8 Responses to A Firecracker for Today

1. mrtallhk says:

   July 5, 2013 at 12:19 am

   I don’t think there’s ever been a finer-looking American woman. Yowza.

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2. agnostic says:

   July 5, 2013 at 5:49 am

   Mid-century miracle bras.

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3. Paleo Retiree says:

   July 9, 2013 at 3:00 pm

   How was the book? Juicy fun, I hope.

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4. Blowhard, Esq. says:

   July 9, 2013 at 5:54 pm

   Yup, lots of juicy fun. Get a load of this passage:

   “The news that [Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney] were an item soon spread around the studio. Starlets who had previously enjoyed Rooney’s attention — many of whom had grown to count on it — took his neglect to heart. Eventually, Les Peterson, Rooney’s personal publicist and minder, as well as his friend, decided that it was time to warn L.B. Mayer of the seriousness of his star’s interest in Ava. Mayer — who had to have Ava pointed out to him, some five weeks after she joined MGM — asked how serious.

   ‘He wants to marry her, Mr. Mayer,’ Peterson told him.

   ‘Tell him he can’t,’ said Mayer. ‘He belongs to MGM. Tell him a married Andy Hardy would break the hearts of all those little girlies out there who want him for themselves. Who knows what that would cost — him, me, the studio?’

   ‘I’ve already told him, L.B. I’ve told him that at his age he should still be playing the field, and having fun. He won’t listen,’ said Peterson.

   ‘Is he slipping her the business?’

   ‘He swears he’s not, L.B.’

   ‘Why doesn’t he fuck her? He fucks all the others.’

   ‘He says she’s holding out like no dame he’s ever known, L.B.’

   ‘She ain’t the fucking Virgin Mary,’ Mayer said.

   ‘He says it’s giving him terrible headaches,’ Peterson said.

   ‘He should just boff her and get her out of my fucking hair.'”

   Ava continued:

   “I liked Les, and I think he liked me. He was devoted to Mickey, of course. But he know which side his bread was buttered. And who can blame him? Mayer was the boss of bosses. He was the king. They all owed their careers to him. Afterward, after Mick and I were hitched, I asked Les whether there was *anything* Mayer liked about me?

   “Les had to think about that. ‘Well, he once told me you obviously had cunt power,’ he said.

   “I said, ‘Am I supposed to be flattered by that, Les?’

   “He said, ‘Well, that’s just about the highest compliment L.B. can pay a girl, honey.'”

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   • Paleo Retiree says:

     July 9, 2013 at 6:26 pm

     Hot stuff. Ava sounds like an earthy, wised-up girl.

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5. Blowhard, Esq. says:

   July 9, 2013 at 5:57 pm

   I had no idea that Mickey Rooney was one of Hollywood’s most notorious players. Roissy/Heartiste could teach a class on Game using Rooney’s life.

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   • Paleo Retiree says:

     July 9, 2013 at 6:27 pm

     He was known for ages as a little guy with a GREAT deal of oomph and prowess. You’re right — he’d be a great subject for Heartiste.

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     • Blowhard, Esq. says:

       July 9, 2013 at 6:29 pm

       Even as he and Gardner were in the middle of a divorce after their 1-year marriage (during which he cheated on her constantly), they were still fucking regularly. Lana Turner called him “Andy Hard-On.”

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