Hedda Hopper and Ingrid Bergman, 1959
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The 1950s were a decade of massive contradictions in terms of national and cultural attitudes towards sex. As Louella Parsons struggled to keep up with these rapid changes -- and to compete with her bolder, bitchier rival Hedda Hopper -- she reflected and steered the sexual panic through her coverage of two stories: Rita Hayworth’s marriage to a Muslim prince, and Ingrid Bergman’s “illegitimate” pregnancy. Plus: the emergence of Sheilah Graham, the international woman of mystery who would eventually beat the gossip girls at their own game.
SHOW NOTES:
Sources for entire season:
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood: Celebrity Gossip and American Conservatism by Jennifer Frost
The First Lady of Hollywood: A Biography of Louella Parsons by Samantha Barbas
The Whole Truth and Nothing But by Hedda Hopper
From Under My Hat by Hedda Hopper
Tell it to Louella by Louella Parsons
The Powers That Be by David Halberstam
Hearst Over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies by Louis Pizzitola
The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst by David Nasaw
Dish by Jeannette Walls
Privileged Son: Otis Chandler And The Rise And Fall Of The L.A. Times Dynasty by Dennis Mcdougal
Hedda and Louella: A Dual biography of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons by George Eells
Sources specific to this episode:
My Story by Ingrid Bergman
If This Was Happiness by Barbara Leaming
The Rest of the Story by Sheilah Graham
My Hollywood by Sheilah Graham
“Sheilah Graham Is Dead at 84; Wrote Hollywood Gossip Column” New York Times, Nov. 19, 1988
Louella Parsons, Victor Mature and Rita Hayworth at the Cocoanut Grove, c. 1940s
Music:
The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca.
Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode:
"Single Still" by Vermouth
"Lowball" by Vermouth
"Borough" by Molerider
"Glass Stopper" by Vermouth
"Vernouillet" by The Sweet Hots
"Spot Peter" by The Sweet Hots
"Gaddy" by Little Rock
"Calisson" by Confectionery
"Tessalit" by Azalai
"True Blue Sky" by Bitters
"Cran Ras" by Vermouth
"Holo" by Grey River
Prince Ali Khan and Rita Hayworth cutting into their wedding cake at Khan’s Riviera Chateau de L’Horizon, May 27, 1949 | LIFE Magazine
Credits:
This episode was written, narrated, and produced by Karina Longworth.
Our editor this season is Evan Viola.
Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.
Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.
Logo design: Teddy Blanks.
Thanks to our special guests. Julie Klausner played Louella Parsons. Julie wrote, created and starred in Difficult People, which you can watch on Hulu. She and Tom Scharpling also have a podcast, Double Threat, which you can and should find wherever you get your podcasts. Cole Escola played Hedda Hopper. Cole can be seen on Search Party and At Home with Amy Sedaris and their self-produced special Help, I’m Stuck. Writer Rachel Syme spoke to Karina about Sheila Graham.