famous people – House of Brat

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See Jane Russell in THE OUTLAW (‘43) tomorrow at 2:30PM ET/11:30AM PT

‘Sex, Lies And Stardom’: Exploitation In Howard Hughes’ Hollywood

Billionaire filmmaker Howard Hughes has long been regarded as one of Hollywood’s most eccentric and prolific playboys. A few years back, writer and film critic Karina Longworth stumbled onto an online message board, listing women Hughes had had sexual relationships with – just a list of names, no other information.

“In each of these names there’s a whole life and a whole story,” says Longworth, who hosts the film podcast You Must Remember This.

Longworth’s new book, Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood, tells a story of big-screen exploitation by focusing on 10 women who had relationships with Hughes.

In some instances, Longworth says, Hughes “was getting studio contracts for women based on a sexual relationship they had already had or the promise of a sexual relationship to come.”

Longworth sees a direct link between Hughes’ behavior and the issues raised by the #MeToo movement.

“The thing that I’ve come to understand from studying the 20th century of Hollywood is that these things have always happened and they were never talked about publicly,” she says. “Just the fact that we’re having a conversation is completely revolutionary.”