Betsy von Furstenberg
Encyclopedia
Betsy von Furstenberg is a German
-born American radio, television, film, and Broadway actress.
(Count) von Fürstenberg-Hedringen (1896–1975) and his first wife, Elizabeth Foster Johnson (1899–1961), a native of Memphis, Tennessee
. Her stepmothers were Gloria Rubio
, Clara Ghyczy, and Joan Siegel. She has two half siblings from her father's marriage to Gloria Rubio: Franz-Egon, Freiherr
von Fürstenberg-Hedringen, and Dolores Maria Agatha Wilhelmine Luise now Mrs. Patrick Dolores Guinness
, Freiin von Fürstenberg-Hedringen.
Though some published sources have described Betsy von Furstenberg as a countess, she is in fact a Freiin (baroness) by birth, according to the last published issue of the Almanach de Gotha
. Children of the counts von Fürstenberg-Hedringen are known as Freiherr
(baron) or Freiin (baroness), and the sons only move up in rank to Graf (count) if they inherit the primary title.
She does not use the umlaut
of her family surname in her professional career nor its compound hyphenation.
.
and Child of Fortune (1956), The Making of Moo (1958), Step on a Crack (1962), The Frog Pond (1965), The Paisley Convertible and Wonderful Town
(1967), Avanti!
(1968), The Gingerbread Lady
(1970), and Does Anybody Here Do the Peabody? (1976).
On television in the mid-1950s, she memorably starred opposite Robert Horton
played a double-crossing young widow in an episode entitled "The Disappearing Trick" directed by Arthur Hiller
on the anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
. Later, she played the role of Lisa Grimaldi
on As the World Turns
from late 1983 into early 1984, when Eileen Fulton
temporarily left the show in a contract dispute.
. The marriage did not take place.
She married, on 16 June 1954, Guy Vincent Chastenet de la Maisonneuve, a French-born mining engineer who changed his name to Guy Vincent. The couple had two children, a son, Glyn Douglas, and a daughter, Gay Caroline, Mrs. William Gerry.
Betsy von Furstenberg remarried, in 1984, to John J. Reynolds, a New York real-estate broker, who died in 1994.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born American radio, television, film, and Broadway actress.
Birth and childhood
Her parents were Franz-Egon, GrafGraf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
(Count) von Fürstenberg-Hedringen (1896–1975) and his first wife, Elizabeth Foster Johnson (1899–1961), a native of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Her stepmothers were Gloria Rubio
Gloria Guinness
Gloria Guinness , born Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, was a Mexican-born socialite and fashion icon of the 20th century, and a contributing editor to Harper's Bazaar from 1963 until 1971...
, Clara Ghyczy, and Joan Siegel. She has two half siblings from her father's marriage to Gloria Rubio: Franz-Egon, Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
von Fürstenberg-Hedringen, and Dolores Maria Agatha Wilhelmine Luise now Mrs. Patrick Dolores Guinness
Dolores Guinness
Dolores Guinness born 31 July 1936 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, is a German born Freiin , socialite, fashion icon and jet set member of the 1950s and 1960s. She is also a member of the International Best Dressed List since 1970...
, Freiin von Fürstenberg-Hedringen.
Though some published sources have described Betsy von Furstenberg as a countess, she is in fact a Freiin (baroness) by birth, according to the last published issue of the Almanach de Gotha
Almanach de Gotha
The Almanach de Gotha was a respected directory of Europe's highest nobility and royalty. First published in 1763 by C.W. Ettinger in Gotha at the ducal court of Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, it was regarded as an authority in the classification of monarchies, princely and ducal...
. Children of the counts von Fürstenberg-Hedringen are known as Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
(baron) or Freiin (baroness), and the sons only move up in rank to Graf (count) if they inherit the primary title.
She does not use the umlaut
Umlaut (diacritic)
The diaeresis and the umlaut are diacritics that consist of two dots placed over a letter, most commonly a vowel. When that letter is an i or a j, the diacritic replaces the tittle: ï....
of her family surname in her professional career nor its compound hyphenation.
Education
She attended the Gardner School and graduated from Miss Hewitt's ClassesHewitt School
The Hewitt School is an independent, K-12 girls school in New York City, New York.The school serves girls from Kindergarten through 12th Grade, in three divisions: Lower School , Middle School , and Upper School .-History:...
.
Career
Betsy von Furstenberg has appeared on Broadway in Second Threshold (1951), Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1953), The Chalk GardenThe Chalk Garden
The Chalk Garden is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered on Broadway in 1955. The play tells the story of Mrs. St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under Miss Madrigal's care. The setting of the play was inspired by Bagnold's own garden at North End House in Rottingdean, near...
and Child of Fortune (1956), The Making of Moo (1958), Step on a Crack (1962), The Frog Pond (1965), The Paisley Convertible and Wonderful Town
Wonderful Town
Wonderful Town is a musical with a book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein...
(1967), Avanti!
Avanti!
Avanti! is a 1972 American/Italian comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder. The film starred Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L...
(1968), The Gingerbread Lady
The Gingerbread Lady
The Gingerbread Lady is a 1970 play by Neil Simon, written specifically for actress Maureen Stapleton, who won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her performance....
(1970), and Does Anybody Here Do the Peabody? (1976).
On television in the mid-1950s, she memorably starred opposite Robert Horton
Robert Horton (actor)
Robert Horton is an American television actor, who was most noted for the role of the frontier scout Flint McCullough in the NBC Western television series, Wagon Train...
played a double-crossing young widow in an episode entitled "The Disappearing Trick" directed by Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, OC is a Canadian film director. His filmography includes 33 major studio releases, including the 1970 film Love Story...
on the anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. Later, she played the role of Lisa Grimaldi
Lisa Grimaldi
Lisa Grimaldi is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The daughter of Henry and Alma Miller, Lisa grew up in Rockford, Illinois, USA before moving to Oakdale...
on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
from late 1983 into early 1984, when Eileen Fulton
Eileen Fulton
Eileen Fulton is an American actress.Fulton is known for her role as Lisa Grimaldi on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, a role that she played almost continuously for 50 years from May 18, 1960 until the show's cancellation on September 17, 2010.-As the...
temporarily left the show in a contract dispute.
Marriages
In 1950, Furstenberg's parents announced her engagement to Peter Stewart Howard, a stepson of socialite George Vanderbilt and a grandson of Charles S. Howard, the owner of the racehorse SeabiscuitSeabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
. The marriage did not take place.
She married, on 16 June 1954, Guy Vincent Chastenet de la Maisonneuve, a French-born mining engineer who changed his name to Guy Vincent. The couple had two children, a son, Glyn Douglas, and a daughter, Gay Caroline, Mrs. William Gerry.
Betsy von Furstenberg remarried, in 1984, to John J. Reynolds, a New York real-estate broker, who died in 1994.