On October 31, 1993, actor River Phoenix, only 23 years old, died of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room on Hollywood’s fabled Sunset Strip. When Phoenix collapsed on the street, he was soon surrounded by people in costume, given the fact that it was Halloween. Phoenix was a magnet for the press. Those who were with him may have delayed in calling for help, trying to avoid letting Phoenix became a tabloid headline again.
