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Welcome to a mini-season of You Must Remember This, peripherally related to Karina Longworth’s new book, Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood, which explores the lives and careers of over a dozen actresses who were involved, professionally and/or personally, with Howard Hughes. Inspired by the You Must Remember This episodes on “The Many Loves of Howard Hughes” produced in 2014-2015, the book goes in depth, with much new research, into the stories of stars like Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Ida Lupino, Jane Russell and many more.
In this short series of You Must Remember This, we’ll discuss some of the women who serve as peripheral characters in Seduction: four actresses who were briefly seduced by Hughes, either professionally or romantically, and one writer whose travails in Hollywood during the Hughes era speak to the conflicted female experience behind the camera in 20th century Hollywood.
We’ll begin the season by talking about the complicated, intermingled romantic and professional relationships of Howard’s uncle, Rupert Hughes, who paved the way for his nephew as a Hollywood figure known for his colorful history with women. Howard Hughes was not the first man in his family to find success in Hollywood, or to build a reputation built in part on multiple relationships with women. His uncle, Rupert Hughes, was a respected writer and director in the silent era, whose accomplishments included one of the first Hollywood meta-movies. He also married three times, while making frequent public statements, and films, critiquing marriage and divorce laws. One of his marriages ended in a sensational divorce trial; the other two Mrs. Hughes committed suicide.
Rupert Hughes, c. 1920-30
SHOW NOTES:
Sources:
Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood by Karina Longworth
The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History by Gregory Paul Williams
Rupert Hughes: Hollywood Legend by James O. Kemm
Heir Not Apparent by Suzanne Finstad
Eleanor Boardman d’Arrast, deposition, March 30, 1977. Located in Howard Hughes files at the Texas State Archives, Austin, TX.
Rush Hughes, deposition, September 10, 1976. Located in Howard Hughes files at the Texas State Archives, Austin, TX.
“Is Marriage a Bunco Game?” by Adela Rogers St. John, Photoplay, July 1921
Music:
The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro and outro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca. The outro song this week is “Charmless Man” by Blur.
Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode:
Reflectif—Artist Unknown
Feelin’ Lucky—Artist Unknown
Mississippi Ramble 1—Martin Gauffin
My Simple Thing—Peter Sandberg
Traceless 5-Peter Sandberg
Rendezvous 3—Martin Landh
Song for Johanna-Franz Gordon
Ragtime Jam 3—Magnus Ringblom
Whiskey Rondo—Hakan Eriksson
Jazz And Blue Piano 1—Jonatan Jarpehag
Sleepless—(artist unknown)
Hot Rod Rebels 5—Victor Olsson
Sunset—Kai Engel
Bad News Piano—1-Oscar Collin
Speakeasy 2—Gunnar Johnsen
Peaceful Pianos 5—Martin Klem
After the Freakshow—Jenny Roos
Rupert Hughes and his wife in Photoplay magazine, July 1921
Credits:
This episode was written, narrated and produced by Karina Longworth.
Special appearance by Noah Segan, as Howard Hughes.
Editor: Olivia Natt.
Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.
Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.
Logo design: Teddy Blanks.