In which year did Hollywood's first major scandal involving Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle occur?

• A. 1921
• B. 1905
• C. 1930
• D. 1918

Answer: (A)

The question hinges on when Hollywood’s first major scandal involving a superstar erupted and how that moment shaped the industry. In 1921, the death of Virginia Rappe after a party hosted by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle led to widespread allegations and three high-profile trials within that year. The intensity of media coverage, public outcry, and the resulting studio responses marked a turning point in how Hollywood dealt with scandal, celebrity, and morality in the studio system. Although Arbuckle was ultimately acquitted, the damage to his career and the industry’s adoption of stricter public standards cemented 1921 as Hollywood’s first major scandal in the public imagination. The other years don’t align with the scandal’s timeline: 1905 is far too early for Arbuckle’s rise to stardom, and 1918 or 1930 fall outside the sequence of events that defined this particular controversy.