Milford Langan (better known as Milly) and his wife, actress Lillian (Lilly) Sinclair. Dan had worked as an usher at the local movie theater in Tyler and went west with dreams of making it big as an actor. However, Dan didn’t get off to a good start when Milly caught him sharing a joint with Lilly and had him arrested. However, Lillian bailed Dan out the next day, and he took up residence in the cabana on Milly’s estate. He also took up entertaining Lilly frequently in that cabana. Dan also acquired a new name, Dexter Gaines, and began his ultimately short-lived acting career.

And Introducing Dexter Gaines is written along two parallel timelines. Most of the novel takes place during the two years Dexter lived with Milly and Lilly on their estate. That experience didn’t end well, although readers won’t learn how or why until the book’s conclusion. A few chapters take place in 1994, after Milly’s death, which occurred on June 17, better known as the date of O.J. Simpson’s Bronco chase. Dan (the Dexter name long abandoned) returns to Hollywood for Milly’s funeral. Lillian had committed suicide a decade earlier. Dan is shocked to discover that Milly has named him as the sole heir to his still sizable estate. Milly’s reasons are then revealed as the book progresses.

The book contains several surprises, with the most significant one occurring about halfway through. Usually, I would avoid any hint of a spoiler for a substantial plot detail like this. However, the author’s biography and the book’s marketing campaign have pretty much given it away. (The author refers to the book as Sunset Boulevard meets Brokeback Mountain.) Ironically, the author first self-published Dexter Gaines in 2014 under the title City of Whores (a phrase that appears in the book). That version didn’t sell well, so the author revised it, found a publisher, and re-released it. My guess is that the big secret came as more of a surprise to those reading the first version of the book.

The author’s reference to Sunset Boulevard is apt here. That classic film begins with the death of the protagonist, and the rest of the movie gradually reveals how that happened. In Dexter Gaines, readers immediately learn that Dexter’s relationship with Milly and Lilly ended about two years later. The author then spends the rest of the novel revealing how the relationship developed and deteriorated. This story is classic Hollywood melodrama, and the author revels in describing Dexter’s roller-coaster emotions. Mostly, the story is juicily entertaining for those who enjoy soap opera-styled melodramas. However, the author goes overboard at times. The result is corny, repetitive dialogue (and internal monologues, since Dexter narrates) that sometimes borders on silliness.

Beyond the soap operatic plot, the genuine joy in reading And Introducing Dexter Gaines lies in its period detail. The book is a loving tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Besides the three central characters and their relatives, almost every other character in the book is a real person. This isn’t a case of mere celebrity name-dropping; many of them play a significant role in the story. Tallulah Bankhead has a substantial supporting role here as Lilly’s closest friend and Dexter’s confidante in a pivotal scene late in the book. For those who remember Bankhead only for her campy late-career appearance on the Batman TV series, Dexter Gaines reveals far more of the talent and personality of that remarkable actress.  

Even the throwaway vignettes in this book are a delight for film buffs. Milly gives Darryl Zanuck a lecture on the future of television. Dexter and Cyd Charisse dazzle the patrons at a fancy nightclub with a complex dance routine. Later, a nervous Dexter gets a bit part as a steward in Titanic and spills a cup of hot soup on Barbara Stanwyck. Dexter’s first significant film role is an even worse disaster when he accidentally lights co-star Anne Francis’s dress on fire. Famous Hollywood locations also show up in Dexter Gaines, such as the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery, where Lilly’s beloved dogs were buried.

The author thoroughly researched his subject. He includes a two-page bibliography of his source material in the Acknowledgements. His sources include memoirs and biographies of many celebrities featured in the book, such as Tallulah Bankhead, Darryl Zanuck, Robert Wagner, Tony Curtis, and Vivien Leigh. Biographies of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter provide insight into the hidden side of Hollywood as well. The result is perhaps the most realistic fictional description of that era in Hollywood I’ve ever read.

And Introducing Dexter Gaines is a must for film buffs, especially those who watch TCM regularly or love the Golden Era. Those who enjoy soap operatic melodrama should also appreciate the book, although the author’s dialogue is occasionally overwrought. I also gained a better understanding of what it meant to be a gay celebrity during that era (although I’m not sure how realistic the portrayals are in the book). Dexter Gaines’s fictional career came and went quickly in this version of Hollywood, but hopefully, this chronicle of that career will fare much better with readers.  

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.