William Haines
William Haines ( born January 1, 1900 in Staunton, Virginia as Charles William Haines, † December 26, 1973 in Santa Monica, California ) was an American actor. He was very popular in the late silent movies and early sound era.
Life
Haines worked in an investment firm in New York and won a talent contest in 1922, which earned him a contract with the Goldwyn Studios. He rose quickly becoming a popular star in comedies and after the merger of the metro to MGM Haines was next to Ramon Novarro and John Gilbert as one of the most famous performers. He had 1927 in the comedy Tell it to the Marines next Lon Chaney senior his biggest commercial success.
Since 1927 the studio to make of Haines and the emerging Joan Crawford a screen couple tried in the spirit of Janet Gaynor / Charles Farrell and Greta Garbo and John Gilbert. The audience did not accept the two, however, and after three attempts, the experiment was abandoned. Haines had next to Marion Davies in Show People 1928 his last major success. A short time later, he was employed as the first star of MGM in a sound film: Alias Jimmy Valentine. Later, the actor described the experience with the daily hysteria on the set as a " sinking of the Titanic in slow motion ".
The collaboration between the studio bosses and Haines was never entirely free of conflict, because the actor refused to deny his homosexuality. As long as the box office results were in order, he could move without any major problems in the film community, but with the decline of his popularity increased the pressure on Haines. When he refused in 1932 to enter into a sham marriage, his contract was not renewed. He turned two short films, and then say goodbye to the canvas. In 1950 he declined the offer to appear in Sunset Boulevard.
Haines, who had been busy during the active career with intensive design and interiors, became after 1932 one of the most successful interior designers of Hollywood. He had the actresses Marion Davies and Joan Crawford two good friends who supported him actively at the beginning of his new career. Crawford once said, Haines and his lifelong partner Jimmy Shields would result in the best marriage in Hollywood.
When Clark Gable shortly after his marriage to Carole Lombard those asked her why she was apparently friends with every man in Hollywood, but do not have a single friend, Lombard said, "I have two wonderful girlfriends. Mitchell Leisen and Billy Haines "