Confidential Facts About Robert Harrison, The Master Of Scandal
The next time you pursue TMZ or People magazine for a little celebrity gossip, take a moment to wonder where it all started: with a man called Robert Harrison and his magazine Confidential. The thing about Harrison was that he’d do just about anything for a juicy tidbit—and pay almost any price. And if there were no story? He’d just blatantly lie. He became one of Hollywood’s most feared men and even inspired a movie: LA Confidential. For fun, let’s turn the tables and shine the light on Harrison, himself. Let’s see what scandals of his own these facts will uncover.
1. He Was The Baby
Robert Harrison—born on April 14, 1904 in New York City—was the only boy in the family. His three older sisters had a choice: they could make their little brother’s early years miserable, or they could dote on the little guy.
Thankfully they chose the latter. Instead of making him a spoiled child, however, it turned him into the opposite—a very positive person.
Besides having a sunny disposition, young Harrison was also quick to forgive. It wouldn’t be long, however, before a nasty situation would test this.
2. He Refused To Pay
At an early age, Harrison knew he wanted to be a writer. When he was just 12, he put together something called Harrison’s Weekend Guide, which was a list of roadside inns in his area. My first question is: without being old enough to drive, how the heck did Harrison even know about roadside inns? Sadly, when Harrison went off to the printers to pick up his share of the profits, the printer flatly refused to give him any.
The good-natured Harrison somehow managed to forgive the printer. Harrison did, however, walk away from the experience with a lesson—you can only trust your family.
3. He Dove Right In
High school didn’t really fit into Harrison’s life plan, so he walked away before finishing it. It wasn’t long before he got his start in scandal. He was soon hired as a copy boy at the New York Evening Graphic, a publication that tended to focus its stories on the seamier side of life. While working there Harrison met Walter Winchell, who had amassed a following by printing scandalous stories about famous people.
These weren’t, however, harmless gossipy tidbits. Winchell’s stories would sometimes ruin careers. Winchell would go on to have a huge effect on Harrison’s career—and not in a good way.
4. He Moved Up
Yes, Winchell was a mentor, but Robert Harrison was still stuck in the copy room. In 1932, Harrison finally got to write something. One of his first stories was about a showgirl in the Ziegfeld Follies. And what was special about her? Instead of clothes, she only wore balloons. It may have been a fluff piece, but Harrison was finally writing and was on his way to becoming a real reporter.
