Chat Transcript: Loretta Young Biographer Joan Wester Anderson

Nov. 27 -- When she died at age 87, Oscar-winning actress Loretta Young was remembered by the world as a devout Catholic who professionally and personally led a seemingly “perfect life.”But as author Joan Wester Anderson learned while writing Young’s biography, Forever Young, no life is perfect. Anderson, who was handpicked by the actress, was given rare access to the very private star — even moving into Young's home to work on the book. What Anderson found was a woman forced by the strict moral code of the Hollywood studio system of the time to keep secrets about her personal life that would have shocked a more conservative America — including a brief teenage marriage and affairs with her costars. But one last secret Young had would forever change her relationship with daughter Judy Lewis. Judy learned she was not adopted, but the result of a romance Young had with screen legend Clark Gable.

Joan Wester Anderson joined us online today to discuss how Young chose to deal with her pregnancy and other secrets of the legendary screen siren. The chat transcript is below.

Moderator at 1:57pm ET

Welcome Joan Wester Anderson.

Kelly J Kitchens from dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net at 1:58pm ET

It is amazing to me that Loretta was able to "disappear" for 6+ months without the gossip columnists and studios finding out she was pregnant. Where did she go and how did she keep those around her quiet?

Joan Wester Anderson at 2:02pm ET

Interesting. For her second trimester she went to Europe, and she wore clothes that had full skirts. People saw her in Europe and thought she looked a little heavier than usual, but she was always trying to gain weight. During her last trimester, she gave out the story that she was sick with some "unknown malady." Words floated around like "surgery", "female problems", people didn't get too specific in those days. And, so, she stayed in bed and then, at the very end of her pregnancy, she went to live in a house that her mother owned, and that's where she had the baby, with just a doctor, who was sworn to secrecy, and her mother.

Moderator at 2:03pm ET

How powerful were the gossip columnists during Young's time in Hollywood?

Joan Wester Anderson at 2:05pm ET

Gossip columnists were very powerful, but they also had wide discretion. They weren't out to "get" the stars by revealing all kinds of personal things. In many cases, if they liked you, they would keep your secrets, and we all think that this is what happened with Loretta. Loretta staged a sickroom scene and had herself made up to look pale, with a phony I.V., then invited Dorothy Manners in and presented herself as being ill. Dorothy went along with it, and published the news that way, never mentioning a possible pregnancy. But we think that Ms. Manners had to know the truth; she couldn't have not known.

Arlene at 2:08pm ET

Was Clark Gable aware that Judy Lewis was his daughter? Did they ever meet?

Joan Wester Anderson at 2:08pm ET

Yes, Clark knew from the beginning that Loretta was pregnant with his child. He saw the baby once, right after her birth. He never saw Judy again, according to Loretta. According to Judy, she and Clark met once when she was 12. Loretta says that never happened.

Bill May from zoominternet.net at 2:09pm ET

Does Loretta Young's daughter have any kind of relationship with her half brother, John Clark Gable?

Joan Wester Anderson at 2:09pm ET

Not that I know of. That was a question I intended to ask Judy, and I never have so far.

Moderator at 2:10pm ET

Did having her third child in defiance of studio executives hurt Young’s career?

Joan Wester Anderson at 2:11pm ET

Temporarily, yes it did. She was at what she considered to be the pinnacle of her career. She didn't know that there was a lot more to come. She had reached the highest salary that an actress could get, and in giving that up, she not only lost her income, she lost what she presumed would be the chance at great stardom. But it was a blessing in disguise, because she decided to freelance after the baby was born, and she did probably her best work then. So, in the long run, while she lost some money, she gained her independence, which was something that was very important to her.