The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-18
MARY ASTOR IS
MARRIED In YUMA

-
the country during her sensational
court battle. It was Victor Elem
ing who selected the flaming haired
Lucille Langaanie 70 be the heroine
Of Rough Riders" IN 1875 because
she scorned cigarets, cocktails and
permanent waves. Mary was shy
when she first came 10 Hollywood
to play with Douglas Fairbanks II
Don G." She was 20 haslafui thai
her father, Otto r. IAnghanke. q
school teacher from Quincy, IN.
and her mother, Mrs. Helen Lang
haulIe, would sit In front Of the
First National Studies for hours
every day waiting for their beau
tiful daughter To finish work.
Studio u Surprised
Studio workers got q big surprise
when Mary announced her engage
ment to Irving Asher, an executive
In July. 1926, and broke 1t On Oc.
tober 20 Of the same year. Asher
had seen Mary one day and asked
Bess Meredyth. famous scenario
writer, to introduce them. "she Il
beautiful beyond description" Asher
said. At that time Mary and her
parents were living IN o $200, OOC
home-a sort Of Moorish castle thf
looked down upon Hollywood fro
o high hill.
Kenneth Hawks Enters
sVu.nx. wnxvnnkya va s,,l~r rny.rn {vHfr
her life. They were married
Eighteen months later. on January
2, 1890, Hawks was killed with sever
other studio workers In o collision
Of two planes over the Pacific ocean
The actress was appearing on thu
Majestic stage In Los Angeles with
Edward Everett Horton and Flor.
ence Eldridge when she learned o.
her husbands death. Then came
DIR. Thorpe. He advised her, fol.
lowing Hawks death, to spend al
Of her time getting well from he,
heartbreak and shock. II turned
TO Dr.. Thorpe" she said. "He saved
my life and / think 1t Is only natu.
raj that he and ] should fall ir
love" In June, 1891, they cloped
and sailed away on the 67-foot aux
iliary yacht, Henrietta, after Mary
completed q role IN Successful
Calamity" Marilyn, Weighing 4
four pounds. IL ounces, was born
In Honolulu on June II, 1882.
Parents Sue Daughter
The Langhankes sued their daugh-
ter for support In March, 1884
Mary dared the public's criticism
went into court and won vindica-
ton. Hollywood was shocked when
Or. Thorpe filed suit for divorce
The couple had appeared deeply ir
love. But In her diary Mary wrote
1--WE are simply worlds apart :.
we don't think alike, we're not -
terested in the same thing. All we
have to talk about Is the doingf
Of the day-some patient that won't
pay q bill-the seryants-the garde-
ner-the baby-her discipline and
her cute ways-money naatters-the
trouble with my family-and that's
ALL" DR.. Thorpe got his divorce
and the custody Of Marilyn.
Suit for Child
Then, without warning, Mary
started action to regain custody Of
Marylyn. Through her attorneys
she announced on July 10, 1885:
''Dr. Thorpe repeatedly stated that
unless she (MisS Astor) permitted
him to have the divorce and sole
custody. he would publicly scandal
ize her and ruin Ler career as an
actress" That stare ! the headlines
which grew larger and blacker day
by day as the case reached TIE
courts and Miss Aston was led
through testimony concerning her
relations with other men. Her now
famous diary, which told intimately
Of her love for Kaufman, was the
highlight Of the trial that resulted
In partial victory for the actress.
She was given custody OF Marylyn
for nine months commencing Sep
TENDER and ending May 81 Of
each year.
Tried TO Stop Scandal
Several attempts were made to
prevent the aiming dispute between
Mary and DR.. Thorpe from Develop
ing into q scandal. They were Of
no avail. DR.. Thorpe accused his
divorced wife OF gross immoral con-
duct" and declared she was unit
to have Marylyn. Mary denied the
rharCas and testified that she had
seen DR.. Thorpe shake her MARY
lynn so hard her teeth ratified and
cut her lip. He would spank her
SO hard there were bruises on her
little body"
Decision Of Judge
Judge Goodwin J. knight an
nounced his decision on August 13
This proceeding has from the
very first been obscured by morbid
sensationalism and by q Juror OF
publicity damaging to both par
ties" he said. THE chief victim,
however. is q little child. whose in?
herent rights and welfare have
seemed to escape adequate atten-
ton"
It was announced that Or. Thorpe
had consented to surrender the diary
and that it would be sealed and
placed In q depository for safe
keeping. This depository cannot re-
lease the diary without an order Of
the court.