A Graveyard for Lunatics – Ray Bradbury (1990)

Ray Bradbury’s A Graveyard for Lunatics: Another Tale of Two Cities (1990) is the second book in the Crumley Mysteries series, following Death Is a Lonely Business. Set in 1950s Hollywood, the novel blends mystery, satire, and gothic elements as an unnamed screenwriter stumbles upon a corpse that reignites old secrets within the glamorous yet sinister world of filmmaking. Bradbury’s vivid storytelling uncovers the surreal interplay of fantasy and reality in the Golden Age of Hollywood, all while delving into themes of memory, artifice, and the haunting past.

Plot Summary

On a Halloween night in 1954, a young screenwriter, enchanted by the magic and mystery of Maximus Films Studio, finds himself at the boundary between two cities. On one side lies the world of cinema, alive with sets and actors, and on the other stands Green Glades Cemetery, a resting place for the dead. The narrator receives an anonymous note inviting him to the graveyard at midnight with a promise of revelation. He ventures there and encounters a grim and startling sight: a man frozen atop a ladder leaning against the graveyard wall, poised as if in mid-flight but struck down by death. When the body falls, he recognizes the face as James Charles Arbuthnot, a former Hollywood mogul who had reportedly died in a car crash decades ago.

Terrified yet intrigued, the screenwriter rushes back to the studio, unsure of whether the night’s events were real or an elaborate joke. He confides in his friend Roy Holdstrom, a special-effects artist who shares his passion for the surreal and the macabre. Together, they decide to investigate the mysterious appearance of Arbuthnot’s body and its connection to the cemetery, the studio, and the whispered secrets of Hollywood’s past.

The next morning, the cemetery shows no signs of the body or the ladder. Still, the screenwriter’s discovery unsettles the studio’s eccentric inhabitants. Among them is Fritz Wong, a flamboyant and exacting film director with a sharp tongue and an eye for drama, and Manny Leiber, the no-nonsense studio head trying to keep order amidst the chaos. Both men dismiss the screenwriter’s tale, but their unease hints at a buried truth. The mystery deepens when the pair spots a black hearse quietly entering and leaving the studio grounds, carrying what appears to be a coffin. They follow its trail, weaving through the studio’s labyrinth of backlots and warehouses, and discover a coffin in the carpenters’ workshop. Inside lies not a decayed corpse but a wax figure bearing Arbuthnot’s likeness.

As rumors swirl around the studio, the screenwriter and Roy uncover more peculiarities. Arbuthnot, once a charismatic and influential figure, had been the heart of Maximus Films until his tragic death. Now, his resurrection—real or staged—seems to stir old tensions and anxieties among those who knew him. The screenwriter learns of Arbuthnot’s tangled history, his fiery charisma, and his connections to powerful figures whose loyalty may have faltered in the shadow of ambition.

The narrator’s investigations begin to attract the wrong kind of attention. Strange figures shadow him on the studio grounds, and cryptic warnings arrive in his office. He persists, driven by a mix of curiosity and the thrill of uncovering hidden stories. He begins to suspect that Arbuthnot’s death was not an accident but part of a larger conspiracy tied to Maximus Films’ turbulent past. As he digs deeper, he unearths old feuds, jealousies, and secrets among the studio’s key players, many of whom had reasons to resent Arbuthnot’s towering influence.

Roy, meanwhile, delves into his creative world, sculpting monsters and imagining terrors for the screen, yet he remains a steadfast ally. His passion for the bizarre often provides the screenwriter with inspiration and insight. Together, they reconstruct fragments of Arbuthnot’s last days, piecing together the events leading to his demise and the motives of those who might want to resurrect—or silence—his legacy.

The studio itself becomes a character in their search, its sprawling lots and eerie backlots shrouded in an otherworldly atmosphere. Its sound stages are filled with the ghosts of movies past, and its workers, caught between art and commerce, embody the city’s strange duality. Here, the living and the dead intermingle, blurring the lines between illusion and reality.

The screenwriter’s search leads him to confront not just the mystery of Arbuthnot’s death but his own fascination with Hollywood. He realizes that the studio, for all its glamour and creativity, thrives on a foundation of shadows, secrets, and betrayals. The deeper he goes, the more he senses the danger of unearthing truths that powerful figures would prefer remain hidden.

As Halloween gives way to the Day of the Dead, the screenwriter and Roy stage a confrontation to draw out the truth. They set a trap using the wax figure and the hearse, hoping to lure those responsible into revealing themselves. The plan unfolds amidst the chaos of studio life, with actors, directors, and extras unwittingly participating in their scheme. In the end, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that ties Arbuthnot’s death to a network of betrayal, greed, and manipulation within Maximus Films.

The truth, once revealed, is both thrilling and devastating. Arbuthnot’s death, the machinations of the living, and the eerie resurrection of his likeness serve as a stark reminder of Hollywood’s complex tapestry—where art and ambition are intertwined, and the dead never truly rest. In the final moments, the screenwriter gazes at the studio’s silhouette, both awed and disillusioned, knowing that the city of the living and the city of the dead will continue their strange dance, with new stories rising from the shadows.

Main Characters

• The Narrator: A young and idealistic screenwriter, the narrator’s passion for movies drives his creative pursuits and his descent into Hollywood’s surreal underworld. He is sharp, imaginative, and eager to uncover the mysteries that cross his path.

• Roy Holdstrom: The narrator’s eccentric and loyal friend, Roy is a special-effects wizard with a passion for creating monsters. His innovative genius often contrasts with his childlike wonder.

• Fritz Wong: A flamboyant and bombastic film director with a larger-than-life personality. Part comic relief, part artistic mentor, Wong embodies the dramatic extremes of Hollywood’s creative elite.

• Manny Leiber: The studio head, Leiber is ambitious, sharp, and often exasperated by the chaos that reigns in his domain. His pragmatism keeps the studio functioning amidst the turmoil.

• James Charles Arbuthnot: A former Hollywood mogul whose mysterious death in a car crash decades earlier becomes central to the story. His apparent resurrection raises questions about the studio’s hidden past.

Theme

• The Duality of Hollywood: The novel juxtaposes the glamorous “city of the living” (Hollywood) with the eerie “city of the dead” (the graveyard). This reflects the tension between fantasy and reality in the film industry.

• Resurrection and Memory: Arbuthnot’s reappearance symbolizes the haunting legacy of Hollywood’s past and the resurrection of buried truths, both literal and metaphorical.

• Artifice vs. Reality: Bradbury examines the power of illusion in filmmaking and its capacity to shape perceptions, raising questions about authenticity in art and life.

• Nostalgia and Loss: The narrator’s reflections on his love for cinema and the transient nature of fame underscore the bittersweet longing for a past that can never be reclaimed.

• The Gothic and the Grotesque: With its eerie graveyard setting and macabre mystery, the novel employs gothic motifs to explore Hollywood’s darker side.

Writing Style and Tone

Ray Bradbury’s writing in A Graveyard for Lunatics is both lyrical and vividly cinematic. He combines lush, poetic descriptions with sharp, witty dialogue to evoke the surreal world of 1950s Hollywood. The narrative often feels like a dream, blending elements of noir and fantasy with a strong sense of nostalgia.

The tone shifts between lighthearted satire and unsettling suspense. Bradbury’s love for storytelling shines through his depictions of the filmmaking process, while his critiques of Hollywood’s artifice add layers of depth. His ability to balance whimsy with an undercurrent of unease makes the story both enchanting and haunting.