Kenneth Anger: Hollywood Babylon, 2 Vols. (1959–)

Hollywood Babylon is a book by avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger which details the sordid scandals of many famous and infamous Hollywood denizens from the 1900s to the 1950s. First published in the US in 1965, it was banned ten days later and would not be republished until 1975. Upon its second release, The New York Times said of it, “If a book such as this can be said to have charm, it lies in the fact that here is a book without one single redeeming merit.”

The book details the stories of Hollywood stars from the silent film era to stars of the 1960s including stories about Lupe Vélez, Rudolph Valentino, Olive Thomas, Thelma Todd, Frances Farmer, Juanita Hansen, Mae Murray, Alma Rubens, Barbara La Marr, and Marilyn Monroe. (from Wikipedia)

Originally published in French as Hollywood Babylone, J.J. Pauvert, Paris, 1959
First U.S. edition was published by Associated Professional Services of Phoenix, Arizona, 1965

Volume 1
Publisher Arrow Books, San Francisco, 1975
Reprinted 1986
ISBN 0099497808
306 pages

Volume 2
Publisher E.P. Dutton, New York
Reprint by New American Library, New York and Scarborough, Ontario, 1985
331 pages

Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon (documentary, dir. Nigel Finch, 57 min, 1991, low quality)
Interview with Anger (Rocco Castoro, Vice, 2012)

Volume 1 (239 MB, no OCR)
Volume 2 (34 MB)