Listen to this epsiode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In part two of our two-parter on the demise of the biggest and most pernicious tabloid of the 1950s, we’ll explore what happened after the magazine’s claim that redheaded star Maureen O’Hara was caught having sex at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. O’Hara positioned herself the “Joan of Arc” of Hollywood, single-handedly defending a cowardly industry against the existential threat posed by Confidential. As we’ll see, this is one story where the Kenneth Anger version is more credible than the version related by one of the subjects.
Maureen O'Hara in Modern Screen Magazine, 1947
SHOW NOTES:
Sources:
Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger
Tis Herself by Maureen O’Hara with John Nicoletti
Maureen O'Hara (Screen Classics) by Aubrey Malone
Liberace: The True Story by Bob Thomas
“Liberace Files Suit Against Confidential” The Daily Inter Lake, May 16, 1957
“Maureen O’Hara Sues Confidential for Million” The Los Angeles Times, July 10, 1957
“Liberace Sues Scandal Magazine” Redlands Daily Facts May 14, 1957
Maureen O'Hara in Confidential Magazine, March 1957
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 “Like a Prayer” by Madonna.
Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode:
Yellow Leaves 5 - Peter Sandberg
Club Noir 2 - John Allen
Unsolved - Mythical Score Society
Southern Flavors 3 - Martin Gauffin
One Two Three 5 - Peter Sandberg
Tomorrow I'll Be Gone - Franz Gordon
City Fashion 3 - Björn Skogsberg
In The Lounge 02 - Lars Olvmyr
Eventually Maybe - Oakwood Station
Maureen O'Hara, at the Confidential Magazine trial, 1957
Credits:
This episode was written, narrated and produced by Karina Longworth.
Editor: Cameron Drews.
Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.
Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.
Logo design: Teddy Blanks.
