Empty Mansions (61 page)

52
“
WITH THE IDEA OF MARRYING SOMEONE RICH
”
:
Associated Press, “Heiress Hunt Is Told by Duke of Leinster,”
The New York Times
, October 15, 1936. The suicide and financial troubles of Edward FitzGerald, the seventh duke of Leinster, are described in his son’s obituary, “The Duke of Leinster,”
The Telegraph
(London), December 7, 2004.

53
S
PEAKING SIXTY YEARS LATER:
Thomas Darrington Semple, Jr., described his sixteen first dates in an interview with Dedman, August 26, 2010. Semple died on January 6, 2011.

1
A F
RENCH BOOK:
Tryphosa Bates Batcheller,
La France au soleil et à lómbre
(New York, Paris: Bretano’s 1944), 52.

2
N
EWSPAPER FRONT PAGES
: “Heiress to Marry,”
The Light
(San Antonio, Texas), February 26, 1936, p. 1. The column appeared in some papers on February 25.

3
W
ALTER
W
INCHELL
: “On Broadway,” syndicated column,
Syracuse Journal
, March 3, 1936.

4
E
TIENNE WAS BACK IN
W
INCHELL’S
: “On Broadway with Walter Winchell,”
The Brownsville Herald
(Texas), May 31, 1939, p. 4.

5
HELPED
E
TIENNE FIND A POSITION
: “Copper Company Formed to Operate in Vermont,”
The New York Times
, April 17, 1942.

6
THE
M
ARQUISE DE
V
ILLERMONT:
H. I. Marsh to Huguette Clark, February 22, 1956, letter, HMC papers.

7
O
LD
S
PANISH
D
AYS
: “Society Rallies to Fiesta Gayety at Santa Barbara,”
The Los Angeles Times
, August 11, 1941.

8
“I
JOIN YOU THROUGH MY THOUGHTS
”
:
Etienne de Villermont to HMC, May 21, 1965, letter.

9
H
UGUETTE SENT MONEY:
HMC papers.

10
“T
O MY DARLING
M
OTHER
”
:
This photo of Huguette in a Japanese print dress was shown at Christie’s, New York, when Huguette’s jewelry was sold in 2012.

11
H
UGUETTE BOUGHT FOR HERSELF AND FRIENDS THE LATEST CAMERAS:
HMC papers.

12
“
ONE FLOODLIGHT, OPENING
4”: Many examples of these photographs are in HMC papers.

13
SAT FOR PHOTOGRAPHS AT HOME:
Copies of at least a dozen of these portraits are in HMC papers.

14
O
NLY ONE YEAR DID HER MOTHER:
This photo of Anna standing with her back to the camera is in HMC papers.

15
A
NNA
E
UGENIA
L
ACHAPELLE
C
LARK:
“Mrs. Anna Clark, Senator’s Widow; Art Patron, Whose Husband Left $250 Million, Dies,”
The New York Times
, October 12, 1963.

16
M
OST OF THE BEQUESTS
: Last will and testament of Anna E. Clark, Surrogate’s Court of the State of New York County, County of New York; available online at
NBCNews.​com
,
http://​msnbcmedia.​msn.​com/​i/​msnbc/​Sections/​NEWS/​Anna_​Clark_​Will.​pdf
.

17
“M
Y DEAR FRIEND
”
:
Villermont to HMC, October 14, 1963, letter, HMC papers.

18
SHE REMEMBERS VISITING:
Marie-Christine’s memories are from an interview with Dedman, via translator, August 2, 2012.

19
E
TIENNE WAS NOT A MARQUIS:
The Allard family story is told in a detailed book by a relative, Guillard Allard:
Une Famille Normande, de 1550 à nos Jours: Ascendance et Descendance de Jacques Allard, Conseiller du Roy, Seigneur de Sotteville, du Val et de Villermont
. (Self-published, Normandy, 1973)

20
E
TIENNE’S OBITUARY:
Le Figaro
, April 13, 1982, p. 28. The full obituary translates as: “Madame Etienne Allard de Villermont, Miss Marie-Christine Allard de Villermont, The Count and the Countess de la Chevardiere de la Grandville, Madame Dominique Allard de Villermont, His children and grandchildren, Madame Henri Allard de Villermont and his sons, Mister Emmanuel Jullien de Pommerol, His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Sorrowfully announce the return to God of Mister Etienne ALLARD de VILLERMONT on Maundy Thursday, furnished with the sacraments of the Church. The religious ceremony will take place in the church Sainte-Philomène du Cannet, this Tuesday 13 April, at 10:15am. The burial will take place in the cimetière monumental de Rouen, Thursday 15 April at 11:30am. A Mass will be celebrated for him this same Thursday 15 April, 1982, at 6:45pm in the church Saint-Pierre du Gros-Caillou, Paris (7th arrondisement), chapel of the Holy Virgin.” Also, a brief notice appeared in
Nice-Matin
, April 11, 1982. In the second, his name is listed as Etienne Allard de Sotteville; this surname has been used by some members of the Allard family.

21
T
HE HOUSE OF
C
HRISTIAN
D
IOR:
This story of Huguette’s visit to the French consulate was told by Jacqueline Baeyens-Clerté in her testimony, October 9, 2012, Depositions.

22
“R
UMPELSTILTSKIN HOUSE JUST ARRIVED
”
:
HMC to Edith von Arps, cable, October 6, 1964, HMC papers.

23
R
UDOLPH
J
AKLITSCH, BORN IN
A
USTRIA-
H
UNGARY:
Rudolph’s daughter, Linda Kasakyan, interview with Dedman, May 29, 2012.

24
“T
HE LITTLE PEOPLE ARE BANGING
”
:
Ibid.

25
“T
HANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND LETTER
”
:
HMC to Manon Iessel, cable, August 16, 1962, HMC papers.

26
“R
ECEIVED THE WALL AND GARDEN
”
:
HMC to Au Nain Bleu, cable, June 14, 1963, HMC papers.

27
“F
OR THE LOVELY PASTRY SHOP
”
:
HMC to Au Nain Bleu, cable, May 7, 1956, HMC papers.

28
“R
ECEIVED YOUR NICE LETTER
”
:
HMC to La Maison Christian Dior, cable, August 9, 1962, HMC papers.

29
R
UDOLPH, HER DOLLHOUSE CABINETMAKER:
Kasakyan interview.

30
CAREFULLY REDRAFTING EACH ONE:
HMC papers. Huguette kept even the drafts of her cards and grocery lists.

31
“I
DON’T LIKE HOLIDAYS
”
:
HMC medical records.

32
H
UGUETTE KEPT SENDING THE CHECKS
: HMC papers and Kasakyan interview.

33
A RARE TYPE OF CEDAR:
Caterina Marsh interview with Dedman, May 18, 2012.

34
A DOLLHOUSE-SIZE CASTLE:
HMC papers and photos.

35
H
UGUETTE CORRESPONDED WITH THE
J
APANESE ARTIST:
HMC papers.

36
CHANGING TRAINS FOUR TIMES:
Caterina Marsh to Huguette Clark, May 11, 1987, HMC papers.

37
T
HE MEASUREMENTS IN HER DETAILED DESIGNS:
Marsh interview.

38
SHE ACCEPTED AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE:
HMC papers.

39
“S
HE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED
”
:
Marsh interview.

40
“S
HE HAD A VERY HAPPY VOICE
”
:
Ibid.

41
“I
T SEEMS THE ARTIST
”
:
Caterina Marsh to HMC, letter, HMC papers.

42
T
HE CASTLE PROJECTS CONTINUED:
HMC papers.

43
H
UGUETTE WASN’T HAPPY WITH HIS WORK:
Marsh interview.

44
S
HE SAID ONE OF HER FAVORITE MOVIES:
HMC papers.

45
H
UGUETTE SAID HER FAVORITE NOVEL:
HMC conversation with Newell, April 10, 2002.

46
“W
E ARE ALL TAKEN BY CUSTOMS
”
:
Marsh interview.

47
L
ORIOUX WAS AN EARLY INSPIRATION:
Among the many online introductions to the work of Félix Lorioux, see
http://​animation​resources.​org/?​p=​2272
. See also Jean de La Fontaine,
Fables of La Fontaine
, illust. Félix Lorioux (1927; repr., New York: Dover, 2012), in French and English.

48
P
ICASSO, WHO RIFFED ON:
Lorioux’s illustrated version of
Don Quixote
was published in 1930 by Hachette. Picasso’s
Don Quixote
was sketched in 1955.

49
“
RARE BIRD
”
:
Artine Courbalk’s correspondence about the Clarks to Félix Lorioux was supplied by Lorioux’s son, Jean-Loup Brusson, and grandson, Fabrice Brusson.

50
T
HROUGH
C
OURBALK
, H
UGUETTE COMMISSIONED:
Lorioux’s letters to Huguette are in HMC papers.

51
O
NE HAND-PAINTED BIRTHDAY CARD:
Copies of these Lorioux cards are in the authors’ possession, supplied by a dealer in Paris.

52
“
OUR BENEVOLENT FAIRY
”
:
Félix and Lily Lorioux to HMC, letter, April 29, 1959, HMC papers.

53
“D
EAR
M
ADAME, VERY SAD
”
:
HMC to Lily Lorioux, cable, September 29, 1964, HMC papers.

54
F
ÉLIX
L
ORIOUX WAS NOT THE ONLY:
The extensive contacts between Huguette and the other illustrators in France can be found in HMC papers and are described in Courbalk’s letters.

55
“Y
OU KNOW HOW LOYAL
”
:
HMC to Pinchon, letter, undated draft, HMC papers.

56
CLOSEST TO
H
ÉROUARD:
His real name was Chéri-Louis-Marie-Aimé Haumé (1881–1961).

57
INCLUDING A FEW OF HIS “DARING” ONES:
Hérouard to HMC, letter, November 13, 1959, HMC papers.

58
“I
N SPITE OF THEIR FRAGILE STATE
”
:
Hérouard to HMC, letter, October 12, 1957, HMC papers.

59
“T
HE FAIRY TALE CONTINUES
”
:
Pinchon to HMC, letter, April 15, 1953, HMC papers.

60
H
UGUETTE WOULD CALL:
Brusson family interviews and letters with Dedman, via translator, January–March 2013.

61
T
HE
L
ORIOUX FAMILY HAD INVITED:
Huguette’s stated fear of another French Revolution was described by the Brussons in interviews.

1
A DETAILED REPORT OF MISINFORMATION:
The myths told on the trolley tour are described in James H. Hurley to Donald L. Wallace, December 2, 1986, HMC papers.

2
T
HE NAME
B
ELLOSGUARDO:
The Montecito Historical Archives of the Montecito Association have rich information on the Bellosguardo history. (The Clark estate is actually inside the city limits of Santa Barbara, but just barely.) An overview of Bellosguardo history is given in David F. Myrick,
Montecito and Santa Barbara
, vol. 2,
The Days of the Great Estates
(Glendale, CA: Trans-Angelo Books, 1991), 384–92.

3
“M
Y DEAR
M
OTHER
”
:
Sheila Lodge provided a copy of this June 10, 1988, note from Huguette. (See the handwritten note on page 344.)

4
MADE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:
One of Anna’s musical friends in the 1940s was Ganna Walska, the owner of the Lotusland estate in Montecito. Walska was a Polish opera singer of uncertain talent whose career was fostered by her older husband, industrialist Harold Fowler McCormick, a story that Orson Welles said helped inspire part of the screenplay for his 1941 film,
Citizen Kane
.

5
AFFLUENT COMMUNITY OF
M
ONTECITO:
Montecito has long been the summer home of wealthy families seeking seclusion. It is now populated by the likes of actress Drew Barrymore, former vice president Al Gore, author T. C. Boyle, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, and media entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey.

6
T
HE MAIN DRIVEWAY ASCENDS:
Descriptions of the exterior and interior of Bellosguardo are from Paul Newell’s tour in 2004 and from detailed photographs taken after Huguette died in 2011, Estate of Huguette M. Clark.

7
T
HE
C
LARKS DIDN’T BUILD:
Photos of Andrée’s Cottage, when it was Geraldine’s Cottage, appear in Robert S. Birchard,
Silent-Era Filmmaking in Santa Barbara
(Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2007).

8
THEIR DAUGHTER
, G
ERALDINE:
Geraldine “Gerry” Graham became well-known as a model for portrait artists and for her string of attachments to prominent men, not the least Edward, Prince of Wales, years before he’d heard of Wallis Warfield Simpson.

9
A
NN’S TRIP CAME:
Ann Ellis Raynolds interviews with Dedman, beginning in April 2012.

10
H
UGUETTE HONORED HER SISTER:
Some have said that Anna made the donation for the bird refuge, but Huguette’s papers and documents at the Montecito Historical Archives make clear that Huguette wrote the check from her own funds, although Anna may have worked behind the scenes to make the refuge happen.

11
“
WOULD ARRIVE ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE
”
:
Barbara Hoelscher Doran offered her memories in “Behind the Gates of Bellosguardo,”
Santa Barbara Magazine
, Winter 1996, and in interviews with Dedman, 2010–13.

12
H
ER PHOTO ALBUMS:
HMC papers.

13
“H
UGUETTE WANTED MY MOTHER
”
:
Barbara Hoelscher Doran interviews.

14
“
TURNING THE COLOR
”
:
HMC to Tadé Styka, letter, December 3, 1941, HMC papers.

15
T
HE YOUNG SENTRIES:
Barry Hoelscher described his memories of Bellosguardo in interviews with Dedman, beginning February 2012.

16
S
HE BOUGHT A
215-
ACRE RANCH:
The date of the purchase of Rancho Alegre is given in Anna’s will as July 14, 1943.

17
R
ANCHO
A
LEGRE:
The ranch had a pedigree Anna could identify with, having been the weekend getaway of a former U.S. senator, Thomas M. Storke, owner of the
Santa Barbara News-Press
. The ranch served a useful purpose, providing milk and eggs for the Hoelschers and other staff, with the milk churned into butter at the Petan Dairy on Santa Barbara’s Eastside.

18
“
FIRST-CLASS CONDITION
”
:
John Douglas described his instructions and the episodes with the tree replacement and doghouse in his testimony, October 12, 2012, Depositions.

19
“W
HO MOVED THAT CHAIR?
”
:
Several relatives described the episode of the maid who was upset by a chair having been moved at Bellosguardo. One was Paul Albert in his testimony, November 13 and 14, 2012, Depositions.

20
THE SHAH OF
I
RAN:
The efforts by the shah (January 1979) and Marvin Davis (1989) to buy Bellosguardo are described in letters to Huguette from her California attorney, James Hurley, HMC papers.

21
“M
Y ANSWER TO YOU
”
:
Sheila Lodge provided the text of this April 9, 1997, note from Huguette.

22
“T
HE SCANDAL, OF COURSE
”
:
Jeanette Rodda to HMC, letter, November 8, 1988, HMC papers.

23
“W
HAT COLOR IS THE SWIMMING POOL?
”
:
Oda Larsen interview with Newell in late 1995 or early 1996.

24
“Y
ES
, M
R
. D
OUGLAS
”
:
Douglas deposition.