Faded Glory: Dusty Roads Of An FBI Era

Actor Armie Hammer's Distortion of Clyde Tolson's

FBI Record - Hollywood Lies...

“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best–make it all up–but make it up so truly that later

it will happen that way.”— Ernest Hemingway 

If readers are looking for historical accuracy regarding the alleged sexual relationship between the Director and Clyde Tolson, and any supposed inner torture Hoover lived with, the short answer is you’re simply not going to find any. The only thing one will find are decades of rumor and personal opinions, even bizarre ones at that, that have been told for so long, some are accepted as fact. Everything about their supposed relationship and Hoover’s tortured soul can be summed up in one word............ conjecture. In some cases, readers will find outright lies. 

If you add the recent movie “J. Edgar” to the equation, you’re no further along than if the movie had never been produced.

The portion of the trailer/intro of the above movie that states “Based On/Upon A True Story” is ridiculous because along with the portrayal of Eastwood and Dustin Lance Black believe existed in the relationship, there are a variety of historical inaccuracies in the movie. All of it causes one to ask, “Exactly what true story are they referring to?” 

The supposed homosexual relationship between FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover and his #2 man, Clyde Tolson, coupled with the "cross dressing" allegations with Hoover, is an eighty year old tale of rumors and not one of them could ever be substantiated by the critics and those of the Left who were despised by Hoover (and the conservative public). Comments about Hoover being gay are nothing new. Anyone looking, will find out that many go back as far as 1929 by not only media reps who opined about "the way he walked," and dressed but gangsters like Alvin Karpis too who must have found some bravado in his media remarks.   

There’s no doubt that the allegations of the “cross dressing” which surfaced in the early ‘90s fueled the lingering fire of the rumors that existed for decades. Surprisingly today, many including the well educated, are prone to believe the drag queen/cross dressing story without knowing the first thing about the origins and the reliability of it. Personally, I would venture a guess that if author, Anthony Summers, never brought up the cross-dressing affair, the decades old rumors would have died a natural death in the public eye. That's how absurd they were...  

Today, as was the case yesterday and the day before, there isn’t any reliable historical record, photograph or witness, of either the homosexual relationship or the cross dressing allegations. The cross dressing allegation has been debunked by historians for the last decade, but it’s not uncommon to hear our friends and neighbors relying on it. Since it’s been in the mass media, and even the classrooms, since 1993, “it must be true.” Today, there is not one reputable journalist, author, or historian who believes the story put forth by Anthony Summers in his book.  But it only took many of them about fifteen or more years to admit that! At least for those who will admit it...

It also took that long for many to ask about the Summers' allegations, "Why haven't the compromising photos supposedly held by the Mafia ever surfaced?"  Simple: They don't exist and never have. Does anyone have any idea how much money could have been made by anyone having such photos of Hoover? Or how much damage this type of evidence could do?

Realistically, let's face it, do any of our educated, rational readers here actually believe that FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover showed up at a party held by Roy Cohn dressed in some type of a pink dress? In the presence of others who could have easily been witness to it all?  All of it shows the absurdity of the critics and the levels to which they are willing to go.  

Having proof of nothing, "J. Edgar" director Clint Eastwood and his scriptwriter, Dustin Lance Black, knew one thing; they were going to have to pose the Hoover and Tolson “affair” as one being “in the closet.” The early to mid 20th century opposition to homosexuality, coupled with the loss of positions within the FBI if discovered, would be the perfect cover. Suffice it to say, they knew it would be a convenient argument and a "perfect storm." Since Black himself was admittedly gay, he would be the "expert" of how Hoover handled it all. Taking years of rumors and adding a dash of the cross dressing charade and a tortured soul, Norman Bates (Psycho - movie) would be proud.

“People who write fiction, if they had not taken it up, might have become very successful liars.”—Ernest Hemingway 

The research Eastwood and others did regarding Hoover and Tolson was reckless. Hollywood "liberties" is an understatement once again. Armie Hammer played Hoover's #2 Man, Clyde Tolson.  But Hollywood in their usual style not only has their own opinions, but their own set of facts too.  

My open address regarding G-Man actor Armie Hammer's distortion of the facts surrounding Clyde Tolson's FBI application, some of which he used in the movie, and later in TV interviews  can be seen by "clicking here." It will download to your computer. 

If you cannot open it for some reason, the .pdf copy is here.

Readers are free to disseminate this but do so in its entirety.  Neither the LA Times nor other major newspaper editors elected to publish it.  Then again, who would have expected anything less...

Larry Wack

FBI - (Ret.)