Kenneth Anger, cult filmmaker and author, recently passed away on May 11 at age 96 without much fanfare. The news didn’t even become public until May 24 in order to have time to settle his estate. He is probably best known for his book, Hollywood Babylon, which he is shown holding below. The photo above shows the original French first edition from 1957.
During his early twenties, Anger spent his time in Paris, indulging himself in the city’s avant-garde scene. He had a few bylines in Cahiers du Cinéma, a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. Anger share salacious stories about Old Hollywood, some true, some semi-true, and some completely false. Encouraged by the editors of Cahiers, Anger compiled the articles into a book called “Hollywood Babylon,” which was released in 1959. An English language appeared in 1965, but it was allegedly banned within 10 days of publication and thereafter sold in a brown paper bag. I wonder if it came with a bottle of ripple? Ten years later, it was republished in the United State. New York Times critic Peter Andrews called it a “306-page box of poisoned bon bons.” If you like Hollywood scandal, vintage photos, and a bit of raunch, this book would be for you.
From the headline of a Telegraph UK story comes this very accurate description of Anger:
The late film-maker and author danced with Shirley Temple, inspired the Stones and wrote the original tell-all. But was any of it true?
One of the questioned stories in the Anger history concerns the 1935 movie, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” Anger claimed in Hollywood Babylon II (1984) that he played the Changeling Prince. Sources say Warner Bros Studio archives document that a girl called Sheila Brown played the role and not seven-year-old Kenneth. The shot above shows the actor/actress in question; you be the judge.
Depending upon which Anger story you read, he once attended a Santa Monica Cotillion and met/danced with Shirley Temple…or was it that he attended dance school with Shirley Temple? Hero Magazine writes it this way:
A few years later [after “Midsummer’s”] he found himself partnered in a dance class with fading child star Shirley Temple.
Shirley DID attend a number of cotillions in her early teens after her child star years were over, so it’s possible. This is another one of those things that would be difficult to substantiate. And isn’t that part of the fun?
In 1947, Anger made his first film, “Fireworks,” a homoerotic experimental short that was filmed in his parents’ Beverly Hills home during a long weekend that they were away. Or, if you prefer to believe Kenneth’s older brother, Bob, it was shot at a Hollywood Hills home. Anger had this to say about the short: “This flick is all I have to say about being seventeen, the United States Navy, American Christmas, and the Fourth of July.” His inspiration came from the Zoot Suit Riots that took place in 1943, where the future filmmaker witnessed a group of sailors attacking some Mexican men. “Fireworks” was privately screened before its 1947 public premiere at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles.
Coincidentally, one of those screenings occurred at the Beverly Hills home of MGM dancing/singing/acting star, Gene Kelly.
From Betsy Blair’s (Kelly’s first wife) memoir, The Memory of All That:
Gene had a letter from San Francisco, from another young filmmaker, Kenneth Anger. He was invited to supper and to bring his film on a particular Sunday. He arrived in an overcoat with the reels under his arm, straight from the ten-hour bus ride to LA. He was small and thin with a sensitive face and a kind of forest-animal shyness. You felt he might jump if you touched him. After coffee we settled down to watch “Fireworks.” I don’t know how he happened to write to Gene. I do know that none of us had any idea what we were about to see. “Fireworks” is now a famous film, but then it was an amazing shock. Instead of our usual Lillian Gish or Carole Lombard movie, we watched in stunned silence this fascinating surreal homoerotic essay on film. Occasionally there was an audible gasp, but at the end there was an awkward moment of silence. Gene leapt to the rescue, put his arm around Kenneth Angers shoulders, and took him into the study, where he congratulated and thanked him. Stanley [Donen] put the film back in its cans, and when they came out we had all collected ourselves enough to be polite. Kenneth Anger took his film, shook Gene’s hand, and left. As soon as the door closed behind him, there was shrieking and hysterical giggling at the memory of the cascades of candle sparks erupting from the sailor’s crotch. It was actually rather callous and childish behavior, but we were in a state of astonishment. And then, there in the hallway within earshot and with a clear view of us, was Kennth Anger. He had come back for his forgotten overcoat. He knocked, but no one heard above the din, and the door was unlocked as always. He made a dignified exit with a gallant little backward wave of his hand. We were chastened. We didn’t need a lecture from Gene this time. I’ve always wondered how Kenneth Anger would describe that evening.
One of the other Anger tidbits is his connection to Bobby Beausoleil, who was part of the Charles Manson gang and remains incarcerated to this day. Beausoleil completed the soundtrack for “Lucifer Rising” in 1979 while in prison with his fellow bandmates known as The Freedom Orchestra. Catchy, huh?
Anger was last on my radar when he was photographed wearing pieces from the 2019 Gucci Cruise collection at the Chateau Marmont.
Filmed over 72 hours by director Floria Sigismondi, the mini documentary was commissioned by System magazine as part of Fashion Film Festival Milano. The film won two awards at the 2019 festival: Best Fashion Film and Best Editing. In the film, Anger discusses what made his book Hollywood Babylon so popular as well as his reputation of being on the fringe:
It’s a human weakness or failing that we enjoy other people’s misfortunes…some people do, but I don’t. There’s a general thing to see the mighty taken down a notch or two.…I’ve always remained outside of the industry; I’m someone on the sidelines. That’s where I’m comfortable being…on the sidelines. I’m an independent artist and I guess I represent a spirit of rebellion. In other words, I’m still optimistic about what life has as an adventure, as a challenge, and I continue to seek my way. The past was interesting, but so is the present and the future, and so it’s a long highway and you have to be part of the moving highway.
In a 2010 interview, Anger said that he had finished Hollywood Babylon III but was not ready to publish it:
The main reason I didn't bring it out was that I had a whole section on Tom Cruise and the Scientologists. I'm not a friend of the Scientologists.
Here’s the award winning short showing Anger at the Chateau Marmont:
R.I.P., Kenneth Anger.
See more photos at my main website.
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