Word: astor
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Bedazzled by Schuyler's fatherly connection with royalty, the best New York families-the "Astorocracy"-throw open their gilded doors. Schuyler is allowed into the presence of Mrs. William Astor, contender for the post of society's grandest dame, and notices that her "dead-black hair is not entirely her own." He catches a party glimpse of John Jacob Astor III, "slow but agreeable, and much too red in the face." Wherever he goes, Schuyler is publicly deferential, as befits an aging favor seeker. Privately, this self-described "effete Parisian" fills his journal with barbed, often uproarious observations...
Rose: My Life in Service is a cut above such backstairs trivia. Rosina Harrison of Yorkshire was 30 years old when she became Lady Astor's personal maid in 1929. Her salary was about $300 a year, plus room, board and entertainment. There was plenty of the latter before Rose retired at Lady Astor's death in 1964. The lady had been born Nancy Langhorne of Danville, Va., the spirited daughter of a horse auctioneer. After divorcing her first husband, a Boston sporting man and alcoholic, Nancy took her young son to England. There, in 1906, she married...
Rose's self-portrait as the indispensable, blunt-spoken lady's lady has already been authenticated by Nancy Astor's biographers. But Rose's impression that her boss seriously put up with her criticism is less acceptable. It is more likely that by letting Rose sass her, Lady Astor reverted to the practice of some of her Southern slaveholding ancestors who allowed back talk from black mammies as a form of amusement. She was certainly capable of such cruel diversions. Despite Rose's profuse claims of devotion, her book leaves little doubt that she felt...
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). Judy Garland, Mary Astor, Chill Wills. Ch. 5, 11:15 p.m. Color...
...Maltese Falcon, the best detective movie ever made, plays this week beginning tomorrow at the Brattle Theater. Humphery Bogart is Sam Spade, cool, calm and marvelous. Mary Astor plays the shady woman, a sexist stereotyped role that is nonetheless irresistible in the context...