Hi everyone:
I just left an answer to Shamrock regarding Tyrone Power. I hope it's received. It makes me so angry when I read stuff (his article referred to the suggestion that Ty Power was gay or bisexual) that is untrue about famous people after they're dead.
It's so easy to speak ill of the dead. They're defenseless and not only that but it makes the person talking about them seem as if they were privy to special secrets none of us ordinary folks are. It elevates them at the dead person's expense.
Having lunched with Power several times at Fox while I was under contract there, had dinner with him while he lived with Linda at Bel Air, and just talked to him on various movie sets — I can assure you that no finer or nicer guy existed. And this is not just my opinion, it's the opinions of everyone who ever knew him. Including his ex-wives.
I was close to Lana Turner in the mid fifties and she, as most film buffs know, was madly in love with him for a while. They dated and saw each other in Mexico, even as he was supposedly dating Judy Garland. And I mentioned Power to Lana (actually we all called her by her real name, Judy) and even though at the time she'd been bitter about getting dumped by Power, she still never spoke ill of him. “Gracious” was one of the key words that come to mind when discussing Ty.
So let's all try to stop these rumors about past stars from circulating. Maybe we can then remember these people, who still give us so much pleasure when watching them on the screen, as they really were – Hollywood version of royalty!
Best, Steve
— ivan6gold
Anonymous
September 18, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Hallo, Steve! I am in total agreement with you! There are too many fast buck artists out there (Higham, Bret) who enjoy saying things (or repeating things) that are said of those who have passed on in Hollywood or the Arts, in general. None of them would say these things to the person's face, of course! Flynn would have rearranged some faces if he heard this kind of crap, I'll bet… well said, Steve and much appreciated!
Anonymous
September 18, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I second David, Steve. Very well said and very well needed.
R
Anonymous
September 18, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hello Steve and thank you for setting the record straight! Bless your heart for standing up for the truth.
As an investigating journalist, what I discovered about Flynn, Power and others has NOTHING to do with homosexuality. I strongly oppose those biographers that boldly state such lies in order to make a profit. I am officially and happily a sworn enemy of David Bret, Charles Higham and others like them.
The reason I posted that material some time ago was a pre-emptive effort against a writer I have been told is publishing a “tell all” book on Power and Flynn. As I don’t believe the homosexual stories, and since I was told this person was watching Dave’s blog, I decided to post that little bit as a public record of Jack Elam’s comments.
So for everyone's benefit here is a partial (and unedited) transcript of my interview with Jack Elam. An edited version was published in “Films of the Golden Age” magazine, Winter 1998:
Tom McNulty: What kind of influence did Tyrone Power have on your career?
Jack Elam: Primarily I would have to say encouragement. I was a new boy as far as acting was concerned and when I did Rawhide – we shot it in 49 and it was released in 50 – I’d only been around in acting a year and a half, and never in a major feature, and never in a major role, so I was a new boy in a major role in a major feature with big stars and a director who was notorious for eating actors alive, Henry Hathaway. So I was very nervous. Ty, on the other hand, encouraged me and said, “Jack, you’re doing great.” It never sounded like flattery but it was encouragement. And he said, “Don’t worry about Henry because Henry loves what you’re doing,” because Henry never told me a fucking thing, you know. Anyway, because of his encouragement he really made me feel like I was an actor among big-time actors. It was from his attitude. It took away the nervousness and as a result I enjoyed doing the part. esult I enjoyed doing the part, and I did a better job at it. On the very first day on the set, as a matter of fact, we were up in Lone Pine with Mt. Whitney behind us and all that, but anyway it was cold as hell with snow on the mountain, freezing in the morning – and at lunch-time Ty arranged for us to break about a half hour early. He said, “I want to take you for a ride and show you these mountains.” We got in his limousine and we drove up toward Mt. Whitney looking at the snow. We got up on some hills where we could look down on the set. I just chatted with him for awhile, and he said “This is a great spot,” and he just made me feel at home. Things like that. For me the guy was sensational. At the time he was married to Linda Christian and they were in the hotel room next to mine. She was beautiful and they were a very nice couple.
TM: Tyrone Power is one of many screen legends whose reputation was smeared after his death by unscrupulous biographers. Does that irritate you as much as it does me?
JE: Let me tell you something, you tell them they’re full of shit. I mean they’re just full of shit. I remember he told Zanuck, “Before we finish this picture put this guy under contract.” So I was put under contract at Fox, long-term, a seven year contract at Fox. About three months later he did a picture call An “American Guerrilla In The Philippines.” I had a bit part in it, if you remember, nothing important, but I was in the Philippines for a long time on this picture. And I had dinner with Ty many, many nights. And it wasn’t just me. I spent a lot of time with him and talked with him a lot about everything in the world. He loved to converse. He had a very great mind and he loved to talk. I would have smelled it if there was anything at all. I would have known. There’s no way those people saying that stuff about Ty aren’t full of shit. He was a hell of a good actor and he was probably the best looking man ever born, there’s no question about that.
TM: It is unfortunate when those lies are published. They did that to Errol Flynn, too.
JE: I never worked with Errol, but I did know him casually. I met him around. I thought he was a great guy. He had a marvelous attitude. He always had a chuckle and a laugh. I enjoyed him. His personality was grand. I thought he was a great guy. But I don’t know anything about that. I’ve heard very little about him, but I know more about Ty, so just quote me, they’re full of shit.
****
Anonymous
September 23, 2008 at 4:36 am
Tom, I couldn't agree more. I knew Elam — or I should say I met him while working at Fox on a war picture. He came over to see someone wjo introduced us. We spoke briefly and the person I was with mentioned I was Flynn'sbuddy. Elam showed interest and we talked for a while then he and my friend went to lunch.
It's so easy to make up shit when someone is dead. I tried to stay away from that and look positively at someone other than those people who were unpleasant to me or just assholes — like Cabot. Anyway, kudos to anyone who tries to stamp out the ugliness that sells market newspapers and in my day Confidential Magazine!
Sleep tight everyone
Selene Hutchison-Zuffi
June 25, 2020 at 10:31 pm
As i am just getting into Ty, i can say from the bottom of my heart “thank you” for standing up for him.
Lies, disgusting filty lies about him and Errol just get my blood boiling. Two beautiful, nice, kind men, that are still today. 60 years later accused of being something they were not.