"The Black Dahlia" Film

Based on James Ellroy's novel, and directed by Brian De Palma, The Black Dahlia opened nationwide Sept. 15, 2006. While the plot of murder itself was true (Beth was found severed Jan. 15, 1947), the rest of the story in this big screen production is fictional. It is based on Ellroy's novel.

In an effort to prevent misleading to those who have yet to study further, here's a list of discrepancies about Beth Short and the way she lived her life.

• Lesbianism - There's not yet been any evidence brought forward to substantiate this. All historical documents show that Beth Short was straight.

• Sex for Money - There's no proof Beth was a whore. While she often walked about Hollywood and surrounding areas, it was not for reasons as depicted in the film.

• Porn & Snuff - There's no evidence that Beth appeared in any pornographic film, nor in any snuff film. Actually, we're not aware of any film reel at all.

• The Reporters - The reporters played a much larger role than depicted in the film. In fact, photos of the corpse were snapped prior to the police closing off the crime scene. With photos already going to press, it was impossible for police to keep the body's actual condition from hitting the news.

• The Middle Name - Beth had no middle name.

• Cops - The investigating officers in the film are fictional characters.

Note that there are some other truthful elements in the film, however, they are used in loose fashion. For example, the police did receive an envelope with belongings.