Customer Reviews

The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've never been a fan of biographies or gossip, biographies often seem too wooden and gossip too unreliable and salacious. But I read this book from cover to cover. Not only has Diana McLellan crafted a credible and well-researched account of the 'intimate' female community in Hollywood during the golden days of cinema, she has the brought the encouragingly entertaining, colourful and often hilarious lives of women such as Tallulah Bankhead so to life that the era has interested me like never before. The author has a wonderful sense of humour, often letting our heroines' own words and situations speak for themselves. She says in the introduction that the book grew not so much from what was right infront of her, as it did from that which was absent. A lie is always told to hide the truth, making it an excellent departure point for investigation. The web of lies that covered the contents of this book is fascinating, and McLellan's talent lies in the way she has managed to weave the public front: the 1930's Hollywood we remember from films and fan magazines; the notorious and infamous underground lesbian culture that was obviously evident if you knew the right people; and the intimately secret, private lives of the world's most famous women, hidden from not only the public, but even their friends and lovers.

I think that this book succeeds, not simply because of the revelatory nature of much of the material: the alleged affair Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo had together in Berlin prior to their Hollywood careers; Dietrich's marriage to Otto Katz, communist and spy during World War II; the other roles Dietrich played during the war besides those of 'morale-builder' and entertainer, but because of the way McLellan has captured the zietgeist of the era. This book is not merely an expose, it is also a social history of lesbianism from 1900-1950, a detailed account of the Hollywood Star System and the advent of talkies. (it certainly made me appreciate 'Singin' in the Rain' all over again!). It also spans far beyond Hollywood, incorporating the bohemian and cultured worlds of Paris and New York and their fascinating figures. It captures the public and private worlds of, literally, a cast of characters in a way that is realistic and endearing. I imagined a film being made from this book as I read it, that's how believable, alive and intimate McLellan's narration is.

I have to admit that the picture McLellan paints of Garbo is really depressing: that of a bitter, indifferent woman who ruined her life by keeping her 'cells' entirely seperate.. a star who was infinitely lonely, her career dying, because she trusted no one. I must also say that while I loved McLellan's wonderful humour, her witty quips, her wonderful sense of brevity... I tired of the ominously leading comments (cue the forboding theme music): 'this event would have a significant effect on upon the rest of her life'... 'a friendship which would, in fact, trigger the end of her career in 10 years time.' 'Marlene, of course, had other things to worry about...' and so on and so forth. I understand that such comments are neccesary, and I admit that they're probably one of the things that kept me reading, but for me they revealed the presense of the person behind the scenes pulling the puppet strings. I just wanted to get lost in the story, absorbed in the lives of these fascinating individuals, not made aware of the subjective nature of the narrative I was reading, and the ways in which my views and reactions could be shaped by the author. That said, it was a wonderful book, 1 part romance, 3 parts mystery, 2 parts tragedy, marvelous fun, wonderful entertainment, enlightening, educational, intelligent... So many beautiful women... and so little time.

This book should find a wide, appreciative audience. It captivates with the three beautiful women gracing the jacket, and sweeps the reader along with a stream of gossipy news. Everyone seems to have a mention, from the major players, (The Girls of the title) to fascinating parentheticals (Nancy Reagan). Film buffs will enjoy the exploration of a long suppressed area of Hollywood history, finding endless anecdotes of film-society life, a who-was-who of lesbian Hollywood. Love-matches are made, vows are broken, dirt is dished, Dietrich betrays Garbo's intimate secrets, and we are party to it all. Diana McLellan weaves a fascinating tapestry, that entertains and informs. She does far more, however, by probing the motives of women caught in the gears as American society turned down a prudish path, dragging Hollywood moguls along. If it's hard for lesbian and gay performers to be out in 2000, how must it have been in 1920? McLellan had a difficult task in unearthing deeply buried secrets, but she makes a compelling case that her deductions are correct. Of particular interest is her questioning the claim, made by both Dietrich and Garbo that they had never met, until formally introduced in Hollywood. Stuff and nonsense, says McLellan. Her evidence that the two women not only met, but were lovers, is central to the book's theme. (One would wish the Fatty Arbuckle scandal had been treated with more skepticism, but that's a quibble on my part.) This book is better than a night at most movies!

The Girls provides quite a different look at the Hollywood environment of the 1920s to the 1940s as Diana McLellan examines the lives of lesbian and bisexual actresses of the times, analyzing relationships, power plays, and politics alike. The Girls provides a lively, fun chronicle of affairs and scandals and is a recommended pick for any fan of Hollywood intrigue and culture.

I must admit that I could hardly put this book down. It was dishy, with everyone hopping into bed with everyone else in the space of a few pages. However I didn't take one iota of it seriously. Basing a large portion of the book on a supposition (that Dietrich is in Joyless Street, that she had Garbo had an affair) is it's one major weak point. Also, the fact that the author uses Hollywood Babylon as a source for several "facts" in her book seriously compromises its credibility. As one reviewer already stated, the facts of the Arbuckle scandal (taken from that rag Hollywood Babylon) was covered in less than one paragraph with no questioning from the author. I guess that after questioning the lives of Dietrich and Garbo for so many pages, she didn't have any time to investigate the Arbuckle case and try to find some new "facts." A piece of advice to ALL authors on old Hollywood: do NOT use Kenneth Anger's book - based totally on gossip, you need to sift through a mountain of garbage to find one tiny grain of truth. It is not that much more difficult to bypass it and find more reliable sources.

Homosexual activity in Old Hollywood was wrapped in such a thick shroud of secrecy, it's doubtful there will ever be a "definitive" book on the subject. The reviewers who criticize this book as being too speculative miss the point that, with so little provable fact to work with, any book on the subject winds up being speculative. (Even interviewing surviving family and friends doesn't guarantee the researcher will avoid opinions, lies and personal agendas.)

Since there are so many holes chroniclers must fill in, the books end up being more of a Rorschach test of the authors than an objective presentation of the history. (And in reading the reviews here, I'd hazard the opinion that it becomes a Rorschach of the READERS, too!)

Here's my personal Rorschach:

I couldn't disagree more with the comment that McLellan's tone was off-putting. Her tone was precisely what I liked best about this---yes---speculative romp. (The term "my girls" is patronizing? Funny, I felt the author's distinctive *affection* for her subjects with that phrase.)

I have read far too many Old Hollywood biographies written by disapproving authors. In these books, lesbianism was presented as a seedy, shamefaced, sideline activity which resulted from either inebriation or narcissistic hedonism.

However, McLellan dares to create a tone of celebration when talking of her subjects and their attraction to each other. Yes, these women were catty and manipulative and their affairs were short-lived and often shallow. However, throughout the book, McLellan creates the feeling that these women were capable of genuinely loving life and each other between melodramas. Wow. Women-loving-women being portrayed as actually being FUN? How radical is that? (wink)

Take the book with a grain of salt, (like all other books on the subject, even William J. Mann,) but enjoy the fact that women-loving-women in Old Hollywood DID exist and that some of it was actually a celebration.

Dear Mrs. Diana:

You have two picture-pages in your book 'THE GIRLS' concerning Marlene Dietrich played in that movie 'Die freudlose Gasse'. Miss Dietrich was never in that film; the one who they called Marlene Dietrich, actually was Herta von Walther who play the role 'Else'.

Miss von Walther looks a little bit like Marlene Dietrich in the fifties, special with the scarf on, many people mis-reconzied Herta von Walther as Marlene Dietrich.

I was a good friend of Herta von Walther for many years, she always laughted when she was identified as Marlene Dietrich and she took it as a compliment.

If you would like to have any further informations on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact with me, I have the original film program and pictures fo Herta von Walther.

My Telephone number: 1-808-7373153, you can reach me before 8:00am in the morning Hawaii time.

My e-mail address: rudipolt@aol.com My mailing address: 3340 Monsarrat Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815, U.S.A.

Best regards, Rudi Polt

Dear Mr. Polt,

Thanks for your good note. I'm of course aware that some believe that Herta von Walther played the Dietrich role in the Garbo film Die freudlose Gasse, "The Joyless Street". The two women looked vaguely similar - although von Walther's features were coarser, her eyes a little closer together. They were probably friends as well as colleagues. (As you know, von Walther was considered by Josef von Sternberg for the juicy role of Lola-Lola in 1930's "Blue Angel", before it went so gloriously to Dietrich, and changed her life.) My theory is that Marlene asked Herta to lie for her when she promised to pipe down about being in "The Joyless Street" with Garbo, and that Herta agreed. (I go into the reasons at length in "The Girls".) No wonder she "laughed" when she was identified as Dietrich! Despite her vow, Dietrich, when cornered, occasionally conceded that she was "an extra standing in line" in "The Joyless Street". Only one figure in that line could conceivably be Dietrich - the one who catches the fainting Garbo in her arms. If one compares the close-up I show of the black-haired Marlene (with her widely spaced eyes!) in "Street" with certain shots made later (without von Sternberg's face-modelling lighting) it's very clear that it was she, not von Walther, in that role. She actually told her late-life friend and biographer David Bret, who knew from her Berlin friends that she had been in "The Joyless Street", "Yes, and in the end I killed the butcher..." To know about that ax-murder - so horrible that it was completely slashed by the censors - she had to be there. I too have seen that film program, by the way. I believe it was printed to accompany a later re-release of the film. Again, thank you for your communication. Sorry to bore the reader who doesn't want to know all this! All good wishes, Diana McLellan

I enjoyed getting to know some of the Hollywood insiders and the writing was fast paced enough to prevent boredom but I felt I had to take it all with a grain of salt. Seemed based as much on speculation by the author as any research done.

The Girls provides some interesting details on many lesbians in Hollywood. The author tries to loop their many stories together based on a claim that Dietrich and Garbo had an affair in Germany before they went to Hollywood; and that later their mutual lovers schemed to keep control of the relationship. She also introduces a subplot that a Soviet propagandist (Otto Katz) was pulling the strings on Dietrich. Many of these claims are documented with statements like, "must have," or "could have." I suppose it's possible, but good substantial reasons are never stated. For example, the author claims Garbo denied knowing Dietrich-because McClellen speculates the affair ended bitterly. The stories about Katz are inconsistent-sometimes he has trouble entering the country because he's a dangerous alien, the next he's tooling around New York. If he was blackmailing Dietrich, to what end? That is never stated. The author claims that Dietrich got out of suspicions of being a communist by working with Hoover. The evidence?-many FBI documents are missing or the redacted document have blanks where the words blacked out are just long enough to have contained a line indicating that Marlene was talking about Hoover. I guess this could all be true-but the notes don't provide much support. Most of the principles are dead now-and can't deny or clarify any of it. The book is fun and dishy-if you take it with a grain of salt.

Entertaining writing combined with years of extensive research makes THE GIRLS both fun and informative to read. Ms. McLellan has plumbed the depths of multiple sources including interviews, mauscript and letter collections, FBI and other government files, and film clips as well as published accounts to create a fascinating group biography which reveals much about the private lives of some of Hollywood's most famous screen goddesses, most notably Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Tallulah Bankhead. McLellan's enlightening descriptions of the complex relationships between her main figures also explains much about the inner workings and power relationships of Hollywood during this period (the 1920s, 30s, 40s and early 50s). Her well-documented account of the many lesbian and bisexual affairs of her "girls" may be what strikes the reader first, but even more fascinating is her picture of political intrigue behind the scenes in Hollywood. Most interesting is Dietrich's first and secret husband -- international writer, Soviet spy and Commuist organizer Otto Katz -- who operated in Europe and the United States under various aliases. (As Rudolph Breda, he founded the secretly Soviet-supported Anti-Nazi League in Hollywood in 1935.) All in all, this is a book to be snapped up not only by film buffs, but also by anyone interested in the period who enjoys a good read.