently. California regards them as public documents. Texas and New York makes them available only to family members and others showing a direct need. Satisfying curiosity is not considered a need. John Belushi, John Denver, George Harrison, Truman Capote, “Fred and Ginger” and Frank Sinatra are just a few of the 182 Hollywood notables from the Silent Era to today whose intriguing death certificates are collected here—fascinating!

M.F. Steen has been a funeral service provider for more than 40 years. In 1989, Gentleman’s Quarterly called Mr. Steen the “Mortician to the Stars.” He continues to serve families on a daily basis.

M.F. Steen

Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info:
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1641-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1125-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      iv
Preface      1
The Certificates      4
Biographical Notes      187

Reviews of the series:

• “Fascinating material…recommend[ed]”—Classic Images

• “Unique…fascinating”—ARBA

• “Definitely of interest to Hollywood trivia buffs”—Valley Scene Magazine

• “A unique reading experience…intriguing”—Associated Content

• “Mike Steen REALLY knows where the bodies are buried in Hollywood…fascinating”—National Enquirer

• “Definitely…of interest to Hollywood trivia buffs”—Bookstew

• “Fascinating…excellent…informative”—Big Reel