Hollywood Lesbians [Paperback]

Boze Hadleigh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of Hollywood's golden age will find this collection of interviews conducted over many years revealing though hampered. The principal problem is not so much that all of the subjects-including actresses Judith Anderson, Marjorie Main, Barbara Stanwyck, Agnes Moorehead and Sandy Dennis and designer Edith Head-are now deceased, but that almost all were raised in a generation terrified of voicing support for fellow homosexuals, let alone daring to come out of the closet. The sole exception is comedienne Patsy Kelly, who made no secret of her sexual orientation-and whose career suffered for it. Even with carefully couched questions from Hadleigh (Conversations With My Elders), the respondents dance around the subjects of sex and sexuality. Still, an enlightening picture emerges of Tinseltown, different from that presented in the fanzines. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Positioned as a sequel of sorts to Hadleigh's earlier collection of interviews with gay men in Hollywood, Conversations with My Elders (1987), this volume is both less and more than it seems. It's less because the subjects of Hadleigh's interviews--Marjorie Main, Nancy Kulp, Barbara Stanwyck, and Capucine, among them--were almost uniformly reluctant to discuss their sexuality. Only comedienne Patsy Kelly speaks openly of her life as a lesbian. It's not surprising, in fact, that Hadleigh waited until all his subjects were dead to publish this collection; almost certainly, many of them would have objected to being included. On the other hand, the book is more than it seems because these women are great talkers--about subjects other than sex. Marjorie ("Ma Kettle") Main, for example, though never admitting to being Spring Byington's lover, does tell some great stories about her life as a contract player in Hollywood's heyday. Similarly, costume designer Edith Head isn't saying a thing about whom Dietrich slept with, but she says plenty about the horrors of miniskirts. A fun book, but not in that dishy way we expect from the title. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569800677
• ISBN-13: 978-1569800676
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Biographies & Memoirs > Lesbian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too sermonizing!, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hollywood Lesbians (Paperback)

Hadleigh seems to think that everyone (without exception) must follow PC guidelines to living their lives! He favors those subjects who actually admit that they are lesbian ( Marjorie Main, Patsy Kelly, Nancy Kulp, Sandy Dennis ) but is openly scornful of those who do not ( Barbara Stanwyk, Dame Judith Anderson, Edith Head and Agnes Moorehead )! I wish he had focussed more on these women's *entire* lives- as opposed to egging them on to admit it and proseltyzing them to the 'glory' of being out of the closet in a ' Are you now or have you ever been a lesbian and, if you say no, I will refuse to believe you' tone! I would have particularly liked to have read more about Marjorie Main's life as a drama teacher, on the Chautaqua circuiteer and contract player than his continually trying to get her to spill the beans on those no longer alive! Of all the women interviewed, she seemed to have the healthiest attitude towards life and men. She admitted that her marriage wasn't idyllic and that if she could have done it over she would not have married her husband but, she also admitted that she grieved over his passing "like a member of the family"! Of course, when she didn't agree to meet him for a subsequent interview, he patronizingly sniffed that she was ashamed to talk about her sexuality. Perhaps, she was merely bored to have focus on that with him rather than the many other facets of what appears to have been a fascinating life that Hadleigh and other interviewers failed to cover in adequate depth! Patsy Kelly was downright lewd in her description of her intimate life with Tallulah Bankhead and, while Hadleigh obviously favored her the most for her spilling the beans, I thought her attitude was somewhat self-pitying and downright misandristic! Nancy Culp was a good intellectual subject and,along with Main, seemed to have been someone I'd have liked to have spent an afternoon conversing with the most! He seemed to me to enjoy making Dorothy Arzner uncomfortable and I felt sorry for the poor woman as she vainly tried get him to change the subject by telling him about her experiences as the first prominent woman director - only to have him constantly asking her to confirm his suspicions over the phone! I think she was far more polite to him than he deserved! Of the 'hostile' subjects, I agree that he was somewhat cruel to Barbara Stanwyk but I did agree with him that her assertation that she, while she loathed Christina Crawford's book, that she was felt that (as a result of this book ) it was better thing that the public viewed Joan as a child abuser rather than a lesbian was downright appalling! The most entertaining 'hostile' interview was with Dame Judith Anderson! The whole time I kept rooting for her as he kept spouting his PC jargon. He started a discussion of her two disastrous brief marriages with " In the totally pro-marriage ' People ' Magazine, you are quoted as saying ." . Since when is 'People' magazine 'totally pro-marriage'? It has always reported in domestic abuse, drug addictions, and adultery leading to divorce and has been supportive of those stars who divorced their spouses for the above reasons! So it has nice pictorials on weddings- big deal! I was totally rooting for Dame Judith when she exclaimed that she had worked hard to gain her status without anyone's help and didn't owe any group anything and if they wanted to struggle for rights, she cheered them on but " Leave me alone! Do you hear? Just leave me alone!" It was with some satisfaction to read that she outshouted him and compelled an early retreat from her premises! Overall, this book adequately covers their lives but seems more of a single sermon continuously repeated than actual interviews!

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood Lesbians reveals much about subjects and author., December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hollywood Lesbians (Paperback)

Hollywood Lesbians is one of author Boze Hadleigh's "exposes" of homosexuality in show business. While the interviews are entertaining and informative, I find that Mr. Hadleigh tends to be self-righteous, and exploitative in the name of "helping" gays and lesbians. His interview with Barbara Stanwyck is downright cruel, and he displays much insensitivity in dealing with Agnes Moorehead and Dame Judith Anderson. Mr. Hadleigh seems to believe that he is qualified to tell everyone else how to run his or her life. Instead of trying to show some understanding towards these women who were forced to stay in the closet, he chooses to blame them for the attitudes of society. (Tellingly, Mr. Hadleigh is much kinder towards the men he interviewed in "Hollywood Gays", implying misogynistic impulses on his part.) In any event, this book is eye-opening and ultimately earns sympathy for the subjects, and makes one look forward to the day when everyone can live his or her life openly.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Apparently EVERYONE on earth is gay according to this author, April 2, 2004

By 

Nancy Tannenbaum (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hollywood Lesbians (Paperback)

I read this book primarily for the interview with Barbara Stanwyck, who I adore. What a book. The author seems to believe that it is his calling in life to FORCE people, primarily the dead ones, to admit that they are gay, whether or not they are, mainly because HE is. Barbara Stanwyck had class, was intensely private, and so what? If people want to discuss their sex lives and have the information published for the world to see, fine. Personally, I have a lot more respect for people, gay or otherwise, who mind their own business and expect the rest of the world to do the same. I have yet to see a connection between one's sexuality and one's artistic ability. (...) I'm honestly ashamed I read the damned thing.