Bookish | Seduction: Sex, Lives, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood

Grab a drink and join the Carter in discussing Seduction: Sex, Lives, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood by Karina Longworth. Discover the inner workings of Hollywood’s glamorous Golden Age through the stories of some of the dozens of actresses pursued by Howard Hughes. Longworth, the creator of the popular film history podcast You Must Remember This, reveals how the Texas millionaire, pilot, and filmmaker’s obsessions with sex, power, and publicity trapped, abused, or benefitted women who dreamt of screen stardom. From promoting bombshells like Jean Harlow and Jane Russell to his contentious battles with the censors, Hughes commoditized male desire as he objectified and sexualized women. Vivid, perceptive, timely, and ridiculously entertaining, Seduction is a landmark work that examines women, sex, and male power in Hollywood during its Golden Age—a legacy that endures nearly a century later. Before we dive into discussion, Jon Frembling, the Carter’s Gentling Curator and Head of Archives, will lead a tour of the exhibition Moving Pictures: Karl Struss and the Rise of Hollywood.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation may be provided during this event upon advance request. Please send an email for more information.

Questions? Email or call 817.989.5013.