In the new documentary Stty and the Secret History of Hollywood, former V.F. edor Matt Tyrner sh a light on the sexual fixer who tered to secretly gay Goln Age stars
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- SPENCER TRACY – A NIGHTMARE OF A MAN. AUGT 6, 2015 ADM DID YOU KNOW? 41 A PORTRA OF A YOUNG SPENCER TRACY (1900-1967). --- IMAGE BY © UNRWOOD & UNRWOOD/CORBIS AS AN ACTOR SPENCER TRACY HAD FEW PEERS AND CEMA-GOERS ADORED HIM. OFF SCREEN HE WAS A VERY ORDARY HUMAN BEG, A MAN BET WH ALL KDS OF PROBLEMS. HE WAS A VLENT ALHOLIC HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND A RAMPANT WOMANIZER WHO HAD ALMOST AS MANY NQUTS TO HIS NAME AS GABLE ALTHOUGH, UNLIKE ‘THE KG’, HE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN MALE LOVERS AS WELL. WHEN HE WENT ON A ‘BENR’, WHICH WAS OFTEN, HE WAS KNOWN AT TIM TO MOLISH HOTEL ROOMS A LA CHARLIE SHEEN.AS A YOUTH HE WAS THROWN OUT OF HALF A DOZEN GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, THE ONLY SUBJECT HE HANDLED WH RELATIVE EASE BEG DRAMA. THERE IS NO DOUBT HE BEME ONE OF THE GREATT MOVIE ACTORS HISTORY, AN ACHIEVEMENT MA MORE MEROR WHEN WE NSIR THAT HE ME TO THE SCREEN WH VIRTUALLY NO STAGE EXPERIENCE BEHD HIM. ALL THE OTHER GREATS SUCH AS BRANDO, OLIVIER AND BETTE DAVIS, BROUGHT A WEALTH OF STAGE EXPERIENCE WH THEM, BUT NOT TRACY.HE STARTED HIS MOVIE REER AT FOX 1930, MA SIXTEEN MOVI THERE, BUT ULD NOT TABLISH HIMSELF THE TOP ECHELON OF PERFORMERS. AND HE WAS TROUBLE WH A PAL ‘T’. HE RARELY SLEPT, SUFFERED OM PRSN, HAD A HAIR-TRIGGER TEMPER, WAS OBSSED WH ATH – AND, MOST TROUBLOME OF ALL, HE WAS A HOPELS ALHOLIC. HE ALSO SCED STARLETS AT A RATE OF KNOTS FOR, REGARDLS OF HIS ISSU, THE MAN ULD CHARM THE BIRDS OUT OF THE TRE WHEN HE CHOSE TO. IN 1933 HE MA MAN’S CASTLE WH LORETTA YOUNG, AND THE UPLE BEGAN A TEMPTUO AFFAIR THAT LORETTA EVENTUALLY LLED OFF. WHY? BEE HER PRIT WOULD NOT GIVE HER ABSOLUTN FOR ‘DATG’ A MARRIED CATHOLIC MAN. TWO YEARS LATER SHE WOULD HAVE A CHILD TO THE EQUALLY MARRIED CLARK GABLE AFTER THEY MA THE CALL OF THE WILD TOGETHER. EVINTLY, HER PRIT WAS AWAY ON VATN OR SOMETHG.WH LORETTA YOUNG MAN’S CASTLEON HIS WEEK-LONG BENRS TRACY WOULD RENT A HOTEL ROOM, LOAD UP WH TWO OR THREE S OF WHISKEY, THEN SETTLE HIMSELF THE BATHTUB AND MENCE TO DRK. IN FACT, HE WOULD DRK HIMSELF UNNSC, WAKE UP; THEN DRK HIMSELF UNNSC AGA. AND HE WOULD NTUE THE CYCLE UNTIL THE BOOZE WAS GONE. THIS MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL DAYS, DURG WHICH TIME HE WOULD NOT LEAVE THE BATHTUB – FOR ANY REASON. FOX PUT UP WH HIS ABOMABLE BEHAVUR FOR FIVE YEARS BEFORE LLG QUS. CALLED TO THE HEAD OFFICE, HE WAS GIVEN AN ULTIMATUM. CURB HIS DRKG OR HIS NTRACT WOULD NOT BE RENEWED. HE LISTENED VERY ATTENTIVELY, THEN WALKED ACROSS THE STREET TO THE NEART SALOON AND GOT BLD DNK. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE OFFICE AND STROYED AND S NTENTS. FOX FIRED HIM THE NEXT DAY. MGM QUICKLY PICKED HIM UP. L B MAYER’S PROTéGé, IRVG THALBERG, KNEW TALENT WHEN HE SAW .IRVG THALBERGOF URSE, MGM KNEW OF TRACY’S PROBLEMS (EVERYONE THE DTRY DID), BUT THE STUD FIXERS, HOWARD STRICKLG AND EDDIE MANNIX, FORMULATED A PLAN TO NTROL HIM. A ‘TRACY SQUAD’ WAS CREATED, NSISTG OF FOUR ‘HEAVI’ WHOSE JOB WAS TO FOLLOW THE ACTOR AT ALL TIM. IF THEY SAW HIM ENTER A BAR OR A LIQUOR STORE THEY WERE TO IMMEDIATELY APPREHEND HIM AND NFISTE ANY BOOZE HE MIGHT HAVE ACQUIRED. THEY WOULD ALSO PAY OFF HOTELIERS IF HE HAPPENED TO GIVE THEM THE SLIP, GET PLASTERED, AND TRASH A ROOM. MGM NSIRED THE TROUBLE AND EXPENSE OF THE ‘TRACY SQUAD’ WAS WORTH , NVCED HE ULD MAKE MONEY FOR THE STUD. LOTS OF . AND THEY WERE RIGHT.WRER/PRODUCER JOSEPH MANKIEWICZ ONCE SAID OF TRACY: ‘NOBODY AT MGM GETS MORE SEX THAN SPENCER TRACY – EXCEPT FOR JOAN CRAWFORD.’ AMONG HIS OTHER LENGTHY RELATNSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE THIRTI AND FORTI WERE, MYRNA LOY, PLETTE GODDARD, HEDY LAMARR, JOAN BENT, INGRID BERGMAN, OLIVIA HAVILLAND AND HER SISTER JOAN FONTAE AND (LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE), JOAN CRAWFORD. MANNIX AND STRICKLG ALSO KNEW THAT TRACY HAD BEEN SCG 17 YEAR-OLD JUDY GARLAND FOR THREE YEARS. ACRDG TO WRER EJ FLEMG, ALL OF MGM KNEW . BY 1940, BOTH TRACY AND GARLAND HAD BOTH MOVED ON TO OTHERS, JUDY FALLG HEAD OVER HEELS FOR 28 YEAR-OLD BANDLEAR ARTIE SHAW. SHE FULLY EXPECTED HIM TO POP THE QUTN SOONER OR LATER. HE NEVER DID. INSTEAD, HE ELOPED WH LANA TURNER. JUDY GARLAND CIR 1940 ARTIE SHAWIN 1943 TRACY MA A GUY NAMED JOE WH IRENE DUNNE AND VAN JOHNSON. WHILE REHEARSG THEIR LOVE SCEN HE WOULD WHISPER GRAPHIC TAILS IRENE’S EAR, LURIDLY TAILG WHAT HE WOULD DO TO HER SEXUALLY IF HE EVER GOT HER ALONE. THE VERY PRIM AND PROPER MISS DUNNE THREATENED TO WALK OFF THE PICTURE UNLS HE SISTED. AROUND THAT TIME JOHNSON WAS BADLY JURED A R CRASH. PRODUCTN WAS PUT ON HOLD BY LB MAYER UNTIL HE REVERED, BUT ONLY IF TRACY AGREED TO EASE UP ON DUNNE. TO HIS CRED HE AGREED, FOR ONCE PUTTG SOMEONE ELSE’S NEEDS AHEAD OF HIS OWN AND JOHNSON’S REER WAS SAVED.WH IRENE DUNNE A GUY NAMED JOEIN 1954, THE AGG TRACY HEARD ABOUT GRACE KELLY’S REPUTATN FOR NAILG OLR, MARRIED MEN, SO HE GAVE THE MAKERS OF BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK AN ULTIMATUM. HE WOULD AGREE TO PROMOTE THE PICTURE, BUT ONLY IF THEY ARRANGED A DATE FOR HIM WH KELLY. THEY DID SO, AND THE 54 YEAR-OLD, WHE-HAIRED TRACY WED, DED AND BEDD HER THAT NIGHT.TRACY & GRACE DATGDURG THE THIRTI AND FORTI HE WOULD OFTEN STAY AT GAY DIRECTOR GEE COR’S HOME FOR DAYS AT A TIME. IT WAS MOURED HE WOULD HAVE SEX WH YOUNG MALE IENDS OF COR’S WHEN THE URGE AROSE. YEARS LATER, SEVERAL SOURC CLAIMED THAT TRACY AND JOHN DEREK ALSO HAD A LENGTHY RELATNSHIP. INFORMED SOURC FURTHER CLAIM THAT HIS LONG-TERM RELATNSHIP WH KATHARE HEPBURN MAY NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN NSUMMATED, GIVEN THE AMBIVALENT SEXUALY OF BOTH PARTI.TRACY’S LOVER OR NOT?THERE WAS CERTALY GREAT AFFECTN DISPLAYED THE RELATNSHIP, SO WHETHER OR NOT WAS SIMPLY PLUTONIC IS BATABLE. HE STILL DISAPPEARED OM TIME TO TIME, UALLY TO HIS HOMETOWN OF MILWKEE, WHERE HE WOULD HOLE UP ONE OF S NUMERO SALOONS ON ONE OF HIS BENRS. KATE KNEW WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACK HIM DOWN, SO SHE DID NOT EVEN TRY. EVENTUALLY, HE WOULD DRY OUT AND RETURN TO HER.WH KATE THE EARLY YEARSTRACY WAS NOMATED FOR NE OSRS AND WON TWO – THE FIRST, SPE OF HIS ABOMABLE PORTUGUE ACCENT, FOR CAPTAS COURAGEO (1938), THE SEND FOR BOY’S TOWN A YEAR LATER. HE AND KATE MA NE MOVI TOGETHER, THE LAST OF THEM BEG 1967’S GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER? JT SEVENTEEN DAYS AFTER S PLETN TRACY WAS AD. KATE HEARD A CUP CRASH TO THE FLOOR THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. HE HAD SUFFERED A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, AND SHE FOUND HIM AD ON THE KCHEN FLOOR. FOR THE RT OF HER LONG LIFE SHE ULD NOT BRG HERSELF TO WATCH THE PICTURE. NOT WHOUT HIM BI HER.IN GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER?A LOT HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT HIS STNCH CATHOLICISM PREVENTG TRACY OM DIVORCG HIS WIFE LOUISE AND MARRYG KATE, BUT HE OFTEN TOLD IENDS THAT BOTH WOMEN PREFERRED THE ARRANGEMENT AS STOOD. SO DID HE. HE AND LOUISE LIVED APART FOR MANY YEARS, BUT HE NEVER MOVED WH KATE EHER. THEY JT SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER ALTERNATG BETWEEN HIS PLACE AND HERS. OUT OF RPECT FOR TRACY’S FAY KATE DID NOT ATTEND HIS FUNERAL. SHE WOULD OUTLIVE HIM BY 36 YEARS, DYG 2003 AT THE AGE OF 96.I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF SPENCER TRACY THE ACTOR ALL MY LIFE. LIKE MOST MOVIE-GOERS I WAS TAKEN BY THE SEEMGLY EFFORTLS WAY HE PROJECTED TELLIGENCE AND TEGRY. HIS ACTG STYLE WAS RELAXED AND NATURAL. IT WAS FUN TO PARE HIS PERFORMANC WH, SAY, ERROL FLYNN’S. ERROL, MY OPN, WAS UNBELIEVABLY AWFUL. I STILL WATCH CAPTA BLOOD ON OCSN, JT TO REMD MYSELF OF HOW BAD A PLAYER N BE, YET STILL BEE A HUGE SUCCS. BUT TRACY WAS THE ULTIMATE MOVIE ACTOR. IT IS DISAPPOTG TO LEARN THAT THE MAN ULD NOT LIVE UP TO THE ACTOR. BUT THEN, THE ACTOR WAS SO DAMN GOOD – WHO ULD?A GUY NAMED JOEARTIE SHAWBOYS TOWNPTA BLOODPTAS URAGEOCLARK GABLEERROL FLYNNFOX STUDSGRACE KELLYGUS WHOSE G TO DNER?IRENE DUNNEIRVG THALBERGJOHN REKJUDY GARLANDKATHARE HEPBURNLANA TURNERLORETTA YOUNGMAN'S STLEMGMSPENCER TRACYTHE TRACY SQUADVAN JOHNSON PREVWHAT’S A NAME – PART TWO? NEXTTHE REAL ‘BIRDMAN OF ALTRAZ’. 41 COMMENTS KATHRYN L. HARTLEY JUNE 6, 2023 AT 10:29 AM THE FIRST TIME I TURNED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON CLASSICS ON WGN CHANNEL 9 CHIGO WAS THE EARLY 70S. AN ACTOR WAS SWGG ACROSS THE FORT TO A TREE, DRSED A GREEN OUTF REPLETE WH GREEN LEOTARDS. HE EXCLAIMED “WELE TO SHERWOOD!” PLEASE DON’T TRY AND BURST MY LONG-STANDG BUBBLE WH ERROL FLYNN. I CERTALY LIKED SPENCER TRACY AND THK HE WAS A WONRFUL ACTOR, BUT HE ULDN’T PULL OFF A “FALLG LOVE” WH THE SEXY TENSN. NO WAY…NO HOW.REPLY GARY MAY 22, 2023 AT 10:48 AM I RECENTLY WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT KATHARE HEPBURN. NEVER REALIZED SHE WAS SO BETIFUL AND PLEX. THE BETY OF ALL TIME IS ELIZABETH TAYLOR. THE GREATT ACTOR MY LIFETIME IS JACK NICHOLSON. DON’T BOTHER TO LOOK ME UP BEE I’M NOBODY.REPLY TONY JANUARY 9, 2022 AT 4:25 AM WOW! YOU REALLY NAILED TRACEY! THIS IS THE KD OF STORI THAT ALSO HAVE TO BE SHARED. EVEN MOTHER THREA WAS A HORRIBLE PERSON, SO THE STANDARDS OF THE STARS IS SHOULD NOT BE HELD SO HIGH. BUT THE MOVIE STARS WORKS WILL LAST/LIVE FOREVER.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 10, 2022 AT 11:16 PM VERY LTLE ABOUT THE STARS BACK THE BIG STUD DAYS HOLDS UP TO CLOSE SCTY, TONY. IT WAS MOSTLY HYPE, IMAGE BUILDG (OR IMAGE MATAG) AND A LOT OF VERG UP. NOT EVERY STAR WAS WHAT HE OR SHE WAS PROJECTED AS BY THE STUD ‘FIXERS’. OF URSE, THAT DO NOT MEAN EVERYONE HAD CLAY FEET; NOT BY A LONG SHOT, BUT THE HEADS OF THE STUDS RAN TERFERENCE WHEN WAS REQUIRED. AND THEY WERE VERY GOOD AT .REPLY BOB NOVEMBER 18, 2021 AT 1:57 AM I THK YOU MEAN THAT HE GROOMED JUDY GARLANDREPLY DAVE MAY 21, 2021 AT 10:45 AM NO, ALAN. AFTER DREAD, 1930, HE APPEARED THE LAST MILE. ACRDG TO WIKIPEDIA, THE LAST MILE OPENED ON BROADWAY FEBARY, WHERE TRACY’S PERFORMANCE WAS MET BY A STANDG OVATN THAT LASTED 14 CURTA LLS. THE COMMONWEAL SCRIBED HIM AS “ONE OF OUR BT AND MOST VERSATILE YOUNG ACTORS”. THE PLAY WAS A H WH CRICS, AND RAN FOR 289 PERFORMANC.REPLY ALAN ROYLE MAY 24, 2021 AT 12:10 AM THANKYOU, DAVE. IF WIKIPEDIA IS ACCURATE (ALTHOUGH OFTEN ISN’T), I STAND RRECTED.REPLY DICK JON APRIL 5, 2021 AT 11:28 AM WHERE DID I HEAR THAT TRACY FOUND ROBERT RYAN, THE MAN, TO BE A SRY, TIMIDATG FIGURE?REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 5, 2021 AT 12:09 PM I DON’T RELL THAT, DICK. EVERYTHG I HAVE READ OM HIS NTEMPORARI SCRIBED RYAN GLOWG TERMS.REPLY TOM DAMRON MAY 3, 2023 AT 6:44 AM ROBERT RYAN WAS A MARE WWII. A LOT OF THOSE GUYS HAD A DARK SI, UNRSTANDABLY.REPLY JACK MARN DECEMBER 20, 2020 AT 12:38 PM I FD CREDIBLY DISAPPOTG THAT THIS PIECE EXPLICLY SAYS SPENCER TRACY RAPED JUDY GARLAND, AND YET THOR AND ALL THE MENTS SECTN STILL SHOWER HIM PRAISE, ACLAS AND GRACE… VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE STILL N’T EVEN SEE HOW WRONG HE IS, WHO R WHAT MOVI HE WAS HE WAS 36 YEARS OLD AND SHE WAS 14REPLY ALAN ROYLE DECEMBER 20, 2020 AT 12:49 PM AS MORE AND MORE DIVIDUALS PUBLISH THEIR MEMOIRS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD, MANY OF THE STUD MYTHS ARE BEG EXPOSED, JACK. NOT EVERY STORY IS 100% FACTUAL BUT IS MOST TERTG TO READ AND ASSS EACH ONE AND THEN FORMULATE AN OPN ON WHAT IS BELIEVABLE AND WHAT IS NOT.REPLY KERRY APRIL 5, 2021 AT 8:56 AM THE STORY ABOUT JUDY GARLAND AND SPENCER IS FALSE NO DOUBT A PRODUCT OF THE DREADFUL DARW PORTER WHO SPREADS THIS SORT OF NONSENSE AROUND HIS FICTNAL BOOKS – JUDY GARLAND NEVER MA THIS CLAIM AND THEY HAD HAD ANY RELATNSHIPREPLY CHRISTOPHER WILSON SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 AT 10:58 AM AGA ANOTHER GREAT ARTICLE. I TOO PUT SPENCER TRACY VERY HIGH ON MY LIST OF GREAT ACTORS. POSSIBLY THE TOP. HOWEVER, TO BE FAIR, TO OTHER ACTORS, I’M NOT SURE HE REALLY HAD THE RANGE TO DO ANY KD OF PART. CAN I IMAGE SPENCER TRACY PLAYG LAWRENCE OF ARABIA? NOPE. I DO THK HE’D HAVE BEEN A GREAT KG LEAR THOUGH. MAYBE I’M NOT BEG FAIR. I GUS NO ACTOR/ACTRS N DO EVERY PART. AND LIKE I SAID, I LOVE SPENCER TRACY. I NOTED ONCE AN ARTICLE I ONCE DID ON SPENCER TRACY AND KATHARE HEPBURN THAT THEIR VERY FIRST SCREEN MOMENT TOGETHER ON FILM FORHADOWED THEIR VERY LAST SCREEN MOMENTS ON FILM. THAT BEG, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, WHEN THEY FIRST ARE SHOWN TOGETHER, HEPBURN IS STG ON A SK STRAIGHTENG HER STOCKGS (A RARE CHEEKE SHOT FOR HEPBURN FOR SURE) TRACY WALKS . WHAT DO THEY DO? WELL TRACY LOOKS AT HER LEGS OF URSE AND THEN THE TWO SIMPLY STARE AT EACH OTHER FOR AN EXTEND MOMENT AND ’S THEIR CEMATIC HELLO…YEARS LATER ALMOST AT THE VERY END OF GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER (A MOVIE I LOVE) NEAR THE END OF A LONG SPEECH LIVERED BY TRACY, HE CLAR TO A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE THAT IF THE LOVE BETWEEN HIS DGHTER (PLAYED BY KATHARE HOUGHTON, HEPBURN’S REAL LIFE NIECE) AND HER FIANCE A DOCTOR (PLAYED BY THE GREAT SIDNEY POIER) IS HALF AS MUCH AS THE LOVE HE’S HAD FOR HIS WIFE, WELL THEN THAT IS EVERYTHG. AND IS AT THIS POT, HE TURNS HIS HEAD AND LOOKS STRAIGHT AT HEPBURN, SHE RETURNS HIS LOOK AND AGA, THERE IS A PROTRACTED MOMENT OF THEIR STARG TO EACH OTHER’S EY. MOMENTS AFTER THAT SHOT THE MOVIE ENDS. THAT LOOK/GAZE WAS FACT THEIR CEMATIC GOODBYE. INCREDIBLE HOW LIFE AND ART N LLI LIKE THAT AND SHOW THE BEGNG AND THE END MIRROR MOMENTS.REPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 AT 11:19 AM THE LOOK KATE GAVE TRACY AT THE END OF THEIR LAST FILM SAID ALL, CHRISTOPHER. TO ME WAS ONE OF TOTAL LOVE AND AFFECTN. WONRFUL MOMENT FILM.REPLY HAVANA BROWN AUGT 30, 2020 AT 10:34 AM PLATONIC, NOT PLUTONICREPLY THOMAS STT JUNE 28, 2020 AT 1:46 AM IT’S JT SANE TO SUGGT SPENCE WAS GAY OR BISEXUAL, THAT’S JT NONSENSE AND VENTED RECENTLY BY STTY BOWERS (KNOWN LIAR). HE AND KATE DID LIVE TOGETHER AT GEE COR’S MALIBU TTAGE OM 1942-1967, THIS IS EXCEEDGLY WELL DOCUMENTED. AND OF URSE THEY HAD SEX! CONSULT GARSON KAN’S ORAL HISTORY, WHICH SHOWS THEY HAD AN ACTIVE SEX LIFE UNTIL THE LATE 1950’S WHEN SPENCER’S HEALTH FAILED.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JUNE 28, 2020 AT 1:28 PM I HAVE NOT READ MR. BOWERS’ BOOK AND DO NOT TEND TO, THOMAS. I BASE MY ASSSMENTS ON MANY SOURC AND NO DOUBT SOME MAY BE DUB, BUT THEN SO ARE ALMOST ALL THE OFFICIAL HOLLYWOOD STUD ASSSMENTS. ALL WE N DO IS SIFT THE AVAILABLE DATA AND ARRIVE AT OUR OWN NCLNS. HOW YOU N SAY ‘AND OF URSE THEY HAD SEX’, AND NOT EM THAT AN ASSUMPTN IS BEYOND ME. AS FOR GARSON KAN, HE MAY BE TELLG THE TTH, HE MAY BE PROTECTG HIS IENDS’ REPUTATNS. HE WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST REPUTABLE PERSON TO DO THAT, PECIALLY THE ENTERTAMENT BS. WE N MERELY AGREE TO DISAGREE ON THE VALIDY OF WHICHEVER SOURC WE CHOOSE. THANKYOU FOR YOUR MENTS.REPLY BETHENNY PARKER JUNE 16, 2023 AT 11:58 AM Y, LOTS OF FICTN THIS PIECE. CONVENIENT THAT TRACY ISN’T AROUND TO FEND HIMSELF. TRACY WAS ONE THE BT ACTORS OF ALL TIME, A WOMANIZER & BULLY WHEN HE DRANK. BUT HE WAS NOT GAY.REPLY KERRIE APRIL 3, 2019 AT 5:46 PM LATE TO THIS POSTG BUT S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT TO CLAIM THAT SPENCER TRACY WAS A VLENT ALHOLIC HIS ENTIRE LIFE . LOTS OF ACCURATE BGRAPHI PARTICULARLY THE BILL DAVIDSON BGRAPHY . HE WAS A BGE DRKER WHO ULD GO WHOUT DRKG FOR YEARS AND HIS DRKG TAPERED OFF OM THE EARLY 1940S . Y HE ULD BE VLENT BUT THAT WAS NOT THE NORM .REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 3, 2019 AT 6:27 PM THAT IS PROBABLY A FAIR ASSSMENT, KERRIE. SADLY, HE WAS QUE UNPREDICTABLE. LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I FEEL HE WAS THE MOST GIFTED MOVIE ACTOR OF ALL TIME. WE N ONLY WONR HOW GOOD HE ULD HAVE BEEN IF HE ULD HAVE OVERE HIS DRKG PROBLEM.REPLY MICHAEL POWERS AUGT 18, 2018 AT 10:34 PM ALWAYS ENJOYED THIS STORY ABOUT SPENCE. HE & AND KATE HEPBURN WERE ST TO DO THEIR FIRST FILM TOGETHER,TRACY WOULD RECEIVE TOP BILLG.A IEND ASKED TRACY WHY NOT LET KATE GO FIRST THE BILLG,YOU KNOW,LIKE WOMAN FIRST OFF A SKG SHIP?SPENCE REPLIED WH A GROWL “IT’S A MOVIE NOT A LIFEBOAT.”REPLY MART MCHUGH AUGT 15, 2018 AT 1:41 AM I LOVE THE LARGER THAN LIFE STORI. THEY DID EVERYTHG TO EXCS! MY HEAD REELS AT THE THOUGHT OF ALL THOSE STUNNG WOMEN, THE BOOZE, THE GREAT LIFTYL, ITS… HOLLYWOOD!! IT IS A VERY GUILTY FASCATN. TRACY WAS GREAT BUT I DON’T KNOW WHY.REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 15, 2018 AT 7:59 PM PERSONALLY, MART, I THK HE IS GREATT MALE ACTOR THE MOVI HAVE EVER SEEN, BUT AS A HUMAN BEG HE WAS SERLY FLAWED.REPLY JACK NICHOLSON AUGT 18, 2021 AT 1:04 PM EVERYONE IS SERLY FLAWED. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? MARS?REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 18, 2021 AT 5:36 PM JACK NICHOLSON? IS THAT YOUR REAL NAME OR ARE YOU LIVG LA LA LAND? THIS MAY SURPRISE YOU BUT EVERYONE IS NOT ‘SERLY FLAWED’; NOT MY NEIGHBOURHOOD ANYWAY. MAYBE YOURS.REPLY DAVE JULY 27, 2018 AT 12:55 PM SPENCER TRACY DIDN’T HAVE HAVE A LOT OF STAGE EXPERIENCE? TRACY STUDIED NEW YORK AT THE AMERIN AMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS, AND THEN SPENT SEVEN YEARS ON THE STAGE (STOCK PANI AND BROADWAY) BEFORE EVER MAKG A MOVIE. HE RETURNED TO BROADWAY THE 40’S THE PLAY, THE RUGGED PATH.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JULY 30, 2018 AT 5:01 PM FAIR ENOUGH, DAVE. I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS ON THE STAGE. HE WAS A NUMBER OF PLAYS BUT WENT ALMOST UN-NOTICED UNTIL ‘DREAD’ 1929 LOOKED LIKE PUTTG HIM ON THE MAP, BUT THE STOCK MARKET CRASH THE NEXT DAY ED ANY HOPE OF THE PLAY BEG FANCED.REPLY DAVID KEELG APRIL 14, 2018 AT 1:43 AM Y SPENCER TRACY WAS A GREAT ACTOR AND SOME OTHER ACTORS NSIRED HIM THE BT. I THOUGH PUT ACTOR FREDRICK MARCH SI BY SI WH TRACY AND THEN SOME. MARCH ULD PLAY ROMANTIC LEADS. TRACY DIDN’T OR ULDN’T PULLG OFF).REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 16, 2018 AT 2:17 PM Y, I AGREE WH YOU, DAVID. TRACY WAS A WONRFULLY ‘NATURAL’ ACTOR, MARCH WAS A PROPERLY SCHOOLED THPIAN WHO APPEARED TO BE MORE VERSATILE.REPLY DAWN FEBARY 12, 2018 AT 2:12 PM JEAN HARLOW TOO!REPLY ALAN ROYLE FEBARY 13, 2018 AT 2:40 PM BY MOST ACUNTS (BUT NOT ALL), JEAN WAS QUE A PLAYER. UNFORTUNATELY, DAWN, THE STUDS NCTED SO MUCH DOWNRIGHT BALONEY ABOUT THEIR STARS, IS DIFFICULT TO SORT THE WHEAT OM THE CHAFF.REPLY MICHAEL DAYK MARCH 21, 2017 AT 12:48 AM I WOULDN’T LL ERROL FLYNN AWFULREPLY ALAN ROYLE MARCH 21, 2017 AT 12:17 PM FAIR ENOUGH, MICHAEL. I WOULD.REPLY MICHAEL ALAN JUNE 17, 2019 AT 3:43 PM AND I WOULDN’T LL SPENCER TRACY GREAT, BUT ALAN DO.REPLY S. ALLEN AUGT 7, 2015 AT 3:13 AM TRACY MAY HAVE QU DRKG. I SLIGHTLY RELL A NVERSATN HE HAD W/BALL ABOUT DRKG, PERHAPS RE. JASON?REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 7, 2015 AT 11:55 AM QUE POSSIBLY. ROBARDS WAS A NOTOR DNK, TOO, OF URSE.REPLY BETSY FEBARY 25, 2020 AT 11:59 AM ROBARDS YELLED AT ME AND KICKED ME OFF HIS PROPERTY AS I WAS CROSSG HIS LAWN TO GET TO THE BEACH SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT. A NEIGHBORHOOD OF FAIRFIELD. NOT A NICE MAN BUT THEN AGA HIS PROPERTY HAS A BIG NO TRPASSG SIGN ON . I WAS 17 AT THE TIME.REPLY ALAN ROYLE FEBARY 28, 2020 AT 1:03 PM NO EXCE, OF URSE, BETSY, BUT THE MAN HAD A SER ALHOL PROBLEM FOR MUCH OF HIS LIFE. A LTLE LEEWAY FOR A TEENAGER, HOWEVER, WOULD NOT HAVE HURT HIM. INTERTG STORY, THANKYOU.REPLY S. ALLEN AUGT 6, 2015 AT 4:58 PM I’VE READ SIAR STORI ABOUT TRACY. DURG BOGART’S TERRIBLE ILLNS, HE AND K. HEPBURN WERE DAILY VISORS TO THE BOGART HOME. AFTER BOGIE’S ATH, BETTY BALL ASKED TRACY TO SPEAK AT HIS FUNERAL, BUT HE WAS SO VASTATED, HE REFED, AND JOHN HTON LOGIZED HIS AR IEND BOGIE.REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 7, 2015 AT 1:43 AM Y, I READ THE SAME THGS, SHEILA. I GET THE IMPRSN THAT TRACY MAY HAVE MELLOWED HIS OLD AGE. 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HARTLEY ON SPENCER TRACY – A NIGHTMARE OF A MAN.DAN ON TV SS PT8HILDA ON THE MANY LOV OF INGRID BERGMAN.DAN ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT80MORRIS ON TV SITCOMS – PT7CRAIG ON ACTRESSES IN THEIR NINETIESGARY ON SPENCER TRACY – A NIGHTMARE OF A MAN.MORRIS ON TV SITCOMS – PT7DAN ON TV SITCOMS – PT7DAN ON PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940) & (2005)MARSHA MOSHER ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVRUTH ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVCARA CICNI ON STEVE MCQUEEN – NOT A NICE GUY.ALAN ROYLE ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT79DAN ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT79CATMAC ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT79CATMAC ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT79COPYRIGHT &PY; 2023 | WORDPRS THEME BY MH THEM INSERT/ED LK
- HE SLEPT WH CARY GRANT AND SPENCER TRACY—AND CHANGED HOLLYWOOD HISTORY‘PIMP TO THE STARS’STTY BOWERS RAN A BROTHEL OUT OF A GAS STATN AND SLEPT WH DOZENS OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT STARS. INSI HIS ‘SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD’ AND WHY WE SHOULD BELIEVE HIS STORI.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 28, 2018 8:13AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 25, 2018 5:10AM EDT ABOUT 45 MUT TO THE NEW DOCUMENTARY STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE MONOLOGUE YOU’LL EVER HEAR IS LIVERED. AND ’S ALL TE. ALLEGEDLY.“I FUCKED BETTE DAVIS WORLD WAR II WHEN SHE WAS MARRIED TO A GUY. I ED TO FIX HER UP WH TRICKS, AND WE ED TO HAVE THREE-WAY ALS. I WENT TO BED WH J. EDGAR HOOVER. HE WAS DRAG. HE WAS NOT A GREAT BETY EHER, YOU KNOW, BUT I WAS TREATG HIM JT LIKE HE WAS A GIRL.” STTY BOWERS, NOW 95 AND MORE THAN 60 YEARS PAST HIS PRIME AS THE SO-LLED “PIMP TO THE STARS,” GRS MISCHIEVOLY AS HE LOOSENS THE TAP, NTUG HIS LUGE OF SECRETS.“ONE DAY CARY GRANT WAS THE GAS STATN AND ROCK HUDSON JT HAPPENED TO BE THERE, SO CARY GRANT PICKED HIM UP. I FIXED HIM UP WH ROCK FOR 20 BUCKS, AND ROCK SAW HIM SEVERAL TIM. THIS IS BEFORE ROCK HAD ANY MOVIE. LRENCE OLIVIER AND VIVIEN LEIGH, I NEVER TRICKED THEM TOGETHER. I WOULD FIX THEM UP WH GUYS, AND THEN I WOULD SEE HER AT GARY COOPER’S HOE. SHE WOULD E AND QUIETLY OPEN THE GATE AND BE LIKE, ‘SHH.’ TEN MUT LATER I’M FUCKG HER AND SHE’S SCREAMG.” AFTER SPENDG TWO YEARS FOLLOWG BOWERS FOR THE CEMA VERé-STYLE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE GREGAR FORMER SEX WORKER, FILMMAKER MATT TYRNER LGHS, SUMMARIZG THE UNIQUE AND ACTUALLY PROFOUND APPEAL OF THE SUBJECT OF HIS MOVIE. “THIS IS SOMEONE WHO SEEMS TO HAVE JT NOT BEEN H WH THE SHAME STICK AND NOT BURNED WH FEELGS OF GUILT,” TYRNER SAYS, SPEAKG OVER FFEE AT MANHATTAN’S NOMAD HOTEL THE WEEK BEFORE THE FILM’S RELEASE. “HE DIDN’T HAVE THAT STILLED. HE SEEMED TO LIVE AN EXEMPLARY LIFE TERMS OF BEG EE OF SHAME AND GUILT. THAT ULD BE A LSON FOR ALL OF .”PERHAPS UNEXPECTEDLY, LSONS ABOUND STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD. TYRNER BEGAN FILMG BOWERS FOLLOWG THE RELEASE OF HIS MEMOIR, FULL SERVICE: MY ADVENTUR HOLLYWOOD AND THE SECRET SEX LIV OF THE STARS, A JUICY TELL-ALL REUNTG HIS TIME OPERATG A BROTHEL, OF SORTS, OUT OF A GAS STATN ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD STARTG THE LATE 1940S AND FALLY RETIRG S LATER, DURG THE AIDS CRISIS. AS BOWERS TELLS , HE SLEPT WH SPENCER TRACY, VIVIEN LEIGH, CARY GRANT, AND THE DE OF WDSOR—THE ABDITED KG EDWARD VIII. THE LIST OF STARS HE ALLEGEDLY SET UP WH PROSTUT READS LIKE A STROLL DOWN THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME: TENNSEE WILLIAMS, CHARL LGHTON, VCENT PRICE, KATHARE HEPBURN, GLORIA SWANSON, NOëL COWARD, ROCK HUDSON, COLE PORTER, AND MORE.WHEN BOWERS RELEASED HIS BOOK, SENTIALLY OUTG GRANT, TRACY, AND HEPBURN, AMONG OTHERS, AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, CRICS RANGG OM SUAL REARS TO BARBARA WALTERS BLASTED HIM FOR SPREADG SALAC STORI ABOUT LONG-AD SUBJECTS WHO ULDN’T FEND THEMSELV OR QUTN THEIR VERACY. THAT WAS OUT OF RPECT, BOWERS CLAIMS. THEY WEREN’T HIS SECRETS TO TELL WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE, BUT NOW THAT THEY’RE GONE, HE THKS THEY N’T HURT THEM. BUT NOW THAT TYRNER IS GIVG BOWERS ANOTHER PLATFORM, SIAR CRICISMS ARE BEG AIRED AGA. IN A NEW YORK TIM PIECE ABOUT TYRNER AND THE FILM, NOTED FILM SCHOLAR JEANE BASGER—WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE CHAIR OF TYRNER’S FILM SCHOOL AND CLASHED WH HIM THERE—VERBALLY SFFS ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY’S PURSU. “THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE EXPRSN, ‘PEOPLE NEED TO GET A LIFE,’” SHE SAYS. “PERSONALLY, I’M MORE TERTED THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE THAN THEIR POSSIBLE OFF-SCREEN SHENANIGANS.” AS SEVERAL ENTERTAMENT JOURNALISTS, CLUDG BUZZFEED’S KATE AURTHUR AND VANY FAIR’S REBEC KEEGAN, WERE QUICK TO POT OUT ON TWTER, THAT OPN IS HORSH. TYRNER SPECTS BASGER DIDN’T SEE THE FILM, PECIALLY SCE SHE SEEMS TO IGNORE S ENTIRE POT. THE REASON BOWERS HAS STORI TO TELL IS BEE THE ACTORS WERE PTIV OF A HOLLYWOOD STUD SYSTEM THAT WEAPONIZED MORAL CLS, NTRACTUALLY PREVENTG THEM OM LIVG THEIR THENTIC LIV. “THEY WERE VICTIMS OF A CERTA KD OF PERSECUTN,” TYRNER SAYS. THEY WENT TO STTY BEE PAYG SEX WORKERS WAS THEIR ONLY OPTN, PECIALLY FOR PEOPLE LIKE CARY GRANT AND KATHARE HEPBURN, WHOSE SAME-SEX PAS WERE AT ODDS WH THE HETERONORMATIVE IMAG OF THEM MANUFACTURED BY STUDS. TO CLAIM TO BE TERTED THAT ERA OF HOLLYWOOD BUT NOT THE WAYS THAT THE ACTORS NAVIGATED THEIR SEXUALY IS SANE. IT’S NOT GOSSIP. IT’S BGRAPHY. IT’S ANTHROPOLOGY. IT’S OUR HISTORY. “FOR SOME REASON OUR CULTURE IS WILLG TO DISMISS THE FULL BGRAPHI OF ALL OF THE CHARACTERS AS BEG SHENANIGANS,” TYRNER SAYS. “TAKE CARAVAGG, FOR STANCE. IF YOU’RE AN ART SCHOLAR, DO YOU JT WANT TO KNOW WHAT CARAVAGG WAS UP TO THE PATG STUD? DON’T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT CARAVAGG WAS UP TO WHEN HE WASN’T HOLDG A PATBSH? IS THAT NOT RELEVANT TO WHO CARAVAGG WAS? SO WHY DO WE DISMISS TAILS ABOUT WHAT KATHARE HEPBURN AND SPENCER TRACY WERE UP TO OFF-SCREEN?”STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD ISN’T A TELL-ALL. TYRNER LLS AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIM OUR UNTRY’S HISTORY, THE STORY OF HOLLYWOOD AND THE IMAGE MACHE, WHICH CHANGED THE WAY WE ALL PERCEIVE OURSELV AND THE WORLD. LOOKG AT THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM AND THE IMAGE FACTORY THROUGH THE LENS OF A SEX WORKER TO THE STARS ULDN’T BE MORE RELEVANT. “IF STTY HAD BEEN OPERATG A BROTHEL OUT OF A GAS STATN D MO, IOWA, WOULD BE A FUN, TERTG, MAYBE RELEVANT STORY, BUT WOULDN’T HAVE THE OPERATIC LOTN AND NARRATIVE THAT THIS MOVIE HAS,” TYRNER SAYS.CRICIZG BOWERS’ STORI AS TRIVIAL PARED TO THE ACTORS’ ON-SCREEN WORK IGNOR THE FACT THAT THEIR PRIVATE LIV WERE OFTEN SCRIPTED BY STUDS AND THEY WERE FORCED TO PERFORM THOSE NARRATIV ORR TO NTUE THAT ON-SCREEN WORK. MORE, FOSTERS A LN THAT MORAL CLS DON’T STILL EXIST, IF NOT LERALLY NTRACTS, THEN HERENTLY AN DTRY THAT FORC KNOWN GAY ACTORS TO PERFORM HETEROSEXUALY ORR TO FURTHER THEIR REERS.THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DISMISS STORI ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND SEX AS IRRELEVANT ARE THE ON WHO EPT OUTRAGE AT THE SUATN THAT THE ACTORS HAD SAME-SEX SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS AND THAT THE STORI ARE BEG TOLD WHEN THEY’RE NOT ALIVE TO SPEAK TO THEM. IT ILLTRAT THE RELUCTANCE TO ADM HOW EPLY AND SERLY WE ARE ALL AFFECTED AND FLUENCED BY HOLLYWOOD AND S PLAYERS. “THE BOOK WAS DISMISSED AS A TELL-ALL, HOWEVER WAS A BT-SELLER,” TYRNER SAYS. “SO THERE’S THE NTRADICTN.” NOW TO BRIEFLY DISMOUNT OM OUR HIGH HORSE, HERE’S ANOTHER REASON THE BOOK WAS A BT-SELLER. THE STORI ARE WILD. AND SO IS THIS MOVIE. BOWERS WAS JT OUT OF THE MAR WHEN HE MOVED TO HOLLYWOOD AND GOT A JOB WORKG AT THE RICHFIELD GAS STATN AT 5777 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. ONE AFTERNOON, THE OSR-NOMATED ACTOR WALTER PIDGEON DROVE UP. “WHAT’S A NICE GUY LIKE YOU DOG WORKG AT A GAS STATN?” HE ASKED BOWERS, VG HIM TO E HOME WH HIM TO SWIM HIS POOL. THEY DID MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AND, SEEG AN OPPORTUNY, HE BEGAN “TRICKG,” AS HE LLS , EVENTUALLY HIRG OTHER FORMER MAR AS SEX WORKERS. “EVERYTHG WAS 20 BUCKS,” BOWERS SAYS. “I WOULD SAY TO MY IENDS, ‘I’M GONNA FIX YOU UP WH A TRICK AND ALL THE GUY’S GONNA DO IS TAKE AND SUCK YOUR CK. IT’S THE SAME AS IF YOUR GIRL WAS SUCKG YOUR CK. IF YOU WANT TO CLOSE YOUR EY AND THK ’S HER SUCKG YOUR CK, DO.’ ‘OK, I’LL DO ONCE. WELL, ONCE, TWICE…’”HE TRICKED WH CARY GRANT AND RANDOLPH STT, WHO WERE LOVERS, BOWERS SAYS, BUT TOLD PEOPLE THEY WERE JT LIVG AS ROOMMAT. BOWERS SAYS HE’S BEEN WH THEM BOTH DIVIDUALLY, TOGETHER AS A THREOME, AND WH A FOURTH FOR PAIRED GROUP SEX. HE SAYS HE HAD A THREE-WAY AT FRANK SATRA’S HOE WH AVA GARDNER AND LANA TURNER. HE WOULD ARRANGE MEN FOR THE FORMER KG EDWARD VIII TO SLEEP WH—“HE SUCKED ME OFF LIKE A PRO”—AND WOMEN FOR THE MISTRS HE ABDITED THE THRONE FOR, WALLIS SIMPSON, TO SLEEP WH. HE TIMAT THAT HE FIXED KATHARE HEPBURN UP WH MORE THAN 150 WOMEN OVER THE URSE OF 39 YEARS. COLE PORTER ONCE REQUTED THAT BOWERS SET HIM UP WH 15 MEN AT ONCE. “I WANT TO SUCK 15 GUYS OFF, ONE AFTER ANOTHER,” HE SAID.“WHY SHOULDN’T COLE PORTER HAVE A VORAC SEXUAL APPETE?” TYRNER SAYS, WHEN I ASK IF HE THKS PEOPLE WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME BELIEVG BOWERS’ STORI IF THEY WEREN’T SO OUTRAGEO. “I DON’T KNOW IF HE DID OR NOT, BUT WHY WOULD I FD THAT UNBELIEVABLE?” HE LGHS. “THERE’S A WONRFUL COLE PORTER SONG, ‘TOO DARN HOT’ WHERE ONE OF THE LYRICS IS ‘A MARE FOR HIS QUEEN’ AND ‘A G.I. FOR HIS CUTIE PIE.’ I’M THKG MAYBE STTY IS HIS MARE.”THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BOWERS WAS NEVER TREATED LIKE A MADAME. TO PEOPLE LIKE GEE COR, THE LEGENDARY DIRECTOR OF THE PHILALPHIA STORY AND MY FAIR LADY, HE WAS NSIRED A IEND. THAT END UP BEG HIS KEY TO EARNG THE TST OF THE BIGGT NAM SHOW BS, WH THE MOST TO LOSE IF THE SECRETS WERE EVER OUTED.“ARE THE STORI SUBSTANTIABLE? MY ANSWER IS Y, VERY MUCH SO,” TYRNER SAYS. SHOULD NOW TAKE AS FACT THAT THE LIK OF CARY GRANT, SPENCER TRACY, AND KATHARE HEPBURN HAD SAME-SEX SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS? HE DON’T FLCH: “Y.”CONSIRG THAT TYRNER PURPORTS TO BE RRECTG HISTORY WH THIS FILM AND THE FACTS OF THAT RRECTN ARE LARGELY OM THE MOUTH OF ONE PERSON, BOWERS’ RELIABILY AS A NARRATOR WAS OBVLY IMPORTANT TO HIM. GORE VIDAL END UP BEG AN IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR TYRNER, WHO UNTS THE FAMED WRER AS A PERSONAL IEND. VIDAL WAS A CLIENT AND THEN IEND OF BOWERS, BUT HIS “VERY ACTIVE RNAL LIFE,” AS TYRNER LLS , WASN’T CLUD BOWERS’S BOOK. THE REASON: VIDAL WAS STILL ALIVE. (ONE OF VIDAL’S LAST PUBLIC OUTGS WAS TO THE BOOK’S RELEASE PARTY.) INPENNTLY, VIDAL AND BOWERS NFID TYRNER STORI ABOUT EACH OTHER AND ABOUT THAT TIME AT THE GAS STATN, AND THE STORI ALL CHECKED OUT. SEVERAL OF THE SEX WORKERS BOWERS EMPLOYED ARE ALSO STILL ALIVE, AND TYRNER TERVIEWED THEM FOR THE DOCUMENTARY. THEY ALL VERIFIED BOWERS’S ACUNTS, SOME ON MERA. ONE EVEN STILL HAD AN X RD BOWERS HAD MA WH THE NTACT RMATN OF A DOZEN MEN WHO WERE TERTED SEXUAL SERVIC. “A SMOKG GUN,” TYRNER LLS . ONE OF THE MEN ON THE RD WAS STILL ALIVE, AND NFIRMED BOWERS’ STORI TO TYRNER, TOO. ALL OF THIS WAS ADDN TO THE WORK A TEAM OF REARCHERS DID TO FACT-CHECK MANY OF BOWERS’ ANECDOT.STTY BOWERS DIDN’T KISS AND TELL WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE ALIVE. BUT HE KISSED, SUCKED, FUCKED, AND IS TELLG NOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE AD. THE STCT TO DISBELIEVE HIM IS UNFORTUNATE, GIVEN HOW THE SEX LIV GIVE A MUCH GREATER SIGHT TO THE REALY OF AN DTRY THAT SHAPED OUR CULTURE. AT A TIME WHEN THERE STILL IS NOT AN OUT GAY OR LBIAN MOVIE STAR STARRG AS THE LEAD BLOCKBTERS, AND PEOPLE STILL BATE WHETHER AN OUT GAY OR LBIAN ACTOR ULD BE BELIEVABLE AS A ROMANTIC LEAD, THE FACT THAT SPENCER TRACY AND KATHARE HEPBURN, TWO INIC ROMANTIC LEADS, HAD SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS IS ILLUMATG. IT’S PNT TO SEE STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD TO REGNIZE THAT. THE FACT THAT ’S SO DISHY AND SEX-FILLED—TYRNER CLUS VTAGE NU PHOTOS AND SEX FILMS THAT BOWERS STARS —IS ICG ON THE KE.“FOR STTY BOWERS, SEX IS A FACT OF LIFE. IT’S NOT AVOID. SO TO MAKE A MOVIE THAT AVOID SEX AND EXPLIC NUDY JT WOULDN’T HAVE MA SENSE,” HE SAYS. “PL, WHO DON’T WANT SEX ON SCREEN? WE ALL WANT A LTLE SEX. IT KEEPS YOU TERTED. STTY WAS REALLY HOT AS A YOUNG MAN. HE WAS JT UNNIABLY HOT. WHY NOT SHOW SOME SK?” KEV FALLON
SPENCER TRACY – A NIGHTMARE OF A MAN. AUGT 6, 2015 ADM DID YOU KNOW? 41 A PORTRA OF A YOUNG SPENCER TRACY (1900-1967). --- IMAGE BY © UNRWOOD & UNRWOOD/CORBIS AS AN ACTOR SPENCER TRACY HAD FEW PEERS AND CEMA-GOERS ADORED HIM. OFF SCREEN HE WAS A VERY ORDARY HUMAN BEG, A MAN BET WH ALL KDS OF PROBLEMS. HE WAS A VLENT ALHOLIC HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND A RAMPANT WOMANIZER WHO HAD ALMOST AS MANY NQUTS TO HIS NAME AS GABLE ALTHOUGH, UNLIKE ‘THE KG’, HE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN MALE LOVERS AS WELL. WHEN HE WENT ON A ‘BENR’, WHICH WAS OFTEN, HE WAS KNOWN AT TIM TO MOLISH HOTEL ROOMS A LA CHARLIE SHEEN.AS A YOUTH HE WAS THROWN OUT OF HALF A DOZEN GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, THE ONLY SUBJECT HE HANDLED WH RELATIVE EASE BEG DRAMA. THERE IS NO DOUBT HE BEME ONE OF THE GREATT MOVIE ACTORS HISTORY, AN ACHIEVEMENT MA MORE MEROR WHEN WE NSIR THAT HE ME TO THE SCREEN WH VIRTUALLY NO STAGE EXPERIENCE BEHD HIM. ALL THE OTHER GREATS SUCH AS BRANDO, OLIVIER AND BETTE DAVIS, BROUGHT A WEALTH OF STAGE EXPERIENCE WH THEM, BUT NOT TRACY.HE STARTED HIS MOVIE REER AT FOX 1930, MA SIXTEEN MOVI THERE, BUT ULD NOT TABLISH HIMSELF THE TOP ECHELON OF PERFORMERS. AND HE WAS TROUBLE WH A PAL ‘T’. HE RARELY SLEPT, SUFFERED OM PRSN, HAD A HAIR-TRIGGER TEMPER, WAS OBSSED WH ATH – AND, MOST TROUBLOME OF ALL, HE WAS A HOPELS ALHOLIC. HE ALSO SCED STARLETS AT A RATE OF KNOTS FOR, REGARDLS OF HIS ISSU, THE MAN ULD CHARM THE BIRDS OUT OF THE TRE WHEN HE CHOSE TO. IN 1933 HE MA MAN’S CASTLE WH LORETTA YOUNG, AND THE UPLE BEGAN A TEMPTUO AFFAIR THAT LORETTA EVENTUALLY LLED OFF. WHY? BEE HER PRIT WOULD NOT GIVE HER ABSOLUTN FOR ‘DATG’ A MARRIED CATHOLIC MAN. TWO YEARS LATER SHE WOULD HAVE A CHILD TO THE EQUALLY MARRIED CLARK GABLE AFTER THEY MA THE CALL OF THE WILD TOGETHER. EVINTLY, HER PRIT WAS AWAY ON VATN OR SOMETHG.WH LORETTA YOUNG MAN’S CASTLEON HIS WEEK-LONG BENRS TRACY WOULD RENT A HOTEL ROOM, LOAD UP WH TWO OR THREE S OF WHISKEY, THEN SETTLE HIMSELF THE BATHTUB AND MENCE TO DRK. IN FACT, HE WOULD DRK HIMSELF UNNSC, WAKE UP; THEN DRK HIMSELF UNNSC AGA. AND HE WOULD NTUE THE CYCLE UNTIL THE BOOZE WAS GONE. THIS MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL DAYS, DURG WHICH TIME HE WOULD NOT LEAVE THE BATHTUB – FOR ANY REASON. FOX PUT UP WH HIS ABOMABLE BEHAVUR FOR FIVE YEARS BEFORE LLG QUS. CALLED TO THE HEAD OFFICE, HE WAS GIVEN AN ULTIMATUM. CURB HIS DRKG OR HIS NTRACT WOULD NOT BE RENEWED. HE LISTENED VERY ATTENTIVELY, THEN WALKED ACROSS THE STREET TO THE NEART SALOON AND GOT BLD DNK. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE OFFICE AND STROYED AND S NTENTS. FOX FIRED HIM THE NEXT DAY. MGM QUICKLY PICKED HIM UP. L B MAYER’S PROTéGé, IRVG THALBERG, KNEW TALENT WHEN HE SAW .IRVG THALBERGOF URSE, MGM KNEW OF TRACY’S PROBLEMS (EVERYONE THE DTRY DID), BUT THE STUD FIXERS, HOWARD STRICKLG AND EDDIE MANNIX, FORMULATED A PLAN TO NTROL HIM. A ‘TRACY SQUAD’ WAS CREATED, NSISTG OF FOUR ‘HEAVI’ WHOSE JOB WAS TO FOLLOW THE ACTOR AT ALL TIM. IF THEY SAW HIM ENTER A BAR OR A LIQUOR STORE THEY WERE TO IMMEDIATELY APPREHEND HIM AND NFISTE ANY BOOZE HE MIGHT HAVE ACQUIRED. THEY WOULD ALSO PAY OFF HOTELIERS IF HE HAPPENED TO GIVE THEM THE SLIP, GET PLASTERED, AND TRASH A ROOM. MGM NSIRED THE TROUBLE AND EXPENSE OF THE ‘TRACY SQUAD’ WAS WORTH , NVCED HE ULD MAKE MONEY FOR THE STUD. LOTS OF . AND THEY WERE RIGHT.WRER/PRODUCER JOSEPH MANKIEWICZ ONCE SAID OF TRACY: ‘NOBODY AT MGM GETS MORE SEX THAN SPENCER TRACY – EXCEPT FOR JOAN CRAWFORD.’ AMONG HIS OTHER LENGTHY RELATNSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE THIRTI AND FORTI WERE, MYRNA LOY, PLETTE GODDARD, HEDY LAMARR, JOAN BENT, INGRID BERGMAN, OLIVIA HAVILLAND AND HER SISTER JOAN FONTAE AND (LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE), JOAN CRAWFORD. MANNIX AND STRICKLG ALSO KNEW THAT TRACY HAD BEEN SCG 17 YEAR-OLD JUDY GARLAND FOR THREE YEARS. ACRDG TO WRER EJ FLEMG, ALL OF MGM KNEW . BY 1940, BOTH TRACY AND GARLAND HAD BOTH MOVED ON TO OTHERS, JUDY FALLG HEAD OVER HEELS FOR 28 YEAR-OLD BANDLEAR ARTIE SHAW. SHE FULLY EXPECTED HIM TO POP THE QUTN SOONER OR LATER. HE NEVER DID. INSTEAD, HE ELOPED WH LANA TURNER. JUDY GARLAND CIR 1940 ARTIE SHAWIN 1943 TRACY MA A GUY NAMED JOE WH IRENE DUNNE AND VAN JOHNSON. WHILE REHEARSG THEIR LOVE SCEN HE WOULD WHISPER GRAPHIC TAILS IRENE’S EAR, LURIDLY TAILG WHAT HE WOULD DO TO HER SEXUALLY IF HE EVER GOT HER ALONE. THE VERY PRIM AND PROPER MISS DUNNE THREATENED TO WALK OFF THE PICTURE UNLS HE SISTED. AROUND THAT TIME JOHNSON WAS BADLY JURED A R CRASH. PRODUCTN WAS PUT ON HOLD BY LB MAYER UNTIL HE REVERED, BUT ONLY IF TRACY AGREED TO EASE UP ON DUNNE. TO HIS CRED HE AGREED, FOR ONCE PUTTG SOMEONE ELSE’S NEEDS AHEAD OF HIS OWN AND JOHNSON’S REER WAS SAVED.WH IRENE DUNNE A GUY NAMED JOEIN 1954, THE AGG TRACY HEARD ABOUT GRACE KELLY’S REPUTATN FOR NAILG OLR, MARRIED MEN, SO HE GAVE THE MAKERS OF BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK AN ULTIMATUM. HE WOULD AGREE TO PROMOTE THE PICTURE, BUT ONLY IF THEY ARRANGED A DATE FOR HIM WH KELLY. THEY DID SO, AND THE 54 YEAR-OLD, WHE-HAIRED TRACY WED, DED AND BEDD HER THAT NIGHT.TRACY & GRACE DATGDURG THE THIRTI AND FORTI HE WOULD OFTEN STAY AT GAY DIRECTOR GEE COR’S HOME FOR DAYS AT A TIME. IT WAS MOURED HE WOULD HAVE SEX WH YOUNG MALE IENDS OF COR’S WHEN THE URGE AROSE. YEARS LATER, SEVERAL SOURC CLAIMED THAT TRACY AND JOHN DEREK ALSO HAD A LENGTHY RELATNSHIP. INFORMED SOURC FURTHER CLAIM THAT HIS LONG-TERM RELATNSHIP WH KATHARE HEPBURN MAY NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN NSUMMATED, GIVEN THE AMBIVALENT SEXUALY OF BOTH PARTI.TRACY’S LOVER OR NOT?THERE WAS CERTALY GREAT AFFECTN DISPLAYED THE RELATNSHIP, SO WHETHER OR NOT WAS SIMPLY PLUTONIC IS BATABLE. HE STILL DISAPPEARED OM TIME TO TIME, UALLY TO HIS HOMETOWN OF MILWKEE, WHERE HE WOULD HOLE UP ONE OF S NUMERO SALOONS ON ONE OF HIS BENRS. KATE KNEW WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACK HIM DOWN, SO SHE DID NOT EVEN TRY. EVENTUALLY, HE WOULD DRY OUT AND RETURN TO HER.WH KATE THE EARLY YEARSTRACY WAS NOMATED FOR NE OSRS AND WON TWO – THE FIRST, SPE OF HIS ABOMABLE PORTUGUE ACCENT, FOR CAPTAS COURAGEO (1938), THE SEND FOR BOY’S TOWN A YEAR LATER. HE AND KATE MA NE MOVI TOGETHER, THE LAST OF THEM BEG 1967’S GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER? JT SEVENTEEN DAYS AFTER S PLETN TRACY WAS AD. KATE HEARD A CUP CRASH TO THE FLOOR THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. HE HAD SUFFERED A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, AND SHE FOUND HIM AD ON THE KCHEN FLOOR. FOR THE RT OF HER LONG LIFE SHE ULD NOT BRG HERSELF TO WATCH THE PICTURE. NOT WHOUT HIM BI HER.IN GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER?A LOT HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT HIS STNCH CATHOLICISM PREVENTG TRACY OM DIVORCG HIS WIFE LOUISE AND MARRYG KATE, BUT HE OFTEN TOLD IENDS THAT BOTH WOMEN PREFERRED THE ARRANGEMENT AS STOOD. SO DID HE. HE AND LOUISE LIVED APART FOR MANY YEARS, BUT HE NEVER MOVED WH KATE EHER. THEY JT SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER ALTERNATG BETWEEN HIS PLACE AND HERS. OUT OF RPECT FOR TRACY’S FAY KATE DID NOT ATTEND HIS FUNERAL. SHE WOULD OUTLIVE HIM BY 36 YEARS, DYG 2003 AT THE AGE OF 96.I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF SPENCER TRACY THE ACTOR ALL MY LIFE. LIKE MOST MOVIE-GOERS I WAS TAKEN BY THE SEEMGLY EFFORTLS WAY HE PROJECTED TELLIGENCE AND TEGRY. HIS ACTG STYLE WAS RELAXED AND NATURAL. IT WAS FUN TO PARE HIS PERFORMANC WH, SAY, ERROL FLYNN’S. ERROL, MY OPN, WAS UNBELIEVABLY AWFUL. I STILL WATCH CAPTA BLOOD ON OCSN, JT TO REMD MYSELF OF HOW BAD A PLAYER N BE, YET STILL BEE A HUGE SUCCS. BUT TRACY WAS THE ULTIMATE MOVIE ACTOR. IT IS DISAPPOTG TO LEARN THAT THE MAN ULD NOT LIVE UP TO THE ACTOR. BUT THEN, THE ACTOR WAS SO DAMN GOOD – WHO ULD?A GUY NAMED JOEARTIE SHAWBOYS TOWNPTA BLOODPTAS URAGEOCLARK GABLEERROL FLYNNFOX STUDSGRACE KELLYGUS WHOSE G TO DNER?IRENE DUNNEIRVG THALBERGJOHN REKJUDY GARLANDKATHARE HEPBURNLANA TURNERLORETTA YOUNGMAN'S STLEMGMSPENCER TRACYTHE TRACY SQUADVAN JOHNSON PREVWHAT’S A NAME – PART TWO? NEXTTHE REAL ‘BIRDMAN OF ALTRAZ’. 41 COMMENTS KATHRYN L. HARTLEY JUNE 6, 2023 AT 10:29 AM THE FIRST TIME I TURNED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON CLASSICS ON WGN CHANNEL 9 CHIGO WAS THE EARLY 70S. AN ACTOR WAS SWGG ACROSS THE FORT TO A TREE, DRSED A GREEN OUTF REPLETE WH GREEN LEOTARDS. HE EXCLAIMED “WELE TO SHERWOOD!” PLEASE DON’T TRY AND BURST MY LONG-STANDG BUBBLE WH ERROL FLYNN. I CERTALY LIKED SPENCER TRACY AND THK HE WAS A WONRFUL ACTOR, BUT HE ULDN’T PULL OFF A “FALLG LOVE” WH THE SEXY TENSN. NO WAY…NO HOW.REPLY GARY MAY 22, 2023 AT 10:48 AM I RECENTLY WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT KATHARE HEPBURN. NEVER REALIZED SHE WAS SO BETIFUL AND PLEX. THE BETY OF ALL TIME IS ELIZABETH TAYLOR. THE GREATT ACTOR MY LIFETIME IS JACK NICHOLSON. DON’T BOTHER TO LOOK ME UP BEE I’M NOBODY.REPLY TONY JANUARY 9, 2022 AT 4:25 AM WOW! YOU REALLY NAILED TRACEY! THIS IS THE KD OF STORI THAT ALSO HAVE TO BE SHARED. EVEN MOTHER THREA WAS A HORRIBLE PERSON, SO THE STANDARDS OF THE STARS IS SHOULD NOT BE HELD SO HIGH. BUT THE MOVIE STARS WORKS WILL LAST/LIVE FOREVER.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 10, 2022 AT 11:16 PM VERY LTLE ABOUT THE STARS BACK THE BIG STUD DAYS HOLDS UP TO CLOSE SCTY, TONY. IT WAS MOSTLY HYPE, IMAGE BUILDG (OR IMAGE MATAG) AND A LOT OF VERG UP. NOT EVERY STAR WAS WHAT HE OR SHE WAS PROJECTED AS BY THE STUD ‘FIXERS’. OF URSE, THAT DO NOT MEAN EVERYONE HAD CLAY FEET; NOT BY A LONG SHOT, BUT THE HEADS OF THE STUDS RAN TERFERENCE WHEN WAS REQUIRED. AND THEY WERE VERY GOOD AT .REPLY BOB NOVEMBER 18, 2021 AT 1:57 AM I THK YOU MEAN THAT HE GROOMED JUDY GARLANDREPLY DAVE MAY 21, 2021 AT 10:45 AM NO, ALAN. AFTER DREAD, 1930, HE APPEARED THE LAST MILE. ACRDG TO WIKIPEDIA, THE LAST MILE OPENED ON BROADWAY FEBARY, WHERE TRACY’S PERFORMANCE WAS MET BY A STANDG OVATN THAT LASTED 14 CURTA LLS. THE COMMONWEAL SCRIBED HIM AS “ONE OF OUR BT AND MOST VERSATILE YOUNG ACTORS”. THE PLAY WAS A H WH CRICS, AND RAN FOR 289 PERFORMANC.REPLY ALAN ROYLE MAY 24, 2021 AT 12:10 AM THANKYOU, DAVE. IF WIKIPEDIA IS ACCURATE (ALTHOUGH OFTEN ISN’T), I STAND RRECTED.REPLY DICK JON APRIL 5, 2021 AT 11:28 AM WHERE DID I HEAR THAT TRACY FOUND ROBERT RYAN, THE MAN, TO BE A SRY, TIMIDATG FIGURE?REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 5, 2021 AT 12:09 PM I DON’T RELL THAT, DICK. EVERYTHG I HAVE READ OM HIS NTEMPORARI SCRIBED RYAN GLOWG TERMS.REPLY TOM DAMRON MAY 3, 2023 AT 6:44 AM ROBERT RYAN WAS A MARE WWII. A LOT OF THOSE GUYS HAD A DARK SI, UNRSTANDABLY.REPLY JACK MARN DECEMBER 20, 2020 AT 12:38 PM I FD CREDIBLY DISAPPOTG THAT THIS PIECE EXPLICLY SAYS SPENCER TRACY RAPED JUDY GARLAND, AND YET THOR AND ALL THE MENTS SECTN STILL SHOWER HIM PRAISE, ACLAS AND GRACE… VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE STILL N’T EVEN SEE HOW WRONG HE IS, WHO R WHAT MOVI HE WAS HE WAS 36 YEARS OLD AND SHE WAS 14REPLY ALAN ROYLE DECEMBER 20, 2020 AT 12:49 PM AS MORE AND MORE DIVIDUALS PUBLISH THEIR MEMOIRS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD, MANY OF THE STUD MYTHS ARE BEG EXPOSED, JACK. NOT EVERY STORY IS 100% FACTUAL BUT IS MOST TERTG TO READ AND ASSS EACH ONE AND THEN FORMULATE AN OPN ON WHAT IS BELIEVABLE AND WHAT IS NOT.REPLY KERRY APRIL 5, 2021 AT 8:56 AM THE STORY ABOUT JUDY GARLAND AND SPENCER IS FALSE NO DOUBT A PRODUCT OF THE DREADFUL DARW PORTER WHO SPREADS THIS SORT OF NONSENSE AROUND HIS FICTNAL BOOKS – JUDY GARLAND NEVER MA THIS CLAIM AND THEY HAD HAD ANY RELATNSHIPREPLY CHRISTOPHER WILSON SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 AT 10:58 AM AGA ANOTHER GREAT ARTICLE. I TOO PUT SPENCER TRACY VERY HIGH ON MY LIST OF GREAT ACTORS. POSSIBLY THE TOP. HOWEVER, TO BE FAIR, TO OTHER ACTORS, I’M NOT SURE HE REALLY HAD THE RANGE TO DO ANY KD OF PART. CAN I IMAGE SPENCER TRACY PLAYG LAWRENCE OF ARABIA? NOPE. I DO THK HE’D HAVE BEEN A GREAT KG LEAR THOUGH. MAYBE I’M NOT BEG FAIR. I GUS NO ACTOR/ACTRS N DO EVERY PART. AND LIKE I SAID, I LOVE SPENCER TRACY. I NOTED ONCE AN ARTICLE I ONCE DID ON SPENCER TRACY AND KATHARE HEPBURN THAT THEIR VERY FIRST SCREEN MOMENT TOGETHER ON FILM FORHADOWED THEIR VERY LAST SCREEN MOMENTS ON FILM. THAT BEG, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, WHEN THEY FIRST ARE SHOWN TOGETHER, HEPBURN IS STG ON A SK STRAIGHTENG HER STOCKGS (A RARE CHEEKE SHOT FOR HEPBURN FOR SURE) TRACY WALKS . WHAT DO THEY DO? WELL TRACY LOOKS AT HER LEGS OF URSE AND THEN THE TWO SIMPLY STARE AT EACH OTHER FOR AN EXTEND MOMENT AND ’S THEIR CEMATIC HELLO…YEARS LATER ALMOST AT THE VERY END OF GUS WHO’S COMG TO DNER (A MOVIE I LOVE) NEAR THE END OF A LONG SPEECH LIVERED BY TRACY, HE CLAR TO A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE THAT IF THE LOVE BETWEEN HIS DGHTER (PLAYED BY KATHARE HOUGHTON, HEPBURN’S REAL LIFE NIECE) AND HER FIANCE A DOCTOR (PLAYED BY THE GREAT SIDNEY POIER) IS HALF AS MUCH AS THE LOVE HE’S HAD FOR HIS WIFE, WELL THEN THAT IS EVERYTHG. AND IS AT THIS POT, HE TURNS HIS HEAD AND LOOKS STRAIGHT AT HEPBURN, SHE RETURNS HIS LOOK AND AGA, THERE IS A PROTRACTED MOMENT OF THEIR STARG TO EACH OTHER’S EY. MOMENTS AFTER THAT SHOT THE MOVIE ENDS. THAT LOOK/GAZE WAS FACT THEIR CEMATIC GOODBYE. INCREDIBLE HOW LIFE AND ART N LLI LIKE THAT AND SHOW THE BEGNG AND THE END MIRROR MOMENTS.REPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 AT 11:19 AM THE LOOK KATE GAVE TRACY AT THE END OF THEIR LAST FILM SAID ALL, CHRISTOPHER. TO ME WAS ONE OF TOTAL LOVE AND AFFECTN. WONRFUL MOMENT FILM.REPLY HAVANA BROWN AUGT 30, 2020 AT 10:34 AM PLATONIC, NOT PLUTONICREPLY THOMAS STT JUNE 28, 2020 AT 1:46 AM IT’S JT SANE TO SUGGT SPENCE WAS GAY OR BISEXUAL, THAT’S JT NONSENSE AND VENTED RECENTLY BY STTY BOWERS (KNOWN LIAR). HE AND KATE DID LIVE TOGETHER AT GEE COR’S MALIBU TTAGE OM 1942-1967, THIS IS EXCEEDGLY WELL DOCUMENTED. AND OF URSE THEY HAD SEX! CONSULT GARSON KAN’S ORAL HISTORY, WHICH SHOWS THEY HAD AN ACTIVE SEX LIFE UNTIL THE LATE 1950’S WHEN SPENCER’S HEALTH FAILED.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JUNE 28, 2020 AT 1:28 PM I HAVE NOT READ MR. BOWERS’ BOOK AND DO NOT TEND TO, THOMAS. I BASE MY ASSSMENTS ON MANY SOURC AND NO DOUBT SOME MAY BE DUB, BUT THEN SO ARE ALMOST ALL THE OFFICIAL HOLLYWOOD STUD ASSSMENTS. ALL WE N DO IS SIFT THE AVAILABLE DATA AND ARRIVE AT OUR OWN NCLNS. HOW YOU N SAY ‘AND OF URSE THEY HAD SEX’, AND NOT EM THAT AN ASSUMPTN IS BEYOND ME. AS FOR GARSON KAN, HE MAY BE TELLG THE TTH, HE MAY BE PROTECTG HIS IENDS’ REPUTATNS. HE WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST REPUTABLE PERSON TO DO THAT, PECIALLY THE ENTERTAMENT BS. WE N MERELY AGREE TO DISAGREE ON THE VALIDY OF WHICHEVER SOURC WE CHOOSE. THANKYOU FOR YOUR MENTS.REPLY BETHENNY PARKER JUNE 16, 2023 AT 11:58 AM Y, LOTS OF FICTN THIS PIECE. CONVENIENT THAT TRACY ISN’T AROUND TO FEND HIMSELF. TRACY WAS ONE THE BT ACTORS OF ALL TIME, A WOMANIZER & BULLY WHEN HE DRANK. BUT HE WAS NOT GAY.REPLY KERRIE APRIL 3, 2019 AT 5:46 PM LATE TO THIS POSTG BUT S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT TO CLAIM THAT SPENCER TRACY WAS A VLENT ALHOLIC HIS ENTIRE LIFE . LOTS OF ACCURATE BGRAPHI PARTICULARLY THE BILL DAVIDSON BGRAPHY . HE WAS A BGE DRKER WHO ULD GO WHOUT DRKG FOR YEARS AND HIS DRKG TAPERED OFF OM THE EARLY 1940S . Y HE ULD BE VLENT BUT THAT WAS NOT THE NORM .REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 3, 2019 AT 6:27 PM THAT IS PROBABLY A FAIR ASSSMENT, KERRIE. SADLY, HE WAS QUE UNPREDICTABLE. LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I FEEL HE WAS THE MOST GIFTED MOVIE ACTOR OF ALL TIME. WE N ONLY WONR HOW GOOD HE ULD HAVE BEEN IF HE ULD HAVE OVERE HIS DRKG PROBLEM.REPLY MICHAEL POWERS AUGT 18, 2018 AT 10:34 PM ALWAYS ENJOYED THIS STORY ABOUT SPENCE. HE & AND KATE HEPBURN WERE ST TO DO THEIR FIRST FILM TOGETHER,TRACY WOULD RECEIVE TOP BILLG.A IEND ASKED TRACY WHY NOT LET KATE GO FIRST THE BILLG,YOU KNOW,LIKE WOMAN FIRST OFF A SKG SHIP?SPENCE REPLIED WH A GROWL “IT’S A MOVIE NOT A LIFEBOAT.”REPLY MART MCHUGH AUGT 15, 2018 AT 1:41 AM I LOVE THE LARGER THAN LIFE STORI. THEY DID EVERYTHG TO EXCS! MY HEAD REELS AT THE THOUGHT OF ALL THOSE STUNNG WOMEN, THE BOOZE, THE GREAT LIFTYL, ITS… HOLLYWOOD!! IT IS A VERY GUILTY FASCATN. TRACY WAS GREAT BUT I DON’T KNOW WHY.REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 15, 2018 AT 7:59 PM PERSONALLY, MART, I THK HE IS GREATT MALE ACTOR THE MOVI HAVE EVER SEEN, BUT AS A HUMAN BEG HE WAS SERLY FLAWED.REPLY JACK NICHOLSON AUGT 18, 2021 AT 1:04 PM EVERYONE IS SERLY FLAWED. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? MARS?REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 18, 2021 AT 5:36 PM JACK NICHOLSON? IS THAT YOUR REAL NAME OR ARE YOU LIVG LA LA LAND? THIS MAY SURPRISE YOU BUT EVERYONE IS NOT ‘SERLY FLAWED’; NOT MY NEIGHBOURHOOD ANYWAY. MAYBE YOURS.REPLY DAVE JULY 27, 2018 AT 12:55 PM SPENCER TRACY DIDN’T HAVE HAVE A LOT OF STAGE EXPERIENCE? TRACY STUDIED NEW YORK AT THE AMERIN AMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS, AND THEN SPENT SEVEN YEARS ON THE STAGE (STOCK PANI AND BROADWAY) BEFORE EVER MAKG A MOVIE. HE RETURNED TO BROADWAY THE 40’S THE PLAY, THE RUGGED PATH.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JULY 30, 2018 AT 5:01 PM FAIR ENOUGH, DAVE. I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS ON THE STAGE. HE WAS A NUMBER OF PLAYS BUT WENT ALMOST UN-NOTICED UNTIL ‘DREAD’ 1929 LOOKED LIKE PUTTG HIM ON THE MAP, BUT THE STOCK MARKET CRASH THE NEXT DAY ED ANY HOPE OF THE PLAY BEG FANCED.REPLY DAVID KEELG APRIL 14, 2018 AT 1:43 AM Y SPENCER TRACY WAS A GREAT ACTOR AND SOME OTHER ACTORS NSIRED HIM THE BT. I THOUGH PUT ACTOR FREDRICK MARCH SI BY SI WH TRACY AND THEN SOME. MARCH ULD PLAY ROMANTIC LEADS. TRACY DIDN’T OR ULDN’T PULLG OFF).REPLY ALAN ROYLE APRIL 16, 2018 AT 2:17 PM Y, I AGREE WH YOU, DAVID. TRACY WAS A WONRFULLY ‘NATURAL’ ACTOR, MARCH WAS A PROPERLY SCHOOLED THPIAN WHO APPEARED TO BE MORE VERSATILE.REPLY DAWN FEBARY 12, 2018 AT 2:12 PM JEAN HARLOW TOO!REPLY ALAN ROYLE FEBARY 13, 2018 AT 2:40 PM BY MOST ACUNTS (BUT NOT ALL), JEAN WAS QUE A PLAYER. UNFORTUNATELY, DAWN, THE STUDS NCTED SO MUCH DOWNRIGHT BALONEY ABOUT THEIR STARS, IS DIFFICULT TO SORT THE WHEAT OM THE CHAFF.REPLY MICHAEL DAYK MARCH 21, 2017 AT 12:48 AM I WOULDN’T LL ERROL FLYNN AWFULREPLY ALAN ROYLE MARCH 21, 2017 AT 12:17 PM FAIR ENOUGH, MICHAEL. I WOULD.REPLY MICHAEL ALAN JUNE 17, 2019 AT 3:43 PM AND I WOULDN’T LL SPENCER TRACY GREAT, BUT ALAN DO.REPLY S. ALLEN AUGT 7, 2015 AT 3:13 AM TRACY MAY HAVE QU DRKG. I SLIGHTLY RELL A NVERSATN HE HAD W/BALL ABOUT DRKG, PERHAPS RE. JASON?REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 7, 2015 AT 11:55 AM QUE POSSIBLY. ROBARDS WAS A NOTOR DNK, TOO, OF URSE.REPLY BETSY FEBARY 25, 2020 AT 11:59 AM ROBARDS YELLED AT ME AND KICKED ME OFF HIS PROPERTY AS I WAS CROSSG HIS LAWN TO GET TO THE BEACH SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT. A NEIGHBORHOOD OF FAIRFIELD. NOT A NICE MAN BUT THEN AGA HIS PROPERTY HAS A BIG NO TRPASSG SIGN ON . I WAS 17 AT THE TIME.REPLY ALAN ROYLE FEBARY 28, 2020 AT 1:03 PM NO EXCE, OF URSE, BETSY, BUT THE MAN HAD A SER ALHOL PROBLEM FOR MUCH OF HIS LIFE. A LTLE LEEWAY FOR A TEENAGER, HOWEVER, WOULD NOT HAVE HURT HIM. INTERTG STORY, THANKYOU.REPLY S. ALLEN AUGT 6, 2015 AT 4:58 PM I’VE READ SIAR STORI ABOUT TRACY. DURG BOGART’S TERRIBLE ILLNS, HE AND K. HEPBURN WERE DAILY VISORS TO THE BOGART HOME. AFTER BOGIE’S ATH, BETTY BALL ASKED TRACY TO SPEAK AT HIS FUNERAL, BUT HE WAS SO VASTATED, HE REFED, AND JOHN HTON LOGIZED HIS AR IEND BOGIE.REPLY ALAN ROYLE AUGT 7, 2015 AT 1:43 AM Y, I READ THE SAME THGS, SHEILA. I GET THE IMPRSN THAT TRACY MAY HAVE MELLOWED HIS OLD AGE. MOST OF DO.REPLYLEAVE A REPLY CANCEL REPLYYOUR EMAIL ADDRS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.COMMENTNAME *EMAIL *WEBSESAVE MY NAME, EMAIL, AND WEBSE THIS BROWSER FOR THE NEXT TIME I MENT. IF A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED:DO NOT SEND EMAIL NOTIFITNS.SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN ONLY IF SOMEONE REPLI TO MY COMMENT(S).SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN WHENEVER A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED.ΔTHIS SE AKISMET TO RCE SPAM. LEARN HOW YOUR MENT DATA IS PROCSED.LOOKG FOR SOMETHG? 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* spencer tracy gay *
As mastream culture grappl wh the burgeong gay ankns of the past s, too many people get obssed wh puttg famo nam one of two box, ”gay” or ”straight. Most people are NOT eher strictly ”gay” or ”straight” but somewhere on the fe pots between the two; furthermore, where you fd yourself on the graph n change over the urse of a lifetime or a day, regardls of whether you act on or not.
He worked at a gas statn on the rner of North Van Ns Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, out of which, he says, he and a dre of his male and female iends serviced Hollywood celebri—many of them closeted homosexuals. They provid a safety zone for people whose reers would have been ed if the tth about them emerged the s before gay rights and the AIDS crisis.
They did so, and the 54 year-old, whe-haired Tracy wed, ded and bedd her that & Grace datgDurg the thirti and forti he would often stay at gay director Gee Cor’s home for days at a time. The list of stars he allegedly set up wh prostut reads like a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame: Tennsee Williams, Charl Lghton, Vcent Price, Kathare Hepburn, Gloria Swanson, Noël Coward, Rock Hudson, Cole Porter, and Bowers released his book, sentially outg Grant, Tracy, and Hepburn, among others, as gay or bisexual, crics rangg om sual rears to Barbara Walters blasted him for spreadg salac stori about long-ad subjects who uldn’t fend themselv or qutn their veracy. More, fosters a ln that moral cls don’t still exist, if not lerally ntracts, then herently an dtry that forc known gay actors to perform heterosexualy orr to further their same people who dismiss stori about Hollywood and sex as irrelevant are the on who ept outrage at the suatn that the actors had same-sex sexual relatnships and that the stori are beg told when they’re not alive to speak to them.
HE SLEPT WH CARY GRANT AND SPENCER TRACY—AND CHANGED HOLLYWOOD HISTORY‘PIMP TO THE STARS’STTY BOWERS RAN A BROTHEL OUT OF A GAS STATN AND SLEPT WH DOZENS OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT STARS. INSI HIS ‘SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD’ AND WHY WE SHOULD BELIEVE HIS STORI.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 28, 2018 8:13AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 25, 2018 5:10AM EDT ABOUT 45 MUT TO THE NEW DOCUMENTARY STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE MONOLOGUE YOU’LL EVER HEAR IS LIVERED. AND ’S ALL TE. ALLEGEDLY.“I FUCKED BETTE DAVIS WORLD WAR II WHEN SHE WAS MARRIED TO A GUY. I ED TO FIX HER UP WH TRICKS, AND WE ED TO HAVE THREE-WAY ALS. I WENT TO BED WH J. EDGAR HOOVER. HE WAS DRAG. HE WAS NOT A GREAT BETY EHER, YOU KNOW, BUT I WAS TREATG HIM JT LIKE HE WAS A GIRL.” STTY BOWERS, NOW 95 AND MORE THAN 60 YEARS PAST HIS PRIME AS THE SO-LLED “PIMP TO THE STARS,” GRS MISCHIEVOLY AS HE LOOSENS THE TAP, NTUG HIS LUGE OF SECRETS.“ONE DAY CARY GRANT WAS THE GAS STATN AND ROCK HUDSON JT HAPPENED TO BE THERE, SO CARY GRANT PICKED HIM UP. I FIXED HIM UP WH ROCK FOR 20 BUCKS, AND ROCK SAW HIM SEVERAL TIM. THIS IS BEFORE ROCK HAD ANY MOVIE. LRENCE OLIVIER AND VIVIEN LEIGH, I NEVER TRICKED THEM TOGETHER. I WOULD FIX THEM UP WH GUYS, AND THEN I WOULD SEE HER AT GARY COOPER’S HOE. SHE WOULD E AND QUIETLY OPEN THE GATE AND BE LIKE, ‘SHH.’ TEN MUT LATER I’M FUCKG HER AND SHE’S SCREAMG.” AFTER SPENDG TWO YEARS FOLLOWG BOWERS FOR THE CEMA VERé-STYLE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE GREGAR FORMER SEX WORKER, FILMMAKER MATT TYRNER LGHS, SUMMARIZG THE UNIQUE AND ACTUALLY PROFOUND APPEAL OF THE SUBJECT OF HIS MOVIE. “THIS IS SOMEONE WHO SEEMS TO HAVE JT NOT BEEN H WH THE SHAME STICK AND NOT BURNED WH FEELGS OF GUILT,” TYRNER SAYS, SPEAKG OVER FFEE AT MANHATTAN’S NOMAD HOTEL THE WEEK BEFORE THE FILM’S RELEASE. “HE DIDN’T HAVE THAT STILLED. HE SEEMED TO LIVE AN EXEMPLARY LIFE TERMS OF BEG EE OF SHAME AND GUILT. THAT ULD BE A LSON FOR ALL OF .”PERHAPS UNEXPECTEDLY, LSONS ABOUND STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD. TYRNER BEGAN FILMG BOWERS FOLLOWG THE RELEASE OF HIS MEMOIR, FULL SERVICE: MY ADVENTUR HOLLYWOOD AND THE SECRET SEX LIV OF THE STARS, A JUICY TELL-ALL REUNTG HIS TIME OPERATG A BROTHEL, OF SORTS, OUT OF A GAS STATN ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD STARTG THE LATE 1940S AND FALLY RETIRG S LATER, DURG THE AIDS CRISIS. AS BOWERS TELLS , HE SLEPT WH SPENCER TRACY, VIVIEN LEIGH, CARY GRANT, AND THE DE OF WDSOR—THE ABDITED KG EDWARD VIII. THE LIST OF STARS HE ALLEGEDLY SET UP WH PROSTUT READS LIKE A STROLL DOWN THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME: TENNSEE WILLIAMS, CHARL LGHTON, VCENT PRICE, KATHARE HEPBURN, GLORIA SWANSON, NOëL COWARD, ROCK HUDSON, COLE PORTER, AND MORE.WHEN BOWERS RELEASED HIS BOOK, SENTIALLY OUTG GRANT, TRACY, AND HEPBURN, AMONG OTHERS, AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, CRICS RANGG OM SUAL REARS TO BARBARA WALTERS BLASTED HIM FOR SPREADG SALAC STORI ABOUT LONG-AD SUBJECTS WHO ULDN’T FEND THEMSELV OR QUTN THEIR VERACY. THAT WAS OUT OF RPECT, BOWERS CLAIMS. THEY WEREN’T HIS SECRETS TO TELL WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE, BUT NOW THAT THEY’RE GONE, HE THKS THEY N’T HURT THEM. BUT NOW THAT TYRNER IS GIVG BOWERS ANOTHER PLATFORM, SIAR CRICISMS ARE BEG AIRED AGA. IN A NEW YORK TIM PIECE ABOUT TYRNER AND THE FILM, NOTED FILM SCHOLAR JEANE BASGER—WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE CHAIR OF TYRNER’S FILM SCHOOL AND CLASHED WH HIM THERE—VERBALLY SFFS ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY’S PURSU. “THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE EXPRSN, ‘PEOPLE NEED TO GET A LIFE,’” SHE SAYS. “PERSONALLY, I’M MORE TERTED THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE THAN THEIR POSSIBLE OFF-SCREEN SHENANIGANS.” AS SEVERAL ENTERTAMENT JOURNALISTS, CLUDG BUZZFEED’S KATE AURTHUR AND VANY FAIR’S REBEC KEEGAN, WERE QUICK TO POT OUT ON TWTER, THAT OPN IS HORSH. TYRNER SPECTS BASGER DIDN’T SEE THE FILM, PECIALLY SCE SHE SEEMS TO IGNORE S ENTIRE POT. THE REASON BOWERS HAS STORI TO TELL IS BEE THE ACTORS WERE PTIV OF A HOLLYWOOD STUD SYSTEM THAT WEAPONIZED MORAL CLS, NTRACTUALLY PREVENTG THEM OM LIVG THEIR THENTIC LIV. “THEY WERE VICTIMS OF A CERTA KD OF PERSECUTN,” TYRNER SAYS. THEY WENT TO STTY BEE PAYG SEX WORKERS WAS THEIR ONLY OPTN, PECIALLY FOR PEOPLE LIKE CARY GRANT AND KATHARE HEPBURN, WHOSE SAME-SEX PAS WERE AT ODDS WH THE HETERONORMATIVE IMAG OF THEM MANUFACTURED BY STUDS. TO CLAIM TO BE TERTED THAT ERA OF HOLLYWOOD BUT NOT THE WAYS THAT THE ACTORS NAVIGATED THEIR SEXUALY IS SANE. IT’S NOT GOSSIP. IT’S BGRAPHY. IT’S ANTHROPOLOGY. IT’S OUR HISTORY. “FOR SOME REASON OUR CULTURE IS WILLG TO DISMISS THE FULL BGRAPHI OF ALL OF THE CHARACTERS AS BEG SHENANIGANS,” TYRNER SAYS. “TAKE CARAVAGG, FOR STANCE. IF YOU’RE AN ART SCHOLAR, DO YOU JT WANT TO KNOW WHAT CARAVAGG WAS UP TO THE PATG STUD? DON’T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT CARAVAGG WAS UP TO WHEN HE WASN’T HOLDG A PATBSH? IS THAT NOT RELEVANT TO WHO CARAVAGG WAS? SO WHY DO WE DISMISS TAILS ABOUT WHAT KATHARE HEPBURN AND SPENCER TRACY WERE UP TO OFF-SCREEN?”STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD ISN’T A TELL-ALL. TYRNER LLS AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIM OUR UNTRY’S HISTORY, THE STORY OF HOLLYWOOD AND THE IMAGE MACHE, WHICH CHANGED THE WAY WE ALL PERCEIVE OURSELV AND THE WORLD. LOOKG AT THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM AND THE IMAGE FACTORY THROUGH THE LENS OF A SEX WORKER TO THE STARS ULDN’T BE MORE RELEVANT. “IF STTY HAD BEEN OPERATG A BROTHEL OUT OF A GAS STATN D MO, IOWA, WOULD BE A FUN, TERTG, MAYBE RELEVANT STORY, BUT WOULDN’T HAVE THE OPERATIC LOTN AND NARRATIVE THAT THIS MOVIE HAS,” TYRNER SAYS.CRICIZG BOWERS’ STORI AS TRIVIAL PARED TO THE ACTORS’ ON-SCREEN WORK IGNOR THE FACT THAT THEIR PRIVATE LIV WERE OFTEN SCRIPTED BY STUDS AND THEY WERE FORCED TO PERFORM THOSE NARRATIV ORR TO NTUE THAT ON-SCREEN WORK. MORE, FOSTERS A LN THAT MORAL CLS DON’T STILL EXIST, IF NOT LERALLY NTRACTS, THEN HERENTLY AN DTRY THAT FORC KNOWN GAY ACTORS TO PERFORM HETEROSEXUALY ORR TO FURTHER THEIR REERS.THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DISMISS STORI ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND SEX AS IRRELEVANT ARE THE ON WHO EPT OUTRAGE AT THE SUATN THAT THE ACTORS HAD SAME-SEX SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS AND THAT THE STORI ARE BEG TOLD WHEN THEY’RE NOT ALIVE TO SPEAK TO THEM. IT ILLTRAT THE RELUCTANCE TO ADM HOW EPLY AND SERLY WE ARE ALL AFFECTED AND FLUENCED BY HOLLYWOOD AND S PLAYERS. “THE BOOK WAS DISMISSED AS A TELL-ALL, HOWEVER WAS A BT-SELLER,” TYRNER SAYS. “SO THERE’S THE NTRADICTN.” NOW TO BRIEFLY DISMOUNT OM OUR HIGH HORSE, HERE’S ANOTHER REASON THE BOOK WAS A BT-SELLER. THE STORI ARE WILD. AND SO IS THIS MOVIE. BOWERS WAS JT OUT OF THE MAR WHEN HE MOVED TO HOLLYWOOD AND GOT A JOB WORKG AT THE RICHFIELD GAS STATN AT 5777 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. ONE AFTERNOON, THE OSR-NOMATED ACTOR WALTER PIDGEON DROVE UP. “WHAT’S A NICE GUY LIKE YOU DOG WORKG AT A GAS STATN?” HE ASKED BOWERS, VG HIM TO E HOME WH HIM TO SWIM HIS POOL. THEY DID MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AND, SEEG AN OPPORTUNY, HE BEGAN “TRICKG,” AS HE LLS , EVENTUALLY HIRG OTHER FORMER MAR AS SEX WORKERS. “EVERYTHG WAS 20 BUCKS,” BOWERS SAYS. “I WOULD SAY TO MY IENDS, ‘I’M GONNA FIX YOU UP WH A TRICK AND ALL THE GUY’S GONNA DO IS TAKE AND SUCK YOUR CK. IT’S THE SAME AS IF YOUR GIRL WAS SUCKG YOUR CK. IF YOU WANT TO CLOSE YOUR EY AND THK ’S HER SUCKG YOUR CK, DO.’ ‘OK, I’LL DO ONCE. WELL, ONCE, TWICE…’”HE TRICKED WH CARY GRANT AND RANDOLPH STT, WHO WERE LOVERS, BOWERS SAYS, BUT TOLD PEOPLE THEY WERE JT LIVG AS ROOMMAT. BOWERS SAYS HE’S BEEN WH THEM BOTH DIVIDUALLY, TOGETHER AS A THREOME, AND WH A FOURTH FOR PAIRED GROUP SEX. HE SAYS HE HAD A THREE-WAY AT FRANK SATRA’S HOE WH AVA GARDNER AND LANA TURNER. HE WOULD ARRANGE MEN FOR THE FORMER KG EDWARD VIII TO SLEEP WH—“HE SUCKED ME OFF LIKE A PRO”—AND WOMEN FOR THE MISTRS HE ABDITED THE THRONE FOR, WALLIS SIMPSON, TO SLEEP WH. HE TIMAT THAT HE FIXED KATHARE HEPBURN UP WH MORE THAN 150 WOMEN OVER THE URSE OF 39 YEARS. COLE PORTER ONCE REQUTED THAT BOWERS SET HIM UP WH 15 MEN AT ONCE. “I WANT TO SUCK 15 GUYS OFF, ONE AFTER ANOTHER,” HE SAID.“WHY SHOULDN’T COLE PORTER HAVE A VORAC SEXUAL APPETE?” TYRNER SAYS, WHEN I ASK IF HE THKS PEOPLE WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME BELIEVG BOWERS’ STORI IF THEY WEREN’T SO OUTRAGEO. “I DON’T KNOW IF HE DID OR NOT, BUT WHY WOULD I FD THAT UNBELIEVABLE?” HE LGHS. “THERE’S A WONRFUL COLE PORTER SONG, ‘TOO DARN HOT’ WHERE ONE OF THE LYRICS IS ‘A MARE FOR HIS QUEEN’ AND ‘A G.I. FOR HIS CUTIE PIE.’ I’M THKG MAYBE STTY IS HIS MARE.”THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BOWERS WAS NEVER TREATED LIKE A MADAME. TO PEOPLE LIKE GEE COR, THE LEGENDARY DIRECTOR OF THE PHILALPHIA STORY AND MY FAIR LADY, HE WAS NSIRED A IEND. THAT END UP BEG HIS KEY TO EARNG THE TST OF THE BIGGT NAM SHOW BS, WH THE MOST TO LOSE IF THE SECRETS WERE EVER OUTED.“ARE THE STORI SUBSTANTIABLE? MY ANSWER IS Y, VERY MUCH SO,” TYRNER SAYS. SHOULD NOW TAKE AS FACT THAT THE LIK OF CARY GRANT, SPENCER TRACY, AND KATHARE HEPBURN HAD SAME-SEX SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS? HE DON’T FLCH: “Y.”CONSIRG THAT TYRNER PURPORTS TO BE RRECTG HISTORY WH THIS FILM AND THE FACTS OF THAT RRECTN ARE LARGELY OM THE MOUTH OF ONE PERSON, BOWERS’ RELIABILY AS A NARRATOR WAS OBVLY IMPORTANT TO HIM. GORE VIDAL END UP BEG AN IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR TYRNER, WHO UNTS THE FAMED WRER AS A PERSONAL IEND. VIDAL WAS A CLIENT AND THEN IEND OF BOWERS, BUT HIS “VERY ACTIVE RNAL LIFE,” AS TYRNER LLS , WASN’T CLUD BOWERS’S BOOK. THE REASON: VIDAL WAS STILL ALIVE. (ONE OF VIDAL’S LAST PUBLIC OUTGS WAS TO THE BOOK’S RELEASE PARTY.) INPENNTLY, VIDAL AND BOWERS NFID TYRNER STORI ABOUT EACH OTHER AND ABOUT THAT TIME AT THE GAS STATN, AND THE STORI ALL CHECKED OUT. SEVERAL OF THE SEX WORKERS BOWERS EMPLOYED ARE ALSO STILL ALIVE, AND TYRNER TERVIEWED THEM FOR THE DOCUMENTARY. THEY ALL VERIFIED BOWERS’S ACUNTS, SOME ON MERA. ONE EVEN STILL HAD AN X RD BOWERS HAD MA WH THE NTACT RMATN OF A DOZEN MEN WHO WERE TERTED SEXUAL SERVIC. “A SMOKG GUN,” TYRNER LLS . ONE OF THE MEN ON THE RD WAS STILL ALIVE, AND NFIRMED BOWERS’ STORI TO TYRNER, TOO. ALL OF THIS WAS ADDN TO THE WORK A TEAM OF REARCHERS DID TO FACT-CHECK MANY OF BOWERS’ ANECDOT.STTY BOWERS DIDN’T KISS AND TELL WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE ALIVE. BUT HE KISSED, SUCKED, FUCKED, AND IS TELLG NOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE AD. THE STCT TO DISBELIEVE HIM IS UNFORTUNATE, GIVEN HOW THE SEX LIV GIVE A MUCH GREATER SIGHT TO THE REALY OF AN DTRY THAT SHAPED OUR CULTURE. AT A TIME WHEN THERE STILL IS NOT AN OUT GAY OR LBIAN MOVIE STAR STARRG AS THE LEAD BLOCKBTERS, AND PEOPLE STILL BATE WHETHER AN OUT GAY OR LBIAN ACTOR ULD BE BELIEVABLE AS A ROMANTIC LEAD, THE FACT THAT SPENCER TRACY AND KATHARE HEPBURN, TWO INIC ROMANTIC LEADS, HAD SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS IS ILLUMATG. IT’S PNT TO SEE STTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD TO REGNIZE THAT. THE FACT THAT ’S SO DISHY AND SEX-FILLED—TYRNER CLUS VTAGE NU PHOTOS AND SEX FILMS THAT BOWERS STARS —IS ICG ON THE KE.“FOR STTY BOWERS, SEX IS A FACT OF LIFE. IT’S NOT AVOID. SO TO MAKE A MOVIE THAT AVOID SEX AND EXPLIC NUDY JT WOULDN’T HAVE MA SENSE,” HE SAYS. “PL, WHO DON’T WANT SEX ON SCREEN? WE ALL WANT A LTLE SEX. IT KEEPS YOU TERTED. STTY WAS REALLY HOT AS A YOUNG MAN. HE WAS JT UNNIABLY HOT. WHY NOT SHOW SOME SK?” KEV FALLON
At a time when there still is not an out gay or lbian movie star starrg as the lead blockbters, and people still bate whether an out gay or lbian actor uld be believable as a romantic lead, the fact that Spencer Tracy and Kathare Hepburn, two inic romantic leads, had same-sex relatnships is illumatg.
“So how gay was Spencer Tracy? “And how gay was Kathare Hepburn? That was his job — puttg gay people together via a Hollywood gas statn for renzvo wh movie stars, om Charl Lghton to Walter Pidgeon.