Charles William Haines Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Born in Staunton, Virginia, William Haines ran off to live life on his own terms while still in his teens, moving to New York City and becoming friends with such later Hollywood luminaries as designer Orry-Kelly and Cary Grant. His film career started slowly, but by the end of the silent era he was regularly named as the #1 male box-office draw. ...
Henry Haines, Lillian Haines, Ann Haines, George Haines Jr.
Movies
Show People, The Marines Are Coming, Brown of Harvard, Little Annie Rooney, Tell It to the Marines, The Hollywood Revue of 1929, The Smart Set, Way Out West, The Girl Said No, Spring Fever, Slide, Kelly, Slide, Alias Jimmy Valentine, The Stolen Jools, New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford, Ju...
Star Sign
Capricorn
#
Trademark
1
One of the first of the wisecracking male leads
#
Quote
1
[on his friend, Joan Crawford] Until Joan discovered she could cover her furniture in plastic, there were entire apartments in Los Angeles that had been furnished with almost new sofas and chairs that had been soiled once then discarded.
2
[on the coming of sound to MGM] It was the night of the Titanic all over again, with women grabbing the wrong children and Louis B. Mayer singing "Nearer My God to Thee".
3
I went to the beach house of a famous leading lady of the 1930s, which she wanted redecorated if it didn't cost too much. The only sculptures she had were of herself, so I asked her if she liked painting. She said she preferred wallpaper - flocked yet! And I found out that she ordered books by the yard. The woman was virtually illiterate!
4
Joan Crawford thought we should get married. This was back in the 1920s, when I was a star and she was a rising flapper. It wasn't just a crass question of her ambition; we were very good but platonic friends. I told her, "Cranberry" - my pet name for her - "that isn't how it works in Hollywood. They usually pair men who like men and ladies who like ladies". Because if we both liked men, where would we be as man and wife? She'd resent me, and that would be the end of our beautiful friendship.
5
[on his latter-day interior-decorating career of almost four decades] I like what I'm doing now. It's clean. No makeup on the face.
#
Fact
1
Proprietor of the interior decoration boutique, Haines-Foster Inc. which he opened in late September, 1930, at 1522 La Brea Avenue in Hollywood.
2
Redecorated the home of Jack L. Warner and his second wife Ann Boyar in 1937. The house was later bought by David Geffen, who completely renovated the property.
3
In 1938, he decorated the homes of Joan Bennett and Constance Bennett. Both houses were designed in the 'French Provincial' style by James Dolena.
4
He created an interior decoration at the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, California, which boasted a painting by up-and-coming artist Georgia O'Keeffe.
5
While at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Haines was able to get stand-in and extra work for his partner Jimmie Shields. Shields, who was attractive and photogenic but apparently had no interest in an acting career, stopped taking bit roles after a year or so but remained a fixture, frequently visiting the set and bringing Haines home-made lunches.
6
During the early 1930s he leased his renovated house to Tallulah Bankhead.
7
Remained on good terms with producer Irving Thalberg and wife Norma Shearer following his departure from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
8
Met his partner Jimmie Shields in New York in 1926 during a promotional tour. They lived together until Haines' death.
9
When asked by reporters if there was a special woman in his life, Haines almost always claimed to be hopelessly in love with Polly Moran. The two were close friends in real life but were never romantically involved.
10
Decorated William Powell's home in 1934, probably on the recommendation of Carole Lombard with whom Powell was still on good terms despite their recent divorce.
Under pressure to marry, he proposed to friend and frequent co-star Anita Page during the making of Are You Listening? (1932). She turned him down, and the two remained friends for a long time after.
13
His first clients as an interior decorator were Leila Hyams and her husband Phil Berg, Haines' agent.
He was an active supporter of the Republican Party and a close friend of Ronald Reagan.
16
After involuntarily retiring from acting, he took up a successful, prolific, decades-long career as an interior decorator. Some of his clients included Carole Lombard and Mr. and Mrs. Fredric March.
17
Won the "New Faces of 1922" contest sponsored by the Samuel Goldwyn Co. and was awarded an eventual contract, which shifted to MGM upon the company merger. The other winner of the contest was Eleanor Boardman.
18
Was approached, along with fellow silent-screen veterans Buster Keaton and Anna Q. Nilsson, to play one of Gloria Swanson's bridge partners in Sunset Blvd. (1950). Swanson herself reportedly asked him to do it. Haines declined and fellow screen veteran H.B. Warner took the part.
19
In 1930 Haines was the top box-office male star and Joan Crawford the top female.
20
Following the Great Depression and a tight crackdown on morality, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer insisted Haines leave his lover and publicly marry a woman. Haines refused and was fired. His relationship with longtime lover Jimmie Shields lasted 50 years.
21
Almost 3 months after William's death, his lifelong partner, Jimmie Shields, broken-hearted, committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills.
performer: "Annie Laurie" ca. 1834, "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" 1808 - uncredited
Navy Blues
1929
performer: "Navy Blues" 1929, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" 1843 uncredited, "Bringing in the Sheaves" 1880 uncredited, "O Sole Mio" 1848 uncredited
Art Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Just a Gigolo
1931
uncredited
Production Designer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Craig's Wife
1936
uncredited
Set Decorator
Title
Year
Status
Character
Young and Beautiful
1943
Short
Stunts
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lost and Found on a South Sea Island
1923
stunt double: House Peters
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself (1969 audiotape interview) (voice, uncredited)
Estrellados
1930
Himself (Guest Appearance)
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
1929
Himself
1925 Studio Tour
1925
Documentary short
Himself (uncredited)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines
$300,000
