Keeley Hazell

Keeley Hazell is an award-winning journalist who has previously written for The Independent and The Scotsman. She is also the author of The Men of Her Dreams: Unknown Legends of Hollywood Past and Present, a non-fiction book about famous men and the women who have loved them.

In this article, she shares some fascinating information about some of the Hollywood stars whose lives have been the inspiration for her book.

Buster Keaton

As we’ve established, the main inspiration behind her book is the men and women who have played prominent roles in Hollywood films. One of the most prominent men in Hollywood history is undoubtedly the legendary Buster Keaton. Although best known for his comedy roles, Keaton was actually a very successful and influential silent film star. In her book, Keeley states that he was a pioneer of the silent screen, acting in over 100 films before the talkies took over.

Keeley wrote: “He was the first Hollywood superstar. An elegant, cool, witty charmer whose films were enjoyed around the world, Buster Keaton’s star shone brightly in the early years of the motion picture industry. His unique brand of silent comedy made him a huge star in Europe and particularly in Russia, where his films were quite literally showing the townsfolk how to live.”

Keeley was introduced to Buster Keaton’s work in 2014, when she met Mark Hamill – who was appearing as himself in a play staged at the Tricycle Theatre in London. Hamill, who is best known for being the voice of Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker, saw a performance of I Love My Wife and was so inspired by it that he phoned up Keeley and told her all about Buster Keaton. This in turn sparked an interest in Keaton that led to further research and then ultimately to the writing of a biography.

Joan Crawford

One of the most prolific and successful producers in Hollywood history is undoubtedly Joan Crawford. Like many stars of her generation, Crawford was a real life horror-queen who delighted in shocking people with her terrifying laugh and vulgar tongue. The first woman to head her own production company, Crawford was responsible for some of the most memorable films of all time. Not only that, but she was also an accomplished director and writer who worked with some of the biggest stars of her time. She even managed to capture the heart of Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect, who designed her mansion, “The Studio”.

Keeley states in her book that “nothing pleased her more than being invited to his [Wright’s] house, Prairie Style, where she would sit at the grand piano and play melodies for him. He became her stalker, sending her flowers, giving her advice, and trying to arrange meetings.”

Joan Crawford was famous for her tempestuous love affairs. As with many other prominent figures in Hollywood, Joan was romantically linked with some of the most powerful and influential men in Hollywood. Her daughter, Christina, stated that she had an “intimate relationship” with Howard Hughes, “the most famous aviator of his time.”

Crawford was famously quoted as saying: “I think I was the most photographed woman in the world, and still am.” Indeed, it appears that she may have been right! Before her untimely death in 1974 at the age of 74, Crawford inspired numerous photographs. Some of these are on display at the American Museum of Torture and Cruelty, alongside other famous figures photographed by Elliott Erwitt who famously photographed Marilyn Monroe.

Wendell Willson

Another famous American actor who lived in California was Wendell Willson. Known for his roles in such classics as Stagecoach, The Ox-Bow Incident, and The Big Sleep, Willson became famous for playing both good and bad guys. It was a challenging role requiring a great deal of flexibility, and he managed to pull it off with great skill. Willson was born in the Midwest but after becoming famous he refused to do any publicity interviews, regarding himself as a “humble, hardworking American.” In one interview, he famously stated: “I play parts in films. That’s all. I’m not a star.”

As with many other Hollywood stars, Willson’s personal life was often as interesting as his professional one. He was married six times, the first five ending in divorce, and had a total of seventeen children. He also acted in numerous films after his retirement from Hollywood in the 1950s, including many westerns. In one of these, he played himself, and that’s probably what kept him going – a self-fulfilling prophecy! Willson’s final decade was spent quietly, and he died in California in 1980, aged eighty.

Like many other film stars, Wendell Willson spent a lot of time at the beach. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his on-screen persona, he was a fanatic beachcomber who collected shells and starfish, and built castles out of them. One can only imagine the sort of advice he would give aspiring young actors these days…

Gary Cooper

Another well-known American actor who spent a lot of time at the beach was Gary Cooper. Most famous for his roles in High Noon and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Cooper was also renowned for his excellent diction and meticulous technique. He was a truly professional actor who honed his craft and perfected his acting style, which he used to play variously heroic or villainous roles. Cooper once quipped: “I can act. It’s just that I don’t know what role I’m supposed to be playing at any given moment.”

Cooper studied acting under Darryl Zanuck at the American Film Institute, and made his professional screen debut in the infamous gangster film, Johnny Guitar. As the cliché goes, he never really left the Hollywood spotlight, and continued to make occasional appearances in major films well into his eighties.

John Wayne

Another American icon who spent a lot of time at the beach was John Wayne. Best known for his role in Stagecoach, Wayne became a legendary figure in America, and even beyond its borders. In one of his most famous films, The Searchers, he plays a brutal, uncivilized hunter who befriends a young girl. For much of his career, Wayne played various “frontier guys” who were more interested in drinking beer and chasing women than in talking to anyone. These days, we would probably characterize Wayne as a right-wing, gun-toting, xenophobic film fanatic, but back in the 1950s he was considered a hero.

Wayne’s career was pretty much defined by one iconic role after another. There were numerous books written about Wayne’s private life, which was bizarre and often shocking. He had a troubled and stormy marriage to his second wife, Dixie, which eventually led to divorce. His third and final marriage was to his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth Taylor. They were married for less than a year, and had a son, John Alexander Wayne, before divorcing. One of the very few signs of reconciliation between the former couple came in 1974, when they both appeared in a television commercial for Chivas Regal. For his part, Wayne later said that he and Taylor remained “good friends.”

Like many other Hollywood stars, John Wayne spent a lot of time at the beach. There was even a joke about it in his family – back in the 1940s, before his meteoric acting career took off, he worked as a lifeguard at Santa Anita Beach. Wayne would often go there wearing a tuxedo, in the hopes of entrapping some unsuspecting romantic rival. When the rest of the guards came in from their day off, he would hide in the water, in full view of the public.

James Stewart

Another legendary Scottish actor who spent a lot of time at the beach was James Stewart. One of America’s most popular and beloved icons, Stewart became a Hollywood star after being picked by Walt Disney to play the title character in Mr. Chips. Stewart’s performance as Mr. Chips and his portrayal of Jimmy Stewart, as he became known, was so good that he was almost never out of work. Stewart was born in Glasgow but spent his early years in London, where he attended St. George’s School. He then moved back to Scotland to study at the University of Edinburgh, where he met his second wife, Kathleen, who was also studying law. When Stewart graduated, he moved to Hollywood, hoping to build a career for himself in films. He spent the next few years working steadily, often playing character parts. It was during this time that he met and befriended some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Judy Garland and Katharine Hepburn.