Episode 77: From This Day Forward
Hearts break as a tennis star heads to the altar, but will one disgruntled family member halt the wedding?
February 1932 has several
weddings. Frank Shields marries Rebecca “Billie”
Tenney after a long engagement and learns he will be on this year’s U.S. Davis
Cup Team again. Italian Prince Girolamo “Jerome”
Rospigliosi marries American heiress Marian Snowden for the third time. A kidnap victim weds, and Doris Duke is part
of a prestigious bridal party while Barbara Hutton continues her world cruise.
Other people and subjects include:
William “Sam” Van Alen, James – Jimmy “Henry” Van Alen, Princess Louise Van
Alen Mdivani, Daisy Van Alen, James Van Alen, Caroline Astor, Franklyn Hutton,
Irene Hutton, Woolworth “Woolly” Donahue, Alexander Shields, Harold Tenney, U.S.
Davis Cup, tennis, February weddings, Charles Marvin Rosenthal, Brooke Shields,
Andre Agassi, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bezos, Lisa Marie Presley, world cruise,
African safari, sanitorium, nuptials, exploring and correcting facts in photos, sunken costs
fallacy
Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Extra Notes / Call to Action:
Proud Stutter podcast by Maya
Chupkov on her recent Podcast Academy Ambies nomination in the DIY category. Winners will be announced on March 7th, 2023.
Upcoming release, Agent Stoker podcast by Chris Conner and Brian Nelson returns with Season 2. Agents of the Night Brigade must prevent
forthcoming disaster as the Big Bang reverses itself and threatens another apocalypse. More characters, more episodes, coming everywhere at podcast directories near you.
https://bleav.com/shows/agent-stoker/
Share, like, subscribe
Publish Date: February 02, 2023
Length: 19:12
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: This Is The Missus by Sidney Kyte & His Piccadilly Hotel Band, Album The Great Dance Bands Play Hits of the 30s
Section 2 Music: Sweet Someone by Roy Fox & His Orchestra with Denny Dennis, Album It’s Got To Be Love
Section 3 Music: Let’s Do It by Arthur Rosebery & His Kit-Cat Dance Band, Album Fascinating Rhythm – Great Hits of the 20s
End Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
AS THE MONEY BURNS
Podcast by Nicki Woodard
Episode 077 – From This Day Forward
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.
00:29
Story Recap
Newlyweds Sam and Betty Van Alen have begun their new life together in bliss, while an Italian prince and his new American bride face opposition.
Now back to AS THE MONEY BURNS
00:44
Title
From This Day Forward
[Music Fade Out]
Episode Tag
Hearts break as a tennis star heads to the altar, but will one disgruntled family member halt the wedding?
00:59
[Music – This Is The Missus by Sidney Kyte & His Piccadilly Hotel Band, Album The Great Dance Bands Play Hits of the 30s]
Section 1 – Story
[Music Fade Out]
01:17
Nearly a year after an engagement was announced, the day has finally arrived.
Saturday, February 6th, 1932, Greenwich, Connecticut
Outside St. Bede’s Chapel, people gather for a wedding. Across the street, a tall and very well dressed man stands alone. Occasionally, three young ladies go over and converse with him and urge him to join.
He shakes his head no. The young ladies eventually shrug their shoulders to each other as they head inside.
01:49
Over in the chapel’s side room, the bridegroom is the movie star handsome tennis sensation Frank Shields, himself dressed in a nice dark suit. He jokes with his best man Poyntell Johnston from Delaware. A popular lad appears semi regularly in Delaware newspapers for appearing in local theater productions as well as the tennis circuit.
02:10
Frank’s sisters Alice, Pidge, and Helen Shields all pay him a visit. They are the same young ladies from outside, and the man across the street is their father Alexander Shields. The sisters inspect Frank’s hair, pushing it to one side or another trying to make it look straight. Their long ailing mother Alice Shields passed away when Frank was 16, so his sisters have fulfilled the maternal role for a large portion of his life including running interference with their father.
02:38
Frank fumbles with his bow tie when he spots their father Alexander still standing on the street. Alexander refuses to step inside the church, an Episcopal church. The staunch Irish Catholic Alexander is unhappy that Frank has converted to Episcopalian to match his bride Rebecca “Billie” Tenney and her father Harold Tenney’s religious preference.
Frank kids a little, but his eyes flicker with frustration. Whenever his father is around, there is sure to be trouble. The father and son have had more than a few physical altercations. Once Newport matrons including Maude Barger-Wallach intervened preventing Alexander from further chastising his son at a tennis tournament. Frank is determined not to have his day ruined.
03:23
In Rosemary Hall, Poyntell escorts down the aisle the maid of honor and sister of the bride Suzanne Tenney, dressed in yellow lace. Then the lovely Billie emerges carrying a bouquet of long stemmed calla lilies and wearing their mother’s ivory satin and rosepoint lace wedding gown. Their father Harold kisses Billie when handing her off at the altar. Brother Harold “Bud” Tenney sits with their mother.
Reverend John Chapman performs the ceremony. Frank’s sisters sit in the pews, but their father is nowhere to be seen. Alexander remains outside despite the chilly air.
03:59
A slightly long pause is held waiting to see if any objections are raised, that whole standard requirement of speak now or forever hold your peace part. Everyone holds their breaths and tenses up as they wait to hear if the door will open.
The pews creak as people shift uncomfortably breaking the silence. The reverend utters the vows that the couple then repeats –
To have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part…
04:41
When the doors burst open, happy bride and groom emerge greeted by their guests while Alexander remains aloof across the street. Father and son exchange a quick unhappy glance. Frank turns his attention to his bride.
As the various parties gather in cars and head off to the reception, Alexander relents and rejoins his daughters.
At the home of Billie’s parents, Alexander finally enters the party. Frank avoids his father as much as possible but eventually relaxes when he notices Alexander laughing and chatting with Billie’s grandmother. The stately woman too is adamant about her faith though of the Episcopalian persuasion.
05:22
Amidst all the revelry, Frank receives a message. He is informed he ranks number 2 and will once again be on this year’s U.S. Davis Cup team.
His placement on the Davis Cup team means Frank will spend a good part of the year away from the dull and dreary bank junior loan officer desk that will surely await him soon enough. While he is highly ranked, his amateur status means he must earn an alternative income working at Billie’s father’s bank.
Shortly thereafter, the newlyweds get an apartment on East Seventy Third in Manhattan, but for the next few months they will be nonstop on the go. First, they will head to the Carolinas for their honeymoon with a set of tennis tournaments down there and eventually back to London and Wimbledon and France if all goes well enough. Oh yes, the next few months will be glorious.
06:15
Love and romance is certainly in the air for the month of February 1932.
Two other notable nuptials occur on February 10th:
-Former August 1931 kidnap victim Charles Marvin Rosenthal marries longtime family friend Lorna Fried in Long Island. They will honeymoon in Havana, and hint a stork will be coming by the end of the year 10 months later. Rosenthal was released after $50k of the $100k ransom was paid (essentially $967k of $1.9 mil in 2023). Possibly there are some lingering worries on another kidnapping attempt, however three suspects were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 65 years for the kidnapping soon after Rosenthal’s return.
07:06
-Italian Prince Girolamo “Jerome” Rospigliosi marries heiress Marian Snowden for the third time. The first two ceremonies (both religious and civil) were held back in November 1931. This new ceremony supposedly at the bequest of Marian’s trust to ensure legitimacy. Her mother Mrs. Davidson revises her protestations claiming concern for the age of gap between the 19 year old bride and 24 year old groom, as now the papers are claiming he doesn’t owe to Italian creditors debts of $500k (about $10.68 million in 2023). Alas their extended honeymoon period is interrupted by Marian needing an emergency procedure and stays in a sanitarium while recovering.
07:52
Despite several dashed hopes, alas two nuptials are nowhere near pending for two of the wealthiest heiresses – tall and increasingly less awkward Doris Duke and the chubby budding fashionista Barbara Hutton. Both are being heavily pursued with several potential engagements rumored.
Previously Prince Rospigliosi chased Barbara last summer while in Europe. Now Barbara is on a worldwide cruise heading to the Far East, a place deep in her heart. She is accompanied by her stepmother Irene Hutton and recently joined by her father Franklyn Hutton, who just completed an African safari with Barbara’s cousin Woolworth “Woolly” Donahue.
08:32
Meanwhile Doris Duke serves as a bridesmaid for socialite Cynthia Pratt in her wedding to William McKennan Laughlin. While the photos show off Doris wearing the bridesmaids’ fashionable brown fur muff with gold leaf, the captions continuously point out her uber wealth. Thus Doris’s participation overshadows and competes with the bride.
Could Doris and Barbara be doomed to always be bridesmaids but never brides?
09:02
[Music – Sweet Someone by Roy Fox & His Orchestra with Denny Dennis, Album It’s Got To Be Love]
Section 2 – History & Historiography
[Music Fade Out]
09:19
So many people weave in and out of these elaborate and interconnected tales. When I first began pursuing this subject, I was excited by the overlap of so many known historical figures or at least recognizable family names. I couldn’t help but to continually pull at each new thread to see where it would take me, and somehow I always ended up right back where I started.
I had long known the stories of Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke. Well the overarching grand scheme of their lives. Several times over the decades since first discovery, I rewatched both mini-series based on their lives and even borrowed a biography or two on each from the library a decade before this project during one bout of unemployment and unrelated to another bout leading to this series.
10:07
There are other stories that popped up over the years, and I might browse or recollect. Like the mention of Brooke Shields being related to tennis before her marriage and relationship to Andre Agassi. I didn’t really dig that out then, but then it became relevant much later when her grandfather Frank Shields became a recurring name in several people’s stories.
As I plunged deeply into these stories, I found more and more and would eventually surprise myself with some discoveries. I have combed biographies, autobiographies, history books, magazine and newspaper articles, and other internet resources. Our digital age has provided a large source of particular pieces of information that would have been more difficult when most of the earlier books were written. There are sources like the contemporary Cholly Knickerbocker and Nancy Randolph along with other society reporters like the later Cleveland Armory who occasionally connect the stories together, but otherwise most of these connections have long been forgotten. And now, I have re-pieced much of these connections back together to bring this bygone era to life.
11:10
Here is where some of the fun and delight begins. It’s not just biographies and memories which have problems with facts. Even contemporary sources get several things wrong, dates, sequences, names, and sometimes embellishing incorrect details.
Textual isn’t the only source but a few visuals as well. If you check the various social media – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook group for As The Money Burns, you will find the following referred photos.
11:40
First, in relation to Frank Shields.
· In his biography Bigger Than Life written by his son William Shields. There is a photo on a ship around 1931 Wimbledon with Frank’s doubles partner Sidney Wood. Their escapades at that tournament are featured in Episode 61: Served Well. A third guy in the photo and in the middle is mentioned as unknown to William Shields. I however immediately recognized the other guy is William “Sam” Van Alen, brother of Princess Louise Van Alen Mdivani, son of socialite Daisy Van Alen, and great grandson of Gilded Age socialite queen bee Caroline Astor.
· I knew this because around that time I located an image of William “Sam” Van Alen on a cruise ship with his mother Daisy Van Alen and sister Louise Van Alen from a few years earlier.
· Now this week, I recently found a second photo from that cruise with the addition of their brother James Henry Van Alen – popularly known as Jimmy but in our story referred as Henry. The photo also has their father another James Van Alen, which would then date the two family photos as circa 1927 or earlier.
12:51
With that information in mind, if one ages up William “Sam” Van Alen a little heavier and in those days mid 20 yr olds look like late 30s or mid 40s today. At the time of my early discovery over 7 years ago, I showed the pictures to a few others, and they confirmed that my connection is highly likely. A reminder that both Van Alen brothers are very involved in the development of tennis in the United States, both with founding the Tennis Hall of Fame and developing the current point scoring system and tiebreak. Both are involved in Wimbledon, Davis Cup, and other related activities throughout their lives. William “Sam” Van Alen has been the focus of several recent episodes involving his own wedding, honeymoon, & newlywed activities.
13:35
For Frank Shields’ wedding to Rebecca “Billie” Tenney, there are naturally a slew of photographs released at the time in several newspapers across the country.
· One shows the couple with her flowers and veil leaving the chapel.
· Another refers to the couple, but the photo is another society couple. However I do not at this exact moment recognize who the other couple is.
13:57
Lastly, I will post a photo of Doris Duke as a bridesmaid in Cynthia Pratt’s prestigious bridal party. In the press, the wedding is noted as uber fashionable especially with bridesmaids wearing a brown fur muff with gold leaf details, which actually shows quite well in the photo. However the various captions point out Doris as one of the wealthiest or richest heiresses. Thus this bridesmaid gets as much attention as the bride.
14:24
These trails can be lots of tedious work in fact checking and confirming all the different details. I am aided with a very good memory and some appropriate meticulous documentation for references and guidance.
Little pieces over and over put back together of small moments in time until a more elaborate picture takes shape.
14:47
[Music – Let’s Do It by Arthur Rosebery & His Kit-Cat Dance Band, Album Fascinating Rhythm – Great Hits of the 20s]
Section 3 – Contemporary & Personal Relevance
[Music Fade Out]
14:58
Reconstructing history is definitely an intellectual and emotional passion for me.
History has plenty of twists and turns, but even more it can show us patterns of behaviors within certain groups and types of people. I have avoided the one and done documentary format to aid in highlighting the similarities and interconnectedness we share in life. Hopefully giving more the “social media” glimpses in life as they were indeed parceled out in the past along with all the misdirection cues.
This is a many layered tale with which I am giving little pieces bit by bit, building to ever larger and bigger revelations. It is so easy to judge quickly when thinking of the bigger overall picture, versus the slow build up of being buried under the weight of things.
15:43
The idea of sunken costs fallacy where we all hang on a little longer to a dream, goal, relationship, or person even when they start to hurt us. Sudden changes are that sudden and can force an immediate realization and reaction. But the slow steady drip might barely be perceivable. Always trying to see the bright side or being blinded by shiny temporary positives might hide the longterm and quite debilitating negatives.
Weddings are supposed to be the beginning of happy times, but we know full well that most of these stories have an inevitable failure rate far larger than the 50% of today’s average marriage statistics. In these cases, we can already know how their stories will end, and they are not the fairytale endings promised.
16:32
As I revisit these stories and knowing their later outcomes, it makes me wonder about more modern people. Recently married heiress Paris Hilton, Amazon czar Jeff Bezos with his divorce and new relationship partner, and others in the modern public eye. What are the trajectories of their lives? Where will this all go for them? With Lisa Marie Presley’s death, her now public dire financial situation once again highlights that beneath the surface many more things are lurking.
There are darker crimes that occur within our story, and one of the biggest crimes of the 20th Century will enter soon enough and its impact on those we are studying. But it’s the smaller slights that really catch my attention. The nature of being in love and it all going wrong, and how money exacerbates the problems in a multitude of ways.
Can money mend a broken heart or only break it further?
17:32
I want to send a shout out to the PROUD STUTTER podcast by Maya Chupkov on her recent Ambies nomination in the DIY category. The Ambies is the official award given by the Podcast Academy. Winners will be announced on March 7th, 2023.
17:49
Also an upcoming release, AGENT STOKER podcast by Chris Conner and Brian Nelson returns with Season 2. Agents of the Night Brigade must prevent forthcoming disaster as the Big Bang reverses itself and threatens another apocalypse. More characters, more episodes, coming everywhere at podcast directories near you.
https://bleav.com/shows/agent-stoker/
Links for PROUD STUTTER and AGENT STOKER available in the notes section and transcript.
If you enjoy As The Money Burns, then please share, like, & subscribe.
Hook
08:24
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Next when we return to AS THE MONEY BURNS…
An ex-millionaire’s financial crime catches up to him, and many more millionaires will soon be under investigation.
Until then…
Credits
18:42
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 Goodpods, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Transcripts, timeline, episode guide, and character bios are available at asthemoneyburns.com.
19:12
THE END.