It was a L.A. County Superior Court Press Release that called my attention to this story. The court was trying to do some damage control on a minor factual issue in the HBO documentary, Roman Polanski: Wanted and DesiredIf the Superior Court was complaining I had to see what the fuss was about. The court was going to be exposed for a horrible example of Celebrity Injustice.
In Poland, Roman Pulaski’s Catholic mother was murdered by the Nazi’s and his father was sent to a concentration camp. Polanski lived on a farm and after attending a film school the lad escaped from then Communist Poland to France, where he was born. Soon Polanski was living the American dream finding himself quickly thrust into film making and Hollywood’s A-List.
Polanski met and married the beautiful actress, Sharon Tate. While Polanski was in Europe the Manson Family butchered Tate and her friends. The murders were ritualistic in appearance and since Polanski directed Rosemary’s Baby some muck-raking members of the international media declared Polanski as the obvious suspect. He had to morn his pretty young wife and their unborn child under the cruelest of circumstances.
One night Polanski found himself in actor Jack Nicholson’s hot tub with a delightful, nude 13 year-old girl, Samantha Geimer. A lot of champaign had been consumed by both and there was sex. In most American states that’s considered a somewhat serious crime but in Europe they are more cavalier about such things.
Soon Polanski found himself in yet another international media firestorm. During my time as a criminal defense investigator I’ve worked two celebrity cases where I learned about Celebrity Justice. As an investigative TV news producer I've covered several others.
Celebrity Justice is inherently unfair because of media involvement and the serious matter of cops, prosecutors and Judge’s behavior throughout these cases. Instead of just doing their jobs human nature prompts these players to perform and bask in their new found fame. Caught in the glare of the media floodlights was Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Laurence Rrittenbrand.
The alleged victim, Samantha Geimer and her parents did not want to see Polanski imprisoned of even jailed. A plea bargain was struck. Because of despicable judicial shenanigans by Judge Rittenbrand things became incredibly convoluted. Polanski was ordered to surrender to California’s Chino State Prison for an evaluation period of six weeks. There is nothing pretty about a diminutive young celebrity like Polanski getting sent to prison on a child sex beef. That punishment in and of itself could be a death sentence. Polanski served his time.
Soon the Judge demanded more imprisonment even though nobody, including prosecutors and probation officials were asking for that. Polanski understandably was distrustful, frightened and fled to France. France refused to allow Polanski’s extradition.
Polanski did not authorize the documentary which included participation by most people still alive today including, Samantha Geimer. Grimer forgave Polanski long ago and was an honored guest at the New York Premier of this documentary film.
Polanski is 74 years-old today and has since won an Academy Award as a Director. He’s been punished and victimized more in his life than most people on our planet. The documentary is first rate and a must see for court watchers and people working within the justice system..
It’s time for a California Governor to issue a pardon to Polanski while he is still alive for humanitarian reasons.
Watch an interview with the documentary director!
12 comments:
"Found himself in Jack Nicholson's hot tub". Great, only he was drunk and with a drunk 13 year old. Europe is more "cavalier" on pedophilia- priceless. Spent 8 weeks in prison- poor millionaire. Get him back so he can die there.
What a party..wish I were there at the time. ;)
Im 100% for his liberation, Polansky's an icon, the girl knew what in God's name she was doing, so i dont think that theres much of a crime to discuss about, even when the alleged victim itself dont want no longer exposure to press and such things.
Free Polansky!
Well, she was 13 and had a boyfriend whom she told the details to, but not to her parents. she was posing for vogue and at Jack Nicholson's home, that is a bit much for a normal 13 year old. and why was she naked? Because she did know what she was doing and she was 13 in years, but it seems she was much older in maturity. I do not agree with having sex with minors, but she should not of been drinking or alone with a man old enough to be her father...where on earth were her parents or some other female adult???? My cousin was sexually active at age 11 and she had older men thinking she was 18, it was horrible, but she is the one who led them on and they had no clue.
Why was she alone with him? maybe her parents did know and didnt care, or after they found out she had sex they decided to get money out of him. Who knows, it is sad that this happened, but a parent should of been there in the first place. They should be held responsible for this as much as Mr. Polansky. There are 11 and 12 year old girls getting pregnant all the time, this world is sick. yet if you go to a foreign country it is normal. America is one of the few countries that have a statuatory law. and that is sad. :(
WHY WAS A 13 YR OLD GIRL NAKED AT JACK NICHOLSON'S HOME? IN HIS HOT TUB? NAKED? WHERES HERE PARENTS? WHERES JACK? WHY? MORALS ANYONE?
A WITCH HUNT in disguise.
Roman Polanski has already been punished enough, with his being locked up for 42 days of psychiatric care.
Is Roman Polanski being cast now as the DEVIL incarnate, since Polanski made a film about the devil, which seems to parallel the real world he inhabits.
Is there an unconscious need for Los Angeles to seek him out and punish him not only for statutory rape, but also for MURDER of his wife and unborn child, not because he actually MURDERED them, but because he made films about the DEVIL, before his American family were in fact murdered.
Strangely enough the real person Susan Atkins who murdered Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate and his unborn child died in a California jail, only a day or so before Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland.
Was Polanksi's arrest a coincidence occuring so soon after his wife's murderer died - was it really the film festival that brought it on - or was Los Angeles waiting for the Sharon Tate's real killer to die - before starting their WITCH HUNT.
Susan Atkins (the murderer of Polanski's wife) at her trial said, ''I don't know how many times I stabbed (Sharon Tate) and I don't know why I stabbed her,'' she said. ''She kept begging and pleading and begging and pleading and I got sick of listening to it, so I stabbed her.''
Is Roman Polanski being DEMONIZED - simply because he has been close to so much tragedy and more than once, and rather than empathizing with Polanski's personal tragedy, not of his own creation- people seem to want to blame him and make it all his fault?
The need to see victims as the recipients of their just deserts, that they deserve their suffering, can be explained by what psychologists call the Just World Hypothesis. According to that hypothesis, people have a strong desire or need to believe that the world is an orderly, predictable, and a just place, where people like Roman Polanski get what they deserve. But the problem in people believing that the world is just, where victims like Roman Polanski deserve their victimization and suffering - may undermine a TRUE commitment to justice.
As far as Roman Polanski's 32 year old statutory rape crime - I don't condone it at all, but you would need to lock up most of Europe for the type of crime Polanski committed as it happens all the time in France, Amsterdam, Germany and elsewhere.
But Roman Polanski being singled out 30 years later by a different culture in a different era, and stoned with all this abuse as though he is the only male on the planet that does this - is degoutant - disgusting -and really frightening - and it is not as though Roman Polanski murdered anyone it was Susan Atkins that murdered Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski's unborn child.
In addition and most importantly it seems as if Roman Polanski was again victimized in Los Angeles by the victim Samantha Geimer's mother who did not supervise her underage daughter being at Jack Nicholson's house. If the mother had been more diligent as to her attractive daughter's safety this could not have happened, The mother is culpable in failing in this duty and she assisted in facilitating the statutory rape by failing in her duty, and then she went ahead to call the police on Polanski all those decades ago, and her lack of supervision of her underage daughter did victimize Roman Polanski who knew no better.
Another question to ask is why Samantha Geimer did not run away - There was no gun pointed at her head? Even if she couldn't drive - she could have run down the street? Also Angelica Huston was in the house apparently so she could have screamed to get Angelica Huston's attention.
Los Angeles - Give up the 30 year old WITCH HUNT
Polankskis victim Samantha Geimer doesn't want any part of this NOW.
LOS ANGELES Give the man a break - the one that Susan Atkins would not give his wife Sharon Tate and his unborn child.
Let's get this straight - Roman Polanski served 42 days 32 years ago. And Roman Polanski did not flee his punishment - he flew in the face of Injustice - the metaphoric rape on him by Judge Laurence R Rittenband, in the County of Los Angeles Santa Monica Courthouse who acted illegally when the Judge wanted to eviscerate Roman Polanski's rights to fight deportation.
Two Rapes don't make a right and People of California as well as the rest of the World should be extremely grateful to Roman Polanski for holding out against Injustice against him in Calfifornia.
In that sense Roman Polanski is a hero by not caving in to Injustice, regardless of his alleged crime.
If Roman Polanski hadn't held out against injustice we would ALL be in the dark about the metaphoric rape against Polanski that was occurring against him at Santa Monica Courthouse because of Judge Rittenband.
AND SO BUT FOR POLANSKI'S ACTION TO FLY AWAY FROM INJUSTICE - THE INJUSTICE AT SANTA MONICA COURTHOUSE - WOULD HAVE REMAINED INVISIBLE & COVERED UP.
If INJUSTICE is allowed to remain under wraps and invisible to others - then no steps can be taken to rectify Injustice that is occurring against the World's people in the County of Los Angeles Santa Monica Courthouse.
It takes a brave person to stand up to the might of Injustice, and Polanski has stood his ground for 32 years. Polanski is still standing his ground even now in Switzerland.
If Polanski had allowed himself be compromised by Injustice, and had given in to the Judge's Injustice - then we would never have known and Injustice will continue to flourish in Santa Monica County of Los Angeles Courthouse with a Justice that is a bully, and a Justice that is not blind.
A new charm from Roman Polanski
Carnage (trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxX02-KdsXM&feature=player_embedded
Polanski's childhood ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vWUnC6Vlpy8#!
36 years ago to the day -
I wonder if the area code 310 was named after...
Arnold the Ex- Gov of California or after Roman?
Happy 80th birthday Roman Polanski
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1WZRtVqFs
Born August 18, 1933, Polish-French-Jewish film director Roman Polanski has had a checkered and varied film career. He has made many movies, set in various locations and covering a variety of countries, with a visible Jewish spine running throughout his body of work. Although Polanski and his father escaped extermination, his mother died in Auschwitz. Growing up during, and living through, the Holocaust, Polanski’s awareness of his Jewish identity has had a significant effect on his films.
In 1968, Polanski maintained the horror theme by adapting Ira Levin’s novel “Rosemary’s Baby” (1967). The film has very little explicit Jewishness, apart from a couple of supporting characters. However, it introduced a new genre in which secular and agnostic Jews, taking advantage of the changes in Hollywood – in particular the loosening of the Production Code – used the horror genre to grapple with the nature of evil in a post-Holocaust world. This was also done by Stanley Kubrick in “The Shining” (1980).
In 1976, Polanski based his film “The Tenant” on a 1964 novel by Roland Topor who was, like Polanski, a French writer of Polish-Jewish origin. In addition to directing the movie, Polanski starred in the role of a Polish immigrant living in Paris. It also starred Shelley Winters, who had previously played two memorable and explicitly Jewish characters, Mrs. Van Daan in the Oscar-winning “The Diary of Anne Frank” (dir. George Stevens, 1959) and Belle Rosen in “The Poseidon Adventure” (dir. Ronald Neame, 1972).
In 1999, he directed “The Ninth Gate,” an occult thriller starring Johnny Depp. In many ways, this film embedded Jewish themes on a subtextual level, like his earlier “Rosemary’s Baby.” In so doing, it mirrored Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut,” which came out the same year.
While all films can be said to have an autobiographical trace, “The Pianist” (2002) is perhaps the film that most closely matches Polanski’s own life. An adaptation of the World War Two autobiography of the same name by Polish-Jewish musician Władysław Szpilman, the film recounted Szpilman’s (Adrien Brody) experiences as a persecuted Jew in Poland during the Holocaust. Like Szpilman, Polanski escaped the concentration camps, but his family did not.
Watching The Pianist, especially those parts depicting Szpilman’s time on the run, hiding in various flats, one recognizes that the movie provides the template for his earlier horror trilogy, also known as the apartment films, “Repulsion” (1965), “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “The Tenant.” The claustrophobia of their respective protagonists, women confined to their apartments, not knowing whom to trust, obligated to stay silent out of mortal terror of the neighbors, and living or dying on the basis of whom they choose to trust, echoes Polanski’s own experiences.
Finishing off the Jewish theme – for now – is Polanski’s “D.” Currently in production, D focuses on the Dreyfus Affair, that notorious cause celebre in which a French Jewish officer in the highly anti-Semitic French military was accused of passing secrets to the Germans, court martialed, and deliberately convicted of treason even though he was innocent, and sent to a penal colony. If this is to be Polanski’s last film, it will be a significant and interesting choice for him to bow out on, perhaps expressing his own ambivalence as – at least partially – a French Jew.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/happy-birthday-roman-polanski-watch-1-hour-1984-tv-interview-with-the-director-20130818
The fact that people feel sorry for Polanski is a reflection on the debased moral compass of western civilization. Anyone who knows about the case would know the following:
1) He knew exactly what her age was, because he knew the family.
2) He knew she wanted to be an actress and he was a film director.
3) Even though she drank alcohol, he was the one old enough to buy it and provide it to her.
4) He drugged her, and she didn't know she'd been drugged.
5) He obviously groomed her for weeks.
6) He also sodomized her, making sure that he satisfied every urge he could after putting so much hard work into grooming her into a hot-tub.
7) She feels sorry for him because she couldn't get the work as an actress after this event, and she blames her mother for calling the cops in the first place - she says it all in her biography.
Most young women when offered with a career in Hollywood, or no career, even if it involves being indecently assaulted - INCLUDING SODOMY! - will choose the latter, but this doesn't change the fact that SHE WAS 13 YRS OLD, and he was the ADULT who knew exactly what he was doing.
Geimer refuses to call him a pedophile because it was 'just a single incident' ... not that she has any idea of how many times he has done it or attempted to do it. How does she know what such a man does in his spare time? Maybe she was the only one who had a mother who called the police ... perhaps the rest were happy to get Hollywood referrals and career starts? Is Europe more accommodating to pedophiles? Perhaps Brussels on weekends?
People are totally sick minded if they think any bad that has happened to Polanski is not entirely the fault of Polanski. Who cares about the 'evils' of Celebrity Justice when all the facts above are true and obvious in this case? Perhaps making examples of celebrities is as important for the moral compass of western society, as lewd sex scenes and gratuitous violence is for making movies profitable?
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