07:50

[Music – I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight? by Jack Hylton, Album Charleston – Great Stars Of the 20s]

Section 2 – History & Historiography

[Music Fade Out]

08:09

When I first began researching the subject of the wealthy during the Great Depression, I ran across some early articles detailing their plight in an unsympathetic world.  One February 1929 Vanity Fair article laments the problems with searching for love among the wealthy and the profound fear of deception.  Another February 1929 Vanity Fair article discusses the problems of being a millionaire especially if born into money and how ill-prepared many are in dealing with life.  These are both written prior to the October 1929 Wall Street Crash.

08:44

I take great pains in reconstructing the situations and dynamics beyond the straightforward listing of facts and chronology in the more dominant documentary styles to which we are generally accustomed.  I think it hardly does justice to list a single fact with a few sentences and then jump ahead to the next, especially when it comes to heavily based emotional matters.  That manner can work well if discussing a battle or a technological invention, however it hardly scratches the surface when the decisions are of a highly intimate nature such as a marriage or a divorce which might have endless layers of complications.

09:22

As I pull back the layers and dive into the past, I get mired in lots of little threads like being stuck in a spiderweb with so many extensions and seemingly random points nevertheless connected.  As I move along one, I get wrapped in another.  It is following those misdirections that lead to several more interesting potential discoveries.

Then there are the complications of dealing with so much innuendo and scandal.  Things that appear true might be false, a façade constructed to protect or imprison one into compliance.  Seemingly false things might be true but have been so submerged little will ever see the light.

10:07

To that matter in digging more out of the love pilot scandal, another interesting sidenote that emerges is one of Henrietta Hartford’s own skeletons which came out in a syndicated article.  This means there are several copies of variations of the same article, though I am unable to confirm through an independent separate source.  This tidbit on Henrietta is a doozy if true.  Her first marriage is to Edward Hartford, father of her two children Josephine Hartford and Huntington Hartford.  But somewhere along the way, Henrietta upset with Edward divorces him then weds an old and devoted friend, who is unnamed and lacking more identifying description.  However that second marriage “fails to flourish” so they divorce, and Henrietta then remarries Edward.  No dates, no other details, merely 2-3 sentences.  What is well known, Edward will later separate from her again and then will die alone from delirium in a hotel room leaving her and her children a substantial fortune.

11:18

In trying to figure out more, I ran into a dead end with only seeing it mentioned in that one syndicated article related to both Huntington, Mildred King, and Hunt’s sister Josephine Hartford.  Not even Huntington’s biography Squandered Fortune mentions the in between marriage.  However I did locate a different minor scandal in a 1928 article where the alcoholic death of a Swedish Vice Consul is attributed to the widow Henrietta’s rejecting that gentleman’s romantic overtures.  In the biography, it does mention that Henrietta did have several boyfriends over the years even while Huntington is growing up.  The men came in and out rather quickly thus giving Huntington some attachment issues.  Embarrassingly for her son, she is also prone to flirt with the fathers of his classmates.

12:09

Nevertheless, Henrietta remains discreet enough to keep most things out of the papers.  As referenced in the biography, there are very few other confirmations except when another situation will emerge in a few more years.

Wisely, Henrietta makes a powerful friend in Maury Paul, otherwise known as Cholly Knickerbocker, who regularly gushes over her in his column and defends any bad accusation.  Through Cholly, we get little bits about the travel both to Europe and Hawaii.  Cholly praises her social acumen and seemingly blaise attitude to endlessly play the Society games with its mandatory attendance.  It is not revealed that both trips were indeed to avoid the scandals of Huntington’s cheating at St. Paul’s and his abrupt secret marriage.  I am not quite sure if Cholly knew the truth, cared about the truth, or preferred the lies as everything is relevant like in today’s vernacular “her truth” and “recollections may vary” mantras.

13:12

When the love pilot escapade comes to the forefront, Cholly defends Henrietta as a decent and noble woman trapped by ambitious and greedy operators, referring in this instance to Mildred King.  I refer to the scandal as blackmail because it essentially surfaces a secret due to the lack of $100k payment, whether agreed or not.  And the amount is exorbitant even today when talking about $100-200 million dollar trust fund, and more so in 1931.

Who knows what truly happened between Henrietta Hartford and Mildred King.  There more than likely was some plotting amongst each other and then a falling out.  Mildred King might have overstated her hand and thought the introduction of Mary Lee Epling as a suitable mate, while Henrietta thinks of Mary Lee as far subpar than the mother’s desired intentions.

14:04

Makes me wonder who leaked the marriage details?  Did Mildred know about Huntington and Mary Lee then pressed for payment?  Or did Mary Lee or one of her defenders leak the information?  A lot of press covered the lawsuit, but most of the articles are syndicated and repeat the same information.  However one source brought to light a little sooner details of the potential engagement and marriage and with far more accurate details from none other than Bluefield, West Virginia – very close to Mary Lee’s hometown.  So if it wasn’t Mary Lee, then it was someone defending her.

14:44

As the story leaks out, more details emerge.  First the now obvious, they met on a cruise to Hawaii and fell in love then engaged.  To within a couple of days, they met while both at school in Boston and married in April.   Then there are additional details that Mary Lee has visited Newport and Huntington is now visiting her in Virginia with Henrietta to join.  Still hard to believe when the school session begins again, they will still be living separately in their pre-marriage residencies.  Yes, maybe that’s the most ridiculous situation of all.

15:19

Let it be known that for probably 95% of the world – Mary Lee would be considered an excellent and wonderful spouse or daughter-in-law.  She is bright, studious, and a go getter.  She has a pleasant personality but with a strong will.  She is the type that runs the PTA, a devoted mother, and likely a fun bedmate.  I take these inferences from other information that I know about her but won’t reveal at this time.  She would be the perfect wife for someone with goals and be the caregiver so desired especially back then in the maternal role. 

15:54

In contrast, babyfaced and overly coddled Huntington Hartford needs to grow up and get a better backbone.  Other than his bank account, he doesn’t have a lot to recommend.  He hasn’t learned to manage life’s challenges so far, he is a daydreamer who rarely lives up to his imaginative potential, and he will often defer to his mother or wife to make the harder decisions and deal with any fall out.

Oh yes, he is going to be the center of much chaos to come mostly stemming from his immaturity.

Henrietta obviously is a little more familiar with scandal surrounding amorous liaisons.  This is also far from being the last situation she will deal with during her lifetime.

Maybe love pilots should teach safety procedures for when love crashes?