Slamdance 2025 Review: ‘Coroner to the Stars’

Anyone who lived in L.A. in the 1970s and ‘80s remembers the name of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, whose high-profile medical examinations of such Hollywood notables as Sharon Tate, John Belushi and Natalie Wood brought him his own kind of notoriety, whether welcome or not.

Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno’s documentary tells the story of the now 98-year-old Noguchi, from his early days as a medical student to the lightning rod of controversy he seemed to have brought upon himself with his opinions. But he found himself constantly at odds with administrators who accused him of showboating and disclosing classified information, when all he wanted was to have enough funding for his department to do an effective job.

It’s made clear here that Noguchi’s intent was to always tell it as he saw it, but not everyone was thrilled. Hollywood frowned upon his opinions of the deaths of their beloved celebrities. Accusations of sensationalizing were leveled at him by city administrators and even such stars as Frank Sinatra.

Noguchi’s background as an immigrant who passed over an internship with Johns Hopkins to study at L.A.’s Orange County General Hospital eventually led to the film’s title moniker that still belongs to him. In an amusing side note, the film reveals that Dr. Noguchi was the inspiration for Jack Klugman’s character in the television series Quincy, M.E.

And the subject of racism isn’t dodged here — his beloved late wife, Hisako, was interned at a relocation camp during World War II, when being Japanese meant “not to be trusted.” The charges brought against him at times can’t help but seem tinged with bias. Always politically active, Noguchi was involved in the Japanese United in the Search for Truth (JUST), a lobby that was formed particularly to defend him.

Star Trek’s George Takei, whose experience in Hollywood seems to reflect Noguchi’s in many ways, has a lot to say about Dr. Noguchi in the film. Other interviewees include L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn; Rosalind Marks, Noguchi’s attorney; Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, chief medical examiner (1992-2013); Dr. Mark Fajardo, chief medical examiner (2013-2016); Dr. Cyril Wecht, American Academy of Forensic Sciences; and filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña.

In a satisfying coda, we see Dr. Noguchi as he is today, preserving the memory of his beloved Hisako and continuing his teachings.

Coroner to the Stars was the recipient of a Slamdance 2025 Audience Award, and the premiere was attended by Dr. Noguchi and Mr. Takei.

Feature photo credit: Billy Ray Brewton/Slamdance.