Though she may look to have been a classier dame, Hedda Hopper was likely just as ruthless as Perez, or any other rumormonger du jour. When asked why she wrote cruel things in her column, Hopper replied, “Bitchery, dear. Sheer bitchery.” A sassy sister, indeed…but one who, in the end, did good by providing a platform for women to wax political in an arena largely dominated by men.
In Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood, Jennifer Frost gives us a glimpse into the life behind the printed news – and underneath the flamboyant hats – of a woman who, in wielding gossip about the worlds of entertainment and politics, shaped key developments in American movies, film culture and journalism.
For more on Hopper, her political agenda, and the ways that her private life played into her public persona, listen to an exclusive interview with author Jennifer Frost.
