Marlon Wright articles

Often overlooked by casual fans, Chico Marx was the eldest Marx Brother and, in many ways, the group’s leader behind the scenes for much of its illustrious run. He also lived a fascinating and tumultuous life worthy of the wildest gossip columns Hollywood has ever known.

Billie Holiday’s story is not one for the faint of heart. From the very beginning, turmoil, racism, and a deep inner sadness plagued her life—and haunted her until the very end. But at the same time, she had a fighting spirit and a voice like no other. From adversity to scandal to the bitter and heartbreaking end—there’s little doubt that Billie deserved a lot better than what the world gave her.

Thanks to his hit show The Honeymooners, comedian Jackie Gleason turned into a 1950s American idol almost overnight. But Gleason’s perverse life behind the scenes would have made his fans furious.

Classic blues musician Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson always seemed serene and at peace while performing on stage. But in reality, he spent his life struggling to silence the demons in his mind.

Ricardo Montalban never missed a beat, but he had to fight through the chronic pain of an early-career injury.

A Hollywood outsider who had to fight tooth and nail for everything she had, McDaniel still ruled among the silver screen elite—and endured just as many scandals and tragedies, right until her bitter end.

Tony Curtis may be best known for dressing up like a woman in Some Like It Hot, but his long career also had turns in westerns, film noir, and epics like Spartacus. It was his off screen life, however, where he really turned up the heat with six wives (!), six kids and a boatload of affairs. Break out the eye-liner and take a look at Tony Curtis’s wild ride through Hollywood.

Louis Gossett Jr reached the ultimate peak of Hollywood success, but it was far from easy getting there.

Corey Feldman seems to have led multiple lives. One common thread, however, has been Feldman’s insistence that he was a victim of a Hollywood group that preyed on young actors like himself. There are believers and those who say he’s made the whole thing up.