Done & Dunne
A podcast exploring writer Dominick Dunne's quest for justice amidst his incisive commentary of the high society set. Alicia (Trashy Divorces) leads a far ranging romp through the novels and Vanity Fair columns of one of the 20th century’s most unforgettable literary contributors. Covering courthouses and country clubs, Dunne’s voice was one for the ages, and Done & Dunne ensures that voice can continue to resonate with audiences today.
Episodes
322. Alicia'a Auction Days Are Dunne
Investigators, it was an interesting week around here as your dedicated hostess participated in her first auction, conducted by the legendary Julien's Auctions. The story that follows is definitely one for the books.
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321. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Dickie Solo
After the death of Edwina Mountbatten in 1960, Dickie still had another 19 years of living to do, and while he was single, he was in no way alone. He had romances with plenty of women in his later years, and according to many, he had male lovers - including, it is alleged, boys - as well.
A mentor to Prince Charles, his advice to the young man may have contributed to what turned into the tragic
320. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Comrades in Arms
As Edwina took pains to lay low in Malta after the scandals of her affairs, Italy decided to exit the League of Nations and invade Ethiopia. To protect their children, she took them to Budapest and installed them in a hotel with their nanny and governess... and then forgot which hotel they were in. For months. As the summer of 1935 turned to fall, and then winter, they just stayed in their hotel u
319. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Careless People
Programming note: This episode is a bit more explicit than most, including strong language and descriptions of sex. If you listen with wee ones, use your judgment.
The early '30s were a roaring time for Edwina's various romances, though two in particular would have far-reaching implications for her lovers. The first, with American actor Paul Robeson, caused scandal in the London tabloids because
318. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Unconventional Marriage
As the Roaring '20s turned into the '30s, Edwina's appetite for other lovers showed no sign of diminishing, and eventually led to a breaking point with her long-suffering husband, Louis. At one point, they decided that divorce was the best option, but quickly reconciled with new rules for their relationship: Edwina would be more discreet in her dalliances, which had previously been headline news,
317. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Let the Affairs Begin!
It didn't take long for Edwina, young, rich, and alone while her husband Louis was away with the Navy, to begin flirtations and then affairs with various suitors. There were the young men of her social strata, to be sure, but there was also a scandalous rumored fling with the notably female American entertainer Sophie Tucker, "The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas." These affairs took a toll on her marria
316. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | The Wedding and The Honeymoon... Is Over
While Louis and Edwina Mountbatten would have a 38-year-long marriage, it isn't quite right to say it was a happy union. That first six months or so though - when they traveled through Europe and the United States, meeting Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille, and dining with President Warren G. Harding - was a magical time for the couple. Once they returned to England and settled into married life,
315. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Origin Stories and Engagement
As many will already know, it was the youngest child of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine who would become a prominent figure in the lives of the modern world of the Windsors. Young Louis Battenberg, later Louis Mountbatten, was known as Dickie to his confidants, and was stung early when his father, First Sea Lord of the British Navy, was removed from his post
314. The Mountbattens | George and Nada Mountbatten
Prince George of Battenberg, later the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, was the third child of Louis Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and was by all accounts a pretty good dude. Like his father, he set his sights on a naval career, and excelled at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, entering the Royal Navy in time to participate in World War I.
His 1916 marriage to Countes
313. The Mountbattens | Princess Louise of Battenberg
The second child of Prince Louis of Battenberg (later, Louis Mountbatten, Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine was Princess Louise, born July 14, 1889. While most royal were promptly shuttled into marriage, Louise was an independent, progressive young woman whose heart was set on marrying for love.
There were suitors, to be sure, but Louise was insistent that sh
312. The Mountbattens | Princess Alice of Battenberg
After Louis Battenberg's (later Louis Mountbatten) successful campaign to marry Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the couple set about having babies. The first of these, Princess Alice, was born in 1885, and came into the world congenitally deaf. Given the era, no particular accommodations were made for her, and while her condition caused many to underestimate her, she compensated by learni
311. Meet the Mountbattens!
While royal houses are often insular and even incestuous (at least at the cousin-marrying level), new blood does manage to enter those gene pools from time to time. Meet the Mountbattens! The family's story begins in Russia, circa 1850, where the orphaned daughter of a Polish general named Julia von Hauke was serving in the household of Maria Alexandrovna, future wife of future Tsar Alexander II.
310. Marilyn Monroe | Truman Capote Remembers
In this coda to our week of Marilyn Monroe, we examine Truman Capote’s profile of her from Music for Chameleons. Written in 1980, this insightful piece of writing recalls a day in April 1955 which the two spend together. We see Marilyn very much alive and described by possibly the best sketch of her ever written. Also, more spiderwebs than you can count, mentioning all the dish on so many characte
309. Marilyn Monroe | August and Everything After
In this crossover week celebrating Marilyn Monroe, our investigation today brings us to the final days of Marilyn Monroe’s life, as well as many recollections about the night of her death and her legacy.
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308. Marilyn Monroe | Summer of 1962
We are exploring the summer of 1962 for Marilyn Monroe – with multiple plotlines developing. A studio looking to smear her, a doctor and housekeeper with questionable practices, and a few high-level summer romances bring a very complicated summer for Marilyn, whichever biographer you follow.
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307. Marilyn Monroe | Winter and Spring of 1962
In this episode, our investigation brings Marilyn Monroe into 1962, a much more public year than her last. From buying a home to keeping company with John F. Kennedy, Marilyn’s January to May is filled with future planning, a return to work, and a few legendary parties too – one of which causes the final fallout between Peter Lawford and Frank Sinatra.
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306. Marilyn Monroe | 1960 and 1961
As we continue our week of Marilyn Monroe, the Swinging 1960s are upon us. Within this episode, we explore the first two years of the decade for Marilyn, which involve some tough times. Included are the bust-up of her marriage with Arthur Miller, a scandalous affair, a reconnection with Joe DiMaggio, and a new President for the United States too.
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305. Marilyn Monroe | 1954 to 1959
In this second of our week of Marilyn Monroe episodes we follow her life, loves, and career from 1954 to 1959. So much is happening in these years with great freedom, and many challenges too. Also entering the frame today, we have Dominick Dunne and Peter Lawford, and so many characters who will be mighty influential in the coming few years as well.
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304. Marilyn Monroe | From Norma Jean to Almost Famous
In honor of her 100th birthday, we begin our journey into the life and death of Marilyn Monroe.
This first episode reveals Marilyn from her birth in 1926 to 1954, with stardom just around the corner. Included are her troubled childhood, her first marriage, and her early path to legend status.
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303. That Summer
With Memorial Day upon us, we are kicking off the summer of 2026, by going back to 1972. Peter Beard made a film a few years ago, That Summer, which is a time capsule of so many people and events. It is through this time that Peter Beard and Lee Radziwell conduct a love affair, and document all the happenings of this special time.
What is included? A little movie project with Lee’s relatives, Bi
302. Passings | Mark Fuhrman
Just last week, one of the major players in the OJ Simpson trial passed away. Mark Fuhrman, former L.A.P.D. detective, died at the age of 74 in Idaho. His role within the trial provided one of the major blows to the prosecution when his previous job history and racial comments allowed the defense team to pivot their client's defense to an offensive position against the police. Our man Nick did len
301. Lady Colin Campbell
Lady Colin Campbell has led quite a life in her day, and one very connected into our upcoming storytelling journey. Today, it is crossover all about her trashy divorce, sticky royal spiderwebs, and so much more as we enter Lady Colin Campbell into our cinematic universe as a future player and source too.
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300. True Crime Archive | Betty Broderick
Last week Betty Broderick passed away in prison at the age of 78, spending 34 years of her life locked up after murdering her ex-husband Dan and his second wife. Betty’s ultimately fatal obsession was a true crime standout and captured the nation’s attention through her two separate trials.
It seemed fitting this week to reprise this episode from the archive to revisit the very trashy divorce of
299. Villa La Mauresque
Today, we are taking a little trip to Cap Ferrat on the Riviera to explore the connections and spiderwebs in one special house, Villa La Mauresque. This house has played host to many a high society and literary figure in its day being owned at one time by both Somerset Maugham and Lynn Wyatt. This villa is loaded with history, and is a definite hot spot on the circuit. Or used to be, before an ol
298. Murder in Chelsea
In a bit of an attachment to Lynn Wyatt, our main subject this week, we could not let this particular story fall to the wayside. Lynn had a pretty terrible first marriage early in life to a playboy heir, Robert Lipman. After their divorce, Robert took himself on quite an international tour of travel, and so many drugs. It was in 1967, in swinging Chelsea, that Robert took more than drugs - he took
297. Lynn Wyatt | The Queen Socialite of Texas and Oscar Wyatt's Legal Troubles
Dominick Dunne is always talking about the people he knows, and in this segment, he is reporting in 2006 about so many troubles of the socialite ladies in his circle. Lynn Wyatt is the focus here and all the woes with her billionaire husband Oscar Wyatt at the time. We get to know little a bit here, mostly through her dedicated support of her husband at this time.
Also added, Alicia chimes in wi
296. Hey, Hey Gardner McKay
We reconnect with Gardner McKay this week, the handsome actor who starred as Adam Troy in Adventures in Paradise. Gardner was a Dominick Dunne discovery, and Dunne loves to remind you of that fact. In this episode, we begin with a 1999 piece with Dunne being asked for a quote for Gardner’s new book, Toyer. With namedrops, studio gossip and a little more too, Gardner McKay is not a man you will soo
295. Spiderwebs | Terry Melcher, Candice Bergen, and The Manson Family
In this episode, Alicia follows up with some spiderwebs from the Doris Day story, and how her son Terry factors into those terrible events on Cielo Drive on August 8, 1969. Terry and his longtime girlfriend Candice Bergen lived there in a fairy tale dream in 1968, before Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski move into the home. Why did Terry and Candice move? Doris told them they must.
This one is fill
294. Doris Day and Her Trashy Divorces
It is a special double length bonus today as we explore the life and the loves of Doris Day in this Trashy Divorces crossover!
Actress and singer Doris Day built a giant career in Hollywood on the image of the All-American Girl, a perfectly relatable Girl Next Door, virtuous and funny. It was pure spin, with Groucho Marx once quipping, “I’ve been around so long, I knew Doris Day before she was a
293. Elizabeth Taylor in Glorious Form!
Who could have imagined this lucky twist? This week, Taylor Swift released the music video for Track 2 from her The Life of a Showgirl album. The song is "Elizabeth Taylor" and the video features the screen goddess in excerpts from eleven of her iconic films. It is a must see if you are an Elizabeth Taylor fan. By the time this recording was complete, the music video is now available on Youtube.co
292. Elizabeth Taylor | Dunne's Lost Book Introduction
There was a moment when Dominick Dunne was asked to write an introduction for Elizabeth Taylor's 2002 book about all of her famous jewels. Turns out, Our Man Nick's words didn't make the cut for the release, but we have them in today's episode. From May of 2007, in a special feature from Vanity Fair, Dunne gives a little insight into his multi-decade friendship with Elizabeth Taylor including tra
291. Mart Crowley | Loose Ends and Final Thoughts
In this episode of Done and Dunne, we conclude the current arc of Mart Crowley. Packed into this one are his years after The Boys in The Band, and a few stories about his besties, including Natalie Wood and Kay Thompson. Also included, his travels and his eternal legacy.
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290. Oatsie Charles, Newport's Grande Dame
In this episode, we explore the life of high society grande dame Oatsie Charles. Her southern childhood and early life are connected through Santa Rosa and Montgomery, with a whole lot of eccentric family tales. We do have a Tallulah Bankhead connection as well, before we move onto Oatsie’s later years, where she partied it up in Georgetown and her Newport home, Land’s End. Connected to all the pl
289. Graydon Carter on Dominick Dunne
Investigators, Alicia got her hot little hands on Graydon Carter's book When The Going Was Good, and there is so much tea to spill. Graydon was Dominick Dunne's Editor at Vanity Fair for years and he shares many stories about so many characters in our universe. First up on these tales, you know we have to begin with Our Man Nick.
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288. A Nick in Time | 1969-1970
While filming The Boys in the Band in 1969, our man Nick moves to New York City and is beginning to live on the wild side – one that is very dangerous. There is a whole lot happening this year, in addition to Dunne’s dicey choices. The Manson Murders come in the summer – soon after Lenny reveals her MS diagnosis to the family. Folks noticing Dunne’s adoration of Frederick Combs is a highlight of t
287. Mart Crowley and The Boys in the Band
In 1967, Mart Crowley wrote a groundbreaking work that no one, especially his friend Dominick Dunne, would have predicted success for at the time. However, The Boys in the Band took the theatre world by storm, soon to be followed by a film in 1970. This work's significance made an impact at the time, and only seemed to grow with its importance through the years. This episode covers the whole story
286. Murder in Aspen | The Death of Spider Sabich and The Trial of Claudine Longet
Dominick Dunne never got around to writing about the murder of Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich in 1976, but he devoted an episode of his 2002-2009 television series, Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice, to the killing – and the mockery of a trial that followed.
Spider, a popular fixture in the Aspen scene, was shot by his longtime live-in girlfriend, singer-actress Claudine Long
285. Laurel Canyon | 7708 Woodrow Wilson Drive
This week we deep dive into the whole history of one home in Laurel Canyon, with a number of owners connecting into our investigation. Our focus is 7708 Woodrow Wilson Drive, a beautiful English Country home built by Natalie Wood's parents, and where she begins her married life with Robert Wagner. Natalie sells the home in the 1960s to the "Earth Mother of Laurel Canyon" Cass Elliot, who entertain
284. Natalie Wood | Her Life, Loves, and Divorces
Any day is a terrific day to talk about Natalie Wood, and this week the beloved actress is coming into full focus on Done and Dunne. Included in this first episode of Natalie Wood Week, we investigate her childhood and early stardom, along with those family complications. Next it is her teenage years, with the accompanying struggles found in Hollywood for a young woman. Natalie’s two marriages to
283. Mart Crowley | Everything Before The Boys In The Band
This week our focus centers on Mart Crowley, American Playwright most well known for his 1968 play The Boys In The Band. Within this episode, we take Mart from a terrible childhood in Mississippi to Catholic University, to Elia Kazan and Natalie Wood, and all the spiderwebs of his career before creating this pioneering work.
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282. Vibe Checking the Gays in 1969
This week, we begin our look into Mart Crowley and his breakthrough play "The Boys in the Band" in a slightly offbeat way. Mart's life and times, and Dunne's role within the creation of the play and the movie version are essential parts of this investigation, but here in the beginning of these episodes, we are wandering back to LOOK Magazine from December 2, 1969 with a piece by Jack Star titled "
281. Dunne's Suite Life at the Chateau Marmont
We take a wander down memory lane in this episode, direct from Dominick Dunne himself. Dunne contributed an essay for the Chateau Marmont Hollywood Handbook edited by Andre Balazs. In this piece from 1997, Dunne reveals so much about his journey as it intersects through Los Angeles and the iconic hotel.
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280. Jacqueline de Ribes | Remembering The Queen of Paris
In this last episode of 2025, we honor and celebrate the life of Jacqueline de Ribes, French aristocrat, designer, fashion icon, businesswoman, film producer and philanthropist, who passed away just yesterday at the age of 96. This extraordinary woman was always getting name-checked by Dominick Dunne, and with her life and its many spiderwebs, it is easy to see why.
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279. Noel Coward
This week we take a little time to bring Dominick Dunne’s First Noël, Noël Coward to the main feed! Noël Coward, a legend in so many ways, was an enormous influence for Dominick Dunne, and well, the rest of the high society and theatre world too, as Alicia detailed back in August 2022. Tune in for a ride of long ago ghosts and so many spiderwebs!
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278. Truman Capote's Lost Treasures | Snake Bite Kits
It is a double drop this week to talk about one more of Truman Capote’s lost treasures. Who knew Truman was an artist? And that his creative project was making snake bite kits? This tale explores this hobby, Truman’s planned art show, and Gotham Book Mart’s involvement in the whole affair.
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277. Truman Capote's Lost Treasures | Houston Diary
We are going to take a little jaunt with our man Dominick Dunne through Connecticut in this and future episodes. Dunne writes in June 2006 for Vanity Fair about a whole lot of scoops coming from the state of his home retreat. We begin with a line Nick got about a whole cache of secret papers left behind by Truman Capote investigating a case that he never will write about, although we have his rese
276. The Dowager Lady Glenconner, Anne Tennant | The Merry Widow, Part Two
Today is second part of the incredible story of Lady Anne Glenconner. This episode is full of the stories and spiderwebs of Anne's third act, having incredible success with her memoirs. So many people show up in this one - with stories and a little tea-spilling too - including Princess Margaret, Lord Snowden, King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Mel B., Mick Jagger, and even Graham Norton too.
275. The Dowager Lady Glenconner, Anne Tennant | The Merry Widow, Part One
In this special crossover episode of Done and Dunne and Trashy Royals, Alicia introduces you to The Right Honourable The Dowager Lady Glenconner, Anne Tennant. Lady Anne’s life is truly incredible – from a privileged childhood to being a lady-in-waiting attending Queen Elizabeth II through her coronation, these are only Anne’s early years. Marriage and children follow in her life, with so many con
274. Dunne's Home Sweet Homes
In this bit of a twist, we move from others’ famous homes in our journey to Dominick Dunne’s last two homes, his East Side pied-a-terre and his rustic Connecticut retreat. It is a bit of a real estate and storytelling ride, with a charming Dunne and Son story to close this cozy episode.
All sources and recommended reading can be found on our website.
Sources:
https://www.architecturaldigest.
273. JFK Mysteries | Alicia Corning Clark
Everyone knows that JFK was a man of vociferous appetites when it came to women, but the secret story of a possible love child fathered with a teenage maid in the Hyannis Port compound is not commonly known. Many questions persist, but the tale of JFK's maybe-baby-mama, Alicia Corning Clark, is such a quintessentially American one - from refugee to the Kennedy's to Hollywood and beyond - that we c
272. Dunne Profiles 1984's Ambitious Blondes
We go all the back in this episode to Dominick Dunne’s second submission for Vanity Fair in April 1984. Dunne takes us to the Ambitious Blondes of the day, following in the footsteps of the greats before them like Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly.
Included in this profile are many not-as-famous-as-they will-be blondes like Kim Basinger, Darryl Hannah, and Michelle Pfeffer. Also, a
A Little News and a Big Giveaway!
In this quick bonus episode, Alicia shares a little news about the main feed this week and completes the Peggy Lee coffee giveaway too! The legendary Peggy Lee is being celebrated with two brand new coffee blends from our friend Breakfast at Dominique’s!
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271. Truman Capote Meets Peggy Lee and a Giveaway!!
In this episode, Alicia recounts Dotson Rader’s story about the
time Truman Capote met Peggy Lee. This one contains all kinds of spiderwebs including Key West, Jimmy Buffett and Doris Duke too. It is a tiny tale that says a lot - but that is not the only delight in this one!
The legendary Peggy Lee is being celebrated with two brand
new coffee blends from Breakfast at Dominique’s and we have a f
270. JFK Mysteries | Murder at Hammersmith Farm, The Finale
In this conclusion of an episode, Alicia reveals the details from the September 1963 home movie made by Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy. Robert Knudsen filmed this James Bond-like film before the President’s assassination just a few months later. Included in this story are many attachments to our man Nick in this piece of forgotten history.
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269. The Three Cinderellas | How to Marry a Cushing, a Dodge, or a Rockefeller
We go way back to January 1954 in this episode with a feature from Suppressed Magazine, featuring a few high society ladies much discussed in our investigation. These are early days for these Three Cinderellas, who were determined to marry well, and boy did they.
First up, the lovely Georgette Windsor, who will land Harry Cooke Cushing IV. Filling out the middle, Gregg Sherwood, who will land Ho
268. Dunne Profiles | Elizabeth Taylor
In our continuing “Elizabeth Taylor Takeover” this week, we remember that time that Dominick Dunne profiled Elizabeth Taylor in 1985 for Vanity Fair. At this time in her life, Elizabeth Taylor was back on top after battling addiction as well as doing extraordinary work bringing attention to AIDS and fundraising to fight the disease. Our man Nick is namedropping like normal in this one, but he is a
267. The Trashy Spiderwebs of Elizabeth Taylor
Alicia's taking over all the podcasts this week, with the stories and spiderwebs of screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor. In this week's musically-themed episode, Alicia breaks down some of the lyrics in Taylor Swift's new track, Elizabeth Taylor, from her album The Life of a Showgirl. From Portofino to the very best table at Musso & Frank's, certain themes resonate across these two titanic figures in
266. Andrew Morton Talks Winston Churchill, The Windsor Family, and More!
In an exciting crossover episode today, Alicia was delighted to speak with author and biographer Andrew Morton about his new release Winston and the Windsors: How Churchill Shaped a Royal Dynasty. Our conversation explores the influence of Winston’s mother Jennie Jerome on his early days, as well as Winston’s relationship with each of the Windsor monarchs including Edward VII, George V, Edward VII
265. JFK Mysteries | Murder at Hammersmith Farm, Part One
We continue our journey in Newport, Rhode Island this week, but veer off of Bellevue Avenue for this JFK mystery. Hammersmith Farm, the Auchincloss home, is our destination, and 1963 is the time period we focus upon. There is a whole lot happening in the summer of 1963 for JFK, both politically and personally. Where do you think he would find the idea, and have the time to film a home movie predic
264. Remembering Diane Keaton | Dominick Dunne's 1985 Profile
With the sad passing of Diane Keaton today, we remember her legacy in this one from the vault. This long ago episode delves into the one and only Diane Keaton, and all her spiderwebs!
Dominick Dunne interviewed Keaton in 1985, in both New York City and Los Angeles, and this piece provides so much sub-text to so much of Hollywood. Certainly, the story is about the reclusive Diane Keaton, but also
263. The Murder of Stanford White
The architect Stanford White is credited with a host of landmark structures in Newport, New York City, and beyond. But it was his sexual predation of young girls, especially the young model and showgirl Evelyn Nesbit, that led to his shockingly public murder and the 1907 "Trial of the Century" in its aftermath.
The who was never in question. Harry K. Thaw was the culprit. It was Harry’s motive fo
262. The Big Four | Ginevra King, Fitzgerald’s Original Daisy Buchanan
Alicia climbs on her literary soapbox in this episode, the last to cover in our Big Four Spiderwebs episodes. Ginevra King was F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s first love, and oh my – did she stick to his heart and writing for years, also with a little plagiarism too. This one is a literary spiderweb that Alicia will always be mad about and sheds additional light into Scott’s psyche through the years.
C
261. The Big Four | Edith Cummings, The Fairway Flapper
If you like golf, this is definitely the episode of The Big Four for you! Edith Cummings is the gal in our spotlight in this episode, and she led quite a life. Edith was one of the premier amateur golfers during the Jazz Age popularly known as the Fairway Flapper. Not only that, but Edith Cummings was also the inspiration for the character Jordan Baker in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It
260. The Big Four | Courtney Letts
Holy cats! In this episode we meet the second of our Big Four, Courtney Louise Letts. Courtney was beautiful, glamorous and voted one of the world’s best dressed women. Courtney was also married four times, with some distinguished husbands including explorer John Borden and international diplomat Felipe de Espil. Her story includes way more than fashion and romantic love. Courtney was also a dist
259. The Big Four | Margaret “Peg” Carry
In a departure from Newport this week, we are taking a detour to Lake Forest, Illinois to discover The Big Four. The Big Four was a Girl Gang unlike any other. These daughters of privilege are Margaret Carry, Courtney Letts, Edith Cummings, and Ginevra King, and each has her own special story.
Today, we explore the origins of this quartet of lifelong female friendship as well as the life of Marg
258. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Miramar
In this episode we continue our tour through Newport, Rhode Island, looking at the last block of Bellevue Avenue with Miramar as our focus today. Completed in 1914, Eleanor Elkins Widener finished this grand Gilded Age home to honor her husband George Widener, lost on the R.M.S. Titanic in 1912.
The Widener family is a big deal in high society, specifically Philadelphia, and although the couple n
257. Edith Wharton and Her Gilded Age
Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Edith Wharton came by her subject matter the old-fashioned way: she was born into a prominent New York City family, and was subjected to the mores of the city's high society circle from birth. This did not suit the plain, brainy young Edith even a little bit, much to her mother's horror, but Edith did eventually submit to an extremely unhappy marriage to a diagnosed
256. Teardown in The Platinum Triangle
For this holiday episode, we take a diversion from The Gilded Age in Newport to visit the Fabulous Late 1980s in Hollywood, specifically The Platinum Triangle, the area in Los Angeles that encompasses Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills and Bel Air. Dominick Dunne’s writing is terrific here from the spring of 1989, coming back to California and revisiting his old stomping grounds, and dropping all the dis
255. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Belcourt
Oliver Belmont becomes quite the talk of the town when the entire first floor of this grand home is comprised of stables for his prized horses. Oliver will not stay single for long, marrying the recently divorced Alva Vanderbilt in a move that shocks society. And that is only one of the shocking moves. This home and the people who inhabited it are truly unforgettable.
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254. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Champ Soliel
In today’s episode, we continue our tour of Bellevue Avenue to explore Champs Soliel, the last great home built in Newport in 1929, truly shitting down the Gilded Age. We get to know its owner, Lucy Wharton Drexel Dahlgren, who led quite an interesting life, with a real twist on a trashy divorce too. Other notable owners include Russell and Annie Laurie Aitken, mother of Sunny von Bulow.
Continu
253. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Seaview Terrace, The Cloisters, Fairholme, and Anglesea
In the continuation of tour down Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Rhode Island, this week we take a little detour to one street, packed with a whole lot of history. Ruggles Avenue is this side street, and four homes were very important when it came to fancy folks and a whole lot of spiderwebs. Today's summer cottages include Seaview Terrace, The Cloisters, Fairholme, and Anglesea.
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252. Newport Mystery | David Marriott and Father Phillip Magaldi
We continue our sleuthing in Newport in today’s episode, focusing in on a little more reporting from our man Dominick Dunne. Dunne covered the second trial of Claus von Bulow, and in so doing, uncovered a few more shady characters. Today, we investigate the two guys coming to help out Claus - David Marriott and Father Phillip Magaldi, both proven to ultimately be lying for Claus to get away with m
251. Newport Mystery | Paul E. Molitor, Jr.
Alicia definitely falls into a rabbit hole in this episode from the Patreon Vault. Dominick Dunne writes just one little paragraph in his reporting on the von Bulow case that was definitely worth investigating. Dunne makes a mention about Paul E. Molitor, Jr., who was kind of a big deal in Newport for a little while, for his preservation efforts and being a houseguest of Sunny and Claus. But it is
250. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Clarendon Court
We continue our tour of Bellevue Avenue in Newport today, focusing specifically on one grand home, Clarendon Court. This home and property had a whole lot of history before Sunny and Klaus von Bulow moved into it in the early 1970s. In this episode, we dig into Edward Collins Knight Sr. and his son, the neighboring property Reef Point, Harry S. Black, Masie Caldwell, and William Heyward too. Also,
249. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Chateau-sur-Mer, The Breakers, Seaview Terrace, Rosecliff, Beechwood, Marble House and Beaulieu
This week we continue our tour of Newport’s Bellevue Avenue with seven more glorious homes including Chateau-sur-Mer, The Breakers, Seaview Terrace, Rosecliff, Beechwood, Marble House and Beaulieu. There are many Gilded Age high society folks who owned these homes at one time or another such as the Astors, the Vanderbilts, and the Whetmores. Also included is a Dark Shadows tie-in, and a deeper div
248. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Kingscote, The Isaac Bell House, Bell Court, The Elms, and Chepstow
Join Alicia as we begin our leisurely stroll down Bellevue Avenue, backdrop of the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island. We start at the top at The Casino and work one block southward. This first episode focuses on five homes including Kingscote, the Isaac Bell House, Elm Court, The Elms and Chepstow. What is the history behind each home? Which prestigious families lived there? All this and more sp
247. Duchess Fever | The Jewelry Auction of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor
In this very last Wallis episode, we bring our man Dominick Dunne, who attended and breathlessly reported on the 1987 auction of her jewelry at Sotheby’s in Geneva. This story is packed with so many spiderwebs – all kinds of folks attended this event, and the layers of spiderwebs included are incredible. You know our man Nick was going to report on this auction to end all auctions, and not a detai
246. Wallis, Duchess of Windsor | The King and Queen of International Society
In our finale of the Wallis, Duchess of Windsor series, we spend time with the Duke and the Duchess in their time as the toast of international society. David and Wallis appear in all the best places and at all the best tables, but ultimately that is not a fulfilling life for either of them.
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245. Wallis, Duchess of Windsor | Doing Time in the Bahamas and Post War Days
The Duke and Duchess should be in their long-awaited wedded bliss period, but King George VI is going to take his brother David up on that past offer to be of assistance, and off the newlyweds go to the Bahamas. The Duke will have a pretty easy job which he won’t do, but Wallis will dazzle. In this episode, David deals with some family hardships as well as the continuing hardships he places upon h
244. Wallis, Duchess of Windsor | Creatures of International Curiosity
Married life begins for Wallis and David, and although it is a time of decorating homes and settling into domestic bliss for the couple, there are troubled times brewing. David and Wallis take a trip to Germany they will come to regret in short order. Not only is the world about to enter a war, but David is stubbornly holding onto his own pride and pettiness, so naturally more Windsor family drama
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