Coroner to the Stars chronicles the extraordinary journey of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner whose groundbreaking autopsies forever 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 fearless pursuit of truth often placed him in the crosshairs of controversy.
CORONER TO THE STARS – Documentary on Dr. Thomas Noguchi and Hollywood’s Most Famous Cases
CORONER TO THE STARS chronicles the life and legacy of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the Los Angeles coroner whose investigations of some of Hollywood's most famous deaths transformed forensic science and public understanding of celebrity culture.
- Published:
- Updated: June 15, 2026
- By: Creators Faire Editorial
About the filmmakers
ben hethcoat (writer/director/producer)
Ben Hethcoat is the son of a medical examiner-coroner, Dr. Gayland Hethcoat. He has spent the last ten years traveling with Dr. Noguchi all around the world at medical-legal gatherings like the World Association of Medical Law.
He currently works as Senior Video Producer at Crooked Media, where he oversees video production for Pod Save America and develops original video-first series about news and politics. Before joining Crooked, Ben was a Video Producer at Marketplace, creating explainer videos that demystified the economy and its impact on everyday life.
keita ideno (writer/director/editor)
Keita Ideno is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. Similar to Dr. Noguchi, Ideno immigrated from Japan to the United States to follow his dreams. After 20 years in the industry, Ideno has edited over 10 feature films in a wide variety of genres, as well as documentaries, animated television series, and streaming shows.
In 2018, Ideno edited and co-wrote the documentary feature Kusama-Infinity, which has its World Premiere in the US Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2021, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work on Netflix’s Cat People. Most recently, Ideno edited the documentary feature AUM: Cult at the End of the World, which also had its World Premiere in the US Documentary Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
LIST
roadshow schedule (to-date)
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 *
* IN-PERSON Q&A WITH DIRECTORS BEN HETHCOAT & KEITA IDENO
WHO
directors: Ben Hethcoat, Keita Ideno
featuring: Dr. Thomas Noguchi, George Takei, Janice Hahn, Cyril Wecht, Rosalind Marks, Esq., Dr. Mark Fajardo, Masako Easton, Dan Medina, Paul Guyet
producers: Billy Ray Brewton, John Henry Hinkel, Tommy Andres, Ben Hethcoat
editor: Keita Ideno
cinematography: Erica Chan, Michelle Lawler
executive producers: Mike McNamara, Chiaki Yanagimoto, P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes
composer: Mike Schanzlin, Mike Griffin (Mondo Boys)
songs: Phranc