Elizabeth Taylor was 18 years old on her wedding night when her new husband kicked her so hard she lost their baby. Joan Collins was 17 when her idol drugged and assaulted her, then convinced her to marry him out of shame. And Lana Turner held a loaded weapon to her husband’s head when…
Sydney Portier named the seven worst racist stars he was forced to work with in old Hollywood. He was Hollywood’s first black movie star. Not the first black actor, the first black star. From 1950 to the 2000s, Sydney Poier carried the entire weight of black representation in American cinema on his shoulders alone …
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 1971. A Green Beret hand-to-hand combat instructor, 6’2 in, 220 lb, 15 years special forces experience, looks at Bruce Lee and says, “Civilians can’t handle real combat training. You teach demonstrations, we teach survival.” Bruce sets down his water bottle. Want to demonstrate the difference? What happens in the next…
Beverly Hills mansion party, March 1972. Clint Eastwood, 6’4 in 185 pounds, Hollywood’s toughest cowboy, looks at Bruce Lee and says, “Western fighting is tougher than kung fu. Real brawling. No rules, no fancy moves, just survival. That’s what cowboys did. That’s real fighting.” Bruce, holding a drink, smiles. Want to test that theory, Clint?…
Oh, hello ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I want to thank you for all the lovely letters you have sent me. >> Hollywood sold happy families like a product. Off camera, the damage often started at home where one adult controlled the schedule, the money, the …
Soul, South Korea, October 1970. A taekwondo master, eighth Dan Black Belt, 35 years training, points at a small man in the crowd and says, “You, Chinese visitor, come demonstrate why you think Kung Fu can compete with Taekwondo.” The crowd of 600 Koreans erupts in mocking laughter. This small Chinese man thinks he can…
Hong Kong, Cowoon District, November 1967. Five triad members, professional criminals armed with knives and chains, surround a small man in an alley and say, “You disrespected our boss. Now you pay.” What they don’t know, this small man is Bruce Lee. What happens in the next 15 seconds doesn’t just send all five to…
William is able to read, but in spite of daily practice, he has great difficulty in controlling a pencil. He is trying to write his name, William. >> In mid-century hospitals, even famous parents were told to send the child away. These are real old Hollywood era stories of children doctors said should be hidden,…
Tokyo, Japan. March 1971. A sumo grand champion 6’2 in 380 lbs undefeated Yokozuna points at a small man in the crowd and says, “You small foreign visitor. Come, I show why sumo is supreme Japanese martial art. Why size and weight decide combat.” The crowd of 800 Japanese spectators erupts in approval. This tiny…
A hard name to remember and so easy to forget. >> Hollywood’s golden era sold America on perfect romances. But some of those marriages were built on lies the studios demanded. While their husbands charmed millions on screen, these women lived with men who could never truly love them. From fake honeymoons to devastating discoveries,…
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