by Ronald Constantino
MORE OF – Highspeed continues its “Lavender Limelight” tales of old Hollywood. As earlier noted, lavender, along with pink, is the color of the gay world. Who’s next after James Dean, Barbara Stanwyck, Rock Hudson, and Marilyn Monroe.
Here they are:
Anthony Perkins is awful, I can’t stand him. There’s nothing there, and he pretends not to know if he’s really gay or not. Just ask any one of the small army of his ex-lovers! Of which I am not one! I don’t like blood, and Tony’s a sadist. He likes to see blood. I mean he is Norman Bates! – TRUMAN CAPOTE
(Tony Perkins played Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” He died of AIDS.)
These two gals (Madonna and k. d. lang) have been spotted all over town together at cozy dinners, dancing, and there’s even a report that they were spotted driving around town in Madonna’s Mercedes together. One source said that the two gals are “an item,” while another spy said that Madonna and k.d. lang are recording a duet together. – HOLLYWOOD KIDS
I’m not saying that every Richard Chamberlain or Oscar Romero is gay. There do happen to be some lifelong heterosexual bachelors. But, generally speaking, and particularly in Hollywood, where the pressure to wed and to pass is intense. If an actor is over fifty, or eighty, and he hasn’t married, the chances are that he’s part of the brotherhood. – COLIN HIGGINS
Listen, the love between two men is beautiful. I’d love to be between, say, Tyrone Power and Montgomery Clift… Hell I was born the wrong gender! – NANCY WALKER
Garbo and I starred in “Grand Hotel,” but we had no scenes together. Alas. For her, and her alone, I could have been a lesbian. – JOAN CRAWFORD
Greta Garbo felt comfortable at my parties… Beatrice Lillie also came. She was called the funniest woman in the world, and she was the one person who could make Garbo laugh at will. Garbo thought her adorable and endlessly amusing and envied her short, boyish haircut. – GEORGE CUKOR
Bea’s passion (in Hollywood) was directed at Greta Garbo, the first woman she’d even seen who wore slacks in public. – SHEILAH GRAHAM
I wouldn’t mind having had an affair with Marlene Dietrich when she was young. Like, who wouldn’t? – MADONNA