The first person to go to jail for a Charles Manson-associated murder was Bobby Beausoleil, a charismatic would-be rock star who had put in time as a muse to Kenneth Anger — child actor-turned-occultist experimental filmmaker, and author of the first bible of embellished celebrity scandal, Hollywood Babylon.
Show Notes:
Special thanks to this week’s special guests! Sam Zimmerman of ShockTillYouDrop.com played Bobby Beausoleil; TS Faull, screenwriter of Grimm Love, played Kenneth Anger; and Nate DiMeo, creator of The Memory Palace podcast, IS Charles Manson.
The base list of sources for this series can be found here.
Other sources for this episode included Anger by Bill Landis; A.L. Bardach’s 1981 interview with Bobby Beausoleil, originally published in Oui Magazine; “Kenneth Anger: Where the Bodies are Buried” by Mick Brown, Esquire January 2014.
This episode includes a clip from this NSFW trailer for the X-rated Western Ramrodder.
This is Bobby Beausoleil‘s website. This is Kenneth Anger‘s website.
Also mentioned in this episode: Mondo Hollywood, the surreal cult documentary capturing assorted eccentric late-1960s Los Angeles residents, directed by Robert Carl Cohen. Mondo Hollywood is available on iTunes and, last I checked, Hulu. You should read this conversation between Cohen and Paul Thomas Anderson, who arranged a screening of Mondo Hollywood at AFI Fest last year because it was a major influence on Inherent Vice.
Episode breakdown:
Intro: “Album Tag Song,” Dennis Wilson; Modern Heavy Rock Guitar Top Line royalty-free track; “Esja” by Gus Gus
Bobby’s early life, Kenneth Anger’s early life: “Intelligent Galaxy” by The Insider
Anger’s obsessions with Hollywood stars and Aleister Crowley’s “sex magick” occultism: “Make a Wish (For Christmas)” by Lee Rosevere
Anger’s first film, Fireworks: “Recuerdo Triste” royalty-free track
Margaret Cameron and Jack Parsons, Anger’s sex magick heroes; Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome: #1 Strange Sound Effects royalty-free track
Scorpio Rising and its massive influence; Hollywood Babylon: “By Request” by Apache Tomcat
Anger’s transformation into gossip scholar: Vampire Organ royalty-free track
Anger in San Francisco, doing LSD and baiting the Hell’s Angels; Scorpio Rising‘s brief ban: “Victoria’s Son” by Apache Tomcat
Godot Paulekas’ tragic death; Anger cruising for movie stars; Mondo Hollywood; Frank Zappa connection: Sci Fi Movie Sound Effects 2 Spacey Guitar royalty-free track
Anger and Bobby meet, either while Bobby was playing with Love, or in San Francisco: “Bummer in the Summer” by Love
Bobby moves in with Kenneth Anger to shoot Lucifer Rising; The Process: “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors
Bobby’s acid trip; Anger’s unconventional directing process: “Remembering Past Everything” by Pipe Choir
Bobby and Kenneth’s falling out, the theft of Lucifer Rising footage: “Oxygen Garden” by Chris Zabriskie
Bobby’s life in LA, his association with Manson and Gary Hinman: “Thank God For Secular Humanists” by Apache Tomcat
Bobby’s work with the Gerard Theatrical Agency and musical ambitions; Mothers of Invention: “Futuristic Sweeping Movie Sound Effects” royalty-free track
Manson Family in crisis: “Phase IV” by Lo-fi Sci-fi
Tex Watson’s drug deal with Lotsapoppa, Lotsapoppa threatens to kill Manson Family; Manson shoots Lotsapoppa, tells Family the Black Panthers are after them; Bobby’s drug deal between Gary Hinman and the Straight Satans; Manson asks Bobby to extort Gary Hinman: “Slim Fitting” by Glass Boy
The murder of Gary Hinman and Bobby’s arrest: “Will Be War Soon?” by Kosta T
Manson girls start talking about how to get Bobby out of jail: Sad Eerie Music royalty-free track
Bobby’s conflicting stories about what happened to Hinman: “Au coin de la rue” by Marco Raaphorst
Bobby recording the Lucifer Rising soundtrack from prison: “Lucifer Rising #4″ by Bobby Beausoleil
Where Bobby and Kenneth are now; Aryan Brotherhood; Truman Capote; Hollywood Babylon and Scientology: “There’s Probably No Time” by Chris Zabriskie
End credits: Pop Rock Guitar Rhythm Loop royalty-free track
Outro: “The Red Telephone” by Love