“When talking with Jayne Mansfield you will discover that Jayne is standing closer to you than you are to her.”
Fan magazines were nothing if not contradictory. After all, not truth but dreams and aspirations — monetized, to be sure,
“The column the stars read” — tagline for “Hotline to the Stars,” Movieland and TV Time
“All the intimate details of life and love among Tinseltown’s exciting young celebs” — tagline for “Hollywood’s Younger Set,” Movie World
“Who knows what goes on in the heart of Hollywood?” — tagline for “Pamela Mason Knows,” Photoplay
“All the lowdown on the hi-jinks of Hollywood’s fabled citizens” — tagline for “Dateline: Hollywood!” Screen World
“Step right up to see the greatest collection of West coast wild-life ever assembled in one place!” — tagline for “Hot from Hollywood” gossip column, Movie TV Secrets magazine
“Put your eye right up to the key hole and take a peek at the flings the Hollywood stars want to hide from you” — tagline for “Hollywood Snooper,” Movie Tattler
“All the loudest whispers from our very own private ear!” — tagline for “Star Scoops,” Movieland and TV Time
“Get in orbit with the stars!” — tagline for “Pop Stars Are Poppin’!” Teen World
“Star secrets from coast to coast” — tagline for “Gossip,” TV Picture Life
“Red hot gossip right off the griddle” — tagline for “Inside Stuff,” Inside Story
“Read the hottest, on the spottest news about your favorites here” — tagline for Armand Archerd’s “Star Close Ups,” Movie Stars
I am a writer and pop culture buff, a believer in director Douglas Sirk’s observation that “There is a very short distance between high art and trash, and trash that contains the element of craziness is by this quality nearer to art.”
