The Closet Door is Open - Lavender Ladies & Gents of the Golden Age of Hollywood

[LizzieMaine]

I had heard that Danny Kaye was a cross-dresser in private life, but not that he was gay. Ed Wood, the notorious director, supposedly claimed that he and Kaye and Tony Curtis used to raid the wardrobe department at Universal when Curtis was under contract there, but Wood was a notorious embellisher of fact...

Kaye was married to his chief writer, Sylvia Fine, for a long time -- as much a business arrangement as a love match, the story goes, and they remained close after divorcing.

 

[Tomasso]

OT: Is that Noel Neill (aka Lois Lane) with Farley and Roddy?

Jane Powell.....but she kinda looks line Bette Davis in that shot.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Another really interesting documentary on this topic is Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender (1998). It discusses not only the screen persona's of gay and lesbian actors, but the portrayal of gay characters/archetypes -- albeit covertly -- in classic Hollywood and analyzes the significance of certain types of characters/bits/archetypal relationships. We tend to thing people didn't know about "those sorts of things" in the past, but they really did . . .

 

[Lily Powers]

It's available to rent so I probably should just so I don't die ignorant, although in the main "experimental" filmmakers leave me pretty cold. From your description, C-dot, it sounds like his problem was being born several decades too early - "graphic and frequently sadistic" would slot right in nowadays!

Do you know if any lawsuits were brought against him, by the way?

My bet is that any pending lawsuit was settled quietly, and out of court. While Anger's writings are despicable, there is quite probably one iota of truth on which he based his wild stories, and to fight it in open court would have been more detrimental to the subject of his rumor mongering than ignoring it.

 

[Tomasso]

There was Liberace's libel suit against The Daily Mirror in the 50s.

One of their columnists wrote that Liberace was " the summit of sex—the pinnacle of masculine, feminine, and neuter. Everything that he, she, and it can ever want… a deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavoured, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love"............... Liberace won the case, receiving £8,000 in damages.

The jury said it was the fruit-flavoured bit that swung the verdict his way.

 

[Edward]

The jury said it was the fruit-flavoured bit that swung the verdict his way.

Yes, "fruit" being a pejorative term for a gay person back in the day (and one which persisted right up until the Eighties, in my experience). Liberace, when asked for his reaction to the decision, famously said "I cried all the way to the bank". Of course, he had perjured himself to high heaven and had to spend the rest of his life in the closet. Mind you, that probably didn't seem such a idea in 1959 (although the original article was published in 1956, the case didn't hit trial until 59, for one reason and another): it would be another eight years before private sexual activity between two consenting men over the age of twenty-one was de-criminalised in England and Wales. Plenty of celebrities have taken libel actions, lying through their teeth about the "falsity" of the allegations made. Lord Archer was, of course, caught out on this many years later; one of his compatriots, Jonathan Aitken, was discovered at the time of the trial. Both served time for perjury. Many other celebrities (don't think I'm going to be suckered into naming them here!) have blatantly gotten away with it, including some major A-listers.

Speaking as an academic specialising in media law, it is certainly true that the nature of the media has changed over time in relation to public figures and their bad behaviour, whether they be actors, sports stars, socialites, politicians or even royalty. The sole difference between those types back in the day and now is that in this present age we know about their indiscretions as the media are prepared to print them. I have no objection to this state of affairs provided that any such publication is in the public interest. Of course, all too often it is simply a matter of feeding an appetite for salacious gossip about persons from all those categories whose existence is broadly inconsequential and who in a sane world would simply be ignored. There certainly are cases where it is wholly legitimate to limit the press and its freedom of expression where other, conflicting interests should take precedence, though I frankly have little sympathy for some cheating little bonker who whines because he is exposed as such, especially when the motivation to cover up the same these days is less often personal reputation and more preserving the economic value of the brand.

With respect to Anger, if all of his allegations concerned only persons who had died prior to publication, then no case in libel could be filed against him. In both the US and the UK (and many other states besides) the law is very clear that only living persons (which does include corporations) have the right to sue in defamation. This is, of course, why the most scandalous (or, depending upon point of view, honest) biographies of celebrities tend to come out after they have passed.

 

[C-dot]

I had heard that Danny Kaye was a cross-dresser in private life, but not that he was gay. Ed Wood, the notorious director, supposedly claimed that he and Kaye and Tony Curtis used to raid the wardrobe department at Universal when Curtis was under contract there, but Wood was a notorious embellisher of fact...

I gather that Tony Curtis was a strictly hetero, meat-and-potatos kind of guy (Which is probably part of his gay appeal lol). That is interesting about Danny Kaye! I've always loved his voice.

With respect to Anger, if all of his allegations concerned only persons who had died prior to publication, then no case in libel could be filed against him. In both the US and the UK (and many other states besides) the law is very clear that only living persons (which does include corporations) have the right to sue in defamation. This is, of course, why the most scandalous (or, depending upon point of view, honest) biographies of celebrities tend to come out after they have passed.

The same is true in Canadian law. I went through Babylon and Babylon II, and every single person he "exposed" was deceased at the time of publication (and still are, I'm sure.) The only thing that came close was in Babylon II, where the cover picture was of an overweight Liz Taylor, but this in itself is not libelous.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

The german Silent movie "Anders als die anderen" (Different from the others ) form Richard Oswald with Conrad Veidt may be the first movie about this topic. Of course it was bannend and lost for many years. The remains of the movie can be seen on DVD now...with texts that explain the missing parts. I think it was on youtube too but can't find it now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0009878/

 

[Puzzicato]

There certainly are cases where it is wholly legitimate to limit the press and its freedom of expression where other, conflicting interests should take precedence, though I frankly have little sympathy for some cheating little bonker who whines because he is exposed as such, especially when the motivation to cover up the same these days is less often personal reputation and more preserving the economic value of the brand.

That's the thing isn't it - if some footballer gets an injunction because the publication would "hurt his family", well no, it's him not keeping it zipped that hurts his family, but I really don't think the public has a need to know. But if someone is an outspoken opponent of a particular lifestyle... letting their hypocrisy be known IS in the public interest.

I do think the studios covering up their stars lifestyles was all about the economic value of the brand though. Did they care at all about the individual reputations?

 

[djd]

Very true!

I think perhaps now days that gay people in public life should come-out if at all possible , simply for the general acceptance that this helps build in society . Their choice of course

 

[scotrace]

The german Silent movie "Anders als die anderen" (Different from the others ) form Richard Oswald with Conrad Veidt may be the first movie about this topic. Of course it was bannend and lost for many years. The remains of the movie can be seen on DVD now...with texts that explain the missing parts. I think it was on youtube too but can't find it now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0009878/

Fascinating. Absolutely amazing. And of course, Veidt also starred in the early horror silent The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Later fled the Nazis with his jewish wife, and became well known for his portrayals of evil Nazis in films in America. Most notably, of course, as Major Strasser in Casablanca. Wow!

I found a clean 5 minute fragment: [video=youtube;Chvd4NnH_L8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chvd4NnH_L8[/video]

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Yes. It seems to be copyrigh protected in my country now. I can't watch it. The story behind it is really amazing.

Another male couple that comes to my mind are Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais. they made some of the best surrealist movies together.

[video=youtube;fKiUTObvcvk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKiUTObvcvk[/video]

 

[rue]

There is a grand story about Barbara Stanwyck, gathering blooms on both sides of the fence, poker games at Robert Taylor's house, John Wayne... ah well. Another time. ;-)

I know that story! lol

 

[rue]

My grandfather was friends with a few big names in Hollywood and knew about a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. He knew about Rock Hudson and his boyfriend years before anyone else did and he also said that Betty White was gay. I'll have to ask my mom about the others......

 

[Gregg Axley]

Betty White???
Oh Rue, I find that hard to believe.
Okay so she's in a second series where her roomates are all women.
Conicidence I say.
I'd really be surprised by that one though.

 

[rue]

Betty White???
Oh Rue, I find that hard to believe.
Okay so she's in a second series where her roomates are all women.
Conicidence I say.
I'd really be surprised by that one though.

I only know what I was told [huh]

I called my mom and she said that my grandfather had told her, when she was a kid, that Cary Grant was bi-sexual and had a relationship with Randolph Scott, which I think is public knowledge now. He used to see them together at the Santa Anita race track at the Turf Club and it was supposedly very apparent they were a couple. She couldn't remember anything else right now.

 

[C-dot]

I called my mom and she said that my grandfather had told her, when she was a kid, that Cary Grant was bi-sexual and had a relationship with Randolph Scott, which I think is public knowledge now. He used to see them together at the Santa Anita race track at the Turf Club and it was supposedly very apparent they were a couple.

I've read that too - Handsome couple I believe it more than the rumour about he and Howard Hughes.

 

[Tomasso]

I only know what I was told

I got something to tell you, Honey...........

 

[rue]

I got something to tell you, Honey...........

I'm sure you do darlin'

 

[dhermann1]

Back to Danny Kaye. My in laws were good friends with him for many years (they met on a trans Pacific flight in the 60's). My mother in law told me that she was sure he was, tho my father in law wasn't sure. Apparently Sam asked Danny once if he was gay, and Danny said, "Why, I ought to kick your ass." But Marie says of course he was.
They had quite a number of funny Danny Kaye stories, which I'll share some day.
Anyhow, regardless of his orientation, Danny Kaye will always be one of my true idols.