Film Review: CORONER TO THE STARS
by Karen Pecota

Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno, USA 2025

Ben Hethcoat, together with Keita Ideno, brings to the silver screen a remarkable story of the infamous Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, in CORONER TO THE STARS. Dr. Noguchi’s groundbreaking autopsies have shaped American culture, and his diligence made way for forensic science to hold a spotlight on truth-telling that often made him a controversial figure—especially among the rich and famous whose reputations are always on the line, dead or alive.

Dr. Noguchi was fearless when it came to telling the truth. He believed that each death taught us something important about how we live, and he abided by a personal motto to “tell it like it is.” His intensity for this motto became apparent when, as a young doctor, he was made aware of several missteps made regarding former President John F. Kennedy’s death and controversial findings. He did not want to see such disregard for anyone, ever, occur on his watch as a medical examiner.

For example, Hethcoat and Ideno share, “Dr. Noguchi ruled Marilyn Monroe’s death a suicide, concluded that Robert Kennedy was shot from inches away, first linked Sharon Tate’s murder to a cult, recreated the drunken fall that caused William Holden to bleed to death, reconstructed the cocktails of drugs that killed Janis Joplin and John Belushi, and fueled suspicion of foul play in the drowning of Natalie Wood.” Unfortunately, not everyone felt the need to be so transparent with autopsy findings within the Hollywood elites and tried to destroy Dr. Noguchi’s career and have him removed from his position for “telling it like it is.” The last effort made to remove him succeeded. Though protests occurred, Dr. Noguchi peacefully took a job demotion in order to continue his work to serve the community, in the field of his passion, and alongside his beloved colleagues.

A Japanese immigrant, housed in an internment camp during WW II, Dr. Noguchi rose above the fray in his struggle to make it in America, and became a sought-after medical professional for his expertise worldwide. During his tenure, he brought the Los Angeles coroner department from the small basement of the Los Angeles City Hall building into the light, so to speak, with the development of a large state-of-the-art Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Department for a city of over 10 million residents. Hethcoat notes these incredible stats: “In Los Angeles, upwards of 60,000 people die each year in a 5,000 square mile territory consisting of 88 cities. One of six of those deaths is considered sudden, violent, or unusual. Those are the ones investigated by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office. Their task is to identify the bodies of homeless and unknown decedents, tracing strains of drugs in overdose deaths, helping diagnose outbreaks of deadly diseases, and determining the cause of death in homicides and traffic accidents.”

Dr. Noguchi fought hard for his colleagues to be able to have the best technologies available for their public service. So much so that even the popular TV series, “Quincy, M.E.” used the department in filming for its authenticity.

Hethcoat shares, “One of the most powerful discoveries during production was a 1967 letter from George Takei, advocating for Dr. Noguchi during a trial that threatened his job.” Continuing, “George’s participation in the film helped highlight how the Japanese American community rallied around Dr. Noguchi, and it connected us with the Japanese American National Museum.” Partnering with Keita Ideno was another turning point in the film which Hethcoat tells, “Being from Japan, Keita brought a cultural depth to the film to help uncover the nuanced racial and political dimension of Dr. Noguchi’s career, making the film richer and more layered.”

Hethcoat concludes, “At its core, this film is about the power of truth. Dr. Noguchi was a man who fought to reveal uncomfortable truths, no matter the cost.” Adding, “This film is my attempt to honor that legacy and to remind audiences that public servants like Dr. Noguchi play a vital role in safeguarding truth in an era where perception often outweighs reality.”