Andrea Sanna
Hollywood has always been considered the Mecca of Cinema with its lights, awards and red carpets, but behind that glitz a dark side of it that over time has destroyed many careers and people
Hollywood has always “protected” its leading actors in order to protect its interests, particularly with regard to the sexual sphere. If today, actors of gay fame, can decide to come out publicly, without retaliation from the studios, this was not the case in the past.
Many had to seal pacts with the demon of the majors to continue acting and working, with the exception of William “Billy” Haines.
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William Haines – born January 2, 1900 – was one of the most popular silent and sound film actors of the 1930s. The breakthrough came when he won the “New Faces of 1922” competition organized by the Samuel Goldwyn Company, which opened the golden doors of Hollywood for him. William Haines succeeded in a short time – thanks to his natural talent and charisma – to be loved by the public.
Haines was gay, and in 1926 in New York City he met his future lifelong partner, James Shields, a studio assistant. Their relationship-which they did not hide-was well known in Hollywood and MGM, although it had to be concealed from the public.
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In Los Angeles in 1933, William Haines was caught by police in a dormitory in the company of a sailor he had just met and then arrested.
News of his arrest reached the desk of producer Louis B. Mayer, who at that point demanded that he marry a woman (a cover marriage) and at the same time permanently end his relationship with his partner James Shields.
His response was negative. A refusal Haines’ cost him dearly, as producer Louis B. Mayer fired him and replaced him with Robert Montgomery in the roles intended for him. And his name was listed in the “Doom Book,” completely excluding him from the film industry.
He attempted to act in minor films and as an extra but eventually decided to give up acting for good and with his partner Shields created an interior design and antiques business that had among its clients Joan Crawford and former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, to name a few.
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Unfortunately, the love story between William and James has a tragic ending. In 1973 William Haines died of lung cancer, and only a few months later, James Shields would end his own life from a barbiturate overdose. Both are buried – side by side – at Woodlawn Memorial Cementery in Santa Monica, California.
William Haines’ life and career were later celebrated in the 2001 documentary “Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines.”
William Haines’ life is a testament to the importance of living openly and honestly, regardless of challenges and obstacles. His legacy continues to inspire and influence the LGBTQ community and the film world.