Directed by Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno, Coroner to the Stars is a profile documentary on the former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Noguchi, who performed autopsies for countless celebrities.
Featured in the film are Dr. Thomas Noguchi, George Takei, Janice Hahn, Cyril Wecht, Rosalind Marks, Esq., Dr. Mark Fajardo, Masako Easton, Dan Medina, and Paul Guyet.
The documentary film will have a roadshow theatrical release starting on June 23rd in Los Angeles, CA, at Laemmle Santa Monica, with screenings accompanied by an in-person Q&A with directors Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno. The full schedule can be found below.
Coroner to the Stars follows the journey of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, whose autopsies shaped American culture. From Marilyn Monroe and Robert Kennedy to Sharon Tate and Natalie Wood, Noguchi’s outspoken expertise pushed forensic science into the spotlight—even as Hollywood elites and political adversaries sought to silence him. A Japanese immigrant who unwittingly rose to fame in a city driven by stardom, Noguchi’s pursuit of truth often placed him in the crosshairs of controversy.
“I never expected a film to be made about me,” says Dr. Noguchi. “In my work, the focus was always on the deceased and their families, not on myself. But making the documentary, I understood it was not just about me—it was about history, about forensic science and also about the Japanese American story.”
Critics’ reviews of the film have been positive. The Independent Review called the film “very much like the man whom it spotlights – intelligent, transformative, and quietly remarkable.” In Review Online described the film as veering into a “self-righteous portrayal of Noguchi’s persona,” but as a whole, it is “riveting.”
Watch the official trailer for Coroner to the Stars above.
Roadshow Schedule:
- June 23rd / Los Angeles, CA / Laemmle Santa Monica
- June 24th / Los Angeles, CA / Laemmle North Hollywood
- June 25th / Los Angeles, CA / Laemmle Glendale
- June 26th / Palm Springs, CA / Festival Theaters
- June 27th / San Diego, CA / Digital Gym Cinemas
- June 28th / San Francisco, CA / Smith Rafael Film Center
- June 30th / Boston, MA / The Capitol Theatre
- July 1st / Atlanta, GA / The Tara Theatre
- July 3rd / Pittsburgh, PA / The Harris Theatre
- July 5th / Riverside, CA / Galaxy Theatres
- July 6th / Santa Ana, CA / The Frida Cinema
- July 8th / Los Angeles, CA / Brain Dead Studios
- July 9th / Long Beach, CA / Arts Theatre Long Beach
- July 11th / Ojai, CA / Ojai Playhouse
- July 11th -July 12th / Los Angeles, CA / Vidiots
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