Dominick Dunne
Encyclopedia
Dominick John Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist, whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways in which high society interacts with the judicial system. He was a movie producer in Hollywood and was also known for his frequent appearances on television.
, Connecticut
, the son of Dorothy Frances (née Burns) and Richard Edwin Dunne, a hospital chief of staff and prominent heart surgeon. His Irish Catholic
family was wealthy; his maternal grandfather, Dominick F. Burns, founded the Park Street Trust Company. However, from his earliest days, Dunne recalled feeling like an outsider in the predominantly WASPish
West Hartford
.
As a boy, he was known as Nicky. After attending the Kingswood School
and Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut
, he attended Williams College
and then served in World War II
, including the Battle of the Bulge
, where he received the Bronze Star for heroism during the Battle of Metz
.
, where he became a stage manager for television. He was later brought to Hollywood, by Humphrey Bogart, who wanted Dunne to work on the television version of The Petrified Forest
. He later went on to work on Playhouse 90
and became vice-president of Four Star Television
. He hobnobbed with the rich and the famous of those days. In 1979, beset with addictions, Dunne left Hollywood and moved to rural Oregon
, where he says he overcame his personal demons and wrote his first book, The Winners.
In November 1982, his daughter, Dominique Dunne
, best known for her part in the film Poltergeist, was murdered. Dominick Dunne attended the trial of John Thomas Sweeney, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. According to Dunne's account in Justice, Sweeney was sentenced to six-and-a-half years, but served only two and a half after his conviction. Dominick Dunne wrote the article "Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer" for Vanity Fair
.
Dunne went on to write for Vanity Fair regularly, and fiction
alized several real-life events, such as the murders of Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress Vicki Morgan
and banking heir William Woodward, Jr.
, in several best-selling books. He eventually hosted the TV series Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
on CourtTV (later truTV), in which he discussed justice and injustice and their intersection with celebrities. Famous trials he covered included those of O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bulow
, Michael Skakel
, William Kennedy Smith
, and the Menendez brothers. Dunne's account of the Menendez trial, "Nightmare on Elm Drive," was selected by The Library of America for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American true crime writing, published in 2008. His account of trying to purchase a pair of O.J. Simpson's underwear for sniffing purposes was published in US magazine.
In 2005, California
Congressman
Gary Condit
won an undisclosed amount of money and an apology from Dunne, who had earlier implicated him in the disappearance of Chandra Levy
, an intern from his U.S. House of Representatives district, with whom Condit had been carrying on an extramarital affair. In November 2006, he was sued again by Condit for comments made about the former politician on Larry King Live
on CNN
, but the suit was eventually dismissed.
While rumored in early 2006 that he intended to cease writing for Vanity Fair, Dunne stated the opposite in a February 4, 2006, interview with talk show
host Larry King
. "Oh, I am at Vanity Fair. I'll be in the next issue and the issue after that. We went through, you know, a difficult period. That happens in long relationships and, you know, you either work your way through them or you get a divorce. And I didn't want a divorce and we've worked our way through and Graydon and I are close and he's a great editor and I'm thrilled to be there."
Dunne frequently socialized with, wrote about, and was photographed with celebrities. A Salon.com
review of his memoir, The Way We Lived Then, recounted how Dunne appeared at a wedding reception for Dennis Hopper
. Sean Elder, the author of the review, wrote: "But in the midst of it all there was one man who was getting what ceramic artist Ron Nagle would call 'the full cheese,' one guy everyone gravitated toward and paid obeisance to." That individual was Dunne, who mixed easily with artists, actors and writers present at the function. The final line of the review about Dunne quoted Dennis Hopper wishing he "had a picture of myself with Allen Ginsberg
and Norman Mailer
."
In 2008, at age 82, Dunne traveled from New York
to Las Vegas
to cover O.J. Simpson's trial on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery for Vanity Fair magazine, claiming it would be his last. During the trial, an unidentified woman approached and kissed him, causing her to be ejected from the courtroom. Later, when he collapsed from the sudden onset of severe pain and had to be rushed to the hospital, he expressed amazement at how fast the word spread at his fan site, DominicksDiary.com.
Dunne's adventures in Hollywood as an outcast, top-selling author and reporter, were catalogued in the release of Dominick Dunne: After the Party
. This film documents his successes and tribulations as a big name in the entertainment industry. In the film, Dunne reflects on his past as a World War II
veteran, falling in love and raising a family, his climb and fall as a Hollywood producer, and his comeback as a writer.
. He was working on Too Much Money, his final book, at the time of his death. On September 22, 2008, Dunne complained of intense pain, and was taken by ambulance to Valley Hospital
. Dunne died on August 26, 2009, at his home in Manhattan
.
On October 29, 2009 (what would have been Dunne's 84th birthday), Hollywood friends and some reporter friends, along with new Hollywood figures, gathered at the Chateau Marmont to celebrate Dominick Dunne's life. Vanity Fair
magazine paid tribute to Dunne's life and extensive contributions to the magazine in its November 2009 issue.
; the writer Joan Didion
was his sister-in-law. He was married to Ellen Beatriz Griffin (1954–1965). He was the father of Alexander Dunne and the actors Griffin Dunne
and Dominique Dunne
, as well as two daughters who died in infancy.
Early life
Dunne, the second of six children, was born in HartfordHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, the son of Dorothy Frances (née Burns) and Richard Edwin Dunne, a hospital chief of staff and prominent heart surgeon. His Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family was wealthy; his maternal grandfather, Dominick F. Burns, founded the Park Street Trust Company. However, from his earliest days, Dunne recalled feeling like an outsider in the predominantly WASPish
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often derogatory or disparaging, for a closed group of high-status Americans mostly of British Protestant ancestry. The group supposedly wields disproportionate financial and social power. When it appears in writing, it is usually used to...
West Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....
.
As a boy, he was known as Nicky. After attending the Kingswood School
Kingswood-Oxford School
Kingswood Oxford School is a private day school located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Originally two separate schools, Kingswood School and Oxford School for boys and girls respectively, KO is now a co-educational institution and offers grades 6 through 12...
and Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
, he attended Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
and then served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, where he received the Bronze Star for heroism during the Battle of Metz
Battle of Metz
The Battle of Metz was a three-month battle fought between the United States Army and the German Army during World War II. It took place at the city of Metz following the Allied breakout after the Normandy landings. The attack on the city by the U.S. Third Army faced heavy resistance from the...
.
Career
After serving in the military, Dunne moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he became a stage manager for television. He was later brought to Hollywood, by Humphrey Bogart, who wanted Dunne to work on the television version of The Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest is a 1936 American film, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. A precursor of film noir, it was adapted from Robert E. Sherwood's 1936 stage play of the same name...
. He later went on to work on Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
and became vice-president of Four Star Television
Four Star Television
Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer, the company produced many well-known shows of the early days of...
. He hobnobbed with the rich and the famous of those days. In 1979, beset with addictions, Dunne left Hollywood and moved to rural Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where he says he overcame his personal demons and wrote his first book, The Winners.
In November 1982, his daughter, Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
, best known for her part in the film Poltergeist, was murdered. Dominick Dunne attended the trial of John Thomas Sweeney, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. According to Dunne's account in Justice, Sweeney was sentenced to six-and-a-half years, but served only two and a half after his conviction. Dominick Dunne wrote the article "Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer" for Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
Dunne went on to write for Vanity Fair regularly, and fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
alized several real-life events, such as the murders of Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress Vicki Morgan
Vicki Morgan
Vicki Morgan was a model and a high-profile murder victim.-Background:...
and banking heir William Woodward, Jr.
William Woodward, Jr.
William "Billy" Woodward, Jr. was the heir to the Hanover National Bank fortune , the Belair Estate and stud farm and legacy,...
, in several best-selling books. He eventually hosted the TV series Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice was an American crime TV series that examined real-life cases of crime, passion, and greed involving privileged or famous people. The episodes were shown on truTV and on Star TV in Canada as well as Zone Reality in Europe and Bio. in Australia. The...
on CourtTV (later truTV), in which he discussed justice and injustice and their intersection with celebrities. Famous trials he covered included those of O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bulow
Claus von Bülow
Claus von Bülow is a British socialite of German and Danish ancestry. He was accused of the attempted murder of his wife Sunny von Bülow by administering an insulin overdose in 1980 but his conviction in the first trial was reversed and he was found not guilty in both his retrials.-Biography:Born...
, Michael Skakel
Michael Skakel
Michael C. Skakel was convicted in 2002 of the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley, his 15-year-old neighbor in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was sentenced to 20 years to life and remains incarcerated. Skakel is the nephew of Ethel Skakel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F...
, William Kennedy Smith
William Kennedy Smith
William Kennedy Smith is an American physician whose work focuses on landmines and the rehabilitation of people disabled by them....
, and the Menendez brothers. Dunne's account of the Menendez trial, "Nightmare on Elm Drive," was selected by The Library of America for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American true crime writing, published in 2008. His account of trying to purchase a pair of O.J. Simpson's underwear for sniffing purposes was published in US magazine.
In 2005, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Gary Condit
Gary Condit
Gary Adrian Condit is a former American politician, a Democrat who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003...
won an undisclosed amount of money and an apology from Dunne, who had earlier implicated him in the disappearance of Chandra Levy
Chandra Levy
Chandra Ann Levy was an American intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C., who disappeared in May 2001. She was presumed murdered after her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park in May 2002...
, an intern from his U.S. House of Representatives district, with whom Condit had been carrying on an extramarital affair. In November 2006, he was sued again by Condit for comments made about the former politician on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, but the suit was eventually dismissed.
While rumored in early 2006 that he intended to cease writing for Vanity Fair, Dunne stated the opposite in a February 4, 2006, interview with talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
. "Oh, I am at Vanity Fair. I'll be in the next issue and the issue after that. We went through, you know, a difficult period. That happens in long relationships and, you know, you either work your way through them or you get a divorce. And I didn't want a divorce and we've worked our way through and Graydon and I are close and he's a great editor and I'm thrilled to be there."
Dunne frequently socialized with, wrote about, and was photographed with celebrities. A Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
review of his memoir, The Way We Lived Then, recounted how Dunne appeared at a wedding reception for Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
. Sean Elder, the author of the review, wrote: "But in the midst of it all there was one man who was getting what ceramic artist Ron Nagle would call 'the full cheese,' one guy everyone gravitated toward and paid obeisance to." That individual was Dunne, who mixed easily with artists, actors and writers present at the function. The final line of the review about Dunne quoted Dennis Hopper wishing he "had a picture of myself with Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
."
In 2008, at age 82, Dunne traveled from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to cover O.J. Simpson's trial on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery for Vanity Fair magazine, claiming it would be his last. During the trial, an unidentified woman approached and kissed him, causing her to be ejected from the courtroom. Later, when he collapsed from the sudden onset of severe pain and had to be rushed to the hospital, he expressed amazement at how fast the word spread at his fan site, DominicksDiary.com.
Dunne's adventures in Hollywood as an outcast, top-selling author and reporter, were catalogued in the release of Dominick Dunne: After the Party
Dominick Dunne: After the Party
Dominick Dunne: After the Party is a 2008 documentary directed by Kirsty de Garis and Timothy Jolley.Hollywood outcast, top-selling author and reporter, Dominick Dunne is a prominent columnist and society correspondent. This biographical documentary film reflects on his successes and tribulations...
. This film documents his successes and tribulations as a big name in the entertainment industry. In the film, Dunne reflects on his past as a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran, falling in love and raising a family, his climb and fall as a Hollywood producer, and his comeback as a writer.
Final years and tribute
In September 2008, Dunne disclosed his treatment for bladder cancerBladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
. He was working on Too Much Money, his final book, at the time of his death. On September 22, 2008, Dunne complained of intense pain, and was taken by ambulance to Valley Hospital
Valley Hospital Medical Center
From 1980-2001, the helipad was located on top of the hospital, adjacent to the lobby. After "Flight for Life" was sold to "Mercy Air Services" in 2001, the hospital created a landing zone just south of the emergency entrance in a dirt lot for Mercy Air's bigger helicopters...
. Dunne died on August 26, 2009, at his home in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
On October 29, 2009 (what would have been Dunne's 84th birthday), Hollywood friends and some reporter friends, along with new Hollywood figures, gathered at the Chateau Marmont to celebrate Dominick Dunne's life. Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine paid tribute to Dunne's life and extensive contributions to the magazine in its November 2009 issue.
Family
Dominick Dunne was the brother of author John Gregory DunneJohn Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne was an American novelist, screenwriter and literary critic.-Life:He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and was a younger brother of author Dominick Dunne. He suffered from a severe stutter and took up writing to express himself. Eventually he learned to speak normally by...
; the writer Joan Didion
Joan Didion
Joan Didion is an American author best known for her novels and her literary journalism. Her novels and essays explore the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos, where the overriding theme is individual and social fragmentation...
was his sister-in-law. He was married to Ellen Beatriz Griffin (1954–1965). He was the father of Alexander Dunne and the actors Griffin Dunne
Griffin Dunne
-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
and Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
, as well as two daughters who died in infancy.
Filmography
- The Boys in the BandThe Boys in the BandThe Boys in the Band is a 1970 American drama film directed by William Friedkin. The screenplay by Mart Crowley is based on his Off Broadway play of the same title, Crowley penned a sequel to the play years later entitled The Men From The Boys...
- The Panic in Needle ParkThe Panic in Needle ParkThe Panic in Needle Park is a 1971 American film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino in his second film appearance. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, adapted from the book by James Mills....
- Play It as It LaysPlay It As It LaysPlay It as It Lays is a 1970 novel by the American writer Joan Didion. Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. The book was made into a 1972 movie starring Tuesday Weld as Maria and Anthony Perkins as B.Z...
- Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday (1973 film)Ash Wednesday is a 1973 American drama film directed by Larry Peerce. The screenplay by Jean-Claude Tramont focuses on the effect that extensive cosmetic surgery has on the life of a middle-aged married woman.-Plot:...
- Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and JusticeDominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and JusticeDominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice was an American crime TV series that examined real-life cases of crime, passion, and greed involving privileged or famous people. The episodes were shown on truTV and on Star TV in Canada as well as Zone Reality in Europe and Bio. in Australia. The...
External links
- Dominick Dunne, Chronicler of Crime, Dies at 83, The New York Times, August 26, 2009
- Dominick Dunne on death, love, revenge and sexuality, The Times of London, Feb 19, 2009
- Celebrity Author And Hartford Native Dominick Dunne Dies At Age 83". The Hartford Courant
- Obituary - Star-GazetteStar-GazetteThe Star-Gazette is the major newspaper for Elmira, New York. Based in Elmira, the publication is owned by the Gannett Corporation.-History:...
- Dominick Dunne - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Official fan site
- Official movie site
- Dominick Dunne Authorized Biography Movie (DVD)
- Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
- The Final O.J. Story for Dominick Dunne, The New York Times, Sept. 19, 2008
- Condit settlement
- What a Swell Party He Wrote
- Dominick Dunne Remembered at the Chateau Marmont
- Still Settling the Score, Even Beyond the Grave
- Dominick Dunne on Charlie Rose circa 1996