New book dishes on ‘Scandals of Classic Hollywood’
Brooklyn BookBeat: Author to Speak in DUMBO
Based on the popular Hairpin column of the same name, but featuring new content, “Scandals of Classic Hollywood” (a Plume original, on sale Sept. 30) by Anne Helen Petersen reveals some of the most scandalous stories of Hollywood’s past, on topics that would even surprise today’s gossip editors: forbidden love, sex, drugs, illegitimate children, illicit affairs and botched cover-ups.
Petersen, a journalist for BuzzFeed, will launch her book at the powerHouse Arena in DUMBO on Sept. 30.
Part biography and part cultural history, “Scandals of Classic Hollywood” reveals some of the most controversial stories from Tinseltown’s past. From obscure silent films stars to the A-listers of the 50s, Petersen dishes on a variety of scandals, including the smear campaign against the original “It Girl,” Clara Bow, bought on by her best friend; the love triangle with silent film star Mary Pickford in the middle; the rise and fall of Judy Garland; James Dean’s troubled life and tragic death; and why Mae West was arrested and jailed for “indecency charges.”
Petersen’s book is more than just gossip; the stories are contextualized within the boundaries of film, cultural, political and gender history.