Dr. Thomas Noguchi became known as the “Coroner to the Stars” for his autopsies of the famous — from Marilyn Monroe to Robert F. Kennedy to Sharon Tate to Natalie Wood — and his work fueled mysteries and speculation about them all. Through criticisms of his work and his own handling of the spotlight, he extolled one maxim: “I tell it like it is.”

The new documentary Coroner to the Stars, premiering Sunday at the Slamdance Film Festival, recounts his rise to fame and the position of chief medical examiner of Los Angeles County in the 1960s — as well as how he lost the job in the 1980s. He became famous for his autopsy of Marilyn Monroe, and scrutinized for his autopsy of RFK. 

Asked if he sees the film as journalistic or as public relations for the now 98-year-old Noguchi, co-director Ben Hethcoat says it’s “a little of both.”

“Initially, I was drawn to the celebrity cases, but I came to see Dr. Noguchi as a man of integrity committed to the truth and science,” says Hethcoat, who co-directed the film with Keita Ideno. “Even after losing his job, he continued to advance forensic science.

“However, his fame and the media’s portrayal of him as the ‘Coroner to the Stars’ complicate his legacy. There’s a question of how much of his fame was self-sought and how much was imposed by the media and public. These questions make for a more nuanced and interesting story.”

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News agency UPI reported in 1969, as Noguchi fought to keep his job, that a witness had seen him dancing in excited anticipation of performing Kennedy’s autopsy, saying, “I am going to be famous. I hope he dies,” because he knew it would expand his reputation. 

But Noguchi held on to his position, thanks in part to Star Trek actor George Takei, co-founder of a group called J.U.S.T. — Japanese United in the Search for Truth — that said the doctor was being unfairly persecuted as a Japanese immigrant.

Takei, as well as Noguchi, are expected at the film’s premiere Sunday. (Noguchi did not immediately reply to queries from MovieMaker about the film.)

‘Coroner to the Stars’ Dr. Thomas Noguchi: a Man of Science in a City of Sensation

Noguchi’s career began in the 1960s, a tumultuous era marked by political assassinations and cultural upheaval. His autopsy of Kennedy gained wide attention because of his determination that the fatal shot was fired from just inches behind the presidential candidate’s ear. The finding has fueled speculation that there was a second shooter along with Sirhan Sirhan, who was convicted in the killing. 

“Dr. Noguchi always stood by his findings even when they went against the grain. He never speculated beyond the science, but the public often fills in the blanks,” says Hethcoat. “The second shooter theory emerged because his findings didn’t align with the official narrative. What the public does with that information is beyond his control.”

Noguchi also famously handled the autopsy of Sharon Tate, one of the victims of the August 1969 Manson murders. At a time when the killer or killer’s identities were a mystery, the film says, the doctor immediately recognized the killings as ritualistic and cult-like, involving multiple perpetrators. 

But Noguchi’s announcements often clashed with the desires of Hollywood’s elite. 

When he revealed that Natalie Wood had been drinking before her 1981 death, Frank Sinatra himself wrote a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, accusing the doctor of tarnishing Wood’s legacy. That same year, many in the industry were also angry at his findings that William Holden had been drinking before his death.  

“The public didn’t like hearing that their idols were fallible,” Hethcoat notes. “But Dr. Noguchi was just doing his job.”  

Tensions reached a boiling point in 1982, when Noguchi was removed by the Board of Supervisors and accused of mishandling the office. One supervisor, Michael Antonovich, derided Noguchi’s practice of holding news conferences after celebrities’ deaths, saying he had created a ”circus” to ”grab the headlines.”

Hethcoat thinks politics were also a factor. 

“The board of supervisors ultimately demoted him because it was largely composed of Republicans and they were influenced by the era’s politics,” he says.

Noguchi went to work in a basement office at County-USC Medical Center, where he hung a sign reading “Welcome to Siberia.” He also leaned into his public persona, hosting a cooking show and writing books. 

“Dr. Noguchi’s story is about more than just autopsies,” Hethcoat says. “It’s about what happens when the truth clashes with the stories we tell ourselves.”  

Coroner to the Stars premieres Sunday at Slamdance in Los Angeles.

Main image: Dr. Thomas Noguchi, courtesy of Coroner to the Stars.