The Los Angeles dedicated an entire article on Roman Polanski’s inclusion in “Rush Hour 3″ and barely mentions his legal problems in the United States (saying only “famous fugitive” after “film icon”). Times writer Jay Fernandez makes light of the fact that people may not remember Polanski (sarcastically calling him “some guy named Polanski” in the headline) and then goes on to list movies he’s written and/or directed. However, anyone over 30 will remember this is the man who sexually abused a 13-year old girl and then skipped to France rather than risk time in a U.S. prison, admittedly not a good place for molesters–whether or not they are “film icons”.

What was Polanski’s crime? Don’t look to the Times for that, instead you need to go to the Smoking Gun.

In 1977, Polanski plied Polanski plied then 13-year old Samantha Gailey with Champagne and a Quaalude in a Mulholland Canyon home owned by Jack Nicholson. He also had the young teen pose twice for topless photos that the director said were for French Vogue.

Polanski directed her to, “Take off your underwear” and enter the Jacuzzi, where he photographed her naked. Soon, the director, who was then 43, joined her in the hot tub. He also wasn’t wearing any clothes and, according to Gailey’s testimony, wrapped his hands around the child’s waist.

The girl testified that she left the Jacuzzi and entered a bedroom in Nicholson’s home, where Polanski sat down beside her and kissed the teen, despite her demands that he “keep away.” According to Gailey, Polanski then performed a sex act on her and later “started to have intercourse with me.” At one point, according to Gailey’s testimony, Polanski asked the 13-year-old if she was “on the pill,” and “When did you last have your period?” Polanski then asked her, Gailey recalled, “Would you want me to go in through your back?” before he “put his penis in my butt.” Asked why she did not more forcefully resist Polanski, the teenager told Deputy D.A. Roger Gunson, “Because I was afraid of him.”

Following his indictment on various sex charges, Polanski agreed to a plea deal that spared him prison time (he had spent about 45 days in jail during a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation). But when it seemed that a Superior Court judge might not honor the deal–and sentence Polanski to prison–the director fled the country.

That was the last that Polanski saw of the U.S. though he enjoys his freedom in France where it appears that giving Champagne and Quaaludes to young girls is considered cultural, not criminal.

But the point is that the Times writes a front page Calendar section article on the director and doesn’t mention any of this. Of course, who reads Calendar anymore anyway? This same subject was covered in Defamer two-weeks before the Times got around to it. Furthermore, Defamer didn’t take the time to edit out Polanski’s crimes as did the LAT.

tags: roman polanski pedophile rush hour 3

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 9th, 2006 at 11:03 pm by Insider and is filed under Los Angeles Times. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.