The Mysterious Death of Thomas Ince: Hollywood’s Original Scandal

A scene from Thomas Ince film The Typhoon (1914)

The year was 1924, and Hollywood was still a relatively young town, rapidly evolving into the entertainment capital of the world. But behind the glittering facade of movie studios and glamorous parties, a dark mystery was brewing, one that has continued to intrigue people for decades: the death of Thomas H. Ince. A pioneering movie producer, Ince’s sudden passing at the young age of 42 became one of the first major scandals to grip the industry. Ince partnered with D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett in 1915 to form the Triangle Motion Picture Company, a once formidable studio now largely forgotten by history.

Ince, a titan of silent film production, was known for his innovative methods and business acumen. On a fateful weekend in November, he joined a group of prominent figures on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht, the Oneida, for a birthday celebration. Among the guests were Hearst’s mistress, the famous actress Marion Davies, and other Hollywood elites. What should have been a festive occasion quickly turned tragic. Just a day after the party, Ince was reported to be suffering from indigestion and was taken home. He died shortly after, officially from heart failure.

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However, the circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious from the outset, with rumors suggesting a more violent end. The most popular theory is that Hearst, in a fit of jealous rage over a suspected affair between Ince and Davies, shot Ince on the yacht. But other accounts of a shooting also surfaced. A second version of the story had Davies and Ince alone in the galley late Sunday night. Ince, who suffered from ulcers, was supposedly looking for something to ease his upset stomach when Hearst walked in. Mistaking Ince for Charlie Chaplin, Hearst shot him.

A third version tells of a struggle over a gun belowdecks between unidentified passengers. The gun fired accidentally, and the bullet went through a plywood partition directly into Ince’s room, striking him. Marion Davies’ secretary, Abigail Kinsolving, claimed Ince raped her that weekend on board the yacht. Kinsolving, several months later, delivered a baby, and then died in a suspicious car accident near the Hearst ranch. Two of Hearst’s bodyguards found her body, along with a questionable suicide note. Her baby was then sent to an orphanage supported by Davies.

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Toraichi Kono, Chaplin’s secretary, said he saw Ince when he came ashore, claiming Ince had a bleeding head wound from a bullet. The rumor spread among domestic workers in Beverly Hills. One month after Ince’s death, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office launched a superficial investigation. The D.A. interviewed only Dr. Goodman who claimed that he and Ince caught a train back to Los Angeles. According to Goodman, Ince got sick so they got off in Del Mar, checked into a hotel, and he then called for help. He also claimed he left before Ince’s wife arrived. The D.A. quickly closed the case. The motivation behind the cover-up was clear: to protect Hearst, Davies, and the film industry from a major scandal.

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The official investigation into Ince’s death revealed no foul play, attributing it to heart failure. But the lack of transparency, the numerous conflicting accounts, and the rumors created a narrative of a major cover-up. This resulted in a public deeply skeptical of the official story. Even in the early days of Hollywood, scandals, power struggles, and the ability of the wealthy to manipulate the truth were as much a part of the industry as the movies themselves. To this day, the true story behind his death remains a source of fascination, a tragic tale that continues to fuel debate and intrigue, embodying the dark side of Hollywood’s glamorous past.

Head of film reviews at The Viewers Guide with an erudite, insightful, slightly sardonic, deep appreciation for classic cinema. Has a habit of quoting obscure lines from old films in everyday conversation. He keeps a meticulously organized film logbook. He's a bit of a tea snob.