Episode 312: The Murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy - The True Story Behind Candyman
With his swarm of bees and bloody hook, the title character of 1992’s Candyman fueled nightmares for film audiences. But the true story that inspired some of the film’s grittier elements was a living nightmare for those who endured it, proving that sometimes the scariest threat is a broken system that fails its most vulnerable. This week’s episode is The Murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy - The True Story Behind Candyman.
SOURCES
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SOURCES
Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh, Roger Ebert: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candyman-farewell-to-the-flesh-1995
Candyman: How Bernard Rose and Clive Barker Created the Horror Classic, Den of Geek: https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/candyman-bernard-rose-clive-barker-created-horror-classic/
Candyman (2021) Reviews, Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/candyman_2021/reviews?type=top_critics
Cause of Death, Chicago Reader: https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/cause-of-death/
CHA Sued in Slaying of Tenant, Chicago Tribune (1988): https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/04/20/cha-sued-in-slaying-of-tenant/
Grace Abbott Homes (Demolished), Society of Architectural Historians: https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-031-0030
How a story about the horrors of housing projects became part of a horror movie, Chicago Reader: https://chicagoreader.com/blogs/how-a-story-about-the-horrors-of-housing-projects-became-part-of-a-horror-movie/
How a tragic unsolved murder and a public housing crisis led to Candyman, Vox: https://www.vox.com/22641393/candyman-remake-true-history-cabrini-green-mirror-murder-ruthie-mae-mccoy
Say His Name - "The Forbidden", The Clive Barker Archive: https://www.clivebarkerarchive.com/blog/2021/9/5/the-forbidden-candyman
Street Life: Bernie Glassman in Yonkers, Wise Attention: https://www.wiseattention.org/blog/2012/05/16/street-wise-bernie-glassman-in-yonkers/
The Return of Candyman, Chicago Mag: https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/september-2021/the-return-of-candyman/
They Came In Through the Bathroom Mirror, Chicago Reader (1987): https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/they-came-in-through-the-bathroom-mirror/
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration
https://www.chipublib.org/housing/
https://www.chicagoganghistory.com/neighborhood/humboldt-park-west-humboldt-park/#google_vignette
