The Celebrities Who Took "Magic Vitamins" From Dr. Feelgood

The Celebrities Who Took "Magic Vitamins" From Dr. Feelgood


June 7, 2024 | Jamie Hayes

The Celebrities Who Took "Magic Vitamins" From Dr. Feelgood


Doctor Feelgood

Presidents and movie stars all came to the German Dr. Max Jacobson for his magic "vitamin shots" that made you feel amazing. It wasn't until a shocking 1972 New York Times expose that people realized what was actually in them, losing him his license in disgrace.

So, which celebrities exactly were taking prescriptions from the infamous Dr. Feelgood?

1721996032931

John F. Kennedy

Profession: United States President

Grayscale Portrait Photo of John F. KennedyKheel Center, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Judy Garland

Profession: Actress

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Singer Judy Garland in her dressing roomLos Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Mickey Mantle

Profession: Baseball player

1951 Grayscale Portrait Photo of Mickey MantleNew York Yankees, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Elvis Presley

Profession: King of Rock n Roll

Grayscale Portrait Photo of singer Elvis Presley in dark outfitMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Nelson Rockefeller

Profession: Politician

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Nelson RockefellerRoyden Dixon, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Frank Sinatra

Profession: Singer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Frank Sinatra in a dark suit and dark hatCapitol Records, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Elizabeth Taylor

Profession: Actress

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Elizabeth TaylorAnefo / Mieremet, R., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Richard Burton

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Richard Burton wearing a gray suit looking to the rightJoop van Bilsen, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Sir Winston Churchill

Profession: British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill during the General Election Campaign in 1945Imperial War Museums, Picryl

Advertisement

Andy Warhol

Profession: Postmodern Artist

Andy Warhol At The Jewish Museum.Bernard Gotfryd, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Brian Jones

Profession: Musician (Rolling Stones)

Brian Jones in the locker room of the gym of Georgia Southern CollegeSteve Denenberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Hedy Lamarr

Profession: Actress

Hedy Lamarr publicity photo for the film The Heavenly BodyeBay, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Mel Allen

Profession: Sportscaster

Grayscale Portrait Photo of the  American sportscaster Mel AllenAl Ravenna, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Lauren Bacall

Profession: Actress

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Lauren Bacall for Swedish pressUnknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis

Profession: First lady and socialite

Jacqueline Kennedy in the Diplomatic Reception Room wearing red dress necklace smiling to the cameraRobert Knudsenderivative, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Ingrid Bergman

Profession: Actress

Press release publicity photo of Ingrid Bergman for film Gaslight (1944).MGM photographer, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Leonard Bernstein

Profession: Conductor and composer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Leonard BernsteinFred Palumbo, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Bette Davis

Profession: Actress

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Bette Davis, smiling, facing the cameraWarner Bros., Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Humphrey Bogart

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Humphrey Bogart in a dark suitArchive Photos, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Andy Williams

Profession: Singer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Andy Williams in a white shirtWilliam Morris Agency, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Yul Brynner

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of actor Yul BrynnerUnknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Maria Callas

Profession: Opera singer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Maria Callas in a light colored outfitFotopersbureau De Boer, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Alfred Hitchcock

Profession: Director

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Alfred HitchcockFred Palumbo, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Truman Capote

Profession: Author

Grayscale Portrait Photo Of the Writer Truman Capote Wearing a Jacket Hat and glassesEric Koch for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Van Cliburn

Profession: Pianist

Grayscale Portrait Photo of concert-pianist Harvey Lavan Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Montgomery Clift

Profession: Actor

Portrait Photo of the American actor Montgomery CliftStudio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Rosemary Clooney

Profession: Singer and actress

Portrait Photo of Rosemary Clooney wearing a hatUnknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Bob Cummings

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Robert CummingsCBS Television, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Mark Shaw

Profession: Presidential photographer

Photography by Mark Shaw Jackie, JFK and Caroline relax in Hyannis Port in 1959manhhai, Flickr

Advertisement

Maya Deren

Profession: Avant-garde artist

Maya Deren From The Still In The Film At LandHella Heyman, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Cecil B. DeMille (Jacobson travelled to Egypt to act DeMille's personal physician during The Ten Commandments)

Profession: Director

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Cecil B. DeMille. facing the cameraAlbert Witzel, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Marlene Dietrich

Profession: Actress

Publicity photo of Marlene Dietrich for Paramount Pictures, 1936Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons 

Advertisement

Harry Belafonte

Profession: Singer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Harry Belafonte, smiling, looking to the rightBrazilian National Archives, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Eddie Fisher

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Eddie Fisher looking to the left.eBay, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Alan Jay Lerner

Profession: Composer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Alan Jay Lerner facing to the right.Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Oscar Levant

Profession: Pianist

Actor, composer, and pianist Oscar Levant in a directors' chairVintage-Stars, Flickr

Advertisement

Edie Sedgwick

Profession: It girl

Artist Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick, who wears a black feather boa, sit on a staircase chattingJohn Springer Collection, Getty Images

Advertisement

Otto Preminger

Profession: Director

Portrait Photo of Otto Preminger in a blue suit facing the cameraAllan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Hugh Martin

Profession: Composer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of composer Hugh MartinPA Images, Getty Images

Advertisement

Liza Minnelli

Profession: Actress

Publicity photo of American entertainer Liza Minnelli, circa 1973.Creative Management Associates (CMA), Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Thelonious Monk

Profession: Jazz musician

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Thelonious Monk at Minton's PlayhouseWilliam P. Gottlieb, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Marilyn Monroe

Profession: Actress

Actress Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait laying on the grass in 1954Baron, Getty Images

Advertisement

Bob Richardson

Profession: Fashion photographer

Portrait of American fashion photographer Bob Richardson (1928 - 2005)John Kisch Archive, Getty Images

Advertisement

Zero Mostel

Profession: Comedian

Publicity photo of Zero Mostel as Tevye in stage playGraphic House, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Anthony Quinn

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Anthony Quinn in gray suiteBay, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Paul Robeson

Profession: Singer and football player

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Paul RobesonGordon Parks, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

David O. Selznick

Profession: Movie producer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of David O. Selznick smilingWorld Telegram staff photographer, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Kay Thompson

Profession: Singer

Kay Thompson, Fred Astaire, and Audrey Hepburn in a publicity photoParamount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Grace Lee Whitney

Profession: Actrees

Photo of Grace Lee Whitney as Janice Rand from the television series Star TrekNBC Television, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Billy Wilder

Profession: Director

Studio publicity photo of Billy Wilder and Gloria Swanson.

Advertisement

Tennessee Williams

Profession: Playwright

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Tennessee Williams, American playwrightOrlando Fernandez, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Nina Jacobsen

Dr. Feelgood's own wife, lost to a fatal overdose in 1964.

Purple Crocus in Bloom during Daytime in a graveyardPixabay, Pexels


READ MORE

May 2, 2025 Jennifer McDougall

Where The Brady Bunch Cast Is Now

After five years and 117 episodes of popularity, The Brady Bunch said goodbye. But what happened to the cast?
Moana
May 1, 2025 Peter Kinney

Disney's Upcoming Movie Roster (What They Will Release From 2025–2029)

Remember when you first fell in love with movies? Disney hopes to recreate that magic repeatedly over the next few years. Nostalgic superheroes, talking toys, animated adventures, and musical biopics are all on the horizon.
Wall E
May 1, 2025 Alex Summers

Must-Watch Movies Set In Space

Space has always been the perfect canvas for humanity's boldest dreams and darkest fears. Luckily, movies about the stars take us into the unknown with raw emotion while blasting into thrilling cosmic adventures.
Internalfb Image
May 2, 2025 Alex Summers

These 1970s Shows Aren't Trending Anymore, But Their Impact Is Unforgettable

You may not see their names on the top lists of streaming platforms, but the fingerprints of these forgotten 1970s TV shows are everywhere. These trailblazing series quietly shaped pop culture behind the scenes.
Olive Thomas Facts
May 3, 2025 Samantha Henman

Hollywood's First Scandal

For a brutally brief period, Olive Thomas was the sweetheart of the silver screen. Yet behind her pert image lay a wild, uncontrollable past—from the lows of her humble beginnings to the highs of her scandalous stardom. Throughout it all, the actress’s life careened toward a death that would shock the nation. When Olive Thomas met her tragic end, Old Hollywood lost its innocence.
Lisa Marie Presley Facts
May 2, 2025 Samantha Henman

Lisa Marie's Life Was Even More Tragic Than Her Father's

She was mostly known as the only child of Elvis Presley, but this wasn't always a good thing for Lisa Marie Presley. Her life went through many tumultuous twists and turns, just like the King of Rock and Roll...but it was her shocking and tragic end that ultimately mirrored her father's story the most.