Let me set the scene for you. Picture this: It's 1951 in the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills. Actress Joan Bennett, dressed to the nines, is sitting behind the wheel of her sleek green Cadillac in the parking lot of an upscale office building. As she waves goodbye to her handsome agent, Jennings Lang, who had just walked her to her car, two gunshots suddenly ring out. In that split second, Jennings collapses to the ground, clutching his leg and screaming in agony. Who could have done such a thing? Joan immediately recognizes the gunman as none other than her own husband, producer Walter Wanger.
With her heart racing and adrenaline pumping, Joan yells at the gunman, "Get away from here and leave us alone!" The tension in that parking lot was palpable, and the world was about to get a front-row seat to the unraveling of one of Hollywood's most powerful couples.
Before this shocking moment, Joan Bennett and Walter Wanger were the ultimate Hollywood power couple. As Scott Huver, author of Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin, & Scandal in 90210, explains, "They were a dynamic duo, creating a string of successful films where Walter produced and Joan starred. On the surface, they seemed to have it all—a beautiful home in Holmby Hills, two adorable kids, and an enviable social life. They regularly hosted glamorous dinner parties, welcoming A-list guests like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall into their home." But as we all know, appearances can be deceiving.
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From Hollywood Heights to Financial Woes
At the height of his career with MGM Studios, Walter Wanger's salary was second only to the legendary Louis B. Mayer. However, things took a dark turn in 1948 when his film Joan of Arc, starring Ingrid Bergman, flopped spectacularly. The scandal surrounding Ingrid's affair with director Roberto Rossellini didn't help matters. As Huver puts it, "The bank was threatening to foreclose on their home. That's when the cracks in their marriage began to show."
With their financial future uncertain, Joan found herself turning to her agent, Jennings Lang, for both professional and emotional support. Before long, their relationship grew beyond the bounds of friendship. The two would secretly meet at an unoccupied apartment owned by a mutual friend of Jennings. "It wasn't exactly discreet," Huver notes. "They would just stroll around the corner from his office, making it pretty obvious." Suspicious, Walter hired a private detective to investigate his wife's activities. When the evidence landed in his hands, it was the final straw. "I think he just snapped," Huver adds.
Aftermath of the Shooting
In the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, Joan quickly dialed for medical help for Jennings, while Walter was promptly arrested. As Huver recounts, "Ironically, the agency’s parking lot was right across the street from Beverly Hills City Hall." Jennings, who had been shot in the thigh and groin, miraculously survived. Walter later pleaded temporary insanity during his trial for assault with a deadly weapon and ended up serving only four months in prison.
Life After the Scandal
After his release, Walter didn't let the scandal derail his career. He went on to produce two blockbuster prison films, Riot in Cell Block Il and I Want to Live!, the latter of which earned Susan Hayward an Academy Award. Jennings, too, emerged unscathed. Despite his injury, he later became a father and transitioned into a successful producing career, collaborating with Clint Eastwood on hits like Play Misty for Me and High Plains Drifter.
Their scandal even left a lasting mark on Hollywood, inspiring the classic 1960 film The Apartment, starring Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon, and Fred MacMurray. "The film went on to win five Oscars, including Best Picture," Huver notes.
Unfortunately, it was Joan who bore the brunt of the scandal. She famously quipped, "I might as well have pulled the trigger myself," as she struggled to find work in films after the incident. She eventually turned to theater and remained married to Walter until 1965. Later, Joan found renewed fame on the small screen, starring in TV's Dark Shadows.
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