Earl Blackwell
Tells All

“Are you interested in the nocturnal habits of the famous? Then let Celebrity Services inform you that Betty Grable and Harry James sleep in a double bed; that Ray Milland sleeps in pajama tops only and that Paulette Goddard sleeps in the skin God gave her.”

Earl Blackwell and Ted Strong founded this curious institution that they called Celebrity Services, Inc. in 1938 – figuring, as they did, that

“Today America has more celebrities than it can keep track of and Celebrity Services aims, simply, to keep track of them.”

The organization had done such a bang-up job and gained such credibility as a celebrity sleuthing concern that it wasn’t long before the wives of America’s luminaries were contacting them wondering if they had any ideas as to where their wayward husbands might be found. The FBI also relied upon them from time to time for enlightenment. Their offices were jammed with boxes filled to the brim with absolute minutiae regarding the lives of 50,000 big shots: Hollywood, Broadway, Washington etc., etc, etc:

“Celebrity Services’ office is a busy hodge-podge of files, cross-files, indices, cards folders, stuffed pigeonholes, telephones, confidential memos address books, private dossiers and fat envelopes.”