Ted Healy was a popular comedian and actor in the 1920s and 1930s, best known for creating the Three Stooges and their slapstick comedy style. He had a successful career in vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood, but his life was cut short by a sudden and controversial death in 1937. What really happened to Ted Healy on the night he died? Was it a natural death or a murder? Here are some facts and theories about the Ted Healy cause of death.
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The Official Cause of Death: Acute Toxic Nephritis
According to the official autopsy report, Ted Healy died from acute toxic nephritis, a kidney inflammation caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Healy was a heavy drinker and had been suffering from kidney problems for a long time. He had also been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and high blood pressure. Healy’s death certificate stated that he died on December 21, 1937, at 11:30 a.m., at the age of 41. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.
However, many people doubted the accuracy of the autopsy report and suspected foul play. They pointed out that Healy had been involved in a violent altercation at a nightclub just a few days before his death, and that he had visible head injuries that were not mentioned in the autopsy. They also questioned the credibility of the autopsy surgeon, Dr. A.F. Wagner, who had been accused of falsifying reports in the past. According to Wikipedia, some of Healy’s friends and family members believed that he was murdered by someone who wanted to silence him or take revenge on him.
The Nightclub Brawl: A Fatal Beating?
One of the most widely circulated theories about the Ted Healy cause of death is that he was fatally beaten by three men at the Cafe Trocadero, a famous nightclub on the Sunset Strip, on the night of December 18, 1937. According to Playground to the Stars, Healy had gone out to celebrate the birth of his son, who was born on December 17, and had been drinking heavily at various bars. He ended up at the Cafe Trocadero, where he encountered three men who had a grudge against him: Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, a future James Bond producer; Pat DiCicco, a mob-connected agent and the former husband of Thelma Todd and the future husband of Gloria Vanderbilt; and Wallace Beery, a star actor at MGM.
The exact details of what happened next are unclear, but according to some accounts, Healy insulted Broccoli’s date, actress Rita Hayworth, and provoked a fight. Beery punched Healy in the head and challenged him to step outside, where he said he would beat each man one at a time. Healy accepted the challenge and followed the trio outside, where they allegedly ganged up on him and beat him mercilessly. Healy was left unconscious on the sidewalk, bleeding from his nose and ears. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he regained consciousness and was released the next day. He went home and told his wife that he had been in a car accident. He seemed to recover for a few days, but then his condition worsened and he died.
The story of the nightclub brawl was first reported by columnist Jimmie Fidler in 1938, and was later repeated by several authors and biographers, including E.J. Fleming in his book The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling and the MGM Publicity Machine. Fleming claimed that MGM, the studio that employed Beery, covered up his involvement in Healy’s death and bribed the authorities and the media to keep the story quiet. He also suggested that Healy had some dirt on MGM’s stars and executives, and that they wanted to get rid of him.
However, there are also many problems and inconsistencies with this theory. For one thing, there is no evidence that Healy and Beery had any animosity or rivalry, and in fact, they had worked together on several films and were friends. There is also no proof that Healy had any secrets or scandals that could threaten MGM or anyone else. Moreover, there are conflicting accounts of who was present at the Cafe Trocadero that night, and whether Healy actually fought with anyone. Some witnesses said that Healy was alone and left peacefully, while others said that he was with friends and had a minor scuffle with a stranger. There is also no record of Healy being admitted to a hospital or receiving any medical treatment for his injuries. According to The Celebrity Deaths, Healy’s widow, Betty Healy, later denied that her husband had been beaten and said that he died from natural causes.
The Final Verdict: An Unsolved Mystery
The truth about the Ted Healy cause of death may never be known for sure. There are too many gaps and contradictions in the available information, and too many possible motives and suspects. Healy’s death remains a mystery that has fascinated and puzzled fans and historians for decades. Healy was a talented and influential comedian who left behind a legacy of laughter and a mystery of tragedy.
