Time for tea with Leslie Johansen Nack - author of the upcoming The Blue Butterfly

Time to sit and share a cuppa with Leslie Johansen Nack, author of The Blue Butterfly published by She Writes Press and available on 3 May. Welcome Leslie to Great Reads & Tea Leaves. I so much enjoyed reading your book and am happy to share some insights with readers today. 

Firstly, tell us briefly what the book is about.

It is New York 1915, Marion Davies is a shy eighteen-year-old beauty dancing on the Broadway stage when she meets William Randolph Hearst and finds herself captivated by his riches, passion and desire to make her a movie star. Marion learns through trial and error to live as Hearst’s mistress when a divorce from his wife proves impossible. A baby girl is born in secret in 1919 and they agree to never acknowledge her publicly as their own. In a burgeoning Hollywood scene, she works hard making movies while living a lavish partying life that includes a secret love affair with Charlie Chaplin. In late 1937, at the height of the depression, Hearst wrestles with his debtors and failing health, when Marion loans him $1M when nobody else will. Together, they must confront the movie that threatens to invalidate all of Marion’s successes in the movie industry: Citizen Kane.

🦋What makes you passionate about Marion Davies? 

I caught the inspiration to write about Marion Davies years ago while on a tour at Hearst Castle. It struck me deeply that Marion had been dismissed both in Hollywood and in the history of Hearst Castle. I couldn’t name any of her movies, and although I knew she was the mistress of the late, great William Randolph Hearst, and hostess of some amazing parties at Hearst Castle, I didn’t know much else. Who was she really? 

The passion stuck around through the writing of my first book until I was ready for my next project. The inspiration never left me. 

🦋Why hasn’t Marion been included in the “best of” lists in Hollywood? 

I think the legacy of Citizen Kane has everybody still believing that she was a drunk, talentless bore. Sixty years after her death, her reputation does seem to be improving a bit slowly. People are starting to take another look at her and her movies, and the choices she made in her life, and learn about her. I hope to be part of restoring her reputation by giving people information and letting them look behind the glitz and glamour of all that Hearst money. 

🦋Do you think Marion will ever overcome the shadow Citizen Kane cast? 

I’m hoping she does. I wrote the book so people can see who she really was. Condemning somebody because they are portrayed a certain way in a movie seems wrong. Why should we believe Orson Welles portrayal of her? He didn’t even know her. 

🦋What inspired you to write about Marion Davies? 

On a tour at Hearst Castle the docent said something like Marion Davies loaned William Randolph Hearst $1 million dollars when Hearst was near bankruptcy. It stopped me cold. When has a woman in 1937 ever saved a man as powerful and rich as William Randolph Hearst? How is that possible? Who is this woman? Why don’t we all know this story? 

🦋What do you think about the age difference between Marion and Hearst? 

I think it’s a big age difference. Nobody can defend it. He was 52 and she was 18 when they got together. Is he any different than Charlie Chaplin marrying a 16-year-old? Or Picasso at age 46 having an 18-year-old mistress? 

I think what makes it different perhaps is that Hearst and Davies stayed together for 34 years, until his death. She tended him until the very end, and he tried to give her the world. They loved each other. 

🦋Do you think we can still admire Marion even though she had affairs on Hearst?  

Admiration is a funny thing. When I was writing this book, I discovered things about Marion that were less than admirable. I struggled with those things. One of them was that she didn’t do more for women and help get the vote for women, using her power and money, but she was newly in her relationship with Hearst, and she was only 21. 

Hearst made choices, so did Marion. They had a modern relationship. They loved each other and were together but they also had other lives as well. Hearst had five children and I admire him more knowing he spent time with his children, even if it cost him in his relationship with Marion. He had to leave Marion for holidays and summers and be with his children and their mother (whom Hearst did not want to be married to any longer). It’s a tough situation. Hard to judge from the outside. Marion took care of herself. Her passion for comedy and the romantic attentions of Charlie Chaplin led her to have an affair. I don’t disrespect her or look down on her for this. Would it be appropriate here to mention that men have been having affairs with women all through history and are we asking this question of them? Do we respect Pablo Picasso or Frank Lloyd Wright for having affairs on their wives and having a mistress? No. So let’s not have a double standard. Marion was human and she was an adult. I admire her greatly for everything she accomplished and for how devoted she was to Hearst. 

Well thank you for your time today. For historical fiction lovers this is a must read for 2022, perfect read for fans of Old Hollywood and all things drama, showcasing the dazzling golden age of the film industry and peeking behind the curtain of the rich and the famous. This timeless, heavily researched novel follows Marion Davies and her 34-year relationship with William Randolph Hearst, including a secret child, harrowing family excesses, a love affair with Charlie Chaplin, and the movie that stole Marion’s legacy… (Plus, look at that drop-dead gorgeous cover 😍). I think readers will find the rise and fall of Marion Davies inspiring, infuriating, and overall captivating.

Thank you for the lovely tea break and chat Leslie. Congratulations on the upcoming release of your new book next week and I can’t wait to see what you offer your readers next.