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Title: Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969 by William J. Mann ISBN: 0-14-200114-7 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent study of gays and lesbians in Hollywood
Comment: I found this book to be extremely interesting, and, ultimately, hard to forget. It is a well-researched account of what life was like in Hollywood for gays and lesbians, both pre-Code and post. While it is true that the book is comprehensive, and many, many people are discussed, I didn't find this to be problematic. They were not necessarily names which I recognized, but that was why I was reading the book. If I had a little trouble remembering who he was referring to in a given section, I let that go and read for content. What the people experienced. Why they did. How they felt about it.
The sheer volume of research Mr. Mann did is overwhelming, and necessary for this topic to be taken seriously. Very often, critics of gay and lesbian history books will claim that nothing is substantiated. Given the fact that some of these people were in the closet, therefore have left no documentation themselves, in my opinion, looking to other people who lived at the same time, who knew the people in question is just as valid as having a piece of paper which says, "I am gay/lesbian, and I loved 'X,' and I hid my orientation for 'Y' reason." It is unrealistic, in many cases, to expect that level of documentation, particularly with the generation of people the book talks about. Putting oneself into the closet in, say, 1935 (post-Hayes Code) meant that you *stayed* in the closet, for the rest of your life. That doesn't invalidate the experiences of the people who knew you, took photos of you, saw you and your lover behind closed doors, or at a party.
Mr. Mann put in untold hours of research, and when you look at the chapter notes, it's clear that the whole picture he presents is exactly that. He doesn't print mere rumour--there are a number of times when he doesn't "name names." What he does do is present his information, substantiated by any number of disparate sources, and gives it to the reader, straight out (so to speak). All of which, to me, is a valid way to deal with this subject. All of which made the book that much more valuable.
I found this book to be eminently readable. I could not put it down. I found a number of the stories heart-wrenching, and terribly sad (for example, Cary Grant and Randolph Scott's relationship). I found others to be uplifting. I learned about people I'd never heard of, and now, when I watch a movie from the 1930's, or 40's, I recognize names of set designers, and writers, and costume designers as *my* forefathers and foremothers (as Mr. Mann calls them).
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, for those of you who want to know more about gay and lesbian history, and how the shaping of Hollywood (by gays and lesbians) influenced the general American culture, and vice versa. It's fascinating.
Rating: 2
Summary: Ok, but...
Comment: I believe that I have read all of William J. Mann's published works and really enjoyed them. So it was with great expectation that I approached his new work "Behind the Screen". Sadly, I left the book disappointed and somewhat confused.
Mann's attempt to write a comprehensive history of gay Hollywood was admirable, but somehow, he's gotten in the way of his own work. One of my problems with the book is the way in which it was written. As you read any biography, there is a risk of proposing too many names for the reader to handle. Right in the first chapter, as he explains early gay stars, we are innundated with so many names that it is virtually impossible to keep track of anyone after awhile. Talking about people is very important to a biography, but when the reader has little to no knowledge or connection with the names, they merely blend together in a confusing mass of lexiographic confusion. I'd hope it would improve, but sadly, found each successive page more frustating than the last, and I failed to get through chapter three.
However, I found a somewhat easier way to read the book. I began looking up celebrities I wanted info on, and just reading those sections. He still manages to litter each page with an abundance of names, but because you may know the celebrity, there is something more to hook into.
Mann has an ability to write books that are amazing. Just read "Wisecracker" and "The Biograph Girl", both which celebrate early morning lore. Maybe he should try to concentrate on writing more about individual celebrities than a sweeping work that leaves us confused and frustrated.
Rating: 3
Summary: Interesting, but almost too exhaustive
Comment: I found the thesis of this book to be worthy of attention, but perhaps the extent to which the author evaluates the subject is a bit much. The book is not an easy read, at times it feels like a laundry-list of the life and times of EVERY SINGLE gay man or woman involved in the hollywood scene. The upshot of this approach is that the text is not bogged down with modern lore and urban legends about the great gay stars. They get about as much attention as everyone else, from cameramen to set decorators. The result is an absolutely comprehensive account of the lives of some very interesting men and women. Part of the theme of the text is the similarity of experience between the working/middle-class derived gay population. Perhaps that is what makes the text seem a little repetitive, so many of these people have such similar stories that you forget where you are in the book! As you can probably tell, I'm torn about this review, but all that said, this book has been an interesting read and will be a valuable reference in my library of books on film and filmmakers.
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Title: Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star by William J. Mann ISBN: 0140275681 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro by Andre Soares ISBN: 0312282311 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall by Richard Barrios ISBN: 041592328X Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $31.95 |
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Title: Lost Hollywood by David Wallace ISBN: 0312261950 Publisher: L A Weekly Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Hollywood Gays: Conversations With : Cary Grant, Liberace, Tony Perkins, Paul Lynde, Cesar Romero, Brad Davis, Randolph Scott, James Coco, William Haines, David lewis by Boze Hadleigh ISBN: 1569800839 Publisher: Barricade Books, Inc. Pub. Date: 01 August, 1996 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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