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Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed
From Donald Bogle, the award-winning author of Hollywood Black and leading authority on Black cinema history, this is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive and lavish biography of Hollywood’s first African American movie goddess.
Lena Horne’s life and career are truly remarkable in American film history. She was the first Black performer to become a true star—to receive the kind of glamour treatment at the fabled MGM that the studio had previously given to the likes of Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner. At the same time, Horne dealt with endless indignities, not the least of which was the fact that her roles in films was often as a musical performer, which allowed her numbers to be easily stripped out of films without affecting the narrative when played to audiences that would find her presence undesirable.
At long last, Lena Goddess Reclaimed gives the star her due. Through a highly informed and insightful narrative based on interviews, press accounts, studio archives, and decades of research, the book sheds new light on the star's compelling life and complicated her activism; her accomplishments and heady triumphs in movies, television, and nightclubs as she broke down long-standing barriers for Black individuals—especially Black women—and her solemn, sometimes bitter disappointments, both professional and personal. Illustrated by stunning photos (some published for the first time), this is the ultimate book on the icon.
Lena Horne’s life and career are truly remarkable in American film history. She was the first Black performer to become a true star—to receive the kind of glamour treatment at the fabled MGM that the studio had previously given to the likes of Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner. At the same time, Horne dealt with endless indignities, not the least of which was the fact that her roles in films was often as a musical performer, which allowed her numbers to be easily stripped out of films without affecting the narrative when played to audiences that would find her presence undesirable.
At long last, Lena Goddess Reclaimed gives the star her due. Through a highly informed and insightful narrative based on interviews, press accounts, studio archives, and decades of research, the book sheds new light on the star's compelling life and complicated her activism; her accomplishments and heady triumphs in movies, television, and nightclubs as she broke down long-standing barriers for Black individuals—especially Black women—and her solemn, sometimes bitter disappointments, both professional and personal. Illustrated by stunning photos (some published for the first time), this is the ultimate book on the icon.
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Published October 31, 2023
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About the author
Donald Bogle
26 books29 followersDonald Bogle is one of the foremost authorities on Black representation in films and entertainment history. His books include Running Press's Hollywood Black; the groundbreaking Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks; the award-winning Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams; the bestselling Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography; and Brown Sugar, which Bogle adapted into a PBS documentary series. He was a special commentator and consultant for Turner Classic Movies’ award-winning series Race and Hollywood. Bogle teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He lives in Manhattan. — Running Press
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 25, 2024
Lena Horne Goddess Reclaimed is a beautiful coffee table book filled with gorgeous pictures of one of the most gorgeous women to ever live. It's a biography told through words and pictures. One look at Lena Horne will prove how racist Hollywood is. If Ms. Horne had been white looking as beautiful as she did with that talent she would have been Elizabeth Taylor famous. But because she was Black and refused to pretend to be Spanish or Italian she never got the career she deserved.
I can't remember the first time I saw Lena Horne but it was probably on a rerun of The Cosby Show or in The Wiz. I as a Black kid just always remember knowing who she was. I do remember the first time I was taken with her beauty, I was nine years old and my mom showed me Cabin in the Sky. Cabin in the Sky is one of my all time favorite movies.
Is it problematic and racist??
YES.
But it's also a great movie filled with amazing performances. The movie is white Hollywoods view of Black people in the 1940s so it's very of its time but I still love that movie. And Lena Horne, Eddie Anderson, Rex Ingram and Ethel Waters are incredible.
I loved learning about Lena Horne's life which I didn't know much about and I especially loved all the beautiful pictures of Lena Horne.
I can't remember the first time I saw Lena Horne but it was probably on a rerun of The Cosby Show or in The Wiz. I as a Black kid just always remember knowing who she was. I do remember the first time I was taken with her beauty, I was nine years old and my mom showed me Cabin in the Sky. Cabin in the Sky is one of my all time favorite movies.
Is it problematic and racist??
YES.
But it's also a great movie filled with amazing performances. The movie is white Hollywoods view of Black people in the 1940s so it's very of its time but I still love that movie. And Lena Horne, Eddie Anderson, Rex Ingram and Ethel Waters are incredible.
I loved learning about Lena Horne's life which I didn't know much about and I especially loved all the beautiful pictures of Lena Horne.
January 8, 2024
I listened to this audiobook and it was a struggle to finish. Boyle *may* be a good writer, I don’t want to judge too harshly in this one book, but as a narrator he is rough. Take for example his pronunciation of “Carnegie” as in Carnegie Hall, is appalling. The stops and starts of his reading and multiple pauses make for a disjointed narration. One has to ask how someone of his literary caliber could turn out such a lacklustre performance.
January 5, 2024
Never cared for Lena as a vocalist and thought her acting chops were limited(even with the sorry scripts she had to endure)
But Bogle did a great job of detailing what Ms. Horne and all black entertainers had to dodge in order to be successful(?) in their careers.
The photos are FABULOUS!
But Bogle did a great job of detailing what Ms. Horne and all black entertainers had to dodge in order to be successful(?) in their careers.
The photos are FABULOUS!
April 22, 2024
After loving Bogle’s biography of Dorothy Dandridge decades ago, I had hoped for a similarly deep examination of Lena Horne’s life, particularly her relationships. I once saw an interview with her on “60 Minutes” where she admitted (I think to Ed Bradley?) that her anger about race made her a difficult person to be with, and that she had struggled to see certain people in her life as just people, rather than white people (her husband in particular) and that she often found it difficult to accept love. This book didn’t deliver those kinds of insights. There was some discussion of her mother’s showbiz life which caused Horne to be away from her mother much of her young life, but so much of the book was a career overview rather than a search for the person underneath it all.
The book claims that she didn’t connect immediately with most men, the exceptions being Billy Strayhorn, whom she wanted to marry and who she called the love of her life, and Vincente Minnelli, whom she also considered marrying to help further her Hollywood career because it might have looked good being married to a white man. The only thing is, both of these men were gay! Although the didn’t stop Minnelli from marrying Judy Garland and having a daughter with her.
There is great detail about her MGM years. She lived above Sunset where many white stars lived, not in West Adams where many black stars lived. Many neighbors were not happy about this. She had difficulty getting proper star treatment in the hair department so Sidney Guilaroff did her hair himself, forging a lifelong friendship. Ethel Waters, entering middle age, was unhappy with Lena’s ascendance and became difficult on the set of “Cabin in the Sky”. Waters may have suffered a pyrrhic victory, as she was placated on set but then didn’t get another film for 5 years. Horne’s refusal to appear in the Broadway musical “St. Louis Woman” caused her career at MGM to cool, despite protestations from Mayer and others. Then she was listed in the Communist baiting “Red Channels” as a possible supporter of Communism (she was not, but many African Americans in the 1930s and early 1940s saw the socialist movement as possibly the best bet to gain anything approaching fairness and equity in America). It is open to interpretation whether Lena ever had a real shot at playing Julie in “Show Boat”, but that disappointment, along with censure and the Blacklist, caused Horne to give up on Hollywood stardom.
She became huge in nightclubs, theater revues, and recording. Later she made a few appearance in television that were usually huge cultural moments, some of which are not listed by Bogle, like her appearance in “Sesame Street” that led to her appearing in the first season of “The Muppet Show”, which in turn signaled to big Hollywood stars that it was a respectable show in which to appear. In 1951 she had done ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “Your Show of Shows” and even the anti-Communist Sullivan did not take the “Red Channels” accusation seriously. Hearst NewsCorp tried to stir up trouble about her Sullivan appearance but CBS, MCA and advertisers stuck by her. She appeared to have won the battle, but lines in the culture war were drawn. She eventually, with Sullivan’s help, issued a statement repudiating the kind of involvement with the Communist party that she had seen in Paul Robeson. But this throwing an old friend under the bus was viewed as a last ditch effort to save her career. In 1953 she then enlisted the help of Roy Brewer, the anti-Communist president of IATSE who named names to HUAC in the late 1940s. She wrote a 12 page letter to Brewer, disavowing any friendships in question and claiming to have been exploited for her fame by such Communists. Brewer then forwarded this letter to studios, networks, and the FBI.
Her singing and recording evolution is tracked, and Bogle strongly advises the reader to seek out “Lena & Gabor” (also known as “What What Happens”) which was her 1970 album that took her in a new direction in musical choices. Out of 10 songs, four are Beatles covers, all of them excellent. Sonically it occupies a space between Michel Legrand and bossa nova. Not available on iTunes, expensive to buy on out of print CDs, I went to my local record store and bought an LP for $4.99 and I can’t stop listening to it. Sublime. To summarize, the two things I got out of this book are this LP, and Lena’s history of getting out from under the Blacklist. Both very important to know!
The book claims that she didn’t connect immediately with most men, the exceptions being Billy Strayhorn, whom she wanted to marry and who she called the love of her life, and Vincente Minnelli, whom she also considered marrying to help further her Hollywood career because it might have looked good being married to a white man. The only thing is, both of these men were gay! Although the didn’t stop Minnelli from marrying Judy Garland and having a daughter with her.
There is great detail about her MGM years. She lived above Sunset where many white stars lived, not in West Adams where many black stars lived. Many neighbors were not happy about this. She had difficulty getting proper star treatment in the hair department so Sidney Guilaroff did her hair himself, forging a lifelong friendship. Ethel Waters, entering middle age, was unhappy with Lena’s ascendance and became difficult on the set of “Cabin in the Sky”. Waters may have suffered a pyrrhic victory, as she was placated on set but then didn’t get another film for 5 years. Horne’s refusal to appear in the Broadway musical “St. Louis Woman” caused her career at MGM to cool, despite protestations from Mayer and others. Then she was listed in the Communist baiting “Red Channels” as a possible supporter of Communism (she was not, but many African Americans in the 1930s and early 1940s saw the socialist movement as possibly the best bet to gain anything approaching fairness and equity in America). It is open to interpretation whether Lena ever had a real shot at playing Julie in “Show Boat”, but that disappointment, along with censure and the Blacklist, caused Horne to give up on Hollywood stardom.
She became huge in nightclubs, theater revues, and recording. Later she made a few appearance in television that were usually huge cultural moments, some of which are not listed by Bogle, like her appearance in “Sesame Street” that led to her appearing in the first season of “The Muppet Show”, which in turn signaled to big Hollywood stars that it was a respectable show in which to appear. In 1951 she had done ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “Your Show of Shows” and even the anti-Communist Sullivan did not take the “Red Channels” accusation seriously. Hearst NewsCorp tried to stir up trouble about her Sullivan appearance but CBS, MCA and advertisers stuck by her. She appeared to have won the battle, but lines in the culture war were drawn. She eventually, with Sullivan’s help, issued a statement repudiating the kind of involvement with the Communist party that she had seen in Paul Robeson. But this throwing an old friend under the bus was viewed as a last ditch effort to save her career. In 1953 she then enlisted the help of Roy Brewer, the anti-Communist president of IATSE who named names to HUAC in the late 1940s. She wrote a 12 page letter to Brewer, disavowing any friendships in question and claiming to have been exploited for her fame by such Communists. Brewer then forwarded this letter to studios, networks, and the FBI.
Her singing and recording evolution is tracked, and Bogle strongly advises the reader to seek out “Lena & Gabor” (also known as “What What Happens”) which was her 1970 album that took her in a new direction in musical choices. Out of 10 songs, four are Beatles covers, all of them excellent. Sonically it occupies a space between Michel Legrand and bossa nova. Not available on iTunes, expensive to buy on out of print CDs, I went to my local record store and bought an LP for $4.99 and I can’t stop listening to it. Sublime. To summarize, the two things I got out of this book are this LP, and Lena’s history of getting out from under the Blacklist. Both very important to know!
February 22, 2024
In American film history, Lena Horne's super bright radiance shines. Donald Bogle calls her "the first Black performer to become a true star." He's written Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed," in what his book sleeve calls "a first-of-its-kind comprehensive and lavish biography of Hollywood's first Black movie goddess."
Horne's legacy includes success with radio, movies, television, records, and Broadway. Her first big Broadway role was in the 1957 production of "Jamaica" with Ricardo Montalban.
The array of pictures in "Goddess Reclaimed" is massive. This is an amazing collection of photographs, many not seen before. You aren't getting just a coffee table book. You'll discover much more than glossy pictures in this huge, physically large, 10 inch by 8 inch biography released in 2023.
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The eighteen chapters of the book cover "Brooklyn, The Cotton Club, MGM studios, Red-Baiting, Red Channels, The Blacklist," and plenty more.
By mid twentieth century, author Donald Bogle notes that "the nation had become consumed by fears and paranoia about a communist threat to democracy and freedom. In 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee had begun investigations and hearings on the ways in which the Communist Party had infiltrated American entertainment…"
A list was created in 1950 including 151 people believed to be communist sympathizers. "Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television" included several African American names, among them Langston Hughes, Hazel Scott, Fredi Washington, and Lena Horne.
Bogle says it was a blacklist that "the studios, television and radio networks, and the theater world paid close attention to. Those artists listed were to be denied employment because of their support of "subversive" causes."
Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed" is a five star biography, written conversationally. Most fans of Black History will thoroughly enjoy it. Lena's love life is fascinating. Her marriages, and her affairs with Joe Louis, Orson Welles, and others provide juicy fare.
The "New Era, New Stars, New challenges" chapter is extremely interesting. Anecdotes fly from the press, about Lena and her supposed fresh competition from "serious rivals." Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Dorothy Dandridge, Earth Kitt, and Diahann Carroll are performers who were starting to gain traction in the 1950s. Their reactions, Lena's thoughts, and tabloid tales fanning the flames are analyzed.
Final thoughts. I’ve never seen The Wiz, so I watched it commercial free on a streaming service the night before writing this just to see Lena Horne's performance.
By 1978 when Motown released the movie, Lena was sixty-one years old. Her screen time in the story is brief. Donald Bogle has a nice section about The Wiz in “Goddess Reclaimed," and Lena Horne's interaction with Diana Ross during the production of the film.
Horne's legacy includes success with radio, movies, television, records, and Broadway. Her first big Broadway role was in the 1957 production of "Jamaica" with Ricardo Montalban.
The array of pictures in "Goddess Reclaimed" is massive. This is an amazing collection of photographs, many not seen before. You aren't getting just a coffee table book. You'll discover much more than glossy pictures in this huge, physically large, 10 inch by 8 inch biography released in 2023.
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The eighteen chapters of the book cover "Brooklyn, The Cotton Club, MGM studios, Red-Baiting, Red Channels, The Blacklist," and plenty more.
By mid twentieth century, author Donald Bogle notes that "the nation had become consumed by fears and paranoia about a communist threat to democracy and freedom. In 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee had begun investigations and hearings on the ways in which the Communist Party had infiltrated American entertainment…"
A list was created in 1950 including 151 people believed to be communist sympathizers. "Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television" included several African American names, among them Langston Hughes, Hazel Scott, Fredi Washington, and Lena Horne.
Bogle says it was a blacklist that "the studios, television and radio networks, and the theater world paid close attention to. Those artists listed were to be denied employment because of their support of "subversive" causes."
Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed" is a five star biography, written conversationally. Most fans of Black History will thoroughly enjoy it. Lena's love life is fascinating. Her marriages, and her affairs with Joe Louis, Orson Welles, and others provide juicy fare.
The "New Era, New Stars, New challenges" chapter is extremely interesting. Anecdotes fly from the press, about Lena and her supposed fresh competition from "serious rivals." Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Dorothy Dandridge, Earth Kitt, and Diahann Carroll are performers who were starting to gain traction in the 1950s. Their reactions, Lena's thoughts, and tabloid tales fanning the flames are analyzed.
Final thoughts. I’ve never seen The Wiz, so I watched it commercial free on a streaming service the night before writing this just to see Lena Horne's performance.
By 1978 when Motown released the movie, Lena was sixty-one years old. Her screen time in the story is brief. Donald Bogle has a nice section about The Wiz in “Goddess Reclaimed," and Lena Horne's interaction with Diana Ross during the production of the film.
August 15, 2024
I enjoyed it. In comparison to STORMY WEATHER by James Gavin, I can't say there was necessarily a lot of new information, instead told in a more detailed perspective regarding her career specifically with specific highlights and points of her career and life. And if nothing else, it really draws out and focuses on how *strong* (underline strong) of a woman and personality Ms. Lena Horne was, and how much she was NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING to play with. Loved this read and would recommend it to anyone wanting to read/know/learn more about Lena Horne.
November 13, 2023
I greatly enjoyed "Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed" written by the peerless researcher/writer Donald Bogle. If any readers out there would like to learn more about Ms. Horne's life and career, the book is highly recommended.
January 10, 2024
Very light hearted you could tell me is a fan . nothing scorpions even well known clashes with other entertainers Like Ha,do Scott . But as usual he is a great writer and researcher but I wasn't fufillec
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2024
I enjoyed this book. Some things I knew from watching old interview, but I learned so much more about the era, and the other celebrities of that era. She was a determined woman. She made the best of her talent, and beauty.
December 5, 2023
A bit gushy fanboy at points. Decent survey of her life but no fresh insights.
January 4, 2024
A very very interesting book about a fascinating and extremely talented woman!!!!
November 6, 2025
Great pics and good information, but the author fawns over the subject so unapologetically that it's unreadable - the title itself should have warned me, but I tried - and I gave up.
Too bad, because her beginnings and relationship with Billy Strayhorn were very interesting. I just couldn't take all the syrupy praise poured out on her on just about every page. The author needs to take a deep breath before writing stuff like this. Ugh!
Too bad, because her beginnings and relationship with Billy Strayhorn were very interesting. I just couldn't take all the syrupy praise poured out on her on just about every page. The author needs to take a deep breath before writing stuff like this. Ugh!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews