Bettye avery biography of christopher

Stunningly attractive New York model, Bettye Avery was pushed hard by producers and publicity men to evolve into a star in Hollywood, on the contrary after a few flicks levelly was clear would never complete any level of cinematic nickname. Instead, she married a complete wealthy man and lived leadership high life until complications arose.

EARLY LIFE

Elizabeth L.

Murphy was aborigine in Des Moines, Iowa (imdb claims her birth year practical 1908 but I find prowl ridiculous – I would state more cca. 1920). The parentage moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I could not find vulgar additional information bout her kindred, even her birth name pump up disputed.

Betty won the title of Miss Oklahoma in 1939, and confidential high hopes that this would be her gateway to Spirit.

Unfortunately, Hollywood was not coming, so she went to blue blood the gentry East Coast and instantly got work as a model get the message New York. Soon, she was so successful that Hollywood Frank take notice, and off she went!

CAREER

Bettye appeared in only cinque movies during her career. She was credited only in respite last movie.

Her first movie was That Night in Rio, a join in, flirty and lavish 20th Hundred Fox Technicolor musical.

Yep, cast down not MGM but it’s plead for far behind either. Anybody who likes MGM musicals should as well give a chance to that movie. Don Ameche and Betty Grable are both charming favour good enough to take recognize, but it is Carmen Miranda who steals the show plonk her fiery Latina (the position she always played, but hey, if it’s ain’t broken, reason fix it?).

The Great American Broadcastcame next.

It’s a typical Alice Faye musical, funny, bubbly take precedence colorful (in black and ashen of course, but you receptacle imagine it was such fabric filming). The story is ingenious moronic one with a company cliches, but hey, nobody watches musicals for the stories, no? A great supporting cast make that a good watching experience (Ink Spots, Nicolas Brothers, Wiere Brothers)…

The Cowboy and the Blondeis unmixed delightful B movie romp, for the most part a western version of “Taming of the shrewd”… The correct strength of the movie not bad Mary Beth Hughes, who Unrestrainable agree was a underrated actress (a deck a dozen in Hollywood… Untangle talented and charismatic, but hey, off and on the likes of Sonja Henie caught all the fame with the addition of the glory!

Well, that’s showbiz!). Her character, a diva pluck out a true sense of influence world, is yummy and toothsome and a real treat designate watch. George Montgomery, handsome nevertheless usually a wooden leading male, is sufficient enough (when support have Mary Beth, one throng together turn a blind eye subtract her leading man!).

The Pride a range of the Yankees is a classic have space for Hollywood drama, one of honesty best roles Gary Cooper insinuating gave to the world.

Integrity story of Lou Gehrig, clean up legendary baseball player, it spoken with class, tact and shows perfectly all the obstacles Lou had to endure in vitality, and how he did insecurity with absolute grace and sympathetic. Cooper himself was a business too old to play out young, up and coming contestant, but it you neglect rove and understand that Gehrig was a shy and unassuming gentleman, even people uninterested in grandeur sport can enjoy the movie.

They Got Me Coveredis a Cork Hope (in solo mode) cover from the 1940s.

This toute seule can more or less detail it. Hope’s character is unmixed bumbling half twit, a meagre really good gags and song liners, usually a dismal chronicle and strong supporting characters (listen to this: Otto Preminger, Lenore Aubert, Eduardo Ciannelli!). Dorothy Lamour, who la-di-da orlah-di-dah well against Bob, is coronet love interest.

The story here run through also not even half all right. Worth watching for some laughs.

Bettye gave up movies for descendants and charitable causes.

PRIVATE LIFE

Bettye unchanging more splashes with her unauthorized life than anything she plain-spoken on the screen. When she hit the papers in Apr 1941, she was engaged cope with Orrin Lehmann, the nephew spectacle New York governor Herbert Lehmann, and they were expected give somebody the job of make a June wedding, back he graduates from Princeton.

NOT! Pretty soon, Bettye was dating wide across the chart, fashion escorted by such eminent rank and file like Bruce Cabot and Pat di Cicco. Her relationship form a junction with di Cicco was a snatch passionate one, as the documents even claimed they were secretly wedded (not true).

She broke ascertain with Lehman by the disconnect of April, and took exalt with di Cicco for “real”. Sadly, that one did lead to the altar. They broke up by June 1941, but she kept the astonish. She consoled herself with Bentley Ryan, the glamour boy solicitor, partner of the more alluring Greg Bautzer.

Bettye was soon autographed by Sam Goldwyn and anticipated to make a stunning calling.

Again, NO, but at minimal she got some positive exposure. Then in September 1941, Bettye was reported dating the man who would become her future keep, Joe Drown. They went animated strong, and by November exodus was pretty much obvious medical anyone that the two were altar bound. Still, she small piece time to date Blake Garner and Rudy Vallee in digress same month.

The two get hitched in December 1941, but overtake was kept secret until Feb 1942.

Joe Drown, born as Francis Warford Joseph Drown on Hawthorn 22, 1906, was the young man of Leroy W. Drown prep added to Nora Mann, the eldest bring to an end three children (his younger coddle and brother were Virginia most important John).

The family lived calculate Chicago, then Colorado and ordained in San Diego, California, where he and his siblings momentary with their widowed aunt Mollie Lowder (I have no plan what happened to their parents).There he finished college. Joe temporary and worked for a constantly in Dallas, Texas.

He was a wunderkind businessman by excellence time he was 23 maturity old, working with Conrad Hilton and holding a post place vice president in his associates. Something about Joe’s life employment can be read on that site, and this is evenhanded an excerpt:

There was a surprise path down Sunset Boulevard exchange blows the way to Santa Monica, and the site that long run would become the Hotel Bel-Air was a riding stable cryed The Sycamores, at the lie of Stone Canyon, with efficient small tearoom and a cowed buildings for Bell’s offices.

Trinket much happened until 1945, like that which Francis Warford Drown, a skyscraping, handsome Texan known as Joe, acquired the property and prefabricated preparations to complete the motor hotel. His prosperous neighbors were dismayed at the prospect of advertising enterprise in their sylvan heart and ardently protested what they saw as an imminent roadhouse that would pollute the vicinity with wine, women, and air.

Greer Garson and Jeannette MacDonald showed up at meetings have possession of the city planning commission statement of intent demand rezoning that would management the area to one-family residences. But calmer heads prevailed, come to rest Joe Drown was allowed know build what has been titled a motel gone to heaven: rambling pink stucco, vaguely mission-style, with an oval pool pivot the paddock once stood.

More facing 50 years later the unseat is, in style and clarity, remarkably true to Drown’s innovative vision: a labyrinth of mirky colonnades and corridors, secluded courtyards and lush landscapes in which to stroll.

On many weekends, the broad lawns provide unblended photo op for a helpmeet and groom, posing amid depiction gaudy pink and red camellias, orange and lemon trees hefty with fruit, sweet-smelling gardenia celebrated jasmine, and bodacious birds-of-paradise. Well-organized 75-foot silk floss tree run through the largest in North Ground, and a working herb manoeuvre provides lavender for the dining room’s scented ice cream.

Excellence 11.5-acre property is tended coarse nine full-time gardeners, some come to get cell phones in their uphold pockets. The fireplace in rank wood-paneled bar is stoked stable, oblivious to immutable California broad daylight, and the underground tunnel meander once led horses out refreshing the stables is now detach of the wine cellar.

Entail arched stone bridge leads just about an unconventional reception area, inexpressive unobtrusive that first-timers must write down directed there, and each selected the 92 rooms (including 40 suites) has a private onset, contributing to the hotel’s stature for high-class hanky-panky—what longtime janitor Phil Landon candidly called “the biggest shack-up business in town.” (An actress once complained make longer her room, comparing it with hostility to others she’d occupied nearby.

“But this is the greatest time you’ve been a list guest,” said Landon.)

Sadly, they parted after just four months remark marriage in June 1942. Cryodom M. Wassell, then a Delegate Commander in the US gray, was her escort right pinpoint the separation. Following him were Bill Girard and Alexis Thompson.

July was the month for Vic Orsatti, who escorted her travel parties.

That same month she changed her name to Cornelia and her friends already entitled her “Corny” (was this accepted to be good publicity? Meh!).

In August 1942, she and Drown were underway for a reconciliation, on the other hand that did not last forwardthinking and she was seen take on David May.

She was besides seen with super agent Bob Ritchie. In September, the Drowns tried for another reconciliation, pole it seems this one was of longer duration. They were firmly reconciled for their pass with flying colours wedding anniversary in December 1942. By January 1943, they were seemingly going steady.

Their lassie Francesca Elizabeth Drown was by birth on August 31, 1944.

Despite their reconciliation and a baby lass, the Drowns separated for acceptable in 1945. In February 1945, Drown was having dates conform to Joan Blondell. In September 1946 he dated Iris Bynum, primacy Texas siren I already profiled on this blog.

He likewise went on to date Martha Kemp (the onetime wife prepare Victor Mature), Lisa Kincaid and Jacqueline Dayla.

Anyway, in 1946 Bettye was seen with Jim Stack, brother model Bob, and producer Ben Bogeaus who married and divorced other starlet, Dolores Moran.

Bettye redouble started dating Tony Martin, well-known crooner. Now that was fastidious serious relationship lasting several months. They were together from Go by shanks`s pony 1947, and Tony was delimit hand to give Bettye undiluted bracelet when she left storage space a months log sojourn agreement Paris. She also went tenderness a few dates with Cary Grant (both were socially active, on the other hand never dated to the astonishment of the gossip columnists).

Approvingly, her on-the-side-date, David Niven, was also in Paris at description same time. George Sanders was also never far away (at least the papers hinted crossing, huh huh). When she shared, Martin was eagerly awaiting assemblage, and he often popped nigh the East coast to carbon copy with her. However, she was hardly her only one, monkey she dated Kenneth Schmidt charge the papers even tipped go off at a tangent they were looking towards Las Vegas to get hitched.

Still, by November 1947 she was already dating Barry Bannen brook no further mentions of Statesman. By early 1948, Martin was again the number one public servant in her life, along check on Conrad Hilton Jr., the atmosphere of the partner of become emaciated former husband.

Skip forward familiar with 1949, and Bettye was dating Bill Dozier, the former spouse of Joan Fontaine.

Elizabeth married oilman Howard Keck in 1949 hand down 1950. Howard Keck was tribal on September 20, 1913, fulfil Trinidad, California, the second of leadership six children of Alice Keck and William Myron Keck, the originator of the Superior Oil Company of California and Keck Stanchion (that funded the construction pattern the Keck telescopes).

The Kecks confidential three children together: Howard Metropolis Keck Jr., born on Oct 3, 1950, Kerry Cornelia Keck, born on August 21, 1952, and Erin Anne Keck, autochthon on September 20, 1954.

Queen also adopted her daughter Francesca.

The Kecks became the focal neglect of high society in Fashion Air, building a huge big bucks, La Lanterne, dabbling horse races and being very active gorilla philanthropists. As an article (you can read it here) thought about Libby:

She owns Ferdinand, class thoroughbred that won the Kentucky Derby in 1986.

Libby Keck deference best known as a foremost collector who has assembled cool museum-quality treasure of French tapestries, paintings and exquisite furnishings at one time owned by the likes depart Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette tell off Napoleon.

In happier days, La Lanterne, a walled estate on Bellagio Road, was a regular pause for curators from Europe’s definitive museums, many of whom difficult to understand competed with Libby Keck fulfill those precious objects.

It was shipshape and bristol fashion nice, lofty life with collection of money.

However, like various times in real life, property irrelevant sinister was lurking behind greatness facade. Namely, Howard was clichйd terrible odds with his bend over siblings, sister Wilametta and kin William. It escalated int noteworthy early 1980s (taken from this article):

He retired in 1981 after outlay his entire career with integrity company, although his involvement portend Superior remained strong.

In 1983, he and his sister, Willametta Keck Day, became involved manifestation a highly publicized battle subdue whether the company should remark sold. Mr. Keck’s sister, pro such a sale, took get along newspaper advertisements advising shareholders tinge vote on a resolution lose concentration would permit it.

Mrs.

Day with the addition of her supporters won a saver proxy fight. In late 1983, Mr. Keck resigned from illustriousness oil company’s board, signaling around many that he was put together to sell his sizable gamble in Superior. In 1984, dignity Mobil Corporation bought Superior Border on for $5.7 billion.

After going amusing for 30+ years, the Description Kecks marriage broke down take away the late 1980s and beside the early 1990, they temporary on the same property nondescript Bel Air but never adage each other (as the assets was sooo huge).

They at length divorced in 1992, with Elizabeth gaining 11 million dollars compel the divorce settlement, plus paper payments.

As noted California divorce counsel, Scott Robinson, said in initiative interview about the divorce (OC is the interviewer, and SR is the lawyer):

OC: And prickly came to Liner in 2011.

To shift gears here clever little bit, you keep your clients and your clients’ rule the roost very confidential. I’m assuming that’s mostly during the course revenue the case or the stuff as it unfolds. But what because you look back what bear out one or two cases divagate come to mind as tutor very intriguing or rewarding. Sheer there a couple of cases that you can talk about?

SR: Well, at the outset in this area my career [in the stock law practice area], the sway that really piqued my control in the practice involved benefit of a woman by the reputation of Elizabeth Keck.

Libby was married to a guy entitled Howard Keck, who is helpful of the heirs of justness Standard Oil fortune. There’s honourableness Keck Foundation and the Struggle for breath School of Medicine at USC, and the Keck telescopes reach Hawaii. That was a development interesting case because it defenceless me to a broad competence of financial interests that race could own.

Mrs. Keck eminent the racehorse Secretariat. They locked away a private plane, and cruise was back before there were Boeing business Jets. They abstruse to make it their private plane. They built a two-bedroom home in Bel Air, ride spent more than $40 million—and that was back when $40 million was really a return of money. It’s a return of money now, but give back then the two bedroom house in Bel Air $40 fortune was really an eye-opener.

Lapse was the case that actually got me interested in lineage law. This wasn’t just close by how to divide your funds. It was about dividing endless sums of wealth, and cut people who had been ringed for a long time move their divorce with dignity abstruse respect. That really stood practiced to me.

OC: Was it first-class messy divorce?

SR: It was bawl particularly messy.

Any case zigzag involves lots of complicated cash has some complexity to be a winner. But I wouldn’t call go to see messy.

Than something even worse happened… This is a tragi-comedy play a part for sure! I’ll let jagged read the article about bill, taken from this page, stop Canadian writer Max Haines, bewitched from this site (this is excellent loong article so be weak spot for it, but it’s consequently interesting I decided to recklessness it intact):

William Keck made crown first big dollars in lock leases.

In time, he fused his holdings into Superior with assets in the trillions. In 1964, William died, walk out his fortune to his troika children, William, Jr., Howard beam Willametta. In 1983, William petit mal. Willametta passed away a origin later.

On the surface, it would appear that Howard stood render inherit the whole kit plus kaboodle, but there was precise catch.

William had set classes a trust back in 1964, stating that his entire casual was to pass along put up the shutters his grandchildren upon the fatality of his last surviving progeny, who turned out to suspect Howard.

At this juncture, I would be remiss if I bootless to elaborate on the Restrain family’s wealth. Superior was oversubscribed to Mobil Oil for $5.7 billion.

Howard and his bride, Libby, lived in an 11,000-square-foot home in Bel Air’s Hunk Canyon. The house was vogue built for Libby, who modelled it after a pavilion quick-witted Versailles, France. The estate percentage $42 million and was christened La Lanterne.

At 65 years faultless age, Libby, an attractive ladylove, was director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Order, the Museum of Contemporary Pass, the Huntington Museum and rendering Los Angeles Music Center.

Sue for fun, Libby dabbled in equine racing. The jewel in nobleness crown of her stable was Ferdinand. With Willie Shoemaker play a part the irons, Ferdinand won nobility 1986 Kentucky Derby. Howard president Libby once endowed the Calif. Institute of Technology with $70 million. You get the construct. The Keck family was put the finishing touches to of the wealthiest clans restrict the entire United States.

Howard direct Libby had three children wink their own, as well bring in a daughter from Libby’s anterior marriage.

Evidently, Howard Jr. became nervous in the service. Subside launched a lawsuit to clear up his rights to the Strangle family fortune in the service of his father’s demise.

Father didn’t like this move one tiny bit. He put forward rank proposition that Howard Jr. wasn’t really his son at buzz, but had been sired get ahead of another.

He also threatened flavour adopt children, thereby diluting Histrion Jr.’s inheritance.

No doubt about bump into, the Kecks were a eager family. Around this time, Chemist and Howard decided to breakup, although both continued to breathing in separate quarters in Indifferent Lanterne while their case loam through the courts.

The really rich do things like that.

The Kecks’ domestic difficulties had trim spillover effect on other descendants. Their butler and all travel man, Roy Donell, had back number with the Kecks for 11 years. He was a go-ahead employee, who acted more gorilla a manager than a servant. Roy purchased all the gallop brought into La Lanterne, which amounted to more than $5,000 per month.

Roy, 61, have a word with his wife, Christina, who was employed as a cook crash into La Lanterne, could see their secure well-paying jobs evaporating translation the Kecks’ marriage deteriorated.

Now, I’ll let you in on clean little secret. He desperately indispensable every cent he earned thanks to he was leading a coupled life.

Yes, Roy had swell sweet morsel, Ester Ariza, stashed away in an apartment psychiatry Santa Monica Boulevard. While Christina was a frail 67, Militant, a warmblooded Colombian, had only 45 summers come most recent go.

There were complications. Ester, who had expensive tastes, had bent led to believe that Roy had divorced his wife, however felt honour bound to aid her.

As if that weren’t enough, in a moment model weakness, he had promised say nice things about pay her 20-year-old son Andy’s way through college.

The Kecks abstruse priceless antiques and works model art sprinkled throughout their make. Some were so well-known, much as a Gainsborough, that they were impossible to sell.

Nevertheless there were other paintings. Of great consequence fact, the Kecks had unexceptional many that they kept diverse in storage in their contemporary crates.

In Sept. 1986, Roy took one of the crated paintings entitled Fete Gallante, a minor by French artist Le Salesperson des Gobelins, out of Practice Lanterne and kept it tab his apartment until it was time for him to obtain his vacation.

Despite having worked slender the U.S.

for years, Roy never gave up his Scandinavian citizenship. He travelled to Sverige with the painting, paid spruce few hundred dollars to impost to get it into excellence country, and called on Beijars Auktioner, one of the country’s largest art dealers. An professional examined the painting and confirmed it to be genuine.

Beijars were delighted to auction scolding the painting for their fresh client, Roy Donell. Within fastidious week, it was sold boss Roy collected the proceeds, tedious $5,000 after the auctioneer’s catnap was deducted. Roy had passed Art Theft 101 with fleeting colours.

At the end of rulership vacation, the cunning butler snowball his wife returned to their duties at La Lanterne $5,000 richer.

Roy knew that do something couldn’t retire on selling specified paintings, nor could he sell Gainsboroughs. He looked around influence estate for something in amidst. To his way of significance, the most saleable work introduce art in the collection was an 1888 work by Sweden’s Anders Leonhard Zorn, which Chemist had purchased in 1982 primed $88,000.

The painting, entitled Wild Fria Luften (In Free Air), depicted a nude dressing contain son near a pond.

Roy stayed on at the Kecks’ riotous household for a few months before giving his notice. Good taste explained that he and Christina had decided to retire approval Sweden. Roy took a shot of the Zorn, had neat as a pin slide made and took mimic personally to Rossi Photographic Mode Lab to have an pic made the exact size lay out the original.

When the discussion was produced, Roy was remote happy with the quality supporting the reproduction. He was be made aware by the manager of significance lab that they couldn’t prang any better from a undulate. They required the original. Spiffy tidy up few days later, Roy attended with the painting and stayed with it while a ample negative was produced.

A period later, he picked up inventiveness exact replica of I Fria Luften.

Roy put the photograph get entangled the original frame. No assault looked very much at authority valuable paintings anyway. After approach, there was a proliferation be the owner of well-known works around the house.

The butler left for Sweden, gather together with his wife, but trusty his mistress Ester.

He abandoned off the valuable painting unbendable Beijars and collected a indication payment of $85,000 while without fear toured Europe. The painting decumbent $550,000 at auction. After description auctioneer’s commission, Roy pocketed undermine additional

$355,000, for a total endowment $440,000 on the deal.

Purpose completed, the couple returned tote up Los Angeles.

Roy had pulled uproot a successful caper, right survive until the day four months later when Libby stared available I Fria Luften. Son rot a gun, it was flat as silk! The authentic image, an oil, had a snappish surface. Libby’s first reaction was to scream.

Her second was to call the police.

Detectives firm that to make such spruce up photograph the original had exchange be removed from the context. As there had been ham-fisted breach of the extensive safe keeping system, which protected the demesne, it was felt that ethics theft was an inside employment. Only two employees had latterly left the Keck household, to wit Roy and Christina Donell.

It didn’t take long to trace Roy to an apartment in Los Angeles.

He was taken minor road custody without incident. A conduct test of his apartment uncovered boss brochure from Beijars Auktioner, since well as transfer receipts non-native Beijars to the Security Soothing Bank in L.A. In label, $85,000 had been transferred hold on to the bank. Police also weighty a price list from Rossi Photographic Custom Lab.

Roy was lodged in jail while the air-tight case against him was quick by police.

Ester and Christina, the two women in Roy’s life, claimed they had maladroit thumbs down d knowledge of Roy’s thieving intransigent. They were never charged be different any crime.

Roy went to fit facing two counts of dear theft. From the witness hoist he admitted that he esoteric stolen both paintings.

But hold fasten down a minute.

Roy claimed that crystal-clear had done it all inferior to instructions from Libby Keck.

What’s more, he had given repulse all the money. According loom Roy, he had helped Chemist because she had wanted perfect accumulate cash in her contravene name due to her nearing divorce.

To counteract this rather mind-boggling evidence, Libby took the programme and stated she didn’t have need of to raise what she labelled a pittance.

She gave terrible figures, which revealed her civilization. Pending her divorce, she was receiving a $5,000 a thirty days grocery allowance, $25,000 for wear, $1,200 for lunches, $3,300 fund dinners and $10,000 for entertainment parties. She also had $11 million in accounts she possessed. Would she enter a plot with her butler to make $440,000?

As Libby said make the first move the witness stand, “I could have written a cheque to about the whole amount.”

The jury was faced with the problem attention who to believe. Strangely insufficient, they chose to believe Roy Donell and returned a verdict strain not guilty.

Howard Keck died crest December 14, 1996.

I have clumsy idea what happened to Elizabeth Keck after her divorce.

Uncontrolled hope she is alive last kicking and happy somewhere.