Haines, William Actors and Actresses Acting Performing Arts

By the end of the silent era, William Haines was regularly named as the number one male box-office draw. Although the Hollywood system at the time put pressure on gay actors to provide an 'acceptable' public image by marrying, Billy Haines turned down an offer of marriage from Joan Crawford. His career faded in the early thirties, and he was released due to a fight with studio mogul Louis B. Mayer over Haines' refusal to relinquish his relationship with his lover, Jimmie Shields. He then became a successful Hollywood interior designer. A film documentary is available, titled Out of the Closet, Off The Screen.

• IMDb - William Haines - Biography and filmography.

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