CORONER TO THE STARS
(The 2025 Vashon Island Film Fest runs August 7-10 on beautiful Vashon Island, just a ferry ride from Seattle. HtN has coverage coming your way like this Coroner to the Stars movie review by Chris Reed! Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
Born in Japan in 1927, Dr. Thomas Noguchi emigrated to the United States in 1952, eventually becoming a forensic pathologist and then the Deputy Medical Examiner at the Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner Coroner’s Office. In 1967, he was made Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner. Dubbed the “Coroner to the Stars” (given who lives in that county), Noguchi is the subject of the eponymous documentary from directors Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno (making their feature debuts). Both he and the film prove thoroughly engaging.
What impresses the most about Noguchi is his apparent work ethic and attention to detail. In his tenure at the head of the L.A. Coroner’s Office, he was also known for candor and perhaps a little bit of showboating. Those characteristics did not always win him friends, especially when it came to modernizing his facilities and asking for a bigger budget. Add to that the very real fact that he was an Asian man serving at the whim of white politicians (the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, aka “The Five Kings”), and it’s a wonder he was able to get anything done at all.
Still, Dr. Noguchi was forced out of his position in 1982, courtesy of one too many honest reports about celebrity deaths and pushback from the deceased’s friends (I see you, Frank Sinatra). Though he had earlier survived, at the start of his tenure, a similar effort (for slightly different reasons), the second time was the charm for his enemies. This movie chronicles his highs and lows, plus the aftermath.
It is also filled with generous amounts of supporting material, from interviews with Noguchi’s contemporaries, supporters (such as actor George Takei), students, lawyers, and others, to archival footage of press conferences and clips from news material and films starring many of the people whose autopsies he performed. These include Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Sharon Tate (and other Charles Manson victims), William Holden, Natalie Wood, and John Belushi. The mix of points of view is always informative and never short of entertaining.
Noguchi is still alive as of 2025, and though he never returned to the top of the Coroner’s Office, has led a successful adjacent career since his firing. Many remember how he hired diverse staff at a time when that was unusual and pay homage to the efficacy of his methods. Though he is widowed now, he remains active in his field. This documentary is a fitting tribute, made all the better by his being able to once again bask in the glow he deserves.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
2025 Vashon Island Film Festival; Ben Hethcoat, Keita Ideno; Coroner to the Stars movie review
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