Jimmie Shields

Jimmie Shields (born James Shields Fickeisen; May 24, 1905 – March 6, 1974) was an American interior designer and film actor, best known as the longtime partner of silent film star William "Billy" Haines.^[1] Their relationship, which lasted nearly 50 years, is frequently cited by historians as the first "openly gay" relationship in Hollywood history.^[2]

Shields was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Irwin Fickeisen and Ida Belle Shields.^[3] Following his parents' divorce, he adopted his mother's maiden name as his surname.^[3] He was the older child between an middle younger sister, Virginia "Jenny" Fickeisen Conrad, and a younger brother, Joseph Sherwin Haselden. He served in the U.S. Navy from April 1924 until October 1925, when he received an honorable discharge after contracting meningitis.^[3]

Shields met Haines in New York City in early 1926.^[1] Haines, then a rising star at MGM, convinced Shields to move to Los Angeles, where he helped him find work as a film extra and stand-in at MGM.^[1]

In 1933, studio head Louis B. Mayer reportedly gave Haines an ultimatum: enter a "lavender marriage" to conceal his sexuality or lose his career.^[4] Haines chose to stay with Shields, effectively ending his time as a leading man in Hollywood.^[1] The couple remained together for 47 years, earning the nickname "the happiest married couple in Hollywood" from their close friend Joan Crawford.^[5]

After leaving the film industry, the pair founded William Haines Designs, a premier interior decorating firm.^[1] While Haines was the public face, Shields was a vital partner in the business.^[1] Their Hollywood Regency style became highly influential, with a client list that included Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, and Frank Sinatra also political figures including Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan during Reagan's tenure as Governor of California.^[1][6]

They decorated the Winfield House, the U.S. Ambassador's residence in London.^[7]

In 1936, the couple survived a violent attack at their beach home in Manhattan Beach by a mob, reportedly members of the Ku Klux Klan, after a neighbor made unfounded accusations against Shields.^[1][8]

William Haines died of lung cancer on December 26, 1973.^[9] Shields, who was reportedly struggling with the onset of Alzheimer's disease and profound grief, took his own life on March 6, 1974, by an overdose of sleeping pills.^[10][11] His suicide note stated, "I now find it impossible to go it alone, I am much too lonely".^[12] He was interred next to Haines at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica.^[13]

• Adrich, Robert; Wotherspoon, Garry (2002). Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II (2nd ed.). Psychology Press. ISBN 0-415-15983-0.
• Dennis, Jan (2003). Manhattan Beach Police Department. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-738-52089-6.
• Golden, Eve (2001). Golden Images: 41 Essays on Silent Film Stars. McFarland. ISBN 0-786-40834-0.
• Mann, William J. (1998). Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 978-0670871551. OCLC 243900007.
• Prono, Luca (2008). Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-33599-0.
• Stern, Keith (2009). Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. BenBella Books. ISBN 978-1-935-25183-5.