Part social history and part Tinseltown expose, this revealing, entertaining, and provocative book explores the lives and careers of some of the silver screen's foremost gays and lesbians and shows the effect of their high-profile lifestyles on a general public still trying to figure out how homosexuality fits into the ever-evolving social landscape. From Charles Laughton, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo to contemporary stars such as Nathan Lane, Rupert Everett, and Ellen DeGeneres, Ehrenstein traces the gradual transformation from a time when it was box-office poison to be both prominently successful and publicly gay to the modern era when many top entertainment figures are not merely comfortable with their gay sexuality but actually celebrate it -- and are in turn celebrated for it.
If Randy Shilts and Kenneth Anger were to collaborate on a book, this would be it -- a wonderfully readable blend of serious insight and inside scoop that adds a new dimension to our understanding of Hollywood, homosexuality, and ourselves.
