William Haines was a Hollywood actor in the 1920s and 1930s. He appeared in more than 52 films (from 1922-1934). He also has a star on Hollywoods' 'Walk of Fame'. He is believed to have been Hollywoods' first openly gay actor. He met and became a lover to a Hollywood stand-in named Jimmy Shields, and they lived together starting around 1925, 1926. Studio publicists kept the fact that Haines was gay from the public.
Press reports' show that Haines was arrested in 1933 when he tried to proposition a sailor in downtown los angeles' Pershing Square. MGM, whom he worked for at the time gave Haines and ultimatum: either Haines' choose between his lover Shields, or a sham(fake) Hollywood marriage to a women. It is believed that MGM fired Haines instead.
However, worse came to worse for Haines and Shields when in 1936 they were dragged from their home by the KKK, and severly beaten after a neighbor claimed Haines and Shields tried to proposition the neighbors son. Haines quit films shortly after that.
Haines and Shields then moved to Malibu and lived together for almost 50 years.
It is rumored that lifelong friend Gloris Swanson asked Haines to appear in 'Sunset Boulevard', but Haines declined.
Haines was 73 when he died in 1973 of lung cancer. Jimmy Shields took an overdose of sleeping pills and committed suicide after Haines died.
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