Blind Items Revealed #4 -Old Hollywood

April 9, 2015

This actor is probably best known for his roles in several early horror movies, but later in his life when any reporter asked about why he left his status as a potential A-list leading man rather abruptly he always replied with an “I don’t want to talk about it” or “next question please”. The real facts behind his exit from Hollywood and returning to the worlds of Broadway and summer stock is among the most sordid I’ve ever heard and shows how fast a career begins and ends.

Back in the 1930s, there was this hotel called the Garden of Allah owned by actress (and lesbian) Alla Nazimova. Many celebrities stayed there and held wild parties almost every night. Back then, if you were gay or lesbian, this was the place to go to be yourself, without the prying eyes of the studio PR people telling you to act straight and signing cease-and-desist orders so various incidents didn’t wind up in a gossip column. Occasionally, gay and lesbian actors and actresses were picked up by the police for solicitation… which where then squashed by a studio’s PR department for fear of hurting the star and the studio’s image. Some stars, like actor William Haines, defied the studio’s gag order and left Hollywood altogether. Others, like actor Ramon Novarro and actress Lilyan Tashman, kow-towed to the studio’s pressure but as part of the deal got film roles of lesser quality. Our actor was not publicly out of the closet back in the mid ’30s, but everyone knew he was gay. One night, after wrapping a day’s work for a film, he was invited to the Garden of Allah for a “surprise party” for an openly gay A-list director and Oscar winner/nominee. He was told only two instructions: #1: put on a blindfold and never take it off, and #2: strip down to your underwear.

So he was taken to the Garden of Allah, where some members of Hollywood’s secret gay, lesbian and bisexual community were holding a party for the director. We’re talking the A++ list here, names you would instantly recognize. The actor was brought in, blindfolded and nearly naked, and told to go on all fours like a dog. Then out came the paddle.. his briefs were quickly taken off and some of the male partygoers had their way with him. He wasn’t the only actor naked on all fours: a B-list stage/film actor (not openly gay but struggled with his sexuality and with manic depression for most of his brief career) who was a rising star at his studio in a series of low budget comedies was also being taken advantage of. Photos were taken (and later destroyed) and later used to keep the actors in the closet as a form of blackmail. Well, the second actor didn’t take it so well and he later killed himself. The first actor was told by actor #2’s longtime friend, an A++ list actress and Oscar winner/nominee, to get out of town as soon as possible before the scandal was leaked to the press. He did just that and never looked back.

#1: David Manners/actor #2: Ross Alexander/director: George Cukor/actor #2's friend: Bette Davis)