August 14, 1980: Canadian pimp, Paul Snider murders his wife, actress Dorothy Stratten before killing himself.
Stratten’s last moments were of torture and disfigurement through violent sodomy. An autopsy revealed that Stratten’s left index fingertip had been shot off. So it was apparent that the last gesture Dorothy attempted was to shield her face.
A vivacious Dorothy speaking to Johnny Carson. A bit eerie, now, to hear Dorothy’s references to Snider:
1984: Peter Bogdanovich’s tribute to Dorothy, THE KILLING OF THE UNICORN is published. Bogdanovich planned to marry Stratten before she was murdered.
The KILLING OF THE UNICORN turns Dorothy’s story into a modern feminist fable. Although the book is out-of-print, it’s not just for fans of Peter Bogdanovich – some might deem it now as essential (and suprisingly overlooked) pro-feminist literature. If you can find it, read it!
1985: Peter Bogdanovich’s directorial career is revived with the success of MASK. Cher would receive critical acclaim for her portrayal of real-life heroine Rusty Dennis.
The making of MASK:
Bogdanovich wrote that the Dorothy he knew was scholarly by nature; he describes a trip to a bookstore where she is attracted to a biography of THE ELEPHANT MAN.
Standing next to her as she thumbed through it, Bogdanovich admits he could hardly keep his eyes on the grotesque pictures of John Merrick.
How Bogdanovich could evolve from “barely keeping his eyes on Merrick” to directing a tale inspired by Rusty and Rocky Dennis is fascinating.
Bogdanovich theorized that Dorothy could understand the Elephant Man because both she and Merrick had been judged primarily on externals; their inner spirits were totally obscured by other people’s perceptions of their physicality. And they had both been “hunted”.
Perhaps this epiphany was Bodganovich’s inspiration for wanting to illuminate Rocky Dennis’s affliction on the big screen. MASK would go on to become one of the best reviewed films of the 80′s. The title itself is purely poetic.
Dorothy’s grave in Westwood Memorial:
A loyal fan devotes an entire website to her: http://www.dorothystratten.com/
Indeed, the ”trophy” Snider “discovered” and then slaughtered has a fan base stronger than ever. 28 years later, Dorothy supporters, some old, some new, continue to post collages like the one below on YouTube:
