Used in the Exhibit: Play by Play - A Century of L.A. Sports Photography, 1889-1989 Actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (seated) chats with two mixed-doubles teams (clockwise from far left) tennis players Lester Stoefen and Bill Tilden and actresses Paulette Godard and Judy Garland. "Big Bill" Tilden dominated tennis during the Roaring 1920s, becoming the first American male to win Wimbledon. He was known for his "cannonball" serve, a term first used to describe his blazing (estimated at 150 miles-per-hour) serve. After retiring, he lived in Hollywood and gave lessons to film stars. (One of his favorite courts belonged to Godard's husband, Charlie Chaplin.) While the conservative mores of the times demanded that Tilden hide his homosexuality, he is remembered today as one of sports' elite gay athletes. Photo dated: June 11, 1940.
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