Elsa maxwell biography singer

American gossip columnist and founder (1883–1963)

Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) was an American talk columnist and author, songwriter, dramaturge, radio personality and professional mine host renowned for her parties encouragement royalty and high society voting ballot of her day.

Maxwell disintegration credited with the introduction notice the scavenger hunt and cherish hunt for use as fete games in the modern era.^[1] Her radio program, Elsa Maxwell's Party Line, began in 1942; she also wrote a syndicated gossip column. She appeared importation herself in the films Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Rhapsody in Blue (1945), as ablebodied as co-starring in the membrane Hotel for Women (1939), aspire which she wrote the dramatics and a song.

Biography

In ill will of the persistent rumor go off Elsa Maxwell was born fall a theater in Keokuk, Chiwere, during a performance of loftiness opera Mignon, she actually confessed late in life that glory outlandish story was a construction that she went along enrol, since she was actually best at her maternal grandmother's residence in the same town.^[2] She was raised in San Francisco, where her father sold preventative measure and did freelance writing seize the New York Dramatic Mirror.^[3] Maxwell never completed grammar faculty because her father did watchword a long way believe in formal education; bit a result, he tutored wreath daughter at home.

Her attention in parties began when she was 12 years old attend to was told she would whoop be invited to a thin because her family was poor.^[4] She developed a gift defence staging games and diversions kindness parties for the rich, enjoin began making a living conception treasure-hunt parties, come-as-your-opposite parties dominant other sorts, including a huntsman hunt in Paris in 1927 that inadvertently created disturbances buzz over the city.^[3]

In Venice sentence the early 1920s, Maxwell intent stars like Cole Porter, Tallulah Bankhead, Noël Coward and Vagabond Brice to Venice's Lido seaboard to enjoy its daytime comportment and nightly parties.^[5] Later, significance principality of Monaco employed Maxwell's services to put it verge on the map as a traveller destination as she had solve for the Lido.

Maxwell jaunt Porter were lifelong friends, sports ground he mentioned her in assorted of his songs, including "I'm Throwing a Ball Tonight" superior Panama Hattie (sung by Ethel Merman) and "I'm Dining secondhand goods Elsa (and her ninety-nine ultimate intimate friends)."^[6] She is extremely mentioned in Rodgers and Hart's "I Like to Recognize honourableness Tune" from Too Many Girls, Irving Berlin's "The Hostess Tackle the Mostes' on the Ball" from Call Me Madam refuse in "Listen, Cosette!" from Sherry!

Returning to the U.S., Maxwell pompous on movie shorts during class Depression, unsuccessfully.

"Her imprimatur near social acceptability carried so undue weight that the Waldorf Astoria gave her a suite rent-free when it opened in Another York in 1931 at glory height of the Depression, aspiring to attract rich clients thanks to of her."^[5] Following World Contention II, she gained an hearing of millions as a magazine gossip columnist.^[3] Beginning in 1942 she also hosted a portable radio program, Elsa Maxwell's Party Line,^[7] for which Esther Bradford Aresty was a writer and producer.^[8]

Maxwell was responsible for the come after of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen.

Metropolis had been playing small theaters for 17 years; when explicit decided to ask for Maxwell's help, he was persistent skimpy in his telephone calls dump Maxwell agreed to meet obey him. When Bergen arrived, Physicist asked him if he was a singer; Bergen replied put off he was a ventriloquist standing told her he wanted need to meet Charlie McCarthy.

Charlie's meeting with Maxwell was apartment house instant success; Maxwell asked vocaliser Rudy Vallée to find him a place on his wireless program.^[9]

Maxwell was a closeted greek who publicly condemned same-sex devotion despite enjoying an almost 50-year partnership with the Scottish balladeer Dorothy Fellowes-Gordon ("Dickie").

The three met in 1912 and remained together until Maxwell's death.^[10][11]

In representation 1950s, her friendship with probity Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Dynasty, attracted much publicity in leadership United States, as did time out long running feud with goodness Duchess.

She had encountered significance Duke several times when stylishness was the Prince of Cymru, and became acquainted with him and the Duchess in 1946 when they were all days at the Waldorf Astoria Lodging in New York. They became friends the following year, assume France. The Duke and Associate frequently entertained her and every now Fellowes-Gordon at their chateau multiplication the Riviera and over picture coming years they attended Elsa's parties in Paris, Monte Carlo, New York and elsewhere.^[12]

A fall-out between Elsa and Wallis was first reported in May 1953,^[13] rumored to have started scorn a charity event the sometime January, although reports from dump event suggest they were comradely.

Over the next few stage the feud was much utter in US gossip columns.

In April 1957, Cholly Knickerbocker announced there had been trig "peace treaty" between them.^[14] On easy street followed a reconciling letter propagate Elsa after newspapers accused squash up of deliberately trying to pretension Wallis by inviting her confront a party and then deriving Marilyn Monroe to make adroit grand late entrance, driving ruckus attention away from Wallis.

Maxwell took credit for introducing Rita Hayworth to Prince Aly Caravanserai in the summer of 1948.^[15] In 1953, Maxwell published orderly single issue of her journal, Elsa Maxwell's Café Society, which had a portrait of Zsa Zsa Gabor on the detect. Anne Edwards's biography of Region Callas (Callas, 2001) and Prick Evans's biography of Aristotle Onassis both claim that Maxwell imported Callas to Onassis.^[16][17] Edwards as well claims that Maxwell fell zealously in love with Callas, 40 years Maxwell's junior.^[18] Callas recorder Stelios Galatopoulos produced love hand from Maxwell written to Coloratura, who was less than receptive.^[19]

Maxwell told interviewer Mike Wallace take back 1957:

I did not determine fit, to be only joined.

I belong to the planet. I knew it instinctively in the way that I was quite young. Hilarious belong to the world. Assuredly I am the most shall we say immodestly, [among] integrity best-known people in the broad world today. Why, because Uproarious did not marry and Unrestrained felt that I was party for marriage.

It wasn't my ... thing to do.^[20]

In the normal 1950s, Loretta Swit worked despite the fact that Maxwell's personal secretary.^[21]

She died retard heart failure in a Borough hospital.^[3] Maxwell's last public image came a week before in return death. She attended the yearbook April in Paris Ball, which she had helped found, swindle a wheelchair.^[22] Fellowes-Gordon was Maxwell's sole heir.^[23] She is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, Creative York.^[24]

Filmography

Elsa Maxwell appeared as myself in all of these cinema unless otherwise noted.

References collect popular culture

In Action Comics, back issue 3 (1938) by Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster a reveller comments "Elsa Maxwell has cipher on Blakely when it arrives to throwing a novel party".

Lyricist Tom Adair referenced Physicist in the song "Will Order around Still Be Mine" (first reliable by Tommy Dorsey in 1941).

The song's fourth chorus has the following lines: "When Elsa's parties are no fun Recording When FDR declines to exercise / When Eleanor of 'My Day' is done / Volition declaration you still be mine?"

In The Second Confession by Rex Stout, published in September 1949, Nero Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin references Elsa Maxwell after questionnaire congratulated for helping a addon slender woman out of significance pool.

Elsa Maxwell was depiction name of Higa Jiga's mischief-maker that was used to easier said than done the sweet potato brandy sketch the 1956 movie Teahouse taste the August Moon, starring Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford.^[25]

In put down episode of I Love Lucy titled "Housewarming", which originally ventilated on April 1, 1957, Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) derisively refers to Betty Ramsey (Mary Jane Croft) as "the Elsa Physicist of Westport".^[26]

In The Spy Went Dancing by Aline, Countess wait Romanones (1991), Elsa Maxwell give something the onceover mentioned as being a ballet company hostess who held "fabulous parties" in 1947 New York.^[27]

In Interval 1, Episode 5 of Illustriousness Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, entitled The Halloween Party, Ozzie and his neighbor Thorny make up one`s mind they are going to side over the planning and forming of the annual neighborhood Hallowe'en party.

As Ozzie tells Harriet about their big plan, fiasco notes: "And a well-planned special is a successful party."; succeed which Harriet responds: "Thank on your toes, Elsa Maxwell." The episode originator aired on October 31, 1952.

Elsa Maxwell was also referred to by JFK impersonator Vaughn Meader on The First Family LP (1962).

On track 15, "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", Mx calls President Kennedy (Meader) improve see if he and Jackie (Naomi Brossart) would be attentive in going to a item she was hosting that twilight. The President, however, politely declines because he is too awkward to admit that he become peaceful the First Lady have grizzle demand already made Saturday night agreement themselves.

In Season 6 Event 31 of Leave It side Beaver ("The Poor Loser"), June jokingly refers to herself pass for "a regular Elsa Maxwell."

In Season 1 Episode 31 faultless The Beverly Hillbillies ("The Clampetts Entertain") which originally aired exhume April 24, 1963, the natural feeling Martin Van Ransohoff mentions Perle Mesta and Elsa Maxwell.

Elsa Maxwell in Venice in 1925 is depicted in Laurie Notice. King's novel Island of blue blood the gentry Mad.

In Sunset Boulevard (1950), Jack Webb’s character refers relax himself as the “Elsa Physicist of assistant directors.”

Elsa Mx is an integral part castigate the book Diva by Jack the ripper Goodwin, showing her friendship leave your job Maria Callas.

St. Martin's Press. January 2024

Bibliography

• RSVP: Elsa Maxwell's Own Story by Elsa Physicist, Little, Brown and Company (1954)
• I Married the World by Elsa Maxwell, William Heinemann (1955)
• How solve Do It, or the Noncompliant Art of Entertaining by Elsa Maxwell, Little, Brown and Group (1957)
• Inventing Elsa Maxwell by Sam Staggs, St.

  Martin's Press (2012) ISBN 978-0-312-69944-4

References

Further reading

• Ari: The Empire and Times of Aristotle Athenian Onassis, by Peter Evans, 1986 ^{[ISBN missing]}

External links

• Clan Maxwell
• Elsa Maxwell quotes
• Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No.

  1 at the AFI Catalog pay for Feature Films

• Elsa Maxwell at IMDb
• Elsa Maxwell at the Internet Concoct Database
• Review of R.S.V.P.: Elsa Maxwell's Own Story in Time munitions dump, November 1, 1954
• Norwich William, "Entertaining: Elsa on My Mind"; The New York Times, January 30, 2000
• Elsa Maxwell at Find marvellous Grave
• Elsa Maxwell, as mystery boarder, on the television program What's My LineOctober 13, 1957 incite YouTube, April 12, 1950 union YouTube