Hedda Hopper vs. Louella Parsons: How The Two Harpies Struck Terror in Hollywood?

[@poindexterjones206]

Hard to understand why some people delight in hurting others.

[@nadezhdawall-rossi2864]

Both of these women were reprehensible, especially Hedda Hopper.

[@ejammy1906]

They gave the intrusive and malicious activity of gossiping a veneer of legitimacy, but it's still the lowest form of human discourse and I hold no respect for either of these two. Thanks for the history lesson.

[@darriendastar3941]

Excellent. I could have listened to another hour of that and still been as gripped by the last word as I was by the first. Thank you for your hard work.

[@muffassa6739]

I'm an old lady and I remember these two ladies this a great video

[@elizabethlinsay9193]

Why would anyone want to purposely hurt people like that? It's mind-boggling.

[@rideordis810]

Fame, fortune, and power. The fuel Hollywood and the world runs on

[@eagleeye2300]

Money and power. She got paid for being a b*tch. What a gig. A gig that came with a shit ton of bad karma.

[@TheDoctor1225]

There's a host of reasons, actually - only God knew what was truly in their minds and souls, of course, but it could have been anything from the feeling of "the world deserves/needs/wants to know these things" to being bitter, angry and vicious overall, to the hatred that some people feel for those who are successful in an area that they are not, and so the only thing they seek to do is tear them down. (An interesting adside on that score is that in the original Spider-Man comics, that was the reason J Jonah Jameson hated Spider-Man; he felt that he could never be as good, as selfless, as much of a hero as Spider-Man was, and wanted to be - so all that was left was for him to try and ruin him because he was jealous of him.) I think in their case, they were crude, evil women who delighted in causing pain to others - just as all gossips do, in the end. They are remembered as such, and rightly so. They were the forerunners of so many of the people we see in the "media" and on social media, today. When you're shallow, cruel and have no depth of personality, you're a Hedda Hopper or Louella Parsons. Sadly, they always had an audience eager to eat it up instead of being stopped cold by people who had no use for it.

[@ladywisewolf3942]

I am not in any way excusing their chosen professions but in those days being a Hollywood gossip columnist was predicated on who got the story FIRST, who scooped who and of course the "juiciness" of the story which gave them leverage, power and acclaim in their profession. The horrible by product of that of course was ruined careers and lives. These tactics are still used today, not as much in Hollywood but in politics and big business. Both these ladies however were just as often routinely bribed (usually by studio heads) NOT to tell a certain story or they held one back on their own out of their personal feelings for the parties involved ( examples being the on going romance between Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, or Grace Kelly's affair with a then married Ray Milland). Hedda once said " If only they knew what I DIDN'T write!"

[@haintedhouse2990]

Hopper criticized James Dean and his rebel demeanor until she had an interview with him, then praised him as the next great actor - Dean must've been on his best behavior.

[@arnepianocanada]

Liz & Debbie happened to be on same boat across the Atlantic. D sent L a note; they met and got over it. Carrie later said: "The he best thing my stepmother (Liz) did for me was get Eddie Fisher out of the house."

[@AC-ze1nh]

Absolutely. Elizabeth had just been widowed and Eddie came on to the widow of his dead best friend, which is pretty messed up. Mike Todd really loved Elizabeth and she was devastated. I don't think she would have gone for Eddie otherwise and deeply regretted her actions

[@esthergarcia1373]

Lucille Ball interviewed Hedda Hopper in one of her podcasts & handled Hedda very well. Someone even mentioned in one of the comments that Hedda left one of her fancy cars to Lucille Ball at the time of Hedda’s passing. I even remember an I Love Lucy episode where Hedda appeared as herself when the Ricardos visited Hollywood.

[@cinnasharon980]

Lucy had a podcast??????

[@deborahgallery8912]

That's interesting but in Lucille balls time there was no podcast.

[@JohnLee-pt5jz]

@@deborahgallery8912 I was just thinking that.

[@HamishDownie]

@@cinnasharon980 perhaps a radio show?

[@eugenekozma2697]

Hedda also I think appeared on an episode of the Lucy Desi comedy hour.i heard they were friends.

[@scotnick59]

The narrator is excellent and he "gets to the point"

[@ContinentalShop]

Small correction, Parsons worked for the Los Angeles Examiner which was owned by Hearst, later to merge with another local paper to become the Herald Examiner

[@CATNAPREAL1188]

Oh my goodness. This is my first video off this channel and I am thourghly enjoying it, so thank you so much. I'm the age that a lot of these names and faces are from the time I was very small, like 3-5 age range. So these were the people that my mom and her friends would talk about or I would see photos of them in newspapers etcetera. I found it really intriging that at 5:47 in your video is a clear picture of these 2 women. I am astounded at the look on both of their faces. The 1 lady looks High to death & the smirk on the other ladies face, makes it look like she was gloating after having drugged the other lady. It spoke to me Immediately & I found that very odd ?. Take Care, Stay Safe. 🙏 & ✌️

[@cynthia7445]

Hedda Hopper was so bad that her son (William Hopper, Paul Drake of the Perry Mason TV series) stopped speaking to her for a long time.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

The Malice in Wonderland film was comedy. Nothing wrong with that, but those two women were so vile that it should have been a very serious film indeed, apart from a few dark humour laughs maybe.

[@Libranpoet]

Love this topic! Thank you for covering it! Well done!

[@michelleelizabeth797]

This is one of the more interesting videos you've done in awhile, fascinating women.

[@christinsmith550]

Cheers! Another great video, thank you😀

[@beatlessteve1010]

Now this post is absolutely halarious!! if you have been following other comparison posts! Great one...

[@esmeephillips5888]

Fun fact: Hedda's ever-changing designer hats became her trademark. The Internal Revenue Service let her charge thousands a year in business expenses for them.

[@chinanolan1529]

Geez, someone, even the IRS is afraid of....the mind boggles!

[@antwanaynay]

Terrible women. On the positive side, they won't be remembered, because they created nothing, unlike the poor people they tormented and preyed upon.

[@alexandermartel-f2c]

Still being talked about in 2024…

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Could you do an equally brilliant video on Dorothy Killgallen, focusing on her life and work and NOT so much her death please?

[@rosemarymagrino772]

Excellent idea!

[@johna.4334]

Who?

[@timstamps5281]

It's a shame anyone has to question who Dorothy Killgallen was. She was a panelist on "What's My Line?" and investigative journalist / newspaper columnist who had the scoop on who *really* killed JFK and died for it (and it wasn't Oswald). All her work was destroyed after she was murdered.

[@eyraclarisse144]

I support your great idea!!!!!!

[@eugenekozma2697]

Yes Dorothy killgallen and Sheila's graham

[@jaygatz4335]

These ladies didn't age well. They lived vicariously through Hollywood's stars and gained power over them. Power corrupted them.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Yes louella parsons ended up like some of the stars she wrote about.she worked her way up to the top.she remained at the top for a long time.then there was a painful decline and a fall from stardom.she ended up a frail vegetable the last eight years of her life.

[@lindseycarribean5113]

These stars didn't have to justify but I think those ladies had power and could make and destroy a career just like producers.

[@tj921able]

This was interesting. Thank you for sharing it.

[@urhiredhr421]

The power of the written word can be simply amazing. Much like emotion, a few words may gather attenion, dismay, love, and so much more. Even the placement of words can change the context in a nano-second. What I do not approve of or care about this time in the life in Hollywood is how these two woman could destroy you in the length of a column.

[@bronte6364]

Excellent. Loved the little seen photographs.

[@Contessa6363]

Very interesting I only knew a little bit about them. Both very determined women!🐕🐕🐘🐘❤❤

[@lindseycarribean5113]

I think stars were worried that they digged too much into their personal lives and even invent any kind of crazy stories. Obsessed. They lived for the gossips.

[@roselyncampisi822]

You would think that nasty gossip has gone away. It is sad that actors and actresses don't really have much privacy

[@worldrover436]

I am sure their exhorbitant lifestyles make up fo rit.

[@thomaslucas6079]

I think if there's a such thing as a hell that is were these cruel women are.

[@chucksellers8422]

It’s gross to build a career with the invasion of privacy.

[@davidlamont6]

I really wish I could find Malice in wonderland with Liz Taylor and Jane Alexander.

[@TheQuirkyCharacter]

I liked it how Hedda actually played herself in The Women (1939). Shows self-irony.

[@timstamps5281]

Do you have anything on Jimmy Fidler? He was a 3rd columnist in competition with Louella and Hedda.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Yes jimmy fidler had power too.

[@egyptcat4301]

OMG! I had no idea "Paul Drake" was Hedda Hopper's son!!!

[@thomaslucas6079]

That guy give me creeps looking at him.

[@lanacampbell-moore4549]

Thanks AOV2💜

[@judd442009]

If you breathed . . "You were dead!"

[@scotnick59]

@16:55-7:00 = Harriet Parsons, daughter of Louella.

[@esthergarcia1373]

Sorry if my message is duplicated but I got my info from a podcast called Let’s Talk to Lucy - Hedda Hopper where she interviews Hedda in short spurts. It seems that Lucille Ball would do these interviews on the spot with no preparation beforehand which makes it very entertaining to listen to. There are a few other podcast interviews as well that the search engine will generate. Enjoy ❤️

[@rick0e295]

MALICE in WONDERLAND starring Elizabeth Taylor as Lolly and Jane Alexander as Hedda gives an interesting look at their rivalry. If Hedda was still writing, I'm sure she would be a great supporter of The Donald! 🤮

[@eugenekozma2697]

I have always been fascinated with louella parsons.looks like some of those photos are of her daughter harriet.

[@rachelclark7782]

Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds did not have a life long fight, they were once best friends. Taylor and Reynolds fought because Taylor had an affair and later married Reynolds husband Eddie Fisher. They made up later in life and resumed the friendship.

[@thomasswafford250]

I think they both realized what a jerk they had married.

[@EYE_GOTCHA]

Your thumbnail depicts Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons’ daughter, Harriet, not Louella herself. 🙄

[@MothGirl007]

They look nothing alike, either.

[@arnepianocanada]

Vocabulary please! Hopper and Parsons *wielded* such power (not yielded, an almost totally opposing word).

[@wandahall4435]

I Loved Hedda's book 📖

[@eugenekozma2697]

I read both of her books.

[@brendaleverick3655]

Very interesting! I think Hopper and Parsons should have tried to be friends.

[@arnepianocanada]

*Research please!* It's widely known that Taylor & Reynolds made up on an ocean liner, then were together in Carrie Fisher's TV movie "These Old Broads. Taylor willed Reynolds some expensive jewelry. NOT a lifelong feud.

[@dereklwashington1132]

Harpies!

[@tadshea3011]

Nasty they were they acted like Royalty now they are both shoveling hot 🔥 coals

[@briankleinschmidt3664]

Of course it was nonsense. Never blackmail a murderer.

[@arnepianocanada]

*Research please!* Debbie Reynolds & Liz Taylor famously settled their feud. Friends again for decades, they made a film These Old Broads scripted by Debbie-daughter/Liz-stepdaughter Carrie Fisher.

[@AC-ze1nh]

Absolutely! Elizabeth was half out of her mind with grief and Eddie obviously had been bored in his marriage for years. Elizabeth made amends with Debbie and she was forgiven. It was super sketchy that Eddie went for his dead best friend's widow in the first place and Debbie recognized that.

[@frederikvansteen3971]

More sleaze, pls. 👍👍👍

[@dapperdoggy]

Your dialogue and pictures are totally out of sync and thus confusing.

[@DCFunBud]

That is NOT Louella Parsons on the thumbnail photo.

[@seethevolcane]

FAKE NEWS: The Louella Parsons Col did NOT appear in LA Times. It ran in Hearst's EXAMINER.

[@notmypotato3730]

The black list was a great idea. We need one NOW!!!!

[@eagleeye2300]

Harpies is right.

[@ms.georgiannagrantham132]

I think the two was working together underneath the table. Head and tail. Like 325

[@debraahumphrey5155]

He was a bad woman she didn’t deserve give me a call on us because she treated everybody like trash

[@adoreslaurel]

How come she wasn't "wasted?"

[@danielstanwyck2812]

several of your photos a few inaccurately stating hopper and parsons have nothing to do with the. very poor

[@paulmason6474]

I reckon they got back handlers etc

[@huseyinzengin8710]

Monsters

[@ricardorussell6046]

Monster vs. Monster, evil vs evil. Not. Nice at all., And they probably really hated each other , like all of sinful Hollywood hated them. Vicious circle. Why insult harpies!!!!

[@jmj7599]

no doubt they'd both be working for fox news today

[@johna.4334]

Err .more like CNN aka "Fake News"

[@michaelmcgee8543]

It was.

[@johna.4334]

It was what?

[@michaelmcgee8543]

@@johna.4334 Forgot to complete sentence . It was interesting.

[@lisamcandrews8594]

I wonder what their religious background was. If they had any

[@tomkellycartoons]

Satan Worship.

[@nadyarossi5102]

Jewish.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Louella came from a Jewish family.something she never admitted.when she was a little girl her family attended episcopal churches because there were no synagogues in the small towns she lived in.louella eventually converted to the catholic faith.i think she was Mia farrows godmother.hedda hopper came from a quaker family.

[@ferociousgumby]

This was OK and the narrator fairly soothing, but the SUBSCRIBE button CONTINUALLY popping up with that annoying WHOOSH-ing sound is just obnoxious. Don't insult us - we only need to be told ONCE, and as a matter of fact, I don't see why KZbinrs still say that in every video. WE KNOW, WE KNOW, YOU WANT SUBSCRIBERS. Try turning out quality material, and the subscribers will follow. Also, do NOT patronize and insult your viewers by pounding on the "subscribe" bit six or seven times in a 17-minute video.

[@Darrigrande]

The two ladies simply provided what the people wonted to read. They wouldn´t be famous if the people weren´t so avid to read gossip!

[@tomkellycartoons]

No excuse. “There wouldn’t be slavery if people didn’t want it.” See how wrong that sounds.

[@Darrigrande]

@@tomkellycartoons There was slavery because white people with pover wonted.

[@montseargemi1922]

Please, could you translate this video into spanish? Many thx

[@hangin-in-thereawesome4245]

Fake

[@johna.4334]

"Fake" as in "fake news" as in CNN

[@mackermaldrill2656]

They both ruined Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate's career.

[@johna.4334]

He never had a career -get real!

[@mackermaldrill2656]

@@johna.4334 That may be so, but they way he smacked those big lips and choppers, would have made him a natural fit at some carnival sideshow.

[@johna.4334]

@@mackermaldrill2656 Baba Booey, Stuttering John, Jackie Martling, Scott the sound engineer were all puppets for Howard Stern. He played them against each other and was very successful. But to say these clowns had any talent and could stand on their own two feet would be incorrect.

[@mrbeaverheaven2495]

Cancel culture lol

[@stuartlee6622]

Hedda Hopper was a Great Patriot. She helped get rid of most of the communists infesting Hollywood. She also was a good friend to the Jewish people trying to flee the Nazis. She shamed Hollywood when none of the moguls wanted to get involved. A Great American; she is missed.

[@Nikes62]

Who asked her to??

[@tomkellycartoons]

Missed by whom? She was a monster.

[@catherinelw9365]

She got rid of nothing. She was a low-life, petty, vindictive woman.

[@andreas31]

Any gossip columnist is just sleazy trash. Poverina....

[@nadyarossi5102]

She destroyed the careers and lives of many fine, talented artists. She drove some to suicide. She was proud of her cruelty.

[@kaiballington55]

Stop with the second class citizen BS

[@johna.4334]

Huh?