Last summer I read Nigel Blundell's Fallen Idols: A Century of Screen Sex Scandals, from the same publisher, and I said in my review then that it's not my usual fare. But, when the opportunity presented itself to review yet another collection of scandalous tales from the early days of Hollywood, I dove right it and requested a copy of Matt MacNabb's Hollywood's Dark History: Silver Screen Scandals.

It's interesting stuff, in part because it's from an era that has been glamourized so thoroughly in the century since -- and yet, the stars of the early 20th century aren't all that different from their counterparts in the 21st.

The biggest difference, I suppose, is the presence today of paparazzi and the internet, which have significantly reduced any chance of privacy that famous people might expect; still, the general public even then seemed to have some endless fascination with the lives of the rich and famous, and they certainly were quick to turn on anyone whose image was tarnished.

While Fallen Idols focused on people who are still famous enough today that you'll recognize most if not all of their names, MacNabb presents us with a baker's dozen of scandals involving several people I didn't know.

The protagonists of MacNabb's brief biographical sketches are Evelyn Nesbit, Thelma Todd, Jean Harlow, Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Errol Flynn, Lana Turner, William Desmond Taylor, Joan Crawford, Barbara LaMarr, Mabel Normand, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Clara Bow. Perhaps my knowledge of classic Hollywood is lacking, but I was previously familiar with only eight of the thirteen people represented here. Thanks to McNabb for filling in the gaps.

So far as I can tell, there's nothing new in these pages. MacNabb is simply collecting their stories, not uncovering fresh information on them. So, for what it is, it's an enjoyable read -- he tells their stories briefly but in an interesting fashion that makes the pages turn quickly. That's not to say his prose is overly salacious or sensationalized; his narrative is fairly tame, despite the nature of the scandals he reveals.

A few more photos would have been nice, and a book will always be improved when photos accompany the text, rather than being collected in a mid-book insert. But this slim volume will likely interest anyone who enjoys tales of old Hollywood.