TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD – Book Review: A Body to Die For

A Body to Die For

A very recent book came out on the beautiful Hollywood star, Joi Lansing. Born in 1929 with the real name of Joy Rae Brown in Salt Lake, City, Utah she made her first major Hollywood movie, ‘When a Girl’s Beautiful’ in 1947 and continued throughout her short life and her last film was ‘Bigfoot in 1970.

A Body to Die ForAll in all, she appeared in over 30 movies including, ‘Easter Parade’, ‘In the Good Old Summertime’, “Singing in the Rain’ and ‘A Hole in the Head’ with Frank Sinatra.

The author, Alexis Hunter was also her lover and constant companion for the final years of her short life. Joi died as a result of breast cancer in 1972 at the age of 43.

Besides being a Hollywood actress, Joi also performed on television and did nightclub performances. In her movies, she was frequently dressed in skimpy costumes and bikinis that showed off her ’34D bust’. She was often compared to Mamie Van Doren and Jayne Mansfield. Among the dozens of television shows that she appeared in were: I Love Lucy, Where’s Raymond ?, Petticoat Junction, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Beverly Hillbillies and Bat Masterson.

A Body to Die ForHowever the book delves into the private lives of Joi and the author. Joi had been married and was still married to her last husband but the author, Alexis Hunter became a strong force in her life. The husband lived in another residence as Joi and Alexis lived together. When Joi was diagnosed with breast cancer, the two women really bonded as one and what a beautiful story it was.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys the story of two people (in this case, two women) in love and the trials of trying to overcome what society did not appreciate. They even had to tell the world that Alexis was Joi’s young sister as they traveled around the country. This book is a true love story. Whether straight or gay or lesbian, readers will really enjoy this book. We recommend it highly. ‘JOI LANSING: A Body to Die For’ can be purchased thru Amazon.com

Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone!

TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married).

Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/

Las Vegas Gay Travel Resources

Leave a Comment