Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Encyclopedia
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (October 5, 1895 – February 5, 1977), aunt of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
, was an American amateur singer, known for her eccentric lifestyle, and part of the New York high society. Her life and relationship with her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale
were highlighted in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens
.
during World War I
. He liked to be addressed as Major Bouvier and later invented a faux royal mythos of his Bouvier lineage in the privately printed Our Forebears, which gave his grandchildren the following quote: "The hallmark of aristocracy is responsibility."
Beale enjoyed a privileged upbringing along with her brothers John Vernou Bouvier III
, William Sergeant "Bud" Bouvier (1893–1929), who died at a young age from alcoholism, and her red-headed twin sisters Maude and Michelle. Mrs. Beale enjoyed photography, theatrical arts, and as a youth considered becoming a surgeon from her interest in physiology.
(who worked at her father's law firm Bouvier and Beale) in a lavish ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
. The couple lived at 987 Madison Avenue (now the site of the Carlyle Hotel
). They had three children: daughter Edith
(who was referred to as "Little Edie")—born November 7, 1917, and two sons (Phelan Beale, Jr.
—born 1920, and Bouvier Beale
—born 1922).
In 1923, Phelan Beale purchased the 28-room "Grey Gardens
" mansion at number 3 West End Rd in the Georgica
neighborhood of East Hampton
, a block from the Atlantic Ocean
. The Beales separated in 1931 when Little Edie was 14, with "Big Edie" retaining the Grey Gardens house. Beale received child support, but no form of alimony. She continued to pursue her singing career, giving recitals in her home and at local functions. Her sons went off to college and World War II
duty and had families of their own.
When she showed up at her son’s 1942 wedding dressed like an opera star, Edie's father, Major Bouvier, cut her mostly out of his will—leaving her only a small trust of $65,000 (Beale's mother Maude died in 1940 and Major Bouvier died in 1948). Beale became depressed and gained weight. She also had several eye operations in the 1940s. In 1946, Phelan Beale notified her of their divorce via telegram from Mexico. (Little Edie referred to it as a "fake Mexican divorce" because it was not recognized by the Catholic Church.)
Major Bouvier and her son Bouvier "Buddy" Beale urged Beale for many years to sell her "white elephant
" Grey Gardens, but she refused.
to live permanently at Grey Gardens when Beale was age 57. In 1960, when Beale was 65, her niece Jacqueline Kennedy became First Lady
. After a 1968 theft of antiques while Beale was at a party in East Hampton, she began to leave the house less frequently.
In the 1970s, the First Lady's sister Lee Radziwill
discussed creating a documentary with Albert and David Maysles
about Jacqueline Kennedy's girlhood in East Hampton. At about the same time, the Edies received national attention when the National Enquirer ran an exposé on the deplorable conditions in which they lived. The Suffolk County, New York
, Board of Health
made an inspection, ordering them to clean up the property, which was falling into disrepair and contained various cats, raccoons, an opossum, et cetera. The once-elegant grounds were a tangled jungle; 25 of the 28 rooms were unused; in the dining room, they found a three-foot mountain of empty cans; in the upstairs bedrooms, it was said they saw human waste; and the fleas were so thick that the filmmakers wore flea collars around their ankles during the filming. After the publicity, Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis
donated $32,000 to clean the house, install a new furnace and plumbing system, and cart away 1,000 bags of garbage. Beale did not have the funds for trash removal and house repairs. Beale's sons agreed to pay the back taxes on the property, which they had hoped for decades their mother would sell. After the stressful raids by county officials, Beale never left her home again in fear that she would lose permanent legal access to her house.
In 1973, the Maysles Brothers accompanied Lee Radziwill on a visit to the Edies, and David Maysles decided that the women would make better subjects for a film than the First Lady's childhood friends. Maysles and Susan Froemke quickly edited the footage of the women and showed it to Radziwill, who balked and ultimately confiscated the film. The Maysleses returned, however, and the focus of their documentary was the Edies, instead of the First Lady. Beale and her daughter were each paid $5,000 for the documentary, which featured their daily lives, songs and dances included. The film was screened for the two Edies in the upstairs hall of Grey Gardens in 1975. Little Edie declared it "a classic!"
The Grey Gardens documentary
was met with critical acclaim. The film also inspired a stage musical and a 2009 Emmy-award winning HBO film by the same name, starring Jessica Lange
as "Big" Edie and Drew Barrymore
as "Little" Edie.
at Southampton Hospital
in Southampton, New York
, following a fall at her home. Her body is buried in the Bouvier family plot at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery
in East Hampton.
As she neared her death, Beale reportedly told her daughter that she had left nothing unsaid, as it was "all in the film." Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Radziwill, Lois Wright, and Jerry Torre attended her funeral on that cold winter day.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
, was an American amateur singer, known for her eccentric lifestyle, and part of the New York high society. Her life and relationship with her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Bouvier Beale was an American socialite, fashion model and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill...
were highlighted in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles, with Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive socialites, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit mansion at 3 West End Road in...
.
Early life
She was the daughter of John Vernou Bouvier, Jr., and Maude Sergeant Bouvier (the paternal grandparents of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis). Beale's mother was the daughter of a wealthy paper manufacturer, and her father was a successful attorney who was appointed Major in the Judge Advocate Corps for the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He liked to be addressed as Major Bouvier and later invented a faux royal mythos of his Bouvier lineage in the privately printed Our Forebears, which gave his grandchildren the following quote: "The hallmark of aristocracy is responsibility."
Beale enjoyed a privileged upbringing along with her brothers John Vernou Bouvier III
John Vernou Bouvier III
John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier III was an American socialite and Wall Street stockbroker. He was the father of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Lee Radziwill...
, William Sergeant "Bud" Bouvier (1893–1929), who died at a young age from alcoholism, and her red-headed twin sisters Maude and Michelle. Mrs. Beale enjoyed photography, theatrical arts, and as a youth considered becoming a surgeon from her interest in physiology.
Marriage and children
Beale pursued an amateur singing career and in 1917 married lawyer/financier Phelan BealePhelan Beale
Phelan Beale was a wealthy attorney and sportsman in New York City.Beale, who was married to Edith Ewing Bouvier, an aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is probably best remembered as the absent father chronicled in the Grey Gardens saga portrayed in a 1975 movie documentary, 2006 Broadway...
(who worked at her father's law firm Bouvier and Beale) in a lavish ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. The couple lived at 987 Madison Avenue (now the site of the Carlyle Hotel
Carlyle Hotel
The Carlyle Hotel, known formally as The Carlyle, is a combination luxury and residential hotel located at 35 East 76th Street on the northeast corner of Madison Avenue, in the Upper East Side area of New York City...
). They had three children: daughter Edith
Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Bouvier Beale was an American socialite, fashion model and cabaret performer. She was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill...
(who was referred to as "Little Edie")—born November 7, 1917, and two sons (Phelan Beale, Jr.
Phelan Beale, Jr.
Phelan Beale, Jr. was an American journalist and unemployment compensation law expert. Beale was a son of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and a brother of Edith Bouvier Beale whose lives were highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens...
—born 1920, and Bouvier Beale
Bouvier Beale
Bouvier Beale was a prominent American lawyer. Beale was a son of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and a brother of Edith Bouvier Beale whose lives were highlighted in the documentary Grey Gardens. Beale was a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill.-Early life:Beale was born on 13...
—born 1922).
In 1923, Phelan Beale purchased the 28-room "Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens (estate)
Grey Gardens is a 14-room house at 3 West End Road and Lily Pond Lane in the Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton, New York, that is chronicled in the Grey Gardens 1975 documentary, 2006 Broadway musical and 2009 television movie. The mansion has been the topic of numerous other books and...
" mansion at number 3 West End Rd in the Georgica
Georgica Pond
Georgica Pond is a coastal lagoon on the west border of East Hampton Village and Wainscott, and was the site of a Summer White House of Bill Clinton in 1998 and 1999....
neighborhood of East Hampton
East Hampton (village), New York
The Village of East Hampton is a village in Town of East Hampton, New York. It is located in Suffolk County, on the South Fork of eastern Long Island...
, a block from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The Beales separated in 1931 when Little Edie was 14, with "Big Edie" retaining the Grey Gardens house. Beale received child support, but no form of alimony. She continued to pursue her singing career, giving recitals in her home and at local functions. Her sons went off to college and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
duty and had families of their own.
When she showed up at her son’s 1942 wedding dressed like an opera star, Edie's father, Major Bouvier, cut her mostly out of his will—leaving her only a small trust of $65,000 (Beale's mother Maude died in 1940 and Major Bouvier died in 1948). Beale became depressed and gained weight. She also had several eye operations in the 1940s. In 1946, Phelan Beale notified her of their divorce via telegram from Mexico. (Little Edie referred to it as a "fake Mexican divorce" because it was not recognized by the Catholic Church.)
Major Bouvier and her son Bouvier "Buddy" Beale urged Beale for many years to sell her "white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
" Grey Gardens, but she refused.
Life at Grey Gardens
Beale had two live-in male companions at various times at Grey Gardens: her accompanist George "Gould" Strong and handyman Tom "Tex" Logan. In July 1952, her daughter Little Edie returned after five years in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to live permanently at Grey Gardens when Beale was age 57. In 1960, when Beale was 65, her niece Jacqueline Kennedy became First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
. After a 1968 theft of antiques while Beale was at a party in East Hampton, she began to leave the house less frequently.
In the 1970s, the First Lady's sister Lee Radziwill
Lee Radziwill
Caroline Lee Bouvier Canfield Radziwill Ross best known as Lee Radziwill, is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress and interior decorator. She is the younger sister of the late First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis...
discussed creating a documentary with Albert and David Maysles
Albert and David Maysles
Albert and David Maysles were a documentary filmmaking team whose cinéma vérité works include Salesman , Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens . Their 1964 film on The Beatles forms the backbone of the DVD, The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit...
about Jacqueline Kennedy's girlhood in East Hampton. At about the same time, the Edies received national attention when the National Enquirer ran an exposé on the deplorable conditions in which they lived. The Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, Board of Health
Health board
Health board might mean in the following countries a current or historical body concerned with health services and/or public health.*Australia*Canada*Denmark - a National Board of Health*England - a Board of Health...
made an inspection, ordering them to clean up the property, which was falling into disrepair and contained various cats, raccoons, an opossum, et cetera. The once-elegant grounds were a tangled jungle; 25 of the 28 rooms were unused; in the dining room, they found a three-foot mountain of empty cans; in the upstairs bedrooms, it was said they saw human waste; and the fleas were so thick that the filmmakers wore flea collars around their ankles during the filming. After the publicity, Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Sokratis Onassis , commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.- Early life :Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope Onassis...
donated $32,000 to clean the house, install a new furnace and plumbing system, and cart away 1,000 bags of garbage. Beale did not have the funds for trash removal and house repairs. Beale's sons agreed to pay the back taxes on the property, which they had hoped for decades their mother would sell. After the stressful raids by county officials, Beale never left her home again in fear that she would lose permanent legal access to her house.
In 1973, the Maysles Brothers accompanied Lee Radziwill on a visit to the Edies, and David Maysles decided that the women would make better subjects for a film than the First Lady's childhood friends. Maysles and Susan Froemke quickly edited the footage of the women and showed it to Radziwill, who balked and ultimately confiscated the film. The Maysleses returned, however, and the focus of their documentary was the Edies, instead of the First Lady. Beale and her daughter were each paid $5,000 for the documentary, which featured their daily lives, songs and dances included. The film was screened for the two Edies in the upstairs hall of Grey Gardens in 1975. Little Edie declared it "a classic!"
The Grey Gardens documentary
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles, with Susan Froemke, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive socialites, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit mansion at 3 West End Road in...
was met with critical acclaim. The film also inspired a stage musical and a 2009 Emmy-award winning HBO film by the same name, starring Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange
Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
as "Big" Edie and Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
as "Little" Edie.
Death
Beale died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Southampton Hospital
Southampton Hospital
Southampton Hospital is a 168-bed hospital located in Southampton, New York. It is the only hospital located in the Hamptons. Southampton Hospital is a member of the Stony Brook University Medical Center. It was a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System from January 2005 to July 1, 2008...
in Southampton, New York
Southampton (village), New York
Southampton is a village in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The village is named after the Earl of Southampton. The Village of Southampton is in the southeast part of the county in the Town of Southampton...
, following a fall at her home. Her body is buried in the Bouvier family plot at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery is a cemetery in East Hampton, New York that is the burial ground for the paternal ancestors and relatives of First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis....
in East Hampton.
As she neared her death, Beale reportedly told her daughter that she had left nothing unsaid, as it was "all in the film." Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Radziwill, Lois Wright, and Jerry Torre attended her funeral on that cold winter day.