Girl 27
April 2008 Reviewed by: Marc Mickelson Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

In 1937, the studio system was at full power in Hollywood, and the dominant studio of the day was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Los Angeles County's biggest employer and an icon in the motion-picture business. In May of that year, MGM hosted a convention in Los Angeles for its all-male nationwide sales force -- a spring-break-like affair complete with a stag party held at Hal Roach's ranch, for which 120 underage chorus girls and extras were special guests. Scotch and champagne flowed, and inevitably there was an incident: David Ross, a middle-aged conventioneer from Chicago, raped a 17-year-old dancer named Patricia Douglas.

Why have you never heard this story? Writer David Stenn wondered the same thing, and his curiosity set him on a decade-long search for the answer. Girl 27 reveals the sordid depths to which MGM went in order to make Patricia Douglas and the crime perpetrated against her go away, including engaging in character assassination, buying off a witness and a family member, and ensuring that the justice system would give no justice. Stenn, a first-time director, constructed his film in a compelling way, mixing interviews, historical footage and scenes from movies of the day to re-create the era, giving depth and dimension to the story. He discusses other Hollywood sex scandals, proving, among other things, that Patricia Douglas was not alone. He eventually tracked down Douglas, an embittered recluse who was nearly 90 and living in Las Vegas, for a firsthand account of the "attack" (she can't bring herself to utter the word "rape") and its effect on her life.

A photo gallery and commentary are expected extras, but a short film from 1935, Hollywood Extra Girl, helps explain the conditions for young women vying to work in the movies. The video image is good, though some of the movie footage is rough, and the stereo sound is perfect for the subject matter. We discover that MGM wouldn't release footage director Stenn clearly would have used, even 70 years after the fact. It would have been nice to include a short feature that explored this issue and the making of the film. I would have welcomed Stenn's much-deserved jabs at MGM.

Today, a high-profile sexual assault would be covered around the clock, but in 1937 it was easy to bury the story, even after it was literally front-page news. As you watch Girl 27, you'll be angered at the inevitability and acceptance of it all, and marvel at the fortitude of the young woman at the center.

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