Episode 20: Belle Of The Ball
After a small dinner party of nearly 50, the real attraction of a debutante’s coming out is an elaborate dance with a more hundred attending.
The whirl of partners and romantic intrigue are only beginning.
Reigning It Girl Louise Van Alen finally has her debutante ball. It’s a fairy tale night especially with her royal escort and secret lover Prince Alexis Mdivani. Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke both scored last minute invites but nearly ruin the night. Will there be a happily ever after?
Archival music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Publish Date: December 24, 2020
Length: 20:03
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: I Guess I Will Have To Change My Plan by Ambrose & His Orcehstra, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 2 Music: I’m In The Mood For Love by Freddie Gardner, Album Elegance
Section 3 Music: If This Is Only The Beginning by Billy Ternent, Album Elegance
End Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Band
AS THE MONEY BURNS
Podcast by Nicki Woodard
Episode 020 – Belle of the Ball
00:00
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast by Nicki Woodard. Based on historical research, this is a deep exploration into what happened to a set of actual heirs and heiresses to some of America’s most famous fortunes when the Great Depression hits.
Each episode has three primary sections. Section 1 is a narrative story. Section 2 goes deeper into the historical facts. Section 3 focuses on contemporary, emotional, and personal connections.
00:26
Story Recap
Teen heiresses Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke finally get invited to Louise Van Alen’s debutante ball but not the pre-dinner. Louise enjoys her big night on the arm of her secret lover Prince Alexis Mdivani.
Now back to AS THE MONEY BURNS
Title
Belle of the Ball
[Music fade out]
Episode Tag
00:48
After a small dinner party of nearly 50, the real attraction of a debutante’s coming out is an elaborate dance with a few more hundred attending.
The whirl of partners and romantic intrigue is only beginning.
01:03
[Music – I Guess I Will Have To Change My Plan by Ambrose & His Orchestra, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Section 1 – Story
[Music fade out]
01:14
Outside the Clambake Club, colonists gather for this week’s biggest festivity. William Vanderbilt is hosting the dance celebrating the end of tennis week and the horseshow, but the big attraction is reigning It Girl and now debutante Louise Van Alen.
A very exclusive group of only 300 attend.
Teens Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton shift in anticipation, with Barbara ignoring her stepmother Irene, who is wearing nearly the exact same dress. When they get to the check in table, as last minute invites neither girl is on the list. Panic sets in.
The Rolls Royces arrive with Louise’s entourage. As they cascade in, oldest brother Henry waves to Doris, which confirms the outcasts are welcomed.
01:56
In the receiving line, all attendees greet Louise, the Prince, and her family. When Barbara and Louise face off, they each notice the uncanny similarities in their dresses except in color – Louise’s is in the customary debutante white. Louise flutters her elaborate ostrich fan waving off the frustration.
Inside the grand hall, the guests enjoy champagne while a big band plays. As a special request, opera singer Cobina Wright takes the stage and encapsulates everyone with a beautiful aria. When finished, she smiles then flicks her wrist and kicks off the night with a more modern song that opens up the dance floor.
02:31
Near the bar, the stag line gathers. There are thrice as many males to females, but hardly any have interest in dancing. Among them, the male teen heirs Jakey Astor and Huntington Hartford are more into their games and scoring any available alcohol. Elsewhere Doris and Barbara wait for any invitation to dance. Leaving the stage, Cobina’s husband Bill greets her and whisks her onto the floor to show the younger generation what the future can bring. Other couples like Ava Astor and Prince Obolensky fill the floor.
In the center, the dashing Prince Alexis Mdivani sweeps Louise across the floor gloriously and magnificently. He is smooth, steady, and commanding. Louise is a fairytale princess in front of the adoring crowd. Doris and Barbara watch in awe.
03:12
When the songs change in tempo, tennis champion Frank Shields cuts in and endlessly twirls Louise across the floor. Ignoring formality, Frank moves fast and far more improvisational than the Prince’s more proper and pompous style. Frank also tells a string of jokes that has Louise laughing out loud. It’s quite sensational, and the crowd applauds. The night is better than Louise could ever dream.
Louise’s oldest brother Henry approaches Doris and offers a dance. She nervously joins him on the floor. They chat about the band as they pass by Bill and Cobina, who points out the new piano player. As Henry and Doris move closer to the band, she becomes entranced by the piano player’s hands jiggling the keys and she stops. Then she looks to see the face of her gardener – her own secret crush.
03:59
When the gardener scans the crowd, nervous Doris jumps back and accidentally knocks Louise into the stag line, ripping her dress, and falling onto her cousin Jakey who spills his champagne all over Louise.
Her mother Daisy and Cobina rush over and assist Louise off into the ladies room. Doris sees her own mother Nanaline angrily coming towards her and runs out the door.
During the commotion, everyone scatters in recovery. Outside Barbara goes in search of the Prince, but instead finds a sobbing Doris. Before Barbara can console Doris, a dark figure is heard walking towards them. Like a frightened deer, Doris takes off. The Prince then emerges approaching Barbara.
04:35
In the ladies room, Cobina and Daisy attempt to calm Louise down, who is quite upset at her dress being ruined. Quickly, the ladies room attendant who is actually the same familiar Bailey’s Beach attendant works some sewing magic and repairs the tear with a small embellishment that actually improves the dress. When finished, the helpful attendant adjusts Louise hair and restores the debutante back to full glamour. Daisy and Cobina are immediately impressed with the work. Louise glows again.
Deep in the darkness, Doris runs into young scion and sulking Jakey Astor. It’s been over a week and in all the excitement no one remembered his birthday. He scoffs, “We both made quite an impression tonight.”
She cowers. He hesitates then offers an elbow and walks her back into the party. When Nanaline sees Doris with Jakey, the angry mother suppresses her rage in hopes of a potential match.
05:27
Now alone, Barbara presses Prince Alexis to return to Paris and Silvia.
The Prince shakes his head no. “Neither of us have any money. How could we live the lives we have grown accustomed? My family has expectations too. It was hard enough begging on the streets after the Revolution. I couldn’t bear to do that to Silvia too.”
Barbara pleads, “I’ll take care of you.”
He balks at his chubby idealistic admirer, “You are how old? 16? 17? It will take years before you come into your inheritance. By then, you will have your own love and family to provide for.”
Barbara pulls off the ruby ring that matches her stepmother’s. “Take this. It’s worth a lot. It should get you enough to start a new life.”
06:12
Inside the dance, Louise reappears to cheers. She smiles no harm to a grave Doris, who slinks behind the shrubbery to avoid Nanaline’s wrath. The older, newly divorced, and highly eligible Jimmy Cromwell steps forward, and Louise accepts his invitation.
Returning inside, the Prince escorts Barbara out onto the dance floor. It feels magical, only to be interrupted by a hand tapping on the Prince’s shoulder.
It’s Barbara’s father Franklyn Hutton as he cuts in to dance with his daughter. The Prince takes the excuse to take Louise from Jimmy Cromwell, who then seeks Doris as his next partner.
Surprisingly, Hutton is a superb dancer – a secret clogsman himself. As he guides his daughter around the room, he whispers, “Don’t worry your ball next year will be the grandest of them all.”
Confused, Barbara wishes she was still in the arms of the Prince.
07:04
Despite having their own more enviable dance partners, both Louise and Doris constantly glance at Barbara with her father. It’s the one dance they will never get to have – the one no amount of money can buy. To be an heiress always means loss, and these daddy’s girls are without their daddies for their special night or any other.
Back at Wakehurst moments before dawn, Louise still floats on air from her enchanted night. Her door opens to reveal the Prince. Lit only by moonlight, he gently caresses her hand as he returns her father’s diamond cufflinks. There is so much unsaid. She struggles with worry that she has lost him.
The Prince coos, “You were radiant tonight.”
Louise stammers, “Thanks to your sister. Roussie picked the perfect dress.”
Her eyes get misty. He hushes her. He reveals the ruby ring.
“You stole everyone’s heart tonight, so I figured I must give you a part of mine.”
Louise is so shocked by the expensive token, unaware of the true source. The Prince kisses her. Engulfed in passion, their bodies merge together.
08:14
[Music – In the Mood for Love by Freddy Gardner, Album Elegance]
Section 2 – History & Historiography
[Music fade out]
08:32
The debutante ball is a long held tradition around the world and in multiple cultures. Some features cross multiple lines and others uniquely within their own communities. Though Louise Van Alen debuted in the summer and so will Doris Duke, the actual prime debutante season is the winter holidays – December through January.
Some events might include concerts or smaller events like teas. In nations with monarchies, for the elite there might be formal presentations at court. Thus the early tradition of curtseying. The biggest events center around dances, especially balls or cotillons.
The uniform is generally a white ball gown, white gloves, and pearls. Details like veils change from one historical era to another and from location to location.
09:13
In Australia, their colloquial “deb balls” are more simplistic and organized by high schools, churches, and other local community organizations as charity events. The dress is similar to a wedding dress, but it is customary that the female asks the male in a more Sadie Hawkins style arrangement.
Across Latin America, the quinceanera happens on the girl’s 15th birthday and she dresses like a bride with her female attendants in matching outfits like bridesmaids.
09:37
In Austria, steeped and heavily influenced by the Habsburg dynasty, the season is January through March with at least 28 formal balls. The grandest being the Vienna Opera Ball – all females in floor length white gowns and white opera gloves, and the men too are required to wear white tie and tails. Today, the tradition lives on with the Austrian president serving in place of the Emperor or Empress on the imperial balcony to signal the beginning of the ball at 10pm.
10:02
In the United States, the longest ongoing debutante ball since 1817 is the Christmas Cotillon in Savannah, Georgia. In New Orleans, the season coincides with Carnival. New York has multiple events including the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria. By the early 20th century, upper class African Americans established their own traditions, events, and activities including cotillons and debutante balls.
10:25
In the United Kingdom until 1958, high society debutantes were first presented to the King and Queen before joining the various activities of their social season.
In Georgian England, the long reign from 1760s-1820s of King George III and his Queen Charlotte dresses with hoop skirts and elaborate trimmings including one ostrich plume were featured over the more popular simple dresses with high waists. By 1820s under King George IV, the dresses followed the latest fashion trends in formal evening gowns. By the reign of Queen Victoria, dresses began having a lower neckline and short sleeves. Queen Victoria also detested smaller feathers and insisted they be more visible. Thus the tradition of three large ostrich feathers arranged in the Prince of Wales plume – center feather larger, head piece slightly off to the left side. No cloaks, shawls, capes, or wraps even during winter.
11:17
By the 1920s, ostrich feathers in headpieces and a large fan were well part of a deb’s outfit in most high society places.
The dress remained typically white, sometimes ivory or eggshell could be considered acceptable. The strapless gown became popular in 1938 with one of the biggest debutantes of all time Brenda Frazier. Walter Winchell coined the term “celebutante” about her, in 1936 two years prior to her debut Cholly Knickerbocker predicted her rise as the Belle of her season, and later she made the cover of Life magazine and solidified the classic debutante look of the strapless gown with dark hair, pale white skin, and deep red lips. Brenda was a same age friend to Gloria Vanderbilt and Cobina Wright Jr, both of whom are only 5 in 1929. Brenda’s debut might have been famous, but also extremely tragic she would later be known as the suicidal debutante. We will return to her story much later in time.
12:12
Another important aspect of the balls is the males or stags invited. Of course most importantly as potential mates, remember the ball was foremost about marital alliances, but for every eligible young lady there must be three times as many males available in the stag line. This is to ensure, that no young lady is ever without a dance partner.
However this results in a large group of males taking up space, and when there is dancing lots of cutting in for those who dare to try and dance with an attractive beauty. Then the ousted young men must go back and find a new partner, only they don’t want to get stuck with the wrong one and be obligated to stay with her for portions of the night.
12:48
Thus it often means the young males are often left amusing themselves with obtaining liquor as the bevy of beauties may not be completely to their liking. Keeping the young men sober enough to continue throughout the night can be a struggle – as most balls go until 4 or 5am.
Overall it’s a lot of pomp and circumstance – at least that’s sort of the fun part. Only that will soon become the source of criticism when the Great Depression occurs. Our future debutantes Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton will have to be careful when their time comes.
13:18
[Music – If This Is Only The Beginning by Billy Ternent, Album Elegance]
Section 3 – Contemporary & Personal Relevance
[Music fade out]
13:37
As we near the end of a long and difficult year for many, one where most activities, rituals, and big events have been canceled. I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast.
We are only a few episodes away from the Crash that will change everything around the world. The storylines covered so far are chosen to set up situations that will happen in the future. The hopes, the dreams, the unforeseen dangers, the complicated relationships,… All the elements in life that will only get worse.
These are the last few moments of happiness. The fairytale life we think money provides. It seems so real and yet idealistic, and the debutante ball is the epitome of that fantasy.
14:17
The fact that so few of us ever truly participate in such an event adds to its allure. In fact, it’s a popular subject in media. In the Gossip Girl tv series, there were a few episodes involving debutante ball or cotillon storylines and references. In Season 1, Queen Bee Blair Waldorf plans to go with a prince to the cotillon. Serena Van Der Woodsen’s rebels against her manipulative grandmother’s rejection of her lower class boyfriend as an escort candidate. In Season 3, outcast and new Queen Bee Jenny Humphrey makes her Society debut in a black strapless dress and is escorted with rival Blair’s ex-boyfriend Nate Archibald as her escort. Other CW teen dramas, The O.C. and Gilmore Girls also had episodes on where the main characters had debuts. Less dreamily, crime shows Law & Order: SVU, CSI: NY, and Cold Case have episodes involving murders of fictional debs.
15:10
Films include The Reluctant Debutante (1958) with Sandra Dee in the title role and Rex Harrison, Amanda Bynes both in What A Girl Wants (2003) and She’s the Man (2006), Metropolitan (1990) by Whit Stilman covers the debutante season amongst an elite set of college students and friends. Something New (2006) with Sanaa Lathan features an African American cotillon, and The Debut (2001) covers a more informal event amongst Filippino Americans. Both The Philadelphia Story (1940) with Katherine Hepburn and its remake High Society (1956) with Grace Kelly and Cole Porter music feature the storyline about a debutante’s life after the ball and the problems of her marital partners.
15:53
And those are only the fictional debutantes. There are so many more in real life. Barbara Hutton’s cousin and actress Dina Merrill claimed to have debuted at a tea. 1982’s “Deb of the Year” Cornelia Guest hung out with Andy Warhol and became better known for her partying skills after her debut at the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria. Cornelia also wrote “The Debutante’s Guide to Life.” In the Netflix special “Sweet & Salty”, comic Fortune Feimster gives a hilarious rendition of her training and experience as the most unlikely of debutantes – a heavy set unaware lesbian being escorted in a wedding gown by her brother while she curtseys not so demurely. Even celebs and movie stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s three daughters debuted at Le Bal des Debutantes at l’Hotel de Crillon in Paris.
16:37
Debutante balls are like the end of favorite fairytales where the princess gets her prince and lives happily ever after. Only the idea of life being forever simple and happy by the age of 21 is a crazy fiction in and of itself.
Even fairytale lore if you read further, our princess heroines often deal with ogre mother-in-laws and other troubles in their new lives. Before their happily ever after, Rapunzel must find and cure her now blinded prince and father to her twins. Less happily, The Little Mermaid loses her voice and prince only to commit suicide turning into sea foam. And seriously, in Charles Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty, the princess must fight off an ogress mother-in-law (some versions imply a first wife) who wants to eat her grandchildren but a cook outwits her. That part of the fairytale actually might be far more realistic to what happens with our young heiresses. Though the cannibalism is focused on the fortune and not actual flesh.
17:29
I have warned before we get into the craziness of the Great Depression we need to spend time in the seemingly perfect world of the summer 1929. One they desperately try to bring back as a summer of hopes and dreams soon turns into a nightmare.
17:44
This year is ending and a new one beginning. Grateful, I made my own debut into podcasting and met some new and interesting people. Please check out their podcasts — Ashley Menard’s The Eff Your Fears podcast covers conquering fears and creativity, and I will be a guest early next year. Christophe Zajac-Denek’s I’m Kind Of A Big Deal podcast explores the complications and triumphs of those dealing with dwarfism. Anne-Marie Cannon’s Armchair Historians podcast discusses guests’ fascination with various historical subjects. Lee Larimore’s A Line Drunk podcast rewatches popular films and tv episodes then has a frank and hilarious discussion with his drunk guests. Anthony Lemos’s Ritual Misery podcast covers gaming, technology, sports, and other subjects.
18:28
Also this year, I held my first two webinars through New York Adventure Club – an amazing travel and pop up company that now hosts virtual tours of multiple New York City places and elsewhere like Scotland’s whiskey country. I will be hosting two more webinars covering the Waldorf-Astoria – New York in February 2021. Only $10 live with one week access afterwards at www.nyadventureclub.com.
18:52
Lastly, Past Perfect Vintage Music has an amazing digitally remastered music collection of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. From Big Bands to other classics, they’ve added the perfect touch for my musical interludes. Check them out at www.pastperfect.com.
Here’s to a better 2021, may we soon return to our own happier in-person and in real life moments.
Hook
19:13
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Next when we return to AS THE MONEY BURNS…
The summer is ending, but there’s one last activity before everyone heads off for the fall. This one requires shovels and buckets, no fancy dresses nor jewels needed.
Until then…
Credits
19:30
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast written, produced, and voiced by Nicki Woodard, based on historical research. Archival music has been provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, check out their website at www.pastperfect.com.
Please come visit us at As The Money Burns via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Transcripts, timeline, episode guide, and character bios are available at asthemoneyburns.com.
20:03
THE END