Fred Otash

Fred Otash (January 7, 1922 – October 5, 1992) was a Hollywood police officer, private investigator, and author. Fred Otash has been interviewed numerous times in the media, including in 1957 by Mike Wallace, which can be viewed online at the University of Texas.[1]

Otash worked for Hollywood Research Incorporated, which did business with the tabloid magazine Confidential.[2] He is also known for being hired by Peter Lawford to investigate Marilyn Monroe.[2] An FBI file released as part of the JFK Assassination Records suggest that Otash was investigating Lawford and John F. Kennedy, and attempted to talk a call girl into arranging a meeting with Kennedy in which she would wear a wire to record incriminating statements.[3] Fred Otash also was involved in the investigation of the "Wrong Door Raid" involving Frank Sinatra. Otash died at the age of 70 on October 5, 1992. Otash suffered from emphysema and high blood pressure. He wrote about his life in his memoir, Investigation Hollywood: Memoirs Of Hollywood's Top Private Detective. Fred Otash was the youngest of 6 children and is survived by his daughter, Colleen Otash, and his four sisters, Evelyn Abisalih, Grace Steiner, Selma Otash and Lila Merhige, and one brother Mitchel.[4]

Author James Ellroy has used a fictionalized version of Fred Otash in two of his novels from the Underworld USA Trilogy.[5] Otash appears in The Cold Six Thousand and Blood's a Rover.[5] Otash is also the main character in another story by James Ellroy called Shakedown. The movie Chinatown's (1974) main character, played by Jack Nicholson, was also based in part on Fred Otash.[6]

As of December 2014, a Fred Otash TV show is in development at HBO and is being produced by Se7en director, David Fincher, as well as the writer of L.A. Confidential, a film which is very inspired by the life and times of Otash, James Ellroy.

References

  1. ↑ "Mike Wallace Television Interview". 1957-08-25. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  2. 1 2 Galloway, Stephen (2013-06-06). "Rock Hudson's Wife Secretly Recorded His Gay Confession". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  3. ↑ Jones, M.A. "US Government Memorandum" (PDF). National Archives. NARA. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (1992-10-08). "Fred Otash; Colorful Hollywood Private Eye and Author". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  5. 1 2 Galloway, Stephen (2013-06-06). "Rock Hudson's Wife Secretly Recorded His Gay Confession". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  6. ↑ Morales, Eric (2013-06-10). "Private Investigator: 'I listened to Marilyn Monroe die'". Digital Journal. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  • Otash, Fred, Investigation Hollywood: Memoirs Of Hollywood's Top Private Detective, Henry Regnery Company 1976, ISBN 0809280132
  • Fred Otash on IMDb
  • http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-08/news/mn-826_1_fred-otash retrieved June 23, 2012
  • http://venetianvase.co.uk/2010/01/27/fred-otash-private-eye-to-the-stars/ retrieved June 23, 2012
  • http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/otash_fred_t.html retrieved June 23, 2012
  • http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/fredotash.html retrieved June 23, 2012
  • http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2011/02/back-in-the-news-fred-otash.html retrieved June 24, 2012
  • Gebremariam, Mereb (10 June 2013). "Marylin Monroe Death: Fred Otash Witnessed Murder? Heard Tapes Of Sex Scandal With President Kennedy, Conspiracy Plot Thickens". Mstars News. Mstars News. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  • "Marilyn Monroe's death, sex with JFK, taped by private eye Fred Otash". news.com.au. news.com.au. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  • Bates, Daniel (7 June 2013). "'Grow out of it': The moment Rock Hudson's wife confronted him about his homosexuality - almost 30 years before he told the world he was gay". MailOnline.com. MailOnline.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  • "Old Hollywood Post: The Fred Otash Files". 7 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  • Schumann, Rebecka (11 June 2013). "Marilyn Monroe Sex Tape: Private Investigator Fred Otash Reveals He Spied On JFK Love Affair". International Business Times. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  • http://blog.everlasting-star.net/2013/06/relationships/fred-otash-the-marilyn-tapes/ posted 7 June 2013, retrieved 24 June 2013
  • http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rock-hudsons-wife-secretly-recorded-562508?page=show published June 6, 2013, retrieved June 24, 2013
  • "Fred Otash". Find a Grave. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
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