A chapter on Confidential, the forgotten Hollywood scandal mag that published incorrigible headlines like ”Errol Flynn and His Two-Way Mirror” and ”Maureen O’Hara Cuddled in Row 35,” kicks off this salted-peanuts assessment of moviedom’s gaudiest decade. As subsequent chapters dish on Rock Hudson, Sweet Smell of Success, the Stompanato murder, and the Sammy Davis Jr.-Kim Novak secret affair, the Confidential opening comes to make more sense: The dirt-diggin’ rag is a frequently cited source for the authors. MacNair and Kashner have written an unexpectedly trashy but not quite sodden and never boring pop history. If only Douglas Sirk were around to adapt some of it for the movies.
Related Articles
![Still from Dragula](https://ew.com/thmb/AV8Oh2gVZWPqJGz6MSi95UrDLEg=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dragula-071724-7f298beb070640b5b29191453f61c91a.jpg)
Spooky drag queen TV hosts The Boulet Brothers score first Emmy nomination for their own horror makeup
![Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, and Sean Kanan in 'Cobra Kai'](https://ew.com/thmb/WPPaNNHasEp4DK5ZAeDF9j2zZLw=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/cobra-kai-season-6-tout-062924-dddf45c624634a1cad477f2542e3f82f.jpg)
Cobra Kai season 6 preview: Watch Mike Barnes whip Miyagi-Do into shape
![Lauralee Bell and Michael Damian](https://ew.com/thmb/CwSq28CuOnrwOQaePVGjinCYxXQ=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Lauralee-Bell-Michael-Damian-062724-00184c8a903b4382bb4230e64340c0a8.jpg)
Young and the Restless favorites Cricket and Danny headed to Bold and the Beautiful for crossover
![Jackson White attends the Hulu Original "Tell Me Lies" Screening and Red Carpet Event at NeueHouse Hollywood on September 08, 2022 in Hollywood, California; Jackson White and Jack White](https://ew.com/thmb/AciarzA4255zGmJV5h_dpPQnIZE=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Jackson-White-and-Jack-White-tout-071624-e6355de1f82040569dd7bded0e48fc61.jpg)
Tell Me Lies star Jackson White announces death of dad Jack White, ex-husband of Katey Sagal
![Karen Fukuhara from The Boys](https://ew.com/thmb/8vU4kfBGearMgTy5xcb3FqHv_jU=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-boys-3-071524-e65ff53e78544b058e2ea40e537f4e77.jpg)
The Boys stars on filming long-awaited 'Kimchie' moment: 'I didn't realize how beautiful it would be'
![Too Hot to Handle: Season 6](https://ew.com/thmb/mF864quoggn2puErZFvC4Qre-Rk=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/too-hot-to-handle-tout-070124-e65bfa33a388483e875ffc02e4c65a57.jpg)
Too Hot to Handle: Meet the 10 sizzling singles of season 6
![Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and the Stranger (Manny Jacinto) on 'The Acolyte' season 1 finale](https://ew.com/thmb/4ZaYEgTUPMWsXOSNLg9amc09rT8=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-Acolyte-1-071824-15157cb039fe4acabc6e0c5da71e3b48.jpg)
The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg reacts to Oshamir dark side romance
!["Qualifiers 4 Results" Episode 1817 -- Pictured: (l-r) Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell](https://ew.com/thmb/xyYgV9ZpfB1nZ3UbyCXup057DBU=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Simon-Cowell-and-Heidi-Klum-Americas-Got-Talent-Judges-tout-070824-2bdc5a5bd1234364b279261408522720.jpg)
America's Got Talent judges argue over contestant's incredible balancing act: 'What are you talking about?'
![William Zabka and Sean Kanan in 'Cobra Kai'](https://ew.com/thmb/Q7Y-vp5glag4dnJeOuUGwbKG0nU=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/cobra-kai-071824-10-012a407ada2c48f1ace054dd2092a4da.jpg)
Cobra Kai's Sean Kanan put off surgery to film Mike Barnes' season 6 return
![Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and the Stranger (Manny Jacinto) in Lucasfilm's THE ACOLYTE, season one, exclusively on Disney+.](https://ew.com/thmb/C81Z_6WyQZVgk2NhxYn_ocjL8jg=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-Acolyte-2-071824-6481d84741eb4a5dae061f3a3a44e111.jpg)
The Acolyte creator says finale kiss between Qimir and Osha was 'definitely on the table'
![The Perfect Couple. Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in episode 106 of The Perfect Couple](https://ew.com/thmb/QMpSoNmLneeyo_OEOTZQ2WXgq-k=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Nicole-Kidman-071124-9860139aa60e429bb626310e1bdc750a.jpg)
Nicole Kidman is a woman with money (and secrets) in first Perfect Couple trailer
![Thomas N., Devin, and Jenn on The Bachelorette](https://ew.com/thmb/DNGAuj_5Kb5BoxKP6QFLcUAljWk=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/bachelorette-thomas-devin-jenn-071324-293db47d4a024575823db142a0ac5133.jpg)
The Bachelorette recap: A blow up Down Under
![Split of Drag Race split with Heidi Klum on Project Runway and Tom Bergeron on Dancing With the Stars](https://ew.com/thmb/SUTYJf3KQOwfSfymmPxMRd2jhts=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/rupaul-071724-eaa8de9a2b5f472196fed02ec7781612.jpg)
RuPaul sashays to new Emmys record, joins Heidi Klum, Tom Bergeron as most-nominated hosts in history
![Split photo from The View](https://ew.com/thmb/QhXwTy8ae_5aEAIXnGqoaViWApE=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-view-070924-cbf8252df9894314aaff0a4fc0d152ef.jpg)
Alyssa Farah Griffin challenges Joy Behar for saying Republicans won't rebuke Trump: 'I've been doing it for 4 years'
![DescendantsRiseOfRed; Kiki Layne in Dandelion; Colman Domingo in Sing Sing](https://ew.com/thmb/IXBZiX7rEVoYpcyGmNyNYa8bu-0=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Must-List-July13-56ba41ccf0c446ef993cb372b97c172b.jpg)
Colman Domingo's Sing Sing, Disney Channel's new Descendants film, and Dandelion top this week's Must List
![Washington Monument, Joy Behar - The View](https://ew.com/thmb/40B2gVx4Ip8vkt5gB3B36NIEi-Q=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/washington-monument-joy-behar-071024-8219d19f22e04e68800ba02f0f1ecf38.jpg)
The View star Joy Behar thinks Washington Monument looks like a penis