On this day, January 2, 1900, actor William Haines was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

I've read the biography about him, Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star. Someone at Joe.My.God. recommended it some ten or more years ago.

Actor William Haines was #BornOnThisDay, Jan. 2, 1900, A major silent film star in the late #1920s, & sexually "out" when few were. Arrested at a bathhouse, he eventually quit acting (1935), & turned to interior designing.Passed in 1973 (age 73) from #lungcancer #RIP #LGBTQ #BOTD

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William Haines



William Haines Studio publicity portrait, 1920s

Haines in 1920

Born: Charles William Haines; January 2, 1900; Staunton, Virginia, U.S.
Died: December 26, 1973 (aged 73); Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting place: Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica
Occupations: Actor and interior designer
Years active: 1922–1973
Partner: Jimmie Shields (1926–1973)
Website: williamhaines.com

Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer.

Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favorable reviews for his role in The Midnight Express. He was cast in the 1926 film Brown of Harvard and his performance solidified his screen persona as a wisecracking, arrogant leading man. By the end of the 1920s, Haines had appeared in a string of successful films and was a popular box-office draw.

Haines' acting career was cut short by the studios in the 1930s due to his refusal to deny his homosexuality. He quit acting in 1935 and started a successful interior design business with his life partner Jimmie Shields, and his work was widely patronized by friends in Hollywood. Haines died of lung cancer in December 1973 at the age of 73.

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Final years and death

Haines and Shields (1905–1974) remained together until Haines' death. Joan Crawford described them as "the happiest married couple in Hollywood."

On December 26, 1973, Haines died from lung cancer in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 73. Soon afterward, on March 6, 1974, Shields took an overdose of sleeping pills. His suicide note read in part, "Goodbye to all of you who have tried so hard to comfort me in my loss of William Haines, whom I have been with since 1926. I now find it impossible to go it alone, I am much too lonely." They are interred side by side in Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica.

Legacy

For his contribution to the motion-picture industry, William Haines has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7012 Hollywood Blvd.

William Haines Designs remains in operation, with main offices in West Hollywood and an additional showroom in New York.

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In popular culture

Haines' story is told in the 1998 biography Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star by William J. Mann. His designs are the subject of Peter Schifando and Haines associate Jean H. Mathison's 2005 book Class Act: William Haines Legendary Hollywood Decorator.

World of Wonder produced Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines, which aired on American Movie Classics in 2001.

In October 2015, Karina Longworth chronicled Haines in the episode William Haines and Hollywood's First Openly Gay Marriage, which she included in her 15-part series of MGM stories for her podcast You Must Remember This. Haines was voiced by actor Wil Wheaton.

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Mon Jan 2, 2023: On this day, January 2, 1900, actor William Haines was born.

Sun Jan 2, 2022: Born on this day, January 2: William Haines (1900) and boxer Tommy Morrison (1969)