THE GOOD - THE BAD - AND THE VERY UGLY by SONDRA LOCKE : MISTRESS MANIFESTO BOOK REVIEW

SONDRA LOCKE

THE GOOD, THE BAD, and the VERY UGLY - A Hollywood Journey

Sondra Locke has an innocent wistful quality to her looks, and she's a very spiritual in a New Age kind of way, seeing ghosts, believing in synchronicity, signs, and portents. Yet, like many people who have psychic abilities, she had not a clue about what was really going on in her life with long term lover and keeper, Clint Eastwood, until it was a shock. She was maybe the last to know.

They met on a set for a film he hired her for, had an affair, and it lasted - and was good- for a long time - years. In that time she had two abortions and a sterilization, to do it Clint's way.

Now, Clint was clearly married when they met and so was she - to a gay man from her home town who she apparently always held in high regard. They both went their own way with other partners and did not divorce for years. Sondra at times contributed to his support. Clint knew all that.

Clint was married, straight, and a father. But IT TURNS OUT HE WAS ONCE KEPT BY A GAY MAN early in his career!

Though Sondra Locke was and is an actress, her relationship with Clint was first and foremost, and though she was paid - poorly - for her work in his films, she was loyal to him, loved him, and gained some benefits. When he was out of town she busied herself with decorating and refurbishing a house of her dreams - which Clint owned and she came to think of as her - their - house.

She lived the life of a wealthy woman, a woman who had other people - Clint's people - to take care of a lot of things so she could focus on a major redecorating project. She got used to him coming and going, being here, there and everywhere. She was in shock and denial for a long time. After all, she and Clint had been a couple in his - their -social life for a long time and now some of those friends, catching change in the air, were stepping back, not wanting to be involved or only suggesting she needed a lawyer.

Sondra Locke writes intelligently, honestly, and with the perception of what happened after the fact. It sounds like Clint got tricky and nasty when he wanted out (or her out of their Los Angeles house, one of many) and that he had been dishonest with her for a long time too.

One of the problems many mistresses have is getting recognition for the value they have in a man's life and having that translated to finances. (Remember we are not discriminating here in saying a woman - a man. We know there are kept homosexual people and heterosexual men kept by women!)

IT WAS IN THE TRADITION OF THE EUROPEAN (KINGS) IN DAYS GONE BY THAT A WOMAN BE COMPENSATED FOR THE TIME SHE SPENT WITH HER ROYAL, especially if she gave him children; being a mistress kept a woman out of the marriage market though sometimes she was married off into a cover marriage. Because all mistresses are not dependent women and the things women do are often thought of as free, it becomes a feminist issue.

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The book is C 1997 by Sondra Locke William Morrow is the publisher.\

Note January 2024  I'll be excerpting from Sondra Locke's book during this revisit to past posts.  I hadn't before.  Missy