Robert Stack's Personal Connection to an Unsolved Mystery

[RobinW]

So last night, I was listening to the "In Sight" podcast episode about the disappearance of Jean Spangler and heard a very interesting anecdote about Robert Stack which I never knew before. In case you’re not familiar with the Jean Spangler case, she was an aspiring actress who had a few bit parts in some Hollywood movies before she mysteriously vanished on October 7, 1949. Her purse was found in Griffith Park containing a cryptic note addressed to someone named “Kirk”. Since Spangler had recently appeared in a film starring Kirk Douglas, there was speculation that he was the “Kirk” mentioned in the note. It’s a pretty crazy case with a bunch of different angles, so here’s a full summary if you’ve never heard of it before:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Spangler

Anyway, Spangler also happened to be acquainted with another famous Hollywood actor named Robert Stack. It sounds like they were friends, though it doesn’t look like they actually dated or anything. Anyway, two nights before Spangler disappeared, Stack was walking home when he happened to pass by Spangler’s apartment and saw an unidentified man lurking outside who appeared to be attempting a break-in. It was too dark for Stack to get a good look at the man, but he took off when he saw Stack staring at them. Stack didn’t think anything of it at the time, but when Spangler went missing days later, he came forward and shared this story with the police.

It’s possible this incident has no connection at all to the case, but wouldn’t it be crazy if the future host of "Unsolved Mysteries" actually crossed paths with the person who was responsible for Jean Spangler’s disappearance? This is a pretty famous Hollywood mystery, so now I really wish UM had produced a segment about it.

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Originally Posted by RobinW

So last night, I was listening to the "In Sight" podcast episode about the disappearance of Jean Spangler and heard a very interesting anecdote about Robert Stack which I never knew before. In case you’re not familiar with the Jean Spangler case, she was an aspiring actress who had a few bit parts in some Hollywood movies before she mysteriously vanished on October 7, 1949. Her purse was found in Griffith Park containing a cryptic note addressed to someone named “Kirk”. Since Spangler had recently appeared in a film starring Kirk Douglas, there was speculation that he was the “Kirk” mentioned in the note. It’s a pretty crazy case with a bunch of different angles, so here’s a full summary if you’ve never heard of it before:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Spangler

Anyway, Spangler also happened to be acquainted with another famous Hollywood actor named Robert Stack. It sounds like they were friends, though it doesn’t look like they actually dated or anything. Anyway, two nights before Spangler disappeared, Stack was walking home when he happened to pass by Spangler’s apartment and saw an unidentified man lurking outside who appeared to be attempting a break-in. It was too dark for Stack to get a good look at the man, but he took off when he saw Stack staring at them. Stack didn’t think anything of it at the time, but when Spangler went missing days later, he came forward and shared this story with the police.

It’s possible this incident has no connection at all to the case, but wouldn’t it be crazy if the future host of "Unsolved Mysteries" actually crossed paths with the person who was responsible for Jean Spangler’s disappearance? This is a pretty famous Hollywood mystery, so now I really wish UM had produced a segment about it.

Other than the fact that he had solidified his career in Hollywood by portraying Elliott Ness, I can absolutely see something like this shaping the trajectory of his life.

Yeah. Why the hell WOULDN'T UM do a segment about this? I certainly find it more interesting than the fertility statues. Or the magic rock.

[RobinW]

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Other than the fact that he had solidified his career in Hollywood by portraying Elliott Ness, I can absolutely see something like this shaping the trajectory of his life.

Yeah. Why the hell WOULDN'T UM do a segment about this? I certainly find it more interesting than the fertility statues. Or the magic rock.

No kidding, after Spangler went missing, I'm sure Stack probably wished he had reported this man immediately, even though there's no way of knowing if this event had any bearing on her disappearance. You have to wonder if he still had this case on his mind when he was asked to host a show about unsolved cold cases nearly 40 years later.

Oh yes, and I can't help but picture RS wearing a trenchcoat as he stared down this mysterious man and scared him away .

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Yeah. Why the hell WOULDN'T UM do a segment about this?

That would have been nice. Stack could have hosted AND be interviewed as a witness. Maybe even played himself in the reenactment.

[TheCars1986]

Wow, very interesting. Great find!

One has to wonder why this was never even considered for the show, since it's a fairly famous case which featured Stack in some capacity.

[Steve W.]

It would be even more surprising if he had been responsible for her disappearance: "Update! I am responsible for Jean Spangler's disappearance. The local authorities have been notified and they will be here in a matter of minutes to arrest me."

[asmitty]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

One has to wonder why this was never even considered for the show, since it's a fairly famous case which featured Stack in some capacity.

To be fair, we don't know if it was considered, we just know it was never selected, produced, and aired. Perhaps the producers felt it was to old and/or unlikely to be solved to fill a spot as one of their crime segments.

I know we bandy about the thought that cases like this would be better fare than fertility statues, magic rocks, and aphrodisiac chocolates; however, UM was always going to have those fluff segments to keep its ratings up and not be too morbid. So, we have to think of this particular case as being up against other crime segments as competition in brainstorming segments.

It's also quite possible that Stack didn't want to relive this particular part of his past.

[diesteldorf]

I wasn't aware of the Spangler case, but I knew that Stack had said at one time that he was a personal friend of Mickey & Trudy Thompson and I know that case was profiled.

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Originally Posted by diesteldorf

I wasn't aware of the Spangler case, but I knew that Stack had said at one time that he was a personal friend of Mickey & Trudy Thompson and I know that case was profiled.

Wow. That puts a whole new spin on that case for me. Glad it got resolved.

[Janel "Jaycee" Miller]

Nothing for nothing, but when I looked up a picture of Jean, and saw the dark hair and somewhat fair skin my first thought was the Black Dahlia.

Perhaps, just perhaps the same person is responsible for both crimes, we just haven't found Jean yet?

And FWIW, I was born 25 years to the day she vanished.

[undertakeress]

Ann Rule's book on the Thompsons is great too. It's one of her crime volume books

[everybodylovesrs]

I'm surprised they came back and bothered Jean again. If Robert Stack stared at me, I'd be scared ****less.

[Kane]

Originally Posted by asmitty

To be fair, we don't know if it was considered, we just know it was never selected, produced, and aired.

Agreed. I don't know for a fact that UM ever considered the Jean Spangler case. Just because UM never did a segment on the case, doesn't mean they passed on it. If anyone is going to second-guess the show for anything, let alone for not choosing a certain case, I suggest getting the facts first.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Kane

Agreed. I don't know for a fact that UM ever considered the Jean Spangler case. Just because UM never did a segment on the case, doesn't mean they passed on it. If anyone is going to second-guess the show for anything, let alone for not choosing a certain case, I suggest getting the facts first.

Considering nothing was mentioned at all on the DVD sets on their commentary tracks or in interviews after Stack's passing, I'd say it's a reasonable assumption that it was never considered. They talked about how Stack would get upset over some of the paranormal segments because of how ridiculous they sounded to him, his dislike of the Halloween special, working with Stack, etc. If they went over minor little tidbits like this, I can't see them passing up on mentioning they had at one point discussed featuring a case that actually involved him in some capacity.