Customer Reviews

Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream

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Brett L. Abrams' Hollywood Bohemians drew me as a reader with a fairly simple claim: the studio-era film industry used its social deviants (homosexuals, transvestites, adulterers, etc.) to depict and promote the image of Hollywood as a place of glamour and sexual freedom. As a student of both films and GLBT history, this thesis intrigued me. Unfortunately, this book leans far more heavily towards the 'thesis' than the 'intrigue,' and that thesis is problematic.

The writing is wooden and formulaic in a manner that would make an excellent parody of academic theses were it not an actual academic thesis. In a typical section, Abrams excerpts a gossip column article or movie clip loaded with coded slang for gay men or lesbians, spends another paragraph or three dissecting the excerpt, and then spends another page expounding on the "titillation" this information would have provided for the general public. There is ample repetition from sentence to sentence, and the author appears overly fond of his coined term, 'Hollywood Bohemians'. A few well-placed conjunctions and pronouns might have reduced this book by 20 pages while making it more readable.

The structure of the book, with each chapter devoted to depictions of stars' lives in a different Hollywood setting, is a wreck. Abrams divides the settings into nightlife (restaurants & clubs), public & semi-public parties (premieres & awards shows), private parties, home life, and the studio backlot. This conceit's unwieldly compartmentalization fails in its sheer artifice, as if these "settings" were mutually exclusive categories. It also fails to capture any sort of historical narrative, which results in some literary gymnastics. Frequently when a new persona arises in connection with a star, the author is forced to deal with her in a later chapter to maintain the conceit rather than take the natural transition.

The inclusion of Hollywood-themed novels among the excerpted material was something I found irksome, particularly when Abrams used it as the primary evidence of his claims about Hollywood life. While one can certainly argue that the novels are reflective of the history, this seems more akin to arguing that Agatha Christie's Poirot novels are emblematic of early 20th century criminal science. Finding more information on the general public's reaction to some of these portrayals would have been more successful. Were members of the public indeed titillated, or did the author simply cull a large number of obscure news clippings that most Americans would not have seen?

Abrams brings to light some aspects of Hollywood's GLBT history that have largely fallen by the wayside and includes some choice archival photographs, all of which displays his skills as a researcher and archivist. The nearly 40 pages of references in the endnotes and bibliography provide copious paths for further research, whether by the academic or layperson. Regrettably, the writing style and lack of coherent structure leave me unable to recommend this work to others.

A brilliant collection of anecdotes about gays and sexual outlaws in pre-WWII Hollywood. Abrams uncovered information about the movie industry in obscure and difficult to access archives. He gathered the best stories and spun them together into an absorbing narrative. This book is a must-read for everyone who cares about one of the first self-aware gay and lesbian communities in America.

I was quite pleased with this book - informative, entertaining and intriguing - the book rewrites what we've been told about early Hollywood. Through careful research and documented findings, Brett traces the public image that Hollywood created about itself - he finds gays, lesbians, bisexuals, cross dressers, transgenders, adulterers and other Hollywood bohemians treated fairly and equally in gossip columns, novels about Hollywood, movies about Hollywood and studio-produced publicity materials. I recommend this book for those interested in the history of "sexual outlaws" as well as those interested in Hollywood.

In this comprehensive overview of the development of Hollywood (particularly between 1917-1941), author Brett Abrams demonstrates how those who crossed the boundaries of the society's sexual norms had a unique role to play in creating the image we have today of Tinseltown. Today most people's image of Hollywood is one of a laissez faire, "anything goes" town dedicated to the movie business. Yet it wasn't always that way.

Cross-dressers, gay and lesbian actors and actresses, as well as those who engaged in adulterous affairs all challenged the societal norms of early Hollywood, and in many ways, those attitudes remain unchanged even now. Yet these individuals helped to form Hollywood into the city it is today, known around the world for its daring, exciting milieu of glamour and stardom.

This outsider behavior allowed the middle class to get a glimpse into the exotic, then retreat back to their comfortable world. It began with "slumming," when average folks would visit the highly charged nightclubs of early Hollywood, enjoying the titillation of seeing these "sexual deviants" from a distance, then returning to the safety of their homes. This exposure to performers, wrapped up in the glamorous veneer of clubs like the Coconut Grove or hotels like the Ambassador, gave ordinary citizens a chance to be daring without truly altering their own life styles. In fact, there was even a popular guidebook called "How to Sin in Hollywood" that served as a Fodor's to these very Hollywood hangouts.

Movie stars and studios similarly used this daring lifestyle (if not outwardly endorsing such outlandish behavior) to gain attention for upcoming movies or make stars' lives into more dramatic (and attention-getting) activities than they might otherwise be. Coupled with coverage in movie magazines, industry newspapers, and eventually TV coverage, it all helped build an image to sell the Hollywood product.

In his book, author Brett Abrams has done an incredible job of laying out the story of early Hollywood and detailing just how sexual transgression (whether through homosexuality, adultery, or other taboo behavior) helped to challenge society`s boundaries and build an image for the movie business of excitement and daring.

As an archivist at the National Archives, Abrams's research for this book is impeccable, with 35 pages of notes and bibliography alone. From White House inaugurations to newspapers' society pages to the cross-dressing stars of early Hollywood, he has painted a fascinating portrait of an industry (the movie business) and city (Hollywood) that most of us take for granted. It's a stunning effort to go inside a historical experience rarely covered by the general media, one that can be enjoyed by all.

Christine Zibas, Book Pleasures

What I loved about this book was how it took you behind the scenes in hidden Hollywood and made it so real to read. The author's writing style was clear, concise and easily pulled me forward into this mysterious world. I would recommend this book to anyone as addicted to movies and its industry as much as I am!

This is a fascinating book about the bohemian lifestyle and how it was accepted,embraced and promoted in Hollywood between the wars. It is a very well documented look at the major part bohemians had in creating the glamorous Hollywood legend. Most of America looked on Hollywood as a sinful, sexy, wild place and most of America wanted to go out there for a personal look at all that hell-raising. Hollywood became known as the film capital of the world and Hollywood stars known as more than just people-maybe mega-people is the right term. I know that ever since I was a kid I've thought of Hollywood as a place I wanted to see for myself and Mr. Abrams has explained why. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Hollywood dazzle and that includes just about everyone, I think.

This is a very interesting book. It's easy to read, has numerous pictures and is very informative. It's obvious that the author did alot of research before writing it. Job well done Mr. Abrams!