Hollywood, September 1963.
In 1963 my ex-boyfriend Steven was a 21-year old Cute Young Thing, newly arrived from Georgia with aspirations of becoming a great director (he ended up in human relations). This isn't him, of course, but it's close to his look in those days, before he hippied out: thick brown hair, Clark Kent glasses, flawless skin. This guy is a little smaller.
Steven's first job in the business was as a production assistant on The Judy Garland Show (1963-1964) at CBS Television City, which as you remember is that gigantic pillbox on Fairfax. Judy Garland was 41 years old, well past her heyday at MGM, and though she could still draw a crowd of middle-aged gay men, the younger generation found her insufferably square -- and way too pushy.
They didn't have the term "sexual harassment" back then, but everybody knew that there were two people in Hollywood that you should never be alone with: Liberace, who would grope you as soon as talk to you, and Judy Garland.
Garland didn't like twinks or Cute Young Things, but there was no man over 30, stage hand, dancer, or guest star, who was safe from her grabby hands and open-mouthed kisses. She had no sense of decorum: she would grab your crotch while saying hello. Even in front of the camera: the studio audience noticed that she was fondling the guest stars, and the president of CBS [Michael Dann] had to tell her to tone it down.
It was a major problem. She didn't care if you were married or single, into her or not, if her husband Sid Luft or one of her kids was in the room. She liked the gay men the best: a challenge, I guess.George Maharis, the gay but closeted beefcake star, signed on for a September 1963 episode [air date October 20th]. He had just been kicked off Route 66 due to the gay rumors (ironically replaced by his own ex-boyfriend Glenn Corbett), and he needed the exposure. He could show off his comedy and singing talent to a new audience, maybe get a sitcom, like his gay friend Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle, USMC, 1962-1969).
But he didn't realize that Judy was so grabby. When they met, she greeted him with a full-body hug and an open-mouth kiss.
He backed off in shock, but she said "I know a lot of women have tried and failed, but I have something they don't have. Clout. I can make one phone call, and you'll have your own show next season. We'll put it on right after mine -- won't that be cozy?"
As they rehearsed, it slowly dawned on George that Judy invited him on the show with the explicit goal of "showing him her trailer," code for getting him in the sack.
Steven, the very cute, friendly-but-not-grabby production assistant, invited him out for a drink and confirmed his fears. Jerry Van Dyke was supposed to be a regular, but when he refused "the trailer" -- he was happily married -- he was canned.
"Fortunately, she hasn't laid a finger on me," Steven said. "She's not interested in young guys. I suspect she doesn't want to compete with Liza [her daughter, 17 year old Liza Minelli]. Hey, maybe you should start dating Liza -- that might make Judy back off."
George shuddered. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire. I've never been with a woman before -- I don't think I could perform, regardless of whether it's Liza or Judy or Marilyn Monroe."
"Me, either," Steven agreed.
"But my career is on shaky ground, with the gay rumors. It couldn't take a k-o from Judy's clout."
Steven touched him on the shoulder. "I can take care of it. The key is to make her think she's rejecting you, not getting rejected. And I know how.
The rest of the story, with nude photos and explicit sexual situations (gay only, nothing heterosexual), is on Tales of West Hollywood.