The Corpse Came C.O.D. The Corpse Came C.O.D. The Corpse Came C.O.D. is a 1947 American film directed by Henry Levin, produced by Samuel Bischoff and starring George Brent and Joan Blondell. The comedic mystery is notable for featuring cameos by Hollywood gossip columnists appearing as themselves: Harrison Carroll, Jimmy Fidler, George Fisher, Hedda Hopper, Erskine Johnson, Louella Parsons, and Sidney Skolsky. The movie is based on a novel by columnist Jimmy Starr, who also appears in the movie. Two reporters who are in love (Brent and Blondell) compete with each other when covering the story about the discovery of a corpse found at
Gossip columnist celebrity or their projects, or to counteract "bad press" that has recently surfaced about their conduct. While gossip columnists’ "bread and butter" is rumor, innuendo, and allegations of scandalous behavior, there is a fine line between legally acceptable spreading of rumor and the making of defamatory statements, which can provoke a lawsuit. Newspaper and magazine editorial policies normally require gossip columnists to have a source for all of their allegations, to protect the publisher against lawsuits for defamation (libel). In the United States, celebrities or public figures can sue for libel if their private lives are revealed in gossip columns