not long after arriving in los angeles, southern met a young canadian-born actress and dancer, gail gerber, on the mgm backlot. gerber, who used the stage name gail gilmore, was working as a dancer on an elvis presley movie, and she also had a non-speaking role in "the loved one". southern and gerber soon began an affair. the relationship intensified during july/august 1964, and after southern's wife and son went back to east canaan, southern and gerber moved in together in a suite at the chateau marmont hotel.