Gay Actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood

The peril of discovery was a constant and tangible concern for these performers. According to Tyrnauer, studio contracts incorporated so-called "moral clauses" that possessed the power to instantly annihilate a lucrative career. Concurrently, the vice squad of the Los Angeles Police Department was notably eager to apprehend celebrities, frequently collaborating with the press in their concerted effort to tarnish reputations.

It is impossible to definitively identify these stars with certainty, given that they remained closeted throughout their professional lives. SFGate astutely proposed that "gossip serves as the repository of genuine truth" in this context, and an abundance of such gossip is readily available. Bowers, for instance, has been quite forthcoming on the subject, and sensationalized accounts like the Hollywood Babylon book series — penned by author and filmmaker Kenneth Anger — have sustained public speculation for decades. Presented here is a compilation of Old Hollywood stars who were reportedly gay.

Judging by other accounts, Dean may have occasionally found enjoyment in navigating life with both hands behind his back. In the biography James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes, authors Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince alleged that Dean engaged in "kinky sado-masochistic sex" with fellow actor Marlon Brando (as cited by Express). Reports suggest he would wait outside Brando's apartment like an eager "puppy dog" and request Brando to burn him with cigarettes during their intimate encounters (according to the Daily Mail). Composer Alec Wilder stated, "They were undeniably a couple," adding, "Naturally, the concept of 'sexual fidelity' would have been alien to either of them."

Brando was not Dean's sole alleged same-sex partner. While speaking with Ronald Martinetti for his biography, The James Dean Story, advertising executive Rogers Brackett declared, "I loved him, and Jimmy loved me" (via Salon). In the book James Dean: The Biography, author Val Holley posited that Brackett "took [Dean] in when almost no one else believed in him" and genuinely considered their bond significant, as noted by Real James Dean.

Following Monroe's divorce from baseball legend Joe DiMaggio in 1954, he purportedly informed journalist Walter Winchell that their relationship had dissolved due to Monroe's preference for women. The actress allegedly had intimate relationships with two of her acting coaches, Paula Strasberg and Natasha Lytess, and reportedly ended things with the latter in a "brutal" manner, refusing to take Lytess' calls. "I was the older one, the teacher, but she knew the depth of my attachment to her," Lytess later reflected on their relationship. "She exploited those feelings as only a beautiful younger person can."

Further elaborating on the conclusion of their affair, Lytess stated, "She claimed to be the needy one. Unfortunately, the reverse was true."

At the premiere of the documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood in August 2018, IndieWire reportedly posed a pointed question to Bowers: "So how gay was Spencer Tracy?" Bowers readily responded, "He got drunk and thanked the man beside him in the morning for taking care of him."

In relation to this, there are whispers suggesting that Tracy and Katharine Hepburn's purported decades-long romance was not precisely as it appeared. "Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were both gay," activist and author Larry Kramer informed The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "They were publicly paired by the studio. Everyone in Hollywood is aware this is true, but naturally, I haven't seen it documented."

Bowers and Hepburn allegedly developed a strong rapport over a period of fifty years, with the author claiming to have arranged introductions for "over 150 different women" for the four-time Oscar winner. He also indicated that Hepburn was rather fickle, seeing each woman "only once or twice, before becoming tired of them."

However, Hepburn reportedly became infatuated with a seventeen-year-old beauty named Barbara, for whom she allegedly purchased "a brand-new two-toned Ford Fairlane" as a gift. It is said that the two women continued to meet for forty-nine years. According to BuzzFeed, Barbara received "a letter" from the actress's legal representatives three months prior to Hepburn's passing in June 2003. The mysterious correspondence purportedly included a check for $100,000.

If even half of the rumors hold true, Brando had ample male companionship throughout his life. According to Express, Brando was reportedly involved with figures such as Cary Grant, James Dean, and Rock Hudson. Furthermore, during an extensive February 2018 interview with Vulture, producer Quincy Jones claimed the actor was willing to engage in sexual activity with virtually anyone in close proximity: "He'd fk a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye."

While mailboxes have remained silent on the matter, Richard Pryor's widow asserted that Brando did indeed have a sexual encounter with her late husband in the past. "It was the '70s!" Jennifer Pryor informed TMZ. "Drugs were still good, especially quaaludes. If you did enough cocaine, you'd fk a radiator and send it flowers in the morning."

During her lifetime, Stanwyck demonstrated an unwillingness to discuss her sexuality. At the very least, she did not wish to engage in such discussions with individuals like author Boze Hadleigh, as she reportedly escorted him from her residence when he probed her on the subject. As Out noted, Hadleigh allegedly inquired if she believed "bisexuality was very widespread among female stars during Hollywood's heyday," prompting Stanwyck to offer this understated deflection: "I heard that Dietrich, Garbo, most of the girls from Europe, swing either way. Then I found out it's true."

Hadleigh then eagerly questioned, "You found out?" But Stanwyck declined to be drawn further. "Next!" she exclaimed, and that concluded the conversation. Remarking on that interview, Time likened Hadleigh's interrogation tactics to "senior abuse."

The ever-communicative Scotty Bowers seemingly corroborated this, claiming that Perkins was constantly seeking attractive young men. "He always wanted someone different," Bowers recounted, recalling Perkins' alleged query, "Who do you have for me for tomorrow night that will surprise me? Anything really new?"

According to cameraman Leonard Smith, Hunter visited Perkins on set multiple times a week for lunch. Unfortunately, crew members were reportedly unkind regarding their relationship. "Of course, Tony was upset," Smith stated. "He'd retreat to his dressing room, and respond in a manner that conveyed he wanted no further interaction. If individuals made comments, he would become distressed and simply walk away from them."

While filming the 1925 silent motion picture The Joyless Street, Dietrich — whom McLellan described as possessing a "compulsive appetite for the sexual seduction of other beautiful women" — purportedly engaged in intimacy with "the simple, sensitive nineteen-year-old Swede." Concurrently, Garbo reportedly referred to same-sex romantic encounters as "exciting secrets."

In 2005, The Guardian reported that private correspondence implied Garbo had lived the majority of her existence "in isolation and despair," yearning for actress Mimi Pollak, whom she had known since drama school. One letter, penned by Garbo to the then-married Pollak in 1928, allegedly read: "I dream of seeing you and discovering whether you still care as much about your old bachelor. I love you, little Mimosa."

However, in the documentary Making Montgomery Clift, a different portrayal of the A Place in the Sun star emerged (via The Advocate). The film argues that Clift was, in fact, quite comfortable with his identity and openly affectionate with other men, apparently not overly concerned about his sexuality. Actor Jack Larson, one of Clift's alleged former partners, contended that his everyday demeanor stood in stark contrast to the brooding persona seen on the silver screen. Larson humorously remarked that Clift "was closer to Jerry Lewis on-screen than he was to Montgomery Clift on-screen," adding, "He was very much a clown himself."

Indeed, Clift was such a liberated spirit — and so far ahead of his contemporaries — that he reportedly declined to sign any studio contract that might mandate marriage or compel him to accept roles he felt were unsuitable. Hillary Demmon, who co-produced and co-directed the film with Montgomery's nephew, Robert Clift, stated that the Hollywood studio system was "definitely not accustomed to that level of independence."

The actress — who reportedly quipped, "I want to try everything once" and "conventional sex gives me claustrophobia" — allegedly had a romantic relationship with comedic actress Patsy Kelly, known for her portrayals of sassy maids on the silver screen (via SFGate). Kelly was willing to share her story with Boze Hadleigh while the author was researching his 1994 book, Hollywood Lesbians.

Kelly stated that she had been involved with Bankhead for numerous years. "It was on and off, and mostly it depended on Tallulah's mood," she explained. "When she became involved with a man, she would turn quite heterosexual on us."

Kelly was reportedly seven years Grant's senior, and their initial meeting occurred when Grant was still known as Archibald Leach, shortly before his twenty-first birthday on January 18, 1925. Having recently been evicted from a boarding house for failing to pay his rent, Grant (along with his "tin box" of belongings) reportedly relocated to Kelly's residence. Prior to achieving success in Hollywood, Grant is said to have worked as a carnival barker, an escort, a member of a "stilt-walking troupe," and even assisted in stenciling the ties that Kelly crafted by hand.

Their relationship purportedly fluctuated over three decades, with Kelly growing increasingly resentful of Grant's preference for blonde women. Their dynamic even allegedly became abusive at times. "A mixture of self-loathing and confusion manifested as a physical altercation," Katherine Thompson, the writer of the documentary, told the Post. She claimed Grant even ejected "Kelly from a moving vehicle" during a particularly intense moment.

Although Hudson was not excessively "paranoid" about his secret gay romance being discovered, he reportedly grew uneasy after a female admirer broke into his home and slept in his bed while the couple was on a road trip. "In a drawer on a side table were pictures of me with no shirt on," Garlington revealed. "She didn't find them, but it unnerved him. He realized he was vulnerable. He installed gates on the house shortly thereafter."

The couple eventually went their separate ways because Garlington desired "a father figure," whereas Hudson, who stood at 6'4", was more of a "gentle giant" and "not strong enough." Following his death, Garlington read in a biography that the Old Hollywood actor had referred to him as his "true love." "I broke down and cried," he told People, admitting he "had no idea I meant that much to him."

Dietrich's daughter, Maria Riva, provided further insight into her mother's sexuality in a 1992 tell-all book (via The Rake). Although the star remained married to film producer Rudolf Sieber, Riva admitted that her mother engaged in affairs with men as "a means of controlling and manipulating them," rather than out of personal enjoyment. Conversely, her relationships with women were allegedly "much more satisfying for her"—though critics were hesitant to categorize Dietrich as bisexual. As film critic Kenneth Tynan once observed (via The Rake), "[Dietrich] has sex without gender."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor purportedly confided in Hollywood Gays author Boze Hadleigh, claiming to have experienced what the outlet termed a "wide-ranging gay sex life," notwithstanding his regular appearances with actresses. Hadleigh also alleged (via World of Wonder) that Romero, who kept his sexuality private from fans and colleagues, had a liaison with I Love Lucy star Desi Arnaz, as well as a rumored connection with Tyrone Power.

These are not the only whispers circulating about the film star. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who apparently holds some authority on Old Hollywood gossip, shared some scandalous hearsay about Romero with HuffPost: "I don't know if it's true... I don't care. I want it to be true... Someone claimed that [Romero] was aroused by dropping his trousers and having young boys pelt him with orange slices." Of course, Gottfried's account lacks any form of verification.

According to the media outlet, Novarro regularly utilized an escort service, disguising the checks as payments for "gardening" services. "He was a discreet homosexual," stated deputy district attorney James Ideman (via Out). "He did not frequent public places to solicit individuals. Young male prostitutes would come to his residence." Two of these individuals were brothers and known hustlers, Paul and Tom Ferguson, who, according to a 1997 issue of The Advocate — which characterized Novarro's death as "one of the most sensational gay celebrity murder cases ever reported" — were responsible for the actor's death in his California home. Although they visited under the guise of sexual encounters, their intention was to steal money they believed was concealed within Novarro's modest dwelling (in other words: this money did not exist).

As per Out's profile, after the brothers departed, Novarro's secretary discovered him unclothed and severely injured. The phrase "US GIRLS ARE BETTER THAN [FTS]" was scrawled in makeup pencil across the mirror. Both brothers were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The New York Times reports that the pair's union was a "marriage of convenience." Valentino believed the lesbian actress might advance his career, and they wed impulsively. On their wedding night, Acker reportedly "slammed the door in his face." According to PopSugar, "they never consummated their marriage," and Valentino failed to grasp his wife's genuine sexuality. Initially undeterred, he continued to send her love letters for months following their nuptials, but at the time of the wedding, the actress was reportedly involved in a "lesbian love triangle." Simply put, she allegedly married to shield herself from any potential scandal concerning her sexual identity, instantly regretted her decision, and, predictably, the two divorced not long thereafter.

Like many men of that period, Novello could not openly identify as homosexual, yet his sexuality was an openly acknowledged fact. According to biographer Donald Spoto (via The Guardian), the actor was "never, on or off the set, particularly shy about his homosexual life," which unfortunately resulted in harsh critiques from reviewers who labeled him "effeminate" and "overly pretty." Novello also seemed to gravitate towards fellow creatives in his romantic pursuits. He had a relationship with actor Bobbie Andrews, but most notably dated poet Siegfried Sassoon. BBC Wales characterizes the latter relationship as "not an easy or comfortable liaison" that "did not bring happiness to either man." A familiar sentiment!