Contents

Cover

About the Author

Illustrations

Dedication

Title Page

1 Friends and Lovers

Hollywood 1932: ‘. . . so much going on in our set here.’

Mercedes: ‘Who of us is only one sex?’

Mercedes: ‘A slender body, hands soft and white.’

Eva Le Gallienne

Garbo and Mercedes: ‘I bought it for you in Berlin.’

Garbo and Cecil: ‘I would do such things to you.’

2 Cecil

Getting on in Society

‘My friendships with men are much more wonderful than with women.’

‘In the presence of this mystery.’

3 Marlene: ‘We make love with anyone we find attractive.’

4 Stokowski, Ona Munson, Georges Schlee and Valentina

5 Cecil and Garbo: ‘My bed is very small and chaste.’

6 Garbo and Cecil: The Affair

7 The Broadchalke Letters

8 Mercedes and Poppy Kirk

9 Darling Sir: ‘I wish you would let me save you.’

10 ‘Shall I hang up my hat with Mr. Beaton?’

11 ‘The goddess has gone.’

12 ‘She leaves – she doesn’t leave.’

13 Drugs and Diet Doctors

14 Resentment and Regrets

15 After Schlee

16 Mercedes: ‘I’m sitting here all alone.’

17 Cecil Sells His Story

18 Garbo: ‘I must be home before seven.’

Picture Section

Notes

Index

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Copyright