Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star (SIGNED).
Mann, William J.
Price: 52.50 USD
ISBN: 0670871559New York:: Viking,, 1998.. SIGNED & INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ON THE TITLE PAGE. FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING. 444 pages including the index, bibliography plus 16 pages of black and white photos. The condition of the book and dust jacket are NEAR FINE. Light soiling/wear to bottom page block and board edges. Minor wear to dust jacket., age darkening to jacket. NOT price-clipped. NOT remaindered. A tight copy inside. JMVINTAGE specializes in books, magazines, and treasures related to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor....and other curious subjects. Dust jacket reads: "In 1930 William Haines was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw--a talented, handsome, wisecracking romantic lead. After leaving acting he went on to become the interior designer to Hollywood's elite--everyone from Carole Lombard and Jack Warner to Nancy Reagan--and to such clients as Ambassador Walter Annenberg, who commissioned him for the American Embassy in London. Through it all, he never disguised who he was: Offscreen, he was openly gay to reporters and studio chiefs alike, and at his side at all times was his lover, Jimmie Shields. In a world where truth is often distorted in the funhouse mirror of Hollywood, Billy Haines lived a completely authentic life....Here for the first time, the stories of Hollywood's gay stars are seen in context with their times and with one another, revealing a pattern of intimidation by the studios and, ultimately, the establishment of the Hollywood closet. Alone among his contemporaries--Ramon Novarro, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power--Haines refused to play the game, and so was booted out. In the end, however, he triumphed: In his new profession of interior design Billy gained Hollywood's abiding respect, and his union with Jimmie Shields lasted nearly fifty years. Joan Crawford, their best friend, called them "the happiest married couple in Hollywood." With a cast of characters that includes Clark Gable, George Cukor, Cole Porter, Clifton Webb, Greta Garbo, Marion Davies, and William Randolph Hearst, Wisecracker is an astonishing narrative of newly discovered gay history, a chronicle of high Hollywood, and--at its heart--a great and enduring love story. --------------------------------- First edition. Near Fine in Near Fine Dust Jacket.
