Dominick Dunne

Dominick Dunne (1925 - 2009) won fame as an author and investigative journalist after a previous career as a motion picture producer and studio executive. Born to a prominent family in Hartford, Connecticut, he was one of six children. The novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne was his brother. Dominick Dunne studied at Williams College before serving in World War II; he received the Bronze Star for heroism in the Battle of Metz. After the war, he worked as a stage manager in early television in New York City. He had achieved a measure of success in Hollywood when he fell prey to alcoholism and drug addiction. He left Hollywood to overcome his demons in solitude, and wrote his first novel, The Winners. Though it was not a success, he persevered in his career as an author, and found his niche chronicling the lives of the rich and famous. After his daughter, actress Dominique Dunne was murdered, and her murderer received a shockingly light sentence, he became a sharp-eyed observer of the criminal justice system. For his remaining years he covered high-profile criminal cases -- including those of O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bulow, Michael Skakel, William Kennedy Smith, and the Menendez brothers -- for the magazine Vanity Fair. His observations of these trials inspired a number of novels, including A Season in Purgatory and An Inconvenient Woman. He made frequent appearances on television, commenting on criminal cases, and hosted his own program on Court TV. His last book, Too Much Money, appeared shortly after his death at age 83. In this audio podcast, recorded in Las Vegas, at the Academy of Achievement's 1994 gathering, Dunne recounts some self-deprecating anecdotes of his career. He refers to himself as a "low-life author," and recalls the mid-life crisis that took him from a career as a film executive to one as a freelance writer. He expresses gratitude to the editors who helped guide his career and shares his views on crime, guilt and responsibility.