I've been reading CAROLE LANDIS: A MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL by Eric Gans. He
mentions me in his acknowledgements in the front of the book, although
I am not sure how much help I was to him. Back when he was writing it,
I would write to him about things he already knew about. I remember at
one point I put something on the internet that John Austin sent me
about having known Carole Landis during World War II, but John Austin
wouldn't go into any greater detail when Eric Gans tried to ask him
about that, and so that is about as much as we know about that.
I am sure that there is information in this book that you don't see
anywhere else. G. D. Hamann ( compiler of a number of collections of
newspaper articles about movie stars, also mentioned in the
acknowledgements ) turned up the true story of how Carole Landis missed
out on the making of BLOOD AND SAND, which went to Rita Hayworth. It's
not quite the same as the other books had it.
The story that Carole Landis had some sort of lesbian affair with
Jaqueline Susan is included, I doubt this story, myself. There was some
discussion of this story in the old Carole Landis club that got
deleted, I suspect that was actually why it was deleted. Jaqueline
Susan evidently was not a really reliable source and the fact that a
work of fiction was involved in which a Carole Landis charachter
appeared makes it sound as if fantasy and reality could have been
confused.
Rex Harrison is discussed in a more favorable light than has sometimes
been the case, but it also says that upon finding the body of Carole
Landis he said that she was still alive, then went off and did
something else instead of getting help. Even though Carole Landis was
supposed to already be dead at that time, I didn't like the sound of
that.
The story that Rex Harrison had gotten her pregnant apparently was
false as this book says that Carole Landis was unable to have children.
This same story was also told about Lupe Velez, although in her case it
was supposed to be true.
Although the text says that there wasn't any sign of foul play, the
notes in the back of the book state that her secretary Nan Stuart
thought it looked suspicious that the lights were out when the body was
found.
Altogether an interesting book for Carole Landis fans. - the living
Landis fan