Double Life

October 10, 2011
This entertaining, invigorating story of Shayne and Sunshine's enduring relationship seems like something from off the silver screen. Their relationship began in 1958 when homosexuality was considered a disease; at the time of their first meeting, the divorced Shayne was trying to cure himself of his homosexuality via deep analysis. Shayne, an aspiring actor at the beginning of the book, became a casting director, and, eventually, the president of Warner Brothers Television. Sunshine started out as a freelance illustrator in New York and developed into an accomplished painter, media consultant, and Emmy Award winner. Despite their career successes, the couple lived a less-than open life. In 1968, when Sunshine admitted to a New York Times reporter that he lived with Shayne, they were met with deafening silence from colleagues and friends. The authors include entertaining stories about stars, from a young Marlon Brando, to a generous Rock Hudson, to a bitter Lena Horne. As much a love letter as a look at how society's views on homosexuality have changed over the last 50 years, this is a fascinating book.