Kenneth Keith
Who was the spouse of Slim Keith from 1962 to 1972?
Slim Keith Nancy Slim Keith , Lady Keith ( born Mary Raye Gross ; July 15 , 1917 – April 6 , 1990 ) was an American socialite and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s , exemplifying the American jet set . She and her friend Babe Paley were the thinly veiled inspiration for characters in Truman Capotes novel . She is also credited with bringing Lauren Bacall to Hollywoods attention by showing her then-husband , producer Howard Hawks , a magazine cover with Bacalls picture on it . Early life . Born Mary Raye Gross in Salinas , California ( her mother changed her name to Nancy ) , by age 22 , she had appeared on the cover of Harpers Bazaar . She was included on that celebrated fashion magazines best-dressed list for years , and in 1946 won a Neiman Marcus Fashion Award ( as Mrs . Leland Hayward ) . Nicknamed “Slim” , she was also dubbed the original California Girl because of her golden looks and athletic ability . She considered a career in opera , before deciding it was too demanding . Personal life . Slim at the age of 16 left school and traveled to Death Valley . While staying at the Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort , she met William Powell . Through Powell , she was introduced to William Randolph Hearst and his companion Marion Davies . She thus became a Hollywood socialite and was frequently seen at parties with Gary Cooper and Cary Grant . She was pursued romantically by Clark Gable , as well as by Ernest Hemingway . In 1938 she met Howard Hawks , the noted film director , who was immediately smitten with her and did everything he could to persuade her to marry him , despite the fact he was already married to Athole Shearer , the sister of actress Norma Shearer . Three years later , after his divorce from Athole , they were married . Hawks , however , was unable to remain faithful , and shortly after the birth of their daughter Kitty Hawks , Slim moved to Havana to stay with Ernest Hemingway . There in Cuba she also met the man who would be her second husband , the movie and theatrical producer Leland Hayward . In 1949 , soon after divorcing their respective spouses , they married in New York and remained together for 10 years . Slim later wrote that Hayward had been the one love of her life even though he had left her for Pamela Churchill , who , like Slim , had gained much of her early celebrity as a socialite and by marriage . Slims next and last husband was British banker Kenneth Keith , whom she left in 1972 after a 10-year marriage . Keith banished Capote from her life when he used her as the unflattering model for the fictional Lady Coolbirth of his infamous and unfinished . She never spoke to him again . This particular era is explored further in Melanie Benjamins novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue . According to Sally Bedell Smith in Reflected Glory , the model for Lady Coolbirth was Pamela Harriman , not Slim Keith . Slim was also known for her iconic sense of style . With exceptional taste , Slim pursued an elegant , crisp style in all that she wore . Death . The last years of her life were spent pursuing travel and quiet social activities in New York . An inveterate smoker , she died at age 72 of lung cancer at New York Hospital . Fictional portrayals . Slim Keith was portrayed in the film Infamous ( 2006 ) by Hope Davis , and mentioned briefly in Rear Window ( 1954 ) as Slim Hayward . Her marriage to Howard Hawks was depicted in Tonya Walkers short story Slim in The Cunningham Short Story Anthology published by Willowdown Books . She was also depicted in Melanie Benjamins book The Swans of Fifth Avenue ( 2016 ) . The novel explores elements of Slims colorful life , as well as her friendships with Babe Paley and Truman Capote . Although her remarkable sense of style is not a focus of the novel , much can be said about her contributions to classic , Americana dress . In a particularly revealing scene , Benjamin imagines Keith raising a glass to Babe and Truman . She recalls , A time before it was fashionable to tell the truth , and the world grew sordid from too much honesty . External links . - Divas - The Site