The Leading Men of MGM [Paperback]

Jane Ellen Wayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2006

Gable, Tracy, Stewart, Old Blue Eyes, and the King were Hollywood gods; men wanted to be them, women just plain wanted them. As celluloid royalty and soldiers in Louis B. Mayer's box office army, the men of The Leading Men of MGM captured the hearts and imaginations of the movie-going public during a thirty-year stretch encompassing three wars and the ultimate downfall of a studio empire. While their roles onscreen are some of the most memorable ever captured, they often pale in comparison to the lives these men lived behind the scenes. The Leading Men of MGM exposes these legendary figures in all of their salacious glory — from Clark Gable's clandestine homosexual encounters in bistro bathrooms to Elvis's pill-popping, and Sinatra and Lawford's icy post-Kennedy jousts. Also profiling such stars as Ramon Novarro, Billy Haines, and Van Johnson, the collection offers complete filmographies and insightful looks at the nature of stardom during an era when the phenomenon was being minted. Offering a warts-and-all look at fifteen-plus legendary tinsel town stars, in addition to exploring their successes as genuine Hollywood talent, author Jane Ellen Wayne has written a must-have volume for film buffs of all stripes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The men in Wayne's book—some producers (Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg), but mostly actors (Clark Gable, John Gilbert, Elvis Presley, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Spencer Tracy)—are, theoretically, connected because they were all big names on MGM's roster. Really, though, they're all here so that Wayne (The Golden Girls of MGM) can dish the dirt, which she does, shovel-like. The Tracy chapter delves into his long history of alcohol abuse and his decades-long relationship (of convenience, says Wayne) with Katharine Hepburn (who, Wayne reports, mothered him while putting up with constant abuse and his refusal to divorce his wife and marry her). Tracy's story is more sad than entertaining, as is the chapter on the miserable decline of Peter Lawford. More tawdry—and fun—are the sections on Gable and Sinatra, where Wayne first shows what unlikely romantic leads they each were (Gable had big ears and false teeth; Sinatra was a "skinny, unknown singer who acted like a celebrity") before getting to the real meat of their careers: who they slept with, when, and if they were any good. Although suspiciously thin on attribution—Wayne has a mysterious, Kitty Kelley–like way with the sources of her more sensational material—this is an undeniably enjoyable selection of Hollywood juice. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

This excellent shelfmate for Wayne's Golden Girls of MGM (2003) contains stories of male movers and shakers at MGM, onscreen and offscreen, from 1924 to about 1960. Screen idols (Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, etc.) receive the most attention, but execs (Thalberg and Mayer) get their due, too. In fact, Mayer's mostly malevolent presence pervades the book. While dishing plenty of gossip, Wayne imparts filmographically important details. For instance, she dredges up a homosexual encounter by Clark Gable with fellow actor Billy Haines (twice noted as being always "the fucker, never the fuckee") that loomed large in Gable's rise to stardom and figured in why George Cukor was replaced as director of Gone with the Wind. Also prominently examined are Elvis Presley's and Frank Sinatra's metamorphoses from teen idols to movie stars. Replete with individual filmographies and discographies, as appropriate, a fine addition to the film history shelves. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (April 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786717688
• ISBN-13: 978-0786717682
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Skip It, July 12, 2005

By 

L. F. Ribeiro "ClscFlm" (North Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Leading Men of MGM (Hardcover)

Look no further than the introduction for exactly the kind of accurate, skillful research, editing and depth of this so-called film industry "history:" According to Ms Wayne, Clark Gable found true happiness married to Loretta Young who bore him a son. Such inaccuracy boggles the mind. Skip this, for nothing but further distortion can surely follow.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a dump !!!, January 19, 2006

By 

D. Kahn "minx_14" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Leading Men of MGM (Hardcover)

The first part of this book takes about Loretta Young marrying Clark Gable. Please. Never happened. It goes down hill. The audacity of her quoting conversations that celebrities in the privacy of their bedrooms. Was she the fly on the wall? I am so disappointed, I can't stand the money that I wasted on this junk. To the novice, it reads well. To anyone who knows anything about Hollywood, skip this !

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Having Been There Before......, March 4, 2005

By 

G. MacBeth (Atlantic Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Leading Men of MGM (Hardcover)

I have to admit up front that I have not read Wayne's latest. In fact, I will never bother to open the book, nor have I done so for good reason: unfortunately, I spent good money on her 'biography' of Barbara Stanwyck. And enough said! I have no illusions about Stanwyck as a person; she was human and as such flawed - and necessarily many things to many people. The jury is still out on more than one issue. Nonetheless, Wayne's largely undocumented Stanwyck 'biography' would seem to be little more than an anti-Stanwyck diatribe. Even objective readers will quickly note her overwhelmingly pro-Taylor bias, as well as her 'obsession' with painting Stanwyck in a completely unrealistic, negative light. I cannot help but feel obligated to suggest that those who seek new and reliable information take care when treading Wayne waters. An avid Stanwyck/Taylor follower for over 4 decades, I would hesitate to place my trust in a great deal that she has to say.