From Drags to Riches

The Untold Story of Charles Pierce

John Wallraff

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781560233862
• eBook ISBN: 9781136571879
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: LGBT Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

Learn how Charles Pierce achieved stardom and became one of the most famous female impersonators of all time!Charles Pierce (1926--1999) was an internationally known and highly successful female impersonator, known for his vivid portrayals of Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, and Mae West. This book offers a candid look at a career that spanned over fifty years--from his humble start at the Pasadena Playhouse, to his sold-out shows in San Francisco.From Drags to Riches provides a rich and colorful history of Charles Pierce. In this insightful and moving volume, Pierce's friend John Wallraff offers valuable insights about the little-known man behind the makeup and captures the essence of what drag stardom is really like. This informative, imaginative, and sexually provocative book contains:

• stories of how famous Hollywood icons shaped Charles Pierce's life and his act
• Pierce's history, from his humble beginnings at the Pasadena Playhouse to his sold-out shows in San Francisco and beyond
• a look at Pierce's private life
• an examination of the price of fame--how successes and failures shape any performerUsing the words of Charles Pierce himself, adding a dash of humor, mixing in fascinating insights, and sprinkling in juicy stories of love, lust, and sex, this book is a melting pot of information about a well-loved but sometimes misunderstood man.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue
• 1. “A Wonderful Idea”
• 2. A Movie Star on Wheels
• 3. Pasadena Playhouse—At Last!
• 4. Extracurricular Lessons in Sex
• 5. “Make Me a Star!”
• 6. Stars in My Eyes
• 7. Summer Stock and Shangri-La for Awhile
• 8. The Rent Party
• 9. Charles Pierce, the Persistent Houseguest
• 10. A Mahvelous Pahty
• 11. A Naked Moon Dance and the Little Retreat Where Alcoholics Meet
• 12. The Big Break and Sex on the Rocks
• 13. “Everybody Came to the Gilded Cage”
• 14. “Through These Portals...”
• 15. Rio Dante, the Man Who Would Be Dracula
• 17. In Love with a “Living Doll”
• 18. In Bed with “Bette Davis”
• 19. Chicken-in-the-Nude, Cock Tales, and Other Assorted Orgies
• 20. Chez Sabu and La Ballet de Marijuana
• 21. “Mother Didn’t Tell Me There’d Be Nights Like These!”
• 22. Death in the Dressing Room
• 23. Gold Street and Touched by an Angel—Of Death!
• 24. “No, I’m Not the Girl in the Fishbowl at Bimbo’s”
• 25. The City Cabaret and Disco—The Times They Were A-Changin’
• 26. The Backlot—And the Real Miss Bette Davis
• 27. An Evening at “Dottie’s Place”
• 28. Charles Pierce Takes New York—And New York Loves It!
• 29. “The Tush Room at the Hotel Yuck”
• 30. The Venetian Room—”Top o’ the World, Ma!”
• 31. Wild at The Ballroom—Farewell to New York City
• 32. Is There Life After Drag?
• 33. Charles Pierce: Male Actress
• 34. Letters from the End of the Rainbow
• Epilogue
• Notes