First published in 1987 under the title "Conversations with My Elders," Celluloid Gaze by Boze Hadleigh is a ground breaking collection of interviews with six men who share a common and unusual trait relevant to their success in the movie-making industry: they were gay, and during their lifetimes, they concealed their sexual orientation from the public. Yet these interviews are remarkably open and candid about how these men's sexuality affected their lives and careers. A new preface reflects upon changing attitudes toward homosexuality in just 15 years, and how some prejudices have remained as rooted as ever. Celluloid Gaze is an informed and informative contribution to Film History and Gay Studies academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists, as well as highly recommended reading for fans of the film work of Sal Mineo, Luchino Visconti, Cecil Beaton, George Cukor, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Rock Hudson.

I picked up this book for lack of there being any better subjects at the time. I was surprised that it wasnt as backstabbing and harsh as the other books I have read in this category. It had more dealing with leading roles and top billing then the usual sex and drugs in other reads. Also it is for all ages and doesnt deal with the teen pop there is today, asother books tend to zero in on.
From the foursome of I love Lucy, Sonny and Cher, Bette Davis vs. Joan crawford to Boris Carloff vs. Bela Lugosi, Natalie Wood, Jackie and Joan Collins. Theres a bit on Julia and Eric Roberts, and Michael Jackson, probably the youngest in the group. It is all very interesting with stories more believeable than other books, alot of the context comes from true interviews with the author himself.
It isnt a book i would reccommend running out to buy immediately, but if it is there and you have nothing better to read at the moment, try it. It is just the same as watching an old version of entertainment tonight.

So catty, so [frisky], so entertaining. As much as I enjoyed this little book, I keep wondering when a book about famous Hollywood friendships will be written. Not a book on Hollywood marriages, or love relationships, but about platonic friendships that lasted past the shared interviews and photo-ops of a movie made together. It's impossible that they never existed, or weren't observed, but they're hardly written about in great detail. I'm sure that others would be as interested in knowing this side of famous actors as they would be in reading about thier fueds.

of course folks dig HollyWood Feuds.it's not any fun without wondering if folks truly dig each other.and this Book unloads on that&adds so much Humor&is a really cool read.it's always funny when folks try to down play a Spat or the fact they don't really dig somebody&smile&grin on TV knowing Damn Well they can't stand whom ever they have to acknowledge on TV or Give a Award to or Work with.Books like this are Good for Laughter&unload.

Although a bit better than his "Hollywood and Whine.....," this book is rather unfunny for the most part. There were some quips that made me smile, but, as a whole I was just slightly pleased with this book. It is full of quotes by celebrities about each other. It is good to read at least once.

A wonderful collection of mostly bitchy quotes from stars on stars, stars on directors, directors on stars, etc. Most of it was taken with a grain of salt by this reader though, since I tend to doubt the veracity of much that is quoted by reporters - especially entertainment reporters. A few more quotes of a friendly, more supportive nature would've been nice to find (I'm just as fascinated by Hollywood freindships as I am with thier fueds) -but I guess "that's showbiz, kids"! This book is an excellent way to spend half an hour.

One of the most delicious reads you could have from the biggest blabbermouth on the planet, "Babble On" is delightful. I was fortunate to get an out-of-print hardback copy. the book is in excellent condition and the packaging couldn't have been safer. I had been looking for this book for years and it was always sold out everywhere until it finally went out of print. But now I can really dig it and thank God for blabbermouths like Boze Hadleigh. Keep slingin' it Boze.....

I believe this is Boze Hadleigh's best book on Gay and Lesbian Hollywood. It covers films with homoerotic themes, as well as more openly gay films, throughout the history of film. Although the book was published long before some of today's more explicit gay and lesbian films, it is an interesting historical perspective of how gay themes were gradually introduced into mainstream Hollywood film.

All the films covered are put in the perspective of when they were made, and critiqued based on the extent of the portrayal of the gay characters. Films with both positive and negative images are reviewed, as well as stories that may have only gay imagery.

Boze Hadleigh is a great historian of gay cinema, but he does take a lot of liberty with his interpretations. Still, this book is lavishly illustrated and well documented, and a fascinating addition to any film book library.

Let me tell you, it was a lot easier to get through this invasion than "Hollywood Gays!" It was an OK read, full of facts about classic stars' sexuality, but, just as in the male version, I would have liked to know more about these women. The interviews are good and revealing, which is a plus, but something is definitely missing here.

Boze Hadleigh is certainly one of the best historians of gay and lesbian Hollywood, as he proved in the superior 'Lavendar Screen'. In this book, he interviews classic actresses who were widely considered to be lesbian or bisexual, but not every actress interviewed confirms or denies her sexual preference. The true value of this book is that all of the subjects interviewed have since passed on. A rare interview with Barbara Stanwyck finds the actress livid at Hadleigh's accusations that her marriage to Robert Taylor was a sham, and she throws him out of her house. Marjorie Main is far more forthcoming, and Patsy Kelly admits outright that she was an out and proud lesbian.

Whatever these actresses sexual preference, it is a great historical record of talented women who have passed on. I feel that Hadleigh badgers some of the actresses into fessing up to their sexual preference, and focuses mainly on that, with little regard to their career achievements. Still, reading what these ladies have to say is fascinating, and a great record of women who can no longer speak for themselves.

i found the book highly entertaining, specially the interview with DAME JUDITH ANDERSON ,a hell of an actress ,and a indomitable personality to boot/ ,so what if many of them refused to come out ,i still believe in the freedom of choice , they are a product of their times ,and you can't really blame them ,could you? more power to them /and to anybody strong enough in their convictions ,to decided what is more beneficial, to them, even in the last decades of their lives,,,good book, WRONG APROACH and OVERALL ACTITUD on the writter questions.

Journalist/gossipmeister Boze Hadleigh has done it again in "In and Out." I've read, reread, and thoroughly enjoyed his earlier "Hollywood Babble On," "Hollywood and Whine," and "Celebrity Feuds," and while this latest isn't quite on the same level as those others, it doesn't disappoint. Like Hadleigh's earlier books, it's a fascinating read. My only complaint is just this: Much too much of the Ellen DeGereres and Anne Heche thing. I'm reminded of what the former said in an inteview not long ago: "Are you tired of hearing about me? I've got news for you, I'm tired of hearing about me." But that's a minor complaint. Bottom line: Whether you're gay, straight, bi, or just enjoy celebrity gossip at its juiceist and funniest, "In and Out" is Hollywood on wry served to perfection by a master chef.

2 or 3 lines, at most a paragraph of quotes. A few too many quotes from things like letters to the editor or newspaper headlines.Too many Ellen DeGeneres and her mom quotes but overall amusing beach reading though less so than Hollywood Babble On. If you want any in depth writing about the subject try his Hollywood Lesbians or Conversations With My Elders for something more interesting

This book is a great resource for gay/lesbian/bi celebrity gossip. The only thing is that it is repetitive with the same people's quotes, and it doesn't prove most celebrities in or out of the closet. Only the "outed" celebrities are the ones known for sure. This book was fun to read. ENJOY!

I suppose this is an interesting read for its intended audience..gay men and women looking for celebrity role models. I personally would have liked to have seen more documentation..a bibliography, something other than hearsay to back up the author's claims.

I like the section on my beloved Mathis...the book really couldhave used a bibliography. Otherwise there is a question as to thetruthfullness of some of the author's claims. END

These "interviews" sound nothing like Bette Davis as anyone who ever read the scores of bona fide interviews she gave over the years. Miss Davis was hot-tempered and sharp-tongued at times but her fans know she was really something of a prude so it seems highly questionable she would dish dirt like this. (Remember she had a feud with her last film director because the film included a dark comic joke concerning Joan Crawford which Miss Davis thought was in terrible taste. And Joan was of course no friend of Bette's!!) This frankly reads more like a drag queen's nightclub act not an interview with a star. I don't know a single movie buff who believes Mr. Hadleigh's books.

When I read the customer reviews of this book, I was thinking of buying it -- because it contained so much "new" material. However, I looked up the customer reviews of other books by this author, and now have serious doubts about his "journalistic" ethics. Maybe he made the whole thing up. In any case, after reading about his other books, I'm not interested in this one.

This book is really worth buying and reading over and over if you are a Bette Davis fan. I have read a great deal of Bette Davis-related books over the years, and this book contain about 80% fresh materials, which is nothing short of a miracle more than 10 years after her death. The style of the book is simply the text of several extended interviews the author had with Miss Davis, as well as with others who had worked with her. The questions are interesting (as are the answers), and the style makes the information seem much more interesting and believable. A must for any fan, and, once again, I was particularly impressed with many fresh topics. Excellent!

Save your money. This book is not only disappointing (and misleading), but mean-spirited in its intent and execution.

I didn't find this book to be anything like it's title suggests. Rather it is a "coffee table book" with hundreds of one liner quotes from celebrities, none of which appear to be about other celebrities. It's more of book of quotes...period.

I would not agree with these others reviewers. Yes, the book is a little evil in it's intent. But, that is the reason we buy it. Although Mr. Hadleigh did do a good job compiling this gabfest, I do not believe that it is harsh enough to harm a mouse. The book is very similar to his other glob of gossip, "Hollywood Babble On." Both are supposed to capture the snotty quips uttered by Hollywoodites, which they do. But, they are trivial and unfunny; some ok, but, for the most part, boring. I feel, that by the time one is done reading a quote, they have probably forgotten what they have just read! That is how blaise that this book can be! In short, read it if you are bored and do not want much entertainment. And, don't completely believe other reviewers...it is not a shame to read this book!

I liked it, yes, but, I liked "Hollywood Lesbians" a bit better. It is a wonderful premise, talking to stars about their homosexuality, but, I believe that it should not have been written unless it was a bit more revealing in it's topic. Kudos to Mr. Hadleigh who is a knowledgable writer. I would have liked to know more though (a lot was hidden even still. the reader is told this. that right there gave me a sign that all is not right with this book).

Books like The Celluloid Closet and Hollywood Babylon abound with rumors about the sexual appetites of Hollywood stars. Boze Hadleigh's Gays in Hollywood, however, seeks to provide first-hand reports. An entertainment journalist since the 1960's, Hadleigh conducted volumes of off-the-record interviews with celebrities reputed to be gay or bisexual such as Cary Grant, Paul Lynde and Anthony Perkins, as well as less well-remembered actors like Randolph Scott and William Haines. In these interviews, often given only with the understanding that they would not be published during the star's life, Hadleigh attempts to get normally secretive actors to speak about their guarded sexual lives. The results vary widely, but even the "unsuccessful" interviews can be fascinating. Some stars like Paul Lynde, James Coco and Cesar Romero, speak freely and provide valuable accounts of what it was like to be gay in an industry filled with double lives and convenience marriages. Others like Cary Grant and Anthony Perkins are more elusive, but not without revelations about co-workers and peers. And one in particular is not so kind: at the end of his interview, an exceptionally ruffled Liberace expels Hadleigh from his mansion with imperial fury. Like his earlier volumes Conversations With My Elders and Lesbians in Hollywood, Hadleigh's work is somewhat journalistically suspect. He claims that for most of these interviews, he was not allowed to tape record or take notes, and frequently the questions seems stiltedly reconstructed and retroactively self-righteous. Still, the interviews are highly entertaining and provide an important alternative view of the film industry's social history. Recommended for both general readers and scholars of gay history / film studies.

Many reviewers seem quite upset by Grant's "out-ing," but if he wasn't at least bisexual, then PLEASE let me know why he lived with Randolph Scott--rather than his wives--throughout all five of his marriages (Only one of which lasted more than 5 years). He shared a house with his (male) lover fom 1933, a year before his first marriage, until his death in 1986--most straight pairings don't last that long--his didn't! And, while you're at it, explain photos of the two topless men hanging all over each other by their swimming pool. Being gay was as much of a career-booster as being communist in his Hollywood. There's a reason the man has two Oscars....