GAY ICONS CHARLES PIERCE and BETTE DAVIS! 7 VIDEOS, 21 PHOTOS!

August 1, 2009
1969 San Francisco culture held a passion for “male actress” extraordinaire, Charles Pierce, whose dead-on impressions of Bette Davis, and other strong women of the Silver Screen, caught the attention of the gay and straight press alike. I first discovered Charles Pierce when the San Francisco Chronicle’s star columnist, Herb Caen, quoted one of Pierce’s jokes word for word, after publicly declaring he had been to the “ribald” show the night before and had enjoyed it immensely.
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Photo of one of many vintage playbills for Charles Pierce, who preferred to be called a male actress

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Although at the time I was involved in a pre-Stonewall militant homosexual protest in the city’s financial district, where I’d been fired for being openly gay, I took time off from the Gay Revolution to check out Pierce’s cabaret act. Leo Laurence and I, who together Co-Founded the world’s first militant gay organization, the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (precursor to the Gay Liberation Front), went to see Charles Pierce together, after word got out that he had mentioned our activism in his show.

Photo of me (Gale Chester Whittington, right) and my comrades picketing States Steamship Company in San Francisco in May of 1969 (pre-Stonewall)

Well, kind of. What we heard he said was, “I was skipping through the financial district the other day, when I saw a group of homosexuals protesting at a steamship company. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, it was broad daylight. What if their makeup melted?”

Photo of Charles Pierce as Bette Davis in blue sequins from http://www.bochynski.com/charlespierce/

The Gilded Cage was packed as tight as a sardine can, an item I was getting to know rather intimately, considering how inexpensive the nasty things were at Walgreen's and how broke I’d become. After buying a couple of draft beers, we wormed our way through the crowd until we were about fifteen feet from the stage.

Charles Pierce as Charles Pierce photo

A voice came over the loudspeaker. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Master and Mistress of Surprise and Disguise, Charles Pierce!”

“Peetah, Peetah, Peetah,” Charles Pierce began, as he stepped onto the stage, looking for all the world like a haggard Bette Davis the morning after a wild night partying with one of her handsome co-stars. “Peetah, Peetah, Peetah, got to get myself some peetah!” The audience went crazy with laughter.

Photo of Charles Pierce as Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? the campiest movie ever made

“Welcome to the Gilded Cage, kiddies!” Pierce sauntered over to a piano and ran a white-gloved finger across the top. Raising a smudged digit in the air, he smiled, cupping an ear with the other hand.

The people in the crowd yelled in unison, “Whaaaaat a duuump-p-p-p!”

Although Charles Pierce was celebrated for his Bette Davis impersonation, his repertoire included a bevy of Hollywood stars including lesbian actress Tallulah Bankhead, his right-on interpretation pictured above

“You’re such a good bunch,” Pierce retorted. “I’d kiss ya, but I just washed ma hair.” He marched back and forth across the stage, scanning the audience. He stopped, lit the trademark Bette Davis cigarette, and blew what seemed like never-ending smoke toward the audience. The spotlight hit the particles, highlighting them, feeding them, until they seemed larger than life—more important than they really were. But they defined Bette Davis and Charles Pierce. Perfectly.

Charles Pierce developed a successful line of hilarious greeting cards, like this one which featured a photo of him as Baby Jane Hudson.

Charles opened his purse, flipped the latch on a compact, and proceeded to apply ruby red lipstick to his mouth until his character’s undefined lips doubled in size. “Ya know, some of my best critics say I’m a dead ringer for Bette . . . and they can’t wait for me ta stop wavin’ the damned bell and fall over . . . Think about it . . . I’ll pause while it sinks in. Give ya a clue—’snot a compliment.”

The crowd roared.

Photo of Charles Pierce and comedienne Martha Raye, with whom I once had a beer at a drag charity function in Denver. She loved gay people and they loved her!

“On a different note, I was strollin’ through the financial district the othe’ day, when I saw a bunch of queens picketin’ a steamship company. Could not believe my eyes. I mean, it was broad daylight. What if their makeup melted? I know that’s not much of a joke, but I just had ta throw something out there about it, considering we have a special guest in the audience.”

Ann-Margret and Charles Pierce photo

Oh, my God, I thought to myself. He’s going to embarrass the hell out of me. I need another drink—fast! Oh, God! Where can I hide?

The spotlight wandered through the room until its beam bounced off my face, totally blinding me. I nodded and smiled with quivering lips at people I couldn’t see, while Charles Pierce continued. “Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Rosa Parks of the gay movement, the young man who was fired by Statesmen’s Steamship Company and stood up for his rights! Gary Willingham, take a bow!”

Photo of Charles Pierce with Heather Tom and Chad Allen, who's currently starring in the here! TV Network's gay detective series, The Donald Strachey Mysteries. I had no idea Chad was that old!

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Even though I hated it when people got my name (Gale Whittington) wrong, I told myself it was the Revolution that mattered, not my moniker . . . or my so-called notoriety! The loud applause shocked my ears. My face heated up like a three-alarm fire. Walls seemed to be closing in. I’m not cut out for this famous stuff, anyway, so who cares about the name? I told myself. They can call me Howdy Doody if they want.

Pierce moved a hand to shade his eyes and looked my way. “I must say, Gary, when I saw your shirtless picture in the Berkeley Barb with the ‘HOMOS DON’T HIDE IT’ headline, I didn’t know whether to pleasure myself or call the paper for your phone number!”
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Charles Pierce, Betty White and Rudy Behlmer photo. I did know Betty was that old, bless her Golden heart!

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Finally, the spotlight reverted to the entertainer. “Remember, kiddies, you must nevah call me a transvestite or, gawd fo’bid, a common draaaag queen, for I am a male actress, an entertainer, not someone dressed up in sequins on her way to a ball! And speaking of actors, let’s hear a round of applause for another special guest. Pierce glanced toward the left side of the audience and smiled. Ya thought chya could sneak in here incognito, didn' chya? Well, no such luck! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Psycho himself, Anthony Perkins.”

The spotlight homed in on the white-suited actor, as he stood next to an attractive black woman, her ivory linen pantsuit accented by dangling diamond earrings.

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Photo of Charles Pierce camping it up with vintage but venerable comedienne Cloris Leachman

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“Tell me, Master Bates, does Mother approve of your running around with beautiful Hollywood females? I should think not! Ladies and gentlemen, the sensational songstress, Miss Leslie Uggams, currently starring in The Boyfriend across the Bay in Berkeley!” The spotlight broadened, lighting both faces. The whole room took on an aura of a dream as I downed another glass of beer. Not that I had a drinking problem . . . or anything.

Fading into the night, the last thing I remember hearing was Leo Laurence whispering, “Who’s Gary Willingham?”
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Charles Pierce with the legendary Lucille Ball photo

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Part of the above story is from my San Francisco memoir, BEYOND NORMAL: The Birth of Gay Pride, about which you can find more information here.
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Bea Arthur and Charles Pierce photo. They became best friends after Pierce moved to Hollywood

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Charles Pierce’s first paying gig was at Altadena, California's Café La Vie in 1954. Because archaic laws against cross-dressing were in force at the time, Pierce performed in a tux with feather boas, hats, and pocketbooks as props. Ann Dee, of Ann's 440 Club in San Francisco, saw Pierce and got him started on the cabaret circuit. In 1962, he began a long stint playing at the Gilded Cage. He moved to North Hollywood after leaving San Francisco in his later years because he found he could entertain even bigger audiences there, as well as hob nob with his many actress/actor friends. He died at his home in North Hollywood in 1999 at the age of 72.
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Photo of Charles Pierce with Joan Rivers in Rabbit Test (1978) as Queen Elizabeth II. The whole world knows Joan Rivers is that old!

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His tribute website is worth checking out, as it’s filled with tons of photos of him with famous entertainers who enjoyed his brand of humor: http://www.bochynski.com/charlespierce/
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Charles Pierce with scantily-clad shirtless hunks in Torch Song Trilogy (1988) photo

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He appeared in several movies, including Joan Rivers' Rabbit Test (1978) as Queen Elizabeth II, and in Torch Song Trilogy (1988) as Bertha Venation. He was on numerous television shows, among them Wonder Woman, Fame, Laverne and Shirley, Designing Women, Starsky & Hutch, and Love, American Style.

Buy the book about his life, From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce, here. Photo of the book cover pictured above

Photo of the official poster of the documentary Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis by Black Summers Productions, LLC

A new film about Bette Davis recently premiered at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. It’s called Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis by Black Summers Productions, LLC. Visit their website here to learn more about the documentary. Although I’ve not seen it, as I now live in Oklahoma, their press says the 99-minute movie “examines the many aspects of the gay fascination with Bette Davis, featuring film clips of Bette's most iconic moments, juxtaposed with camp burlesques of her by Matthew Martin and others, including Charles Pierce and Arthur Blake; a profile of Martin highlighting his long identification with Davis; and interviews with fans, entertainers, and gay cultural historians.”

Second poster promo for Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis film photo

Producer Carole Summers told me they are working on a trailer, so keep your eyes on this website, as I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s available. (Update: The trailer is now finished and you can view it at the bottom of this post!) Carole also said the film may be accessible for upload on Amazon and/or Netflicks soon and will definitely be out as a DVD by 2010. I’ll let you know when those things happen, because one can never get enough of Bette Davis, be it through the real thing or channeled through one of her many impersonator devotees. (UPDATE 12-11-09. the DVD is now available for purchase from the Black Summers website).

Photo of the cover of vintage VHS Video of The Charles Pierce Show, part of which is now preserved on YouTube below

Thank God for YouTube! Enjoy this Video of “Charles Pierce at the Los Angeles Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1982 Part One” as Bette Davis:


Watch the second Video “Charles Pierce at the Los Angeles Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1982 Part Two” as Bette Davis:


Check out this Video of Charles Pierce Mastering the Voices of Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Jack Benny, Carol Channing, & Others from a San Francisco Radio Interview:


Watch the hilarious Video of Charles Pierce Doing the Voice of Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in “Turban Ladies”:


Watch this video, “R.I.P. Charles Pierce (1926-1999),” and try not to cry:


To put it all in perspective, watch this video of “The Real Bette Davis in All About Eve”:

Enjoy “The Best Lines of Bette Davis” Video, although it’s not completely inclusive:

And finally, catch this Trailer for Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis:

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Photo of multi-colored burgundy and pink leaf on Tropicanna Canna Lily plant from the author's free flower photo website http://www.freefishcaretips.com/photos128

Also visit http://www.galechesterwhittington.com/ for free humor, short stories, poems, and book excerpts from the award-winning gay author

==copyright 2009==