NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Edith Bouvier Beale

Edith Bouvier Beale (November 7, 1917 – January 14, 2002) was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... â€œNYâ€ redirects here. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Not to be confused with Bar Harbor, Maine. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ... Grey Gardens poster Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary by the direction/cinematography/editing team of Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Photograph of the once famous model Dovima A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... â€œJacqueline Bouvierâ€ redirects here. ... Caroline Lee Bouvier Canfield RadziwiÅ‚Å‚ Ross (born March 3, 1933 in Southampton, New York) is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress, best known as Lee Radziwill. ...

She is best known as "Little Edie", one of the subjects of the documentary film Grey Gardens by Albert and David Maysles. Arresting in her dress, and entertaining in her speech, Edie has become a cult star. She and her mother, Edith Ewing Bouvier referred to as "Big Edie", were very quotable. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Grey Gardens poster Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary by the direction/cinematography/editing team of Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. ... David and Albert Maysles Brothers Albert and David Maysles were a documentary filmmaking team whose films include Salesman, Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens. ... Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (October 5, 1894-February 5, 1977), aunt of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, made world headlines for the deplorable conditions of her mansion and eccentric relationship with her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale that was highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens. ...

Early life

The only daughter of Phelan Beale, Sr., a lawyer, and Edith Ewing Bouvier, she was born at 987 Madison Avenue, now the site of the Carlyle Hotel, New York City. She had two brothers, Phelan Beale, Jr. and Bouvier Beale. She attended The Spence School, and graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1935. She had her debut at the Pierre Hotel on New Year's Day, 1936. She socialized at the Maidstone Club of East Hampton. ^[1] Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (October 5, 1894-February 5, 1977), aunt of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, made world headlines for the deplorable conditions of her mansion and eccentric relationship with her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale that was highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens. ... Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City which carries northbound one-way traffic. ... The Carlyle Hotel is a luxury hotel and extended stay hotel in the Upper East Side of New York City, USA. The hotel, designed in Art Deco style, opened in 1931 and was named after Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Spence School, founded in 1892 by Clara B. Spence, is a day school for girls in grades kindergarten through grade 12, offering a liberal arts program for college preparation. ... Miss Porters School, sometimes referred to simply as Farmington, is a highly-selective college preparatory school for ladies, located in Farmington, Connecticut. ... Poster from the 1958 Sandra Dee film, The Reluctant Debutante A debutante (or deb) (French word for female beginner) is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal presentation... The Pierre Hotel is a 41-storey luxury hotel located on Fifth Avenue and 61st Street, bordering the east side of Central Park, New York City. ... This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Maidstone The Maidstone Club is a private country club on the Atlantic Ocean in East Hampton (village), New York. ...

While Little Edie was young, her mother pursued a singing career, hiring an accompanist and playing small venues and private parties. In the summer of 1931, Phelan Beale abandoned the family, leaving 35-year-old Big Edie dependent on her family for the care of herself and children. Some time later, he obtained, as Little Edie described it, a "fake Mexican divorce". In the 1960s, many Americans traveled south to obtain a Mexican divorce. ...

In her youth Little Edie was a clothes model, primarily in department stores in New York and Palm Beach. She later claimed to have dated J. Paul Getty, and to have once been engaged to Joe Kennedy, Jr. The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... Palm Beach is the name of several places: Palm Beach, New South Wales is a suburb of Sydney, Australia. ... As I See It, J. Paul Getty Autobiography Jean Paul Getty (December 15, 1892 â€“ June 6, 1976) was an American industrialist and founder of the Getty Oil Company. ... Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. ...

From 1947 until 1952, she lived in the Barbizon Hotel for Women, hoping to find fame and possibly a husband in Manhattan. Later she stated she seemed only to be interested in men whose zodiac sign was Sagittarius, and according to her horoscope, she should not marry a Sagittarius. She later confessed in footage included in The Beales of Grey Gardens (2006) that she had lived in New York "at the wrong time", and hadn't enjoyed the experience. She had moved to the Barbizon Hotel after feeling unsafe at her previous apartment furnished in her mother's valuable antiques. The Barbizon Hotel for Women, built in 1927, was symbolic of the cultural change as women began to come to New York City for professional opportunities, but still wanted a safe retreat that felt like the family home[2]. No men were allowed above the ground floor and strict rules...

Later life

On July 29, 1952, Edith returned to live with her mother in the East Hampton estate Grey Gardens (on the corner of Lily Pond Lane and West End Road). The home had been purchased for "Big Edie" in 1923, when it still had one of the finest gardens on the East Coast. Image File history File linksMetadata Greygardens. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Greygardens. ... Grey Gardens poster Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary by the direction/cinematography/editing team of Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... East Hampton is the name of some places in the United States of America: East Hampton, Connecticut East Hampton, New York - Town of East Hampton East Hampton, New York - Village of East Hampton These should not be confused with places named Easthampton. ...

In a 1980 letter to her nephew Bouvier Beale Jr., Little Edie claimed that: "When Grandfather died (in 1948), he left $65,000 in trust. Jack B. ("Black Jack" Bouvier, Big Edie’s brother and Wall Street broker) had only one objective — to grab the Beale trust fund to invest for his daughters (Jackie and Lee) and he did. He was supposed to take care of Mother." Instead, Big Edith ended up with $300 per month. Mother and daughter reportedly remained independent by selling off their Tiffany pieces item by item.

After the 1963 death of caretaker and handyman Tom "Tex" Logan, and a crushing burglary in 1968, the women lived in near isolation and increasing and eventually abject poverty. The word caretaker may have numerous meanings, but the most common two are (1) a person or persons who cares for a property in exchange for rent-free living accommodations and (2) temporary government which takes control until a stable rule can be restored. ... The terms handyperson, handywoman, or handyman, describe someone competent in a variety of small skills or inventive or ingenious in repair or maintenance work; somebody who earns money by the experience and skill to perform a variety of small jobs and/or odd jobs in and around your home. ...

On Oct. 22, 1971, inspectors from the Suffolk County Health Department raided the house and discovered that it violated every known building regulation.^{[citation needed]} The story became a national scandal. Health Department officials said they would evict the women unless the house was cleaned. Mrs. Onassis came to the rescue, paying $32,000 to clean the house, install a new furnace and plumbing system, and cart away 1,000 bags of garbage.

Their fame arose out of the Maysles Brother's 1975 direct cinema documentary film Grey Gardens. The film revealed the strong ties between Mrs. Beale and Little Edie, as well as showcasing the reclusive pair's daily rituals of song, recollections, arguments and reconciliations. Direct cinema is a documentary genre that was born between 1958 et 1962 in North America, chiefly in Canada (Quebec) and in the United States. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Grey Gardens poster Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary by the direction/cinematography/editing team of Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. ...

After her mother's death in February 1977, Little Edie attempted to start a cabaret career at age 60 with eight shows (January 10 - 14, 1978) at Reno Sweeney, a Manhattan night spot at 126 W. 13th Street. The club kept the bad reviews (crying exploitation!) from her, and she bravely faced two new audiences a night, even through a fever and although she recently had undergone cataract surgery.

Little Edie lived in the house for about two years, as her mother, who was always dominant, had told her to do, holding out against selling Grey Gardens as a teardown. In 1979, she sold the house to Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee after they promised to restore it and paid her $220,000. Sally Quinn (born July 1, 1941) is an American author and journalist. ... Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (born August 26, 1921) is the vice president of the Washington Post. ...

Little Edie then moved to a small rental cottage in Southampton, New York and then moved to a studio apartment on East 62nd Street in New York City from 1980-1983 before moving to Florida. She lived briefly in Montreal in the mid-1990s, and with relatives in Oakland in 1997. She returned to Bal Harbour, Florida in the fall of 1997, where she remained in quiet isolation, writing poetry and corresponding with friends and fans. She reportedly swam every day until close to her death at the age of 84. Southampton, New York is the name of three entities on Long Island in Suffolk County, New York in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government - Mayor GÃ©rald Tremblay Area [1][2][3] - City 365. ... Oakland is the name of several places in the United States of America: Oakland, Alabama Oakland, California (The best-known city with this name) Oakland, Florida Oakland, Maine Oakland, Maryland Oakland, Michigan Oakland, Missouri Oakland, Nebraska Oakland, New Jersey Oakland, Oklahoma Oakland, Oregon Oakland, Pennsylvania Oakland, Rhode Island Oakland, Tennessee... Bal Harbour is a village located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...

Death

She was discovered dead in her apartment on January 14, 2002, after a concerned fan could not reach her on the phone. She had been dead about five days from a presumed heart attack at age 84. She was cremated, and a memorial service was held in the local Catholic church in East Hampton. She was survived by three nephews and one niece. ^[1] is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Legacy

After her death in 2002, Little Edie left a diary, letters, poetry, and photographs, to her nephew Bouvier Beale Jr., the executor of her estate. Eva Beale, his wife, is at work on a coffee-table book about the family story that will include much of this material.

Edie's Influences in Media

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... The jewel case cover of the original Off-Broadway cast recording of Grey Gardens Grey Gardens is a musical with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, based on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale... Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (b. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... The Walter Kerr Theatre is a Broadway theatre. ... Mary Louise Wilsonâ€” (b. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

References

^ ^a ^b "Edith Bouvier Beale, 84, 'Little Edie,' Dies", New York Times, January 25, 2002. Retrieved on 2007-06-21. “Edith Bouvier Beale, once a successful model and aspiring actress who later lived a gothic life in Grey Gardens, a dilapidated 28-room house in East Hampton, New York, with her mother and dozens of cats, raccoons and opossums, was found dead in her small apartment in Bal Harbour, Florida, on Jan. 14. She was 84. Her nephew, Bouvier Beale, said the Dade County coroner attributed the death to a heart attack or stroke resulting from arteriosclerosis. Her cousin, John H. Davis, said she appeared to have been dead for five days.”

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... East Hampton is a town located in Suffolk County, New York. ... Bal Harbour is a village located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...

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