World's Worst Gigolo
Some weddings might be grand, but nothing catches more attention than a good divorce scandal. August – September 1933, the marriage of Prince Alexis Mdivani and heiress Barbara Hutton has caused a lot of press attention on the couple as well as those around them. His two older brothers, Prince Serge Mdivani and Prince David Mdivani are in the papers again for their divorces and issues around their oil company. While youngest brother Prince Alexis and Barbara enjoy positive coverage, Prince Serge finds himself in a bitter press battle with soon to be ex-wife, opera singer Mary McCormic. Other people and subjects include: Franklyn Hutton, Louise Van Alen (referenced, not mentioned), Cobina Wright, Pola Negri, Princess Mae Murray Mdivani, Princesss Roussadana “Roussie” Mdivani Sert, Prince David – Prince of Wales – future King Edward VIII – Duke of Windsor, Lady Thelma Morgan Furness, Princess Marquesa de Portago, Lily Damita, Janet Snowden, Prince Caravita, John de Braganza, Lord Nicholas “Dickie” Mountbatten, Archpriest Jacob Smirnoff, Samuel Insull, Insull energy empire, Pacific Shore Oil Company, Charles Lindbergh, Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Marion Campbell, Nipo Strongheart, Mary Garden, Chester MacCormic – Macomic – Macormac, Kenneth Rankin, Reba McCormic, Harold McCormick, Edith Rockefeller, Ganna Walska, terrible singer, Cowgirl soprano, opera career advice, protégé, Chicago Civic Opera House, Russia, Soviet state Georgia, Biarritz, Moscow, Paris, Los Angeles, Liberty Magazine, Good Housekeeping, new Mdivani source, Tallulah Bankhead, Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett, Yvonne Vallee, Rudy Vallee, divorce, remarriage, Orson Welles, Citizen Kane, Susan Alexander, William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, Florence Foster Jenkins, Meryl Streep, Enrico Caruso, Cole Porter, Lily Pons, cult musical camp, Alexander Winton, Winton automobile, Bobby Franks, Richard Loeb, Nathan Leopold, Clarence Darrow, Eva Stotesbury, Massie Rape Trial, Los Angeles Olympics, 1932 events, Amelia Earhart, Al Capone, circular connections, reconstructing & reconnecting the past, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip, Prince Charles – Princes of Wales – King Charles III of Great Britain, Faith Baldwin, romance writer, female novelist, What Is Wrong With American Marriages syndicated news article series – Part 6th Pitfalls of International Marriage, Mademoiselle Dollar - American dollar princess, Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire, Lord Charles Cavendish, Boni de Castellane, Anna Gould, Duke of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Gladys Deacon, Sally Rand, risque striptease dance, messy divorces, too public, chaos, high passion, burnout, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, divorce book,… Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
April 1, 2025
29 min
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Episode 125 · April 1, 2025
World's Worst Gigolo
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World's Worst Gigolo
Summary
Some weddings might be grand, but nothing catches more attention than a good divorce scandal.
August – September 1933, the marriage of Prince Alexis Mdivani and heiress Barbara Hutton has caused a lot of press attention on the couple as well as those around them. His two older brothers, Prince Serge Mdivani and Prince David Mdivani are in the papers again for their divorces and issues around their oil company. While youngest brother Prince Alexis and Barbara enjoy positive coverage, Prince Serge finds himself in a bitter press battle with soon to be ex-wife, opera singer Mary McCormic.
Other people and subjects include: Franklyn Hutton, Louise Van Alen (referenced, not mentioned), Cobina Wright, Pola Negri, Princess Mae Murray Mdivani, Princesss Roussadana “Roussie” Mdivani Sert, Prince David – Prince of Wales – future King Edward VIII – Duke of Windsor, Lady Thelma Morgan Furness, Princess Marquesa de Portago, Lily Damita, Janet Snowden, Prince Caravita, John de Braganza, Lord Nicholas “Dickie” Mountbatten, Archpriest Jacob Smirnoff, Samuel Insull, Insull energy empire, Pacific Shore Oil Company, Charles Lindbergh, Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Marion Campbell, Nipo Strongheart, Mary Garden, Chester MacCormic – Macomic – Macormac, Kenneth Rankin, Reba McCormic, Harold McCormick, Edith Rockefeller, Ganna Walska, terrible singer, Cowgirl soprano, opera career advice, protégé, Chicago Civic Opera House, Russia, Soviet state Georgia, Biarritz, Moscow, Paris, Los Angeles, Liberty Magazine, Good Housekeeping, new Mdivani source, Tallulah Bankhead, Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett, Yvonne Vallee, Rudy Vallee, divorce, remarriage, Orson Welles, Citizen Kane, Susan Alexander, William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, Florence Foster Jenkins, Meryl Streep, Enrico Caruso, Cole Porter, Lily Pons, cult musical camp, Alexander Winton, Winton automobile, Bobby Franks, Richard Loeb, Nathan Leopold, Clarence Darrow, Eva Stotesbury, Massie Rape Trial, Los Angeles Olympics, 1932 events, Amelia Earhart, Al Capone, circular connections, reconstructing & reconnecting the past, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip, Prince Charles – Princes of Wales – King Charles III of Great Britain, Faith Baldwin, romance writer, female novelist, What Is Wrong With American Marriages syndicated news article series – Part 6th Pitfalls of International Marriage, Mademoiselle Dollar - American dollar princess, Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire, Lord Charles Cavendish, Boni de Castellane, Anna Gould, Duke of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Gladys Deacon, Sally Rand, risque striptease dance, messy divorces, too public, chaos, high passion, burnout, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, divorce book,…
Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.