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?

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John F. Kennedy

Profession: United States President

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

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Judy Garland

Profession: Actress

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

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Mickey Mantle

Profession: Baseball player

1951 Grayscale Portrait Photo of Mickey Mantle New York Yankees, Wikimedia Commons

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Elvis Presley

Profession: King of Rock n Roll

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

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Nelson Rockefeller

Profession: Politician

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Nelson Rockefeller Royden Dixon, Wikimedia Commons

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Frank Sinatra

Profession: Singer

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

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Elizabeth Taylor

Profession: Actress

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

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Richard Burton

Profession: Actor

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

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Sir Winston Churchill

Profession: British Prime Minister

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

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Andy Warhol

Profession: Postmodern Artist

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

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Brian Jones

Profession: Musician (Rolling Stones)

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

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Hedy Lamarr

Profession: Actress

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

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Mel Allen

Profession: Sportscaster

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

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Lauren Bacall

Profession: Actress

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

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Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis

Profession: First lady and socialite

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

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Ingrid Bergman

Profession: Actress

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

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Leonard Bernstein

Profession: Conductor and composer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Leonard Bernstein Fred Palumbo, Wikimedia Commons

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Bette Davis

Profession: Actress

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

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Humphrey Bogart

Profession: Actor

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

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Andy Williams

Profession: Singer

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

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Yul Brynner

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of actor Yul Brynner Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

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Maria Callas

Profession: Opera singer

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

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Alfred Hitchcock

Profession: Director

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Alfred Hitchcock Fred Palumbo, Wikimedia Commons

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Truman Capote

Profession: Author

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

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Van Cliburn

Profession: Pianist

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

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Montgomery Clift

Profession: Actor

Portrait Photo of the American actor Montgomery Clift Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons

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Rosemary Clooney

Profession: Singer and actress

Portrait Photo of Rosemary Clooney wearing a hat Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

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Bob Cummings

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Robert Cummings CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons

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Mark Shaw

Profession: Presidential photographer

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

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Maya Deren

Profession: Avant-garde artist

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

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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 camera Albert Witzel, Wikimedia Commons

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Marlene Dietrich

Profession: Actress

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

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Harry Belafonte

Profession: Singer

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

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Eddie Fisher

Profession: Actor

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

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Alan Jay Lerner

Profession: Composer

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

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Oscar Levant

Profession: Pianist

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

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Edie Sedgwick

Profession: It girl

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

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Otto Preminger

Profession: Director

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

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Hugh Martin

Profession: Composer

Grayscale Portrait Photo of composer Hugh Martin PA Images, Getty Images

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Liza Minnelli

Profession: Actress

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

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Thelonious Monk

Profession: Jazz musician

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

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Marilyn Monroe

Profession: Actress

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

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Bob Richardson

Profession: Fashion photographer

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

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Zero Mostel

Profession: Comedian

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

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Anthony Quinn

Profession: Actor

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Anthony Quinn in gray suit eBay, Wikimedia Commons

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Paul Robeson

Profession: Singer and football player

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Paul Robeson Gordon Parks, Wikimedia Commons

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David O. Selznick

Profession: Movie producer

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

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Kay Thompson

Profession: Singer

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

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Grace Lee Whitney

Profession: Actrees

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

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Billy Wilder

Profession: Director

Studio publicity photo of Billy Wilder and Gloria Swanson.

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Tennessee Williams

Profession: Playwright

Grayscale Portrait Photo of Tennessee Williams, American playwright Orlando Fernandez, Wikimedia Commons

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Nina Jacobsen

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

Purple Crocus in Bloom during Daytime in a graveyard Pixabay, Pexels

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Jamie Hayes

Jamie Hayes is a Senior Editor at Factinate Media Group. He came aboard in 2017, not long after receiving his Master's degree in the Literatures of Modernity from Ryerson University. While completing his graduate program, he worked as a teaching assistant, later returning as a course instructor. His work has appeared in Double Dialogues and Factinate Media Group, among others.

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