Old Hollywood Secrets and Scandals

Overview

Old Hollywood, renowned for its charm and glamour, was rife with secrets and scandals, hidden behind the red carpets and flashing cameras. The hidden affairs, forbidden romances, and love triangles shaped the industry in ways unseen to the public eye.

Notable Hidden Affairs and Scandals

Jean Harlow and William Powell

• Secretive romance despite public personas.
• Powell, hesitant about marriage due to past divorces.
• Harlow's sudden death left Powell devastated.

Greta Garbo and Salka Viertel

• Garbo fascinated by Salka, a non-traditional Hollywood figure.
• Salka’s influence on Garbo’s career.
• Garbo’s relationships with Mercedes de Acosta and Salka highlighted hidden LGBTQ+ stories.

Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter

• Secret romance in an era intolerant of homosexual relationships.
• Their careers and public images required a facade of heterosexuality.
• Relationship ultimately ended due to professional rivalry.

Clark Gable and Loretta Young

• Secret affair resulting in a child.
• Young’s pregnancy hidden due to Hollywood’s moral standards.
• Gable's refusal to acknowledge the child publicly.

Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini

• Affair scandalized public expectations of Bergman’s pure image.
• Resulted in a boycott of her films and her move to Europe.

Rita Hayworth, Ali Khan, and Orson Welles

• Hayworth and Welles' marriage ended quickly.
• Scandalous relationship with Prince Ali Khan amidst existing marriages.

Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

• Alleged romance more platonic, constructed to protect their images.
• Studios orchestrated public persona to match idealized images.

Liza Minnelli and Peter Allen

• Marriage complicated by Allen’s hidden homosexuality.
• Minnelli blindsided by Allen's affairs, including with her stepfather.

Charlie Chaplin and Lita Grey

• Scandalous relationship due to Grey's age and pregnancy out of wedlock.
• Marriage ended in a public and messy divorce.

Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier

• Began during existing marriages.
• Their partnership was passionate but fraught with personal struggles and infidelities.

Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra

• Passionate and tumultuous affair, affecting Sinatra’s career and family life.

Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, and Elizabeth Taylor

• Love triangle resulted in public scandal.
• Taylor vilified as a home-wrecker.

Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

• Legendary love story overshadowed by Bogart's tumultuous marriage.

Cary Grant and Randolph Scott

• Close friendship with persistent rumors of a romantic relationship.
• Publicly dated women to maintain image.

Audrey Hepburn and William Holden

• Secret relationship challenged by Holden’s vasectomy and alcoholism.

Gary Cooper and Lupe Velez

• Explosive and violent relationship.

Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato

• Turner’s daughter involved in a fatal confrontation.

Bette Davis and William Wyler

• Short-lived romance during film collaborations.

Marlon Brando and Rita Moreno

• Turbulent relationship marked by infidelities and emotional turmoil.

Errol Flynn and Beverly Aadland

• Controversial relationship due to age difference.
• Ended with Flynn’s death and subsequent public scandal.

Conclusion

These scandalous affairs highlight the complex, often hidden personal lives of Hollywood’s golden age stars, revealing a world where public image was carefully curated and personal truths were often obscured by societal pressures and industry demands.