Books in French are on www.livres-cinema.info
Paul Bern
The Life and Famous Death of the MGM Director and Husband of Harlow
by E.J. Fleming
(0 vote)Average rating:
| 0 | rating |  = We can do without |
| 0 | rating |  = Good book |
| 0 | rating |  = Excellent book |
| 0 | rating |  = Unique / a reference |
Your rating: -
Book Presentation:
Paul Bern, known throughout the movie business as “Hollywood’s Father Confessor,” earned a reputation for being a loyal and supportive friend and for becoming one of MGM’s most respected and creative directors. After his death, though, he was said to have grown so depressed and despondent over his own apparent sexual inadequacies that he committed suicide, and he would be denounced for attempting to rape his new bride Jean Harlow.
In this biography, the author uncovers startling new facts and argues that MGM knew the real story of Bern’s death—that an estranged, mentally ill common-law wife murdered him. MGM understood that the earlier spouse rendered Bern’s marriage to Harlow, its fastest-rising star, ambiguous if not bigamous, so the studio staged a suicide and embarked on a very public tarnishing of his memory. Included are 93 rare photos, many lost for decades, along with three appendices examining the handwriting on an alleged suicide note and Bern’s will and estate.
About the Author:
The late E.J. Fleming researched Hollywood for decades and penned biographies of Carole Landis and Wallace Reid, among other books. He lived in the country in Connecticut.
Press Reviews:
"This book…needs to be picked up and read by everyone who has ever had a love of Hollywood history…wonderful…. Fleming continues to surprise and entertain his readers, while giving us a healthy dose of honesty, true journalism"—Canyon News
"A very detailed biography…Fleming is a skilled biographer…the material his book is based on is rich and diverse…rewarding"—H-Net Reviews
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
See the complete filmography of Paul Bern on the website: IMDB ...
> From the same author:
Wallace Reid (2013)
The Life And Death of a Hollywood Idol
by E.J. Fleming
Subject: Actor > Wallace Reid
> On a related topic:
The Oneiric in the Films of David Lynch (2026)
A Phenomenological Approach
Subject: Director > David Lynch
Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions (2025)
My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood
by Ed Zwick
Subject: Director > Edward Zwick
Ida Lupino, Forgotten Auteur (2025)
From Film Noir to the Director's Chair
Subject: Director > Ida Lupino
A Critical Companion to Christopher Nolan (2025)
Dir. Claire Parkinson and Isabelle Labrouillère
Subject: Director > Christopher Nolan
The Plays and Films of Bahram Beyzaie (2025)
Origins, Forms and Functions
Dir. Saeed Talajooy
Subject: Director > Bahram Beyzaie
Back
