Who is Denham Fouts, Barbara Hutton, Montgomery Clift, Tallulah Ban from Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel and what is their importance?

Throughout the book, the narrator describes encounters with several "real life" individuals that include the gigolo and writer's muse Fouts, socialite Hutton, movie star Clift, theater stars Bankhead and Winwood, columnist Parker, former First Lady and fashion icon Kennedy. Other, similarly famous and wealthy individuals are also referred to as intimate partners of which those that are listed here, however, are the most prominent. In the case of all such individuals in the book, there is the very strong sense that the narrator is engaged in "name dropping," the practice of an individual using the names of the rich, famous, or established in order to make him/herself seem more important and/ or impressive. The sense here is that Jones, who clearly sees himself as being inferior and/or an outsider, is trying to impress both himself and his readers by making a point of listing who he knows and demonstrating how well he knows them.