Did Cliff get away with a murder?
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for At Quentin Tarantinos novel, Once upon a time in hollywood. InOnce upon a time  in Hollywood,Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, the stunt double of dilapidated actor Rick Dalton. Cliff is a staunch friend, decorated war hero, and fearless stuntman who isnt afraid to hang out with Bruce Lee or The Manson Family. Quentin Tarantinos ninth film painfully shows Cliff isdo notsomeone you want to play with, and while Once upon a time  in HollywoodShowcasing a lot of a badass that he is, it also hints at a darkness lurking beneath the surface. Only now with the recently released novelization of Once upon a time  in Hollywoodthat Cliffs more unpleasant past has been revealed. Tarantinos novel sheds light on Cliffs violent tendencies and confirms a long-held suspicion with all-new snippets and discoveries. RELATED: Quentin Tarantino Hasnt Ditched Kill Bill 3 Yet  For years, Cliff was famous in the stunt community for his distinguished military service during World War II, but in the 1960s Cliff became infamous for the murder of his wife. No one really knew for sure, and Cliff always maintained his innocence, but all everyone understood was that he and his wife went on a boat together, and only Cliff returned. This rumor ended up putting Cliff on the blacklist of almost every movie set in Hollywood. While Cliffs guilt is heavily involved in Once upon a time in hollywoodTarantino has left it somewhat ambiguous so far. In the novel it is revealed that he did killing his wife and getting away with it, but killing his wife wasnt actually the first time hed gotten away with a murder. The stuntman had a deadly history, and he was one of the the biggest hero of World War II, winning two medals of valor. He won his first fight against the Italians in Sicily and his second fight against the Japanese. He is also credited as the American soldier who killed the most Japanese soldiers. RELATED: Tarantino Slams Once Upon a Time Critics in Hollywoods Most Controversial Scene  Later, Cliff was captured by the Japanese and placed in a makeshift prison camp. He led his fellow inmates to overthrow and kill their captors and escape the jungle. Columbia Pictureseven has made a film about Cliffs heroism titledBattle of the CoralSea, which coincidentally starred Rick Dalton. Sadly, they left out all the gory details, turned the story into an underwater movie, and left Cliff out completely. It wasnt until his return to the United States that he got away with a murder for the first time in Cleveland. Two mobsters harassed Cliff and his date in a pizzeria. Cliff shot them both, knowing the law would side with a war hero against two gangsters, and he was right. Her second time was that fateful day on Billies boat. Cliffs wife, Billie, had been drinking and was belligerent. Fed up, Cliff acted on impulse, as Tarantino writes, it was more instinct one decision. He shot Billyin in the abdomen with a shark pistol, slitting her in half by the chest. RELATED: Quentin Tarantino Explains The Genius Of Jokers Horrific Climax  Cliff felt instant regret and rushed to her aid, rocking her for seven hours until her death. Meanwhile, they remember their relationship until the Coast Guard arrives to take her to an ambulance, where she literally collapses. Cliff claimed she died as a result of tragic mishandling of diving equipment and that no law enforcement agency could definitively prove Cliff guilty, so she was called of misadventure. While Cliff never had a serious relationship with another woman after killing his wife, he found a family with Brandy, his pit bull, with whom his stunt friend Buster Cooley asked them to participate in aerial fights. She dominated the aerial combat game, but the fighting started to take its toll on Brandy. Cliff, who became attached to Brandy, became enraged when Buster engaged her in another fight because he knew it would kill her. Buster knew this too, and he planned to bet on another dog at the cost of Beandys life. Enraged, Cliff attacked Buster and broke his neck, killing him. Cliff then crammed the corpse into Cooleys car and dumped it in Compton. Brad Pitts performance as Cliff Booth is epitome of cool, but behind these Aviator sunglasses lies a man who has witnessed and perpetrated real horrors. While Once upon a time  in Hollywoodto Cliffs pass line that, The prison has been trying to get me my whole life. But its never had me yet, Once upon a time  in Hollywoodnovel shows exactly why. KEEP READING: Tarantino Considered a Reservoir Dogs Remake His Last Movie  Blade Star calls Black Widow and other MCU movies trash      About the Author