In 1935, Merle Oberon became the first biracial actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, an incredible achievement in then-segregated Hollywood -- except that nobody in Hollywood knew Oberon was biracial. Born in Bombay into abject poverty in 1911, Oberon's fate seemed sealed in her racist colonial society. But a series of events, lies, men and an obsession with controlling her own image -- even if it meant bleaching her own skin -- changed Oberon's path forever.
This episode was written and performed by Halley Bondy, a writer and journalist whose work has appeared on NBC, The Outline, Eater NY, Paste Magazine, Scary Mommy, Bustle, Vice and more. She's an author of five young adult books plus a handful of plays and is a writer / producer for the podcast "Masters of Scale." She lives in Brooklyn with husband / cheerleader Tim and her amazing toddler Robin.
The Hard Hollywood Life of Kim Novak — 10th anniversary restoration
Introducing: Talking Pictures from TCM and Max
Eyes Wide Shut, Part 2, and the Sexiest Man Alive in 1999 (Erotic 90s, Part 21)
Eyes Wide Shut, Part 1 (Erotic 90’s, Part 20)
90s Lolitas Volume 3: Wild Things, Cruel Intentions and Britney Spears (Erotic 90’s, Part 19)
90’s Lolitas Volume 2: Adrian Lyne’s Lolita (Erotic 90’s, Part 18)
The Lynch Family: Boxing Helena & Lost Highway (Erotic 90’s, Part 17)
Crash and David Cronenberg (Erotic 90’s, Part 16)
“Lesbian Chic”: Bound and Anne Heche in Wild Side (Erotic 90’s, Part 15)
Introducing: Glitter & Might
Showgirls, Jade, and the fall of Joe Eszterhas. (Erotic 90’s, Part 14)
The Last Seduction, Disclosure, & Fear of the Female Boss (Erotic 90’s, Part 13)
Sliver and Sharon Stone as Superstar (Erotic 90’s, Part 12)
Indecent Proposal (Erotic 90’s, Part 11)
Sex, Erotica and Body of Evidence (Erotic 90’s, Part 10)
Red Shoe Diaries and sex on TV in the 90s. (Erotic 90’s, Part 9)
90s Lolitas, volume 1: Drew Barrymore, Amy Fisher and Alicia Silverstone (Erotic 90’s, Part 8)
Murphy Brown, Dan Quayle and Damage (Erotic 90’s, Part 7)
Basic Instinct (Erotic 90’s, Part 6)
The Blanks From Hell: Fatal Attraction’s Children (Erotic 90’s, Part 5)
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