History Uncensored

What do a Hollywood party, a shocking death, and a desperate attempt to clean up the film industry have to do with the Oscars?

Join Bianca Nobilo as she explores the infamous 1921 scandal involving silent film star Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and the tragic death of actress Virginia Rappe - an event that ignited public outrage and threatened to destroy Hollywood’s reputation.

As scandal after scandal rocked the industry in the early 1920s, studio executives feared government intervention and moral backlash.

The solution? A major image overhaul that helped lead to the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and eventually the Oscars themselves.

Discover the dark side of early Hollywood, the scandals that shook the industry, and how one of the biggest controversies in film history helped shape the awards we know today.

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The Strait of Hormuz is a strip of water, a few miles wide, through which passes enough energy to shake the whole world. It's one of the most geopolitically charged waterways on Earth, and this is not an accident of the present. It is the result of strategic geography that has channelled trade, empire and coercion for centuries.

Bianca Nobilo gives us a quick history...

Bianca Nobilo dives into the compelling history of the American Mafia, speaking to former mob boss Michael Franzese and more.

Who were the first real gangs of New York? How deeply involved in American politics - and assassinations was the Mafia? And what did it feel like to watch your criminal empire crumble from the inside?

Behind the suits and swagger were rackets, intimidation and victims - listen to find out more.

Friday the 13th is considered unlucky by many - but why?

There’s at least one every year, with the next one coming up this week and the calendar date causes people to skip travels, avoid important business deals and generally feel a sense of unease.

It’s easy to assume it comes from ancient superstition - but this isn’t actually the case.

History Uncensored’s Bianca Nobilo explains more…

Iran has been governed by the Islamic Republic for more than four decades, with the regime suppressing fundamental rights and killing thousands of Iranian people in the last few months alone.

Resistance to the system has repeatedly erupted - from student uprisings, to reform movements, to mass protests led by women and young people.

So why hasn’t it fallen?

History Uncensored's Bianca Nobilo discusses this with Iranian historical sociologist Professor Kevan Harris, author of 'A Social Revolution: Politics and the Welfare State in Iran', which is coming soon.