From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce

Learn how Charles Pierce achieved stardom and became one of the most famous female impersonators of all time!Charles Pierce (1926--1999) was an internationally known and highly successful female impersonator, known for his vivid portrayals of Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, and Mae West. This book offers a candid look at a career that spanned over fifty years--from his humble start at the Pasadena Playhouse, to his sold-out shows in San Francisco.From Drags to Riches provides a rich and colorful history of Charles Pierce. In this insightful and moving volume, Pierce’s friend John Wallraff offers valuable insights about the little-known man behind the makeup and captures the essence of what drag stardom is really like. This informative, imaginative, and sexually provocative book contains: stories of how famous Hollywood icons shaped Charles Pierce’s life and his act Pierce’s history, from his humble beginnings at the Pasadena Playhouse to his sold-out shows in San Francisco and beyond a look at Pierce’s private life an examination of the price of fame--how successes and failures shape any performerUsing the words of Charles Pierce himself, adding a dash of humor, mixing in fascinating insights, and sprinkling in juicy stories of love, lust, and sex, this book is a melting pot of information about a well-loved but sometimes misunderstood man.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Prologue 1. “A Wonderful Idea” 2. A Movie Star on Wheels 3. Pasadena Playhouse—At Last! 4. Extracurricular Lessons in Sex 5. “Make Me a Star!” 6. Stars in My Eyes 7. Summer Stock and Shangri-La for Awhile 8. The Rent Party 9. Charles Pierce, the Persistent Houseguest 10. A Mahvelous Pahty 11. A Naked Moon Dance and the Little Retreat Where Alcoholics Meet 12. The Big Break and Sex on the Rocks 13. “Everybody Came to the Gilded Cage” 14. “Through These Portals . . .:” 15. Rio Dante, the Man Who Would Be Dracula 16. “The Beverly Hill Nellies” and How They Grew 17. In Love with a “Living Doll” 18. In Bed with “Bette Davis” 19. Chicken-in-the-Nude, Cock Tales, and Other Assorted Orgies 20. Chez Sabu and La Ballet de Marijuana 21. “Mother Didn’t Tell Me There’d Be Nights Like These!” 22. Death in the Dressing Room 23. Gold Street and Touched by an Angel—Of Death! 24. “No, I’m Not the Girl in the Fishbowl at Bimbo’s” 25. The City Cabaret and Disco—The Times They Were A-Changin’ 26. The Backlot—And the Real Miss Bette Davis 27. An Evening at “Dottie’s Place” 28. Charles Pierce Takes New York—And New York Loves It! 29. “The Tush Room at the Hotel Yuck” 30. The Venetian Room—“Top o’ the World, Ma!” 31. Wild at The Ballroom—Farewell to New York City 32. Is There Life After Drag? 33. Charles Pierce: Male Actress 34. Letters from the End of the Rainbow 35. Farewell, Old Friend: The Last Charles Pierce Show Epilogue Notes Index

About the Author :
John Wallraff