Marie Dressler V: Lesbian Rumors, Film Possibilities

Marie Dressler in Dinner at 8

Marie Dressler IV: DINNER AT 8, THE LATE CHRISTOPHER BEAN

Marie Dressler and Claire Du Brey. Were they really lovers? Did you go through Du Brey's papers? (I believe actor John Phillip Law is in possession of them.)

Ah, the lesbian love question! I talked with Mr. Law, and met with the actress Sierra Pecheur, who knew Du Brey and shared portions of her writing. But Du Brey is problematic as a source. First of all, Marie was dying of cancer during much of the time the two were together. Du Brey wrote exacting details on medical treatments, surgeries, and recoveries, but her papers are of no help on the subject of a sexual relationship, which is consistent with an era of discretion.

Marie was old (by 1930s standards), overweight, and mortally sick — not exactly the formula for a sex life of any kind. It was all she could do to keep her energy up for the camera and her fans. Du Brey felt that Marie was working and partying herself to death, and in 1932 they had a falling out that was never reconciled. Du Brey later sued Marie's estate, claiming she was owed back pay for her services as Marie's nurse. So, you see, her accounts come with conflicting motives.

This is where biography writing gets tricky. The two were emotionally intimate, no question of that. They lived and traveled together for a time. But there is also the question of identity. Even if they had sexual relations, both had been married to men. And they were together at a time when being an overt lesbian was unthinkable for someone of Marie's fame. And some of the posthumous rumors are just crazy, such as the one about Marie and Garbo being lovers. Please.

As a writer, I try to juggle professional accomplishments with the more private, and sometimes salacious, aspects of a life. Distinguishing between the plausible, the verifiable, and the outlandish isn't always easy. I know you faced even greater challenges of this sort with Ramon Novarro. And when the lurid takes on mythic proportions, as it did with Novarro's murder, the challenges are huge. You met them beautifully, by the way.

My impression of Marie is that she loved men and women. Whether that love was sexual is unclear. She made a living out of being unsexy, and that must have affected her romantic options as well as her self-esteem in matters of the heart. So I regret, André, that this brings me to the unsatisfying answer of "I don't know."

Marie Dressler died at the height of her fame. I know you don't have a crystal ball, but do you have any idea as to where Dressler's career was headed? Did MGM have more starring roles lined up for her?

Very good question, André, since Marie went out on top and in demand. I trace what might have been in the book. MGM was ready to work her like a pack mule, and there is every reason to believe that she would have continued being hugely popular had she lived longer.

Columbia wanted her for Lady for a Day [May Robson got the role and an Academy Award nomination in 1933] and Paramount wanted her for A Son Comes Home [made with Mary Boland in 1936]. MGM was developing something called "Mrs. Van Kleek" for her, and wanted to team her with Marion Davies for "Paid to Laugh."

Marie and Harlow made such an impression together in Dinner at 8, that Mayer was putting together a movie to highlight the two of them. MGM tried to get W. C. Fields on loan from Paramount to star with Marie. And Marie and Will Rogers formed a mutual admiration society. One newspaper planted a story that they were to be teamed for a film version of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!. [Dressler's would-be role is probably the one that went to Aline MacMahon in the 1935 MGM version.]

And finally, were there any roles that Marie Dressler wanted to play but didn't get a chance to do? Did she have a favorite among her roles?

It seemed to me that Marie most loved the role she just finished. The fact that her career in talkies was cut short by cancer is truly sad, for we can only imagine the performances and partnerships that would have made her career even more memorable. I can so easily imagine her in The Women, directed by her friend George Cukor. And with sensitive direction, she would have been a magnificent Ma Joad, or Ma Kettle, or Mother Courage.

Thanks so much for letting me ponder Marie again, André. It's been a few years since the book came out, and it's a lot of fun to look at her again. What a woman!