Edith Bouvier Beale
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Edith Bouvier Beale (November 7, 1917 – January 14, 2002), nicknamed Little Edie, was an American socialite, fashion model, and
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
performer. She was a first cousin of former First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...
and Princess
Lee Radziwill Caroline Lee Radziwill (; March 3, 1933 – February 15, 2019), previously known as Lee Canfield and Lee Ross, was an American socialite, public relations executive, and interior designer. She was the younger sister of former First Lady of the ...
. She is best known for her participation in the 1975 documentary film '' Grey Gardens,'' by
Albert and David Maysles Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films in ...
, (along with her mother, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, with whom she lived).


Early life

Beale was born in New York City, the only daughter of Phelan Beale, a lawyer, and Edith Ewing Bouvier. Her mother (known as "Big Edie") was the daughter of Phelan's law partner, John Vernou Bouvier Jr. She was born at 987 Madison Avenue, New York City (now the site of the Carlyle Hotel). She had two younger brothers, Phelan Beale Jr. and Bouvier Beale, and had a lavish upbringing as part of America's "Catholic aristocracy." Beale attended The Spence School and graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1935. Known as "Little Edie," Beale was a member of the Maidstone Country Club of East Hampton. A
debutante A debutante, also spelled débutante ( ; from , ), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; ) or possibly debutante ball. Origin ...
, she was presented to society during a ball at the Pierre Hotel on New Year's Day 1936. ''The New York Times'' reported on the event, where she wore a gown of white net appliqued in silver, with a wreath of gardenias in her hair. While Beale was young, her mother pursued a singing career, hiring an accompanist and playing at small venues and private parties. In the summer of 1931, Phelan Beale separated from his wife, then 35 years old. In 1946 he finally obtained a divorce, notifying his family by telegram from Mexico. In her youth, Little Edie was a clothes model at
Macy's Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. The first store was located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, south of the present-day flagship store at Herald Square on West 34 ...
in New York and
Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach, Florida, ...
. She later claimed to have dated J. Paul Getty and to have once been engaged to Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (although in reality she met him only once).''Grey Gardens'' DVD (2009). HBO. Audio commentary with executive producers Michael Sucsy, Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Rachael Horovitz. During the 1961 inauguration of John F. Kennedy, she told Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. that if young Joe had lived, she would have been First Lady instead of Jackie. Once, Beale ran away to Palm Beach, where she was found by her father and brought home. From 1947 to 1952, she lived in an apartment and later the Barbizon Hotel for Women. She worked as a model, dancer, and actress. When she was in her late 30s, Beale developed
alopecia totalis Alopecia totalis is the loss of all hair on the head and face. Its causes are unclear, but it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder. Research suggests there may be a genetic link: the presence of DRB1*0401 and DQB1*0301, both of which are hu ...
which caused her body hair to fall out and prompted her to wear her signature headscarves. Beale's cousin, John Davis, claims Beale once climbed a tree at home and set her hair on fire, suggesting Beale might have contributed to her own baldness.


Grey Gardens

On July 29, 1952, Beale returned to live with her mother in the East Hampton estate Grey Gardens. In October 1971, police raided Grey Gardens and found the house "full of litter, rife with the odor of cats, and in violation of various local ordinances." The
Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its no ...
Board of Health prepared to evict Beale and "Big Edie" due to the unsafe condition of the property. Following the publicity, Beale's family paid a reported $30,000 to refurbish the property, settle back taxes, and give Beale and "Big Edie" a stipend (the two women's trust fund income had run out some years before). The eviction proceedings were dropped. Beale's cousin
Lee Radziwill Caroline Lee Radziwill (; March 3, 1933 – February 15, 2019), previously known as Lee Canfield and Lee Ross, was an American socialite, public relations executive, and interior designer. She was the younger sister of former First Lady of the ...
hired documentary filmmakers
Albert and David Maysles Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films in ...
in 1972 to work on a film about the Bouvier family. At the outset, the brothers filmed Beale and "Big Edie." The original film project was not completed, and Radziwill kept the footage that had been shot of the Beales. However, the Maysles brothers were fascinated by the strange life the two women led. After raising funds for film and equipment on their own, they returned and filmed 70 more hours of footage with Beale and Big Edie. The resulting 1975 film, '' Grey Gardens'', is widely considered a masterpiece of the documentary genre. It was later adapted as a 2006 musical of the same name, where the characters Jackie and Lee Bouvier appear in retrospect as visiting children. An
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
television movie based upon the documentary and surrounding story of the Beales' lives, also called '' Grey Gardens'', appeared in 2009. The original 1972 footage, featuring Radziwill visiting the Beales, was released in 2017 as ''That Summer''.


Death

In 1979, Beale sold the mansion to
Ben Bradlee Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (, 1921 – , 2014) was an American journalist who served as managing editor and later as executive editor of ''The Washington Post'', from 1965 to 1991. He became a public figure when the ''Post'' joined ''The ...
, then the executive editor of ''The Washington Post''. Beale was found dead in her apartment on January 14, 2002, aged 84. It is believed she died about five days earlier, either from a stroke or heart attack. The inscription on her grave marker reads: "I came from God. I belong to God. In the end, I shall return to God."


Legacy

Interest in the Beales' story resulted in a variety of publishing and media projects, as well as various mentions in popular culture. * The original 1975 Maysles brothers' documentary '' Grey Gardens''. * Rufus Wainwright's 2001 album '' Poses'' features a song entitled "Grey Gardens". The track begins with an audio sample of one of Beale's lines from the documentary: "It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present. Do you know what I mean?" * '' Grey Gardens: A New Musical'' debuted
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
in March 2006, starring Christine Ebersole, and played on Broadway at the
Walter Kerr Theatre The Walter Kerr Theatre, previously the Ritz Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 219 West 48th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructe ...
November 2, 2006 – July 28, 2007 for 300+ performances. Little Edie was portrayed in the first act by actresses Sara Gettelfinger (off-Broadway) and Erin Davie (on Broadway). Ebersole played Little Edie in the second act. Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson won
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
s. * '' Grey Gardens'', the 2009 HBO production starring
Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, talk show host, and businesswoman. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she has received multiple List of awards and nominations received by Drew Barrymore, awards a ...
as Beale and
Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...
as her mother. * The Spring 2010 issue of the online literary journal BigCityLit features a pantoum by American poet Joel Allegretti called "The Belles of Grey Gardens", which is made up entirely of dialogue from the Maysles' documentary. * In the 2011 episode of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
'' titled " Mrs. Donaghy,"
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(portrayed by
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
) does an impression of Drew Barrymore's portrayal of Little Edie. * A February 2013 episode of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' featured drag queen Jinkx Monsoon imitating Little Edie during the
Snatch Game Snatch Game is a comedy challenge recurring across the ''Drag Race'' television franchise and a fixture of the reality competition series. Since the second season of the original American ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' series in 2010, the challenge ha ...
challenge. Inspired by that episode, Jinkx Monsoon and Peaches Christ mounted a live 90-minute musical drag parody ''Return to Grey Gardens''. * The first episode of the IFC
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
series '' Documentary Now!'' spoofed ''Grey Gardens'' in 2015, with Fred Armisen and
Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...
as mother and daughter in ''Sandy Passage''. * The 2017 documentary film ''That Summer'' featured the original 1972 footage of Radziwill visiting the Beales.


Notes


References


Further reading

* ''My Life at Grey Gardens: Thirteen Months and Beyond'' by Lois Wright (2005). .


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Edith Bouvier 1917 births 2002 deaths American cabaret performers American debutantes American female dancers American socialites Beale family Bouvier family Burials at Locust Valley Cemetery Dancers from New York (state) Female models from New York (state) Miss Porter's School alumni People from East Hampton (town), New York People from Miami-Dade County, Florida People from the Upper East Side People with alopecia universalis Spence School alumni Grey Gardens (estate)