By Jan Wahl–
Summer is a perfect time to cool off with a hot book. One I just finished has the best title ever: Sin in Soft Focus. It is subtitled Pre-Code Hollywood, by the fabulous Hollywood historian and photographer Mark Vieira. This is one of those gorgeous coffee-table-sized books, filled with photos and interesting text. From sexy Clara Bow to sultry Garbo, outrageous Mae West to hunky Gable and exotic Dietrich, the portraits of stars are gorgeous.
But it is the scandals that make it all such fun. This was a time of the struggle between Hollywood and its reformers. Underworld brutality mixed with sizzling sexuality in movies between 1930 and 1934, before the Production Code clamped down on all the fun. White slavery, profanity, illegal drugs, lustful kissing, and suggestive dancing mingled with tales about rough guys and tough dames … who could ask for anything more? The tome has 275 photos and great stories. Whether they are about Crawford as the struggling shopgirl or a boozy Barrymore, this book is one wild read.
But why stop there? Mark Vieira continues the fun with Forbidden Hollywood: When Sin Ruled the Movies.
It is classic Hollywood, uncensored. This time we take a deeper dive into the argument against “immoral” movies. We eavesdrop on production conferences, and follow nervous executives as they fight to hold on against conservatives.
The book spotlights 22 movies that led to the Production Code, such as Call Her Savage with Clara Bow, Red-Headed Woman starring Harlow, She Done Him Wrong with my role model Mae West, and Paul Muni shooting his way to glory in Scarface. Then there is Barbara Stanwyck climbing the corporate ladder on her own in Baby Face, and misfits seeking revenge in Freaks. It was a time of studio heads getting ulcers and a nation that was shocked, outraged, or very happy to see such films.
Vieira shares these fascinating stories and more in what is a splashy, glamorous, and insightful portrait of a sexy time in Tinseltown.
Alaska Bound
To change the subject completely: Any fans of Alaska out there? I am about to embark on my fifth trip there next week, but I will be aboard the Queen Elizabeth this time. As Sir Ian McKellen would say about the pairing: “an old queen on an old queen.” But they say the ship is quite beautiful. I will let you know! I got a heck of a deal with their last Memorial Day sale and upgraded like crazy; should be fun.
I always read up history and culture before I travel anywhere. Of course, I tend to go for the tawdry or controversial history, scandals, and wild personalities of a place. There is a remarkable book called Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush by Lael Morgan. While the prospectors went up to find gold, many women went to mine the miners. In the boomtowns of Alaska, gold dust was common currency but the rarest commodity was a woman, especially one setting out to keep a man warm, if only for a half hour. Morgan introduces us to the gold rush demimonde—the underworld of prostitutes, dancehall girls, and entertainers.
Leaving behind hometowns and constraints of the post Victorian era, the “good time gals” crossed geographic and social frontiers, finding both independence and hardship. History has ignored these women, and I am grateful to Morgan for her research and fascinating writing about them. The common traits she found with this vast array of women from different classes, ethnic groups, and backgrounds were stamina and courage. Women in the states then were fighting for rights and sometimes contesting the double standard, opting to get away from a life dictated to them to the wild North.
But why not just go to Alaska and get married? Men were desperate and able to afford this. Yet these women, often intent on profit, were looking for gold themselves. (Keep in mind that wives then had to file in their husband’s names.) They all had a major sense of adventure. A few opted out for the hotel trade, laundry services, and restaurants. But Morgan gives us the good time girls, and you will love reading about them.
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Off the Wahl
Published on July 25, 2024
Recent Comments