Gloria vanderbilt biography movie posters

American artist, author, actress, and designer (1924–2019)

For her mother, see Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt.

Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, player, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During loftiness 1930s, she was the subject of on the rocks high-profile child custody trial in which relax mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her fatherly aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, each sought keeping of her and control over her pan fund. Called the "trial of the century" by the press, the court proceedings were the subject of wide and sensational exert pressure coverage, due to the wealth and celebrity of the involved parties and the shameful evidence presented to support Whitney's claim think about it Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt was an unfit parent.^[1]

In the 1970s, Vanderbilt launched a line assault fashions, perfumes, and household goods bearing spread name. She was particularly noted as erior early developer of designer blue jeans.^[2]

Early life

Vanderbilt was born on February 20, 1924, break through Manhattan, New York City, the only minor of railroad heir Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt help the Vanderbilt family^[3][4] and his second her indoors, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt.^[5][6] When Vanderbilt was home-grown, her father was heard to exclaim esteem delight, "It is fantastic how Vanderbilt she looks! See the corners of her sight, how they turn up?"^[7] She was denominated in the Episcopal Church by Bishop Musician Shipman as Gloria Laura Vanderbilt. After shun father's death, she was confirmed and not easy in the Catholic Church, to which socialize mother belonged.^[8] From her father's first nuptials to Cathleen Neilson, she had one venerable half-sister, Cathleen Vanderbilt.^[9]

Upon their father's death use cirrhosis, when Vanderbilt was 18 months antiquated, she and her half-sister became heiresses ploy a half share, each, in a $5 million trust fund, equivalent to $87 million in 2023 value.^[10] The control of Vanderbilt's share, deeprooted she was a minor, belonged to spread mother, who, for years, traveled to increase in intensity from Paris, taking her daughter with junk. They were accompanied by a beloved nanny—Emma Sullivan Kieslich,^[11] whom young Gloria had christened "Dodo"—who would play a tumultuous part extract the child's life,^[12] and her mother's very alike twin sister, Thelma, who was the ladylove of the Prince of Wales (later Prince VIII), during this time.^[13] As a get done of her spending habits, her mother's connection of finances was scrutinized by the child's paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. A constellation and philanthropist, Whitney wanted custody of show niece, which resulted in a custody trial.^[14][15] The trial was so scandalous that energy times, the judge would make everyone clear from the room, so as to listen revert to what young Vanderbilt had to say outofdoors anyone influencing her. Some people heard amicable and wailing from inside the courtroom. Verification was heard depicting Vanderbilt's mother as hoaxer unfit parent, including an allegation from Marie Caillot, her discharged French maid, of expert lesbian affair with the Marchioness of Milford Haven, a relative of the British talk family, which Lady Milford Haven would quickly deny in her own testimony.^[16] Vanderbilt's vernacular lost the battle, and Vanderbilt became blue blood the gentry ward of her aunt Gertrude.^[13]

Litigation continued, banish. Vanderbilt's mother was forced to live preclude a drastically reduced portion of her daughter's trust, which was worth more than $4 million, at the end of 1937,^[17] equivalent discover $85 million in 2023 value. Visitation was as well closely watched, to ensure that Vanderbilt's materfamilias did not exert any undue influence understand her daughter with her supposedly "raucous" civilization. Vanderbilt was raised amidst luxury at sit on aunt Gertrude's mansion in Old Westbury, Extensive Island, surrounded by cousins her age who lived in houses circling the vast assets and in New York City.^[18]

The story present the trial was told in the 1980 Barbara Goldsmith book, Little Gloria... Happy be suspicious of Last, and a 1982 NBCminiseries based snitch it,^[16] which was nominated for six Laurels Awards and a Golden Globe Award.^[19] Performer Jennifer Dundas played Gloria.^[20]

Vanderbilt attended the Greenvale School on Long Island; Miss Porter's Kindergarten in Farmington, Connecticut; and then the Cyclist School^[21][22] in Providence, Rhode Island, as work as the Art Students League in Newborn York City, developing the artistic talent seek out which she would become increasingly known through her career. When Vanderbilt came of discovery and took control of her trust reservoir, she cut her mother off entirely,^[23] despite the fact that they later were reconciled.^[24] Her mother thriving in Los Angeles, in 1965.^[24]

Career

Theater arts

From 1954 to 1963, Vanderbilt applied herself to interim. She studied acting at the Neighborhood Toy, with teacher Sanford Meisner, and debuted monitor 1954, in The Swan, staged at Pocono Playhouse in Mountainhome, Pennsylvania. In 1955, she appeared on Broadway, as Elsie, in far-out revival of William Saroyan's The Time endlessly Your Life.^[25] Vanderbilt also appeared in nifty number of live and filmed television dramas, including Playhouse 90, Studio One in Hollywood, and The Dick Powell Show. She obliged an appearance in a two-part episode souk The Love Boat, in 1981.^[26] Other Goggle-box programs on which she appeared include Person to Person, with Edward R. Murrow, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Live! with Kelly and Michael and CBS News Sunday Morning.^[25]

Fashion

Vanderbilt began an alternative career as a fashion model when she was 15 years old, appearing in Harper's Bazaar.^[27]

During the 1970s, Vanderbilt ventured into rectitude fashion business itself, first with Glentex, licensing her name and a collection of coffee break paintings for a line of scarves.^[28] Slot in 1976, Indian designer Mohan Murjani's Murjani Closetogether proposed launching a line of designer jeans carrying Vanderbilt's signature embroidered on the uphold pocket, as well as her swan representation. Her jeans were more tightly fitted elude other jeans of that time and were an immediate success with customers.^[25]

In 1978, Moneyman sold the rights to her name disruption the Murjani Group^[29] and re-launched her fray company, GV Ltd, which she had supported in 1976.^[25] With her company, she launched dresses, blouses, sheets, shoes, leather goods, liqueurs, and accessories.^[25] In the period from 1982 to 2002, L'Oreal launched eight fragrances covered by the brand name Gloria Vanderbilt.^[30] Murjan oversubscribed rights to the name Gloria Vanderbilt get paid the owners of Gitano Group Inc.^[31] undecided 1988.^[32]

Jones Apparel Group acquired the rights done Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in 2002.^[33][34]

Fraud trial

In influence 1980s, Vanderbilt accused her former partners ploy GV Ltd. and her lawyer of pouch. After a lengthy trial (during which at the double the lawyer died), Vanderbilt won and was awarded nearly $1.7 million, but the money was never recovered. She was also awarded $300,000 by the New York City Bar Collection. Vanderbilt also owed millions of dollars cut down back taxes, since the lawyer had on no account paid the IRS, and she was token to sell her Southampton, New York, fairy story Upper East Side homes.^[25][35]

Art

Vanderbilt studied art jab the Art Students League of New York.^[25] She became known for her artwork, show one-woman exhibitions held of her oil paintings, watercolors, and pastels. Her first exhibition was held in 1948.^[36] This artwork was equipped and licensed, starting about 1968, by Verification Cards and by Bloomcraft (a textile manufacturer), and Vanderbilt began designing specifically for paper, pottery, and glassware.^[37]

In 2001, Vanderbilt returned cuddle art and opened her first art sunlit, "Dream Boxes", at the Southern Vermont Subject Center in Manchester; it was a depreciatory success.^[25] She launched another exhibition of 35 paintings at the Arts Center in 2007.^[38] Two years later, Vanderbilt returned to greatness Arts Center as a panelist at wellfitting Annual Fall Show Exhibition, signing copies promote to her latest novel, Obsession: An Erotic Tale.^[38]

When Vanderbilt celebrated her 90th birthday on Feb 20, 2014, a collection of her drawings, paintings and collages was placed on bighead in the 1stdibs Gallery at New Dynasty Design Center in New York City, epoxy resin an exhibit called "The Left Hand Shambles The Dreamer".^[39]

Writings

Vanderbilt wrote two books on agile and home decor, four volumes of life, three novels, and a singular collection elaborate short stories, The Things We Fear Most. She was also a regular contributor come to an end The New York Times, Vanity Fair pivotal Elle.^[40] In November 2010, Vanderbilt was greatness subject of a new book chronicling composite life, The World of Gloria Vanderbilt,^[41] sure by Wendy Goodman, New York magazine's base editor. The book, published by Abrams Books, featured many previously unreleased photographs.^[42]

In January 2017, HarperCollins Publishers released a book coauthored wishy-washy Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother point of view Son on Life, Love, and Loss. Justness book was described by its publisher although "{a} touching and intimate correspondence between Author Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, subscription timeless wisdom and a revealing glimpse stimulus their lives".^[43][44]

Nothing Left Unsaid documentary

On April 9, 2016, HBO premiered Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper, a two-hour docudrama produced and directed by Liz Garbus. Insecurity features a series of conversations between illustriousness mother and son, covering her life celebrated family history in the public eye.^[45]

Personal life

Vanderbilt was married four times, divorced three nowadays, and gave birth to four sons, plus American broadcast journalist and political commentator Dramatist Cooper. She also had other relationships.^[18]

Marriages

In 1941, aged 17, Vanderbilt went to Hollywood, situation she became the second wife of Touch DiCicco, an agent for actors and be over alleged mobster.^[46] They divorced in 1945 put up with had no children together.^[47] She later described that DiCicco was an abusive husband who called her "Fatsy Roo" and beat restlessness. "He would take my head and smack it against the wall," Vanderbilt said, "I had black eyes."^[48]

In April 1945, within weeks of divorcing DiCicco, Vanderbilt married conductor Leopold Stokowski, who was 42 years her highflying. He had three daughters by his past marriages to Olga Samaroff, an American assent pianist, and Evangeline Love Brewster Johnson, a-ok Johnson & Johnson heiress. She was jurisdiction third and last wife.^[49] The marriage puffy in divorce in October 1955 and influence two sons:^[25]Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski (born Noble 22, 1950), and Christopher Stokowski (born Jan 31, 1952).

Vanderbilt's third husband was character director Sidney Lumet. She was the especially of his four wives. They were wed on August 28, 1956, and divorced worry August 1963. They had no children together.^[25]

Vanderbilt's fourth marriage was to author Wyatt Emory Cooper, on December 24, 1963. The wedlock, which lasted 15 years, ended with empress death in 1978 while he was undergoing open-heart surgery. They had two sons: Haulier Vanderbilt Cooper (January 27, 1965 – July 22, 1988), who died by suicide imitate age 23 by jumping to his termination from the family's 14th-floor apartment,^[35][50][51] and Author Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967), elegant CNN news anchor.^[25]

Relationships

Vanderbilt maintained a romantic arrogance with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks weekly many years until his death in 2006.^[52] Other relationships included Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra,^[25]Howard Hughes and Roald Dahl.^[53][54]

Vanderbilt was very button up friends with fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. While appearing as a guest on mix son Anderson Cooper's television talk show, Anderson on September 19, 2011, Vanderbilt referred make somebody's acquaintance comedian and actress Kathy Griffin as unlimited "fantasy daughter".^[55]

Truman Capote was speculated to receive modeled the character of Holly Golightly disintegrate Breakfast at Tiffany's on Vanderbilt, but rest 2 say it was based on her crony Carol Grace.^[56][57]

Religious beliefs

Vanderbilt was baptized into honourableness Episcopal Church as an infant, but was raised a Roman Catholic and received interpretation Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation. She was mega fascinated with St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Even supposing religious in her youth, she was howl a practicing Catholic in her later years.^[58]

Death and burial

Vanderbilt died at her home notes Manhattan on June 17, 2019, aged 95, of stomach cancer.^[25] She is buried catch on to her son Carter and late store Wyatt in the Cooper plot in influence Vanderbilt Family Cemetery on Staten Island, Spanking York.

Upon her death, Vanderbilt left go in son, Anderson Cooper, $1.5 million of top-notch total estate estimated to be worth $200 million.^[59]

Works

Art and home decor

Memoirs

Novels

References

Citations

Sources

External links