JANUARY (?,
JUStpUt.43
books
Making a Man
Biographies follow lives of Hollywood gays
by Floyd Sklaver
Center Square:
The Paul Lynde Story
est lasting achievement might be getting away with
being gay on TV on an almost daily basis for years.
Tab Hunter Confidential:
The Making of a Movie Star
by Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski; Advocate Books,
Many straights had no idea he was gay; in fact, when
by
Muller;
ing pressure to keep
2005; $15.95 softcover
asked by a fan why he never married, Lynde shot back,
Algonquin Books, 2005; $24.95 hardcover
his sexual orienta­
Tab
Hunter
with
Eddie
as an actor. He then
details the excruciat­
tion a secret after
“Do you live in a cave?”
Long before Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's
Center Square is the collaboration between two
The plot sounds like bad porn: hot, gay
Carson Kressiey, there was Paul Lynde. During three
obsessed men. Joe Florenski maintains the ultimate
stable boy heads to Hollywood and becomes
macho war movies
decades as a popular character actor in film, theater
Lynde Web site, and Steve Wilson wrote an article
famous sex symbol. In truth, the story of
like Battle Cry.
and television, he was the only gay image in the media
about the comic for Out magazine, which became the
1950s heartthrob Tab Hunter is less sexy
hitting
it
big
in
Equally engross­
ing—and frequent­
at a time when the word “gay”
basis for the book. With inter­
wasn’t even spoken. He was the
views by those who knew Lynde
Hunter is best remembered as the golden boy in
ly heartbreaking—is Hunter’s account of how he
original campy queen. Yet he was
best from his high school days
the musical Damn Yankees! and for his comeback as
coped when his 10-year ride as the pretty boy was
miserably unhappy, struggling with
up to his death—including
Divine’s leading man in John Waters’ Polyester. In his
over. A profligate spender, he struggled to find acting
alcoholism, an inability to maintain
close friends Cloris leachman,
autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential, he doesn’t
work and gain respect as an artist, toiling in
relationships and an explosive tem­
Phyllis Diller and Charlotte
dish the dirt but instead offers a candid account of a
demoralizing
per. Now, his story is told in the
Rae—his tempestuous life is
fascinating time in Hollywood history. While frank
substandard spaghetti Westerns. Indeed, financial
detailed biography Center Square.
exhaustively detailed.
about his sex life (which included a relationship with
desperation permeates the entire book; readers will
than it sounds—and far more fascinating.
dinner theater productions
and
Despite yearning for artistic
And therein lies the prob­
actor Anthony Perkins and a liaison with ballet star
find themselves wishing Hunter had invested his
achievement, Lynde became best
lem. Lynde’s life is too exhaus­
Rudolph Nureyev), Hunter focuses on his subtitle, The
money better along the way.
known for his stint on Hollywood
tively detailed. While dedicated
Making of a Movie Star, as a result, it’s a less smutty
Squares. At the height of his popu­
trivia lovers might care who
and far more interesting tale.
larity, he was ranked among the
acted with Lynde in each of his
Hunter was a product of Hollywood’s studio sys­
and often remembered only for their surfing films. (In
most popular comedians in the
summer stock appearances (and
tem—a star created, branded, packaged and sold to
actuality, Hunter made only one.) So, at first glance,
world. His campy and bitchy wit
there were many), the average
the American public. Originally hired for his sun-
there would seem to be no reason to write (or read,
came to personify gayness for clos­
reader doesn’t. In the case of
kissed Malibu looks, Hunter, with the help of author
for that matter) this book. But Hunter’s story is un­
Center Square, there is such a
Eddie Muller, describes the frustration of being a mag­
expectedly compelling and a must-read for anyone
thing as too much information.
azine cover boy well before he began steadily working
interested in Hollywood history.
eted young gay men throughout the
United States. In fact, Lynde’s great­
THE PAUL LYNDE STORY
* 4.' <
.
& .
Hunter jokes that he and his “replacement," Troy
Donahue, are lumped together in the public’s mind
Madness
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