The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty
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My thanks also to all of those who gave of their time so that I could have a better understanding of the Hiltons for this book. So many people were helpful, but there are a few I would like to single out:
Patricia (Trish) McClintock Hilton, Nicky Hilton’s widow, was so helpful and spent many hours sharing her most private memories, and I am indebted to her. I endeavored to tell her true love story with Nicky in a way that would do it honor, and I hope she approves. I wanted to do the same for Patricia (Pat) Skipworth Hilton as well, with the story of her marriage to Eric Hilton. She too went out of her way to make certain that we had a full and balanced understanding of her ex-husband, a generous man about whom few words have been written in the past. I hope she too approves.
The family of Conrad Hilton’s third wife, Frances Kelly Hilton, was also extremely helpful, in particular Bill and Stella Kelly, Fran Peterson, and also Frances’s best friend, Helen Lamm. They spent many hours remembering the wonderful Frances Kelly Hilton, and I hope they are pleased with her portrait as presented on these pages.
I also want to thank Francesca Hilton’s publicist, Ed Lozzi, who I put in a difficult position. Not only is he a friend of mine, but he also represents a client who had mixed feelings about this book. (For a fuller explanation of that, see the notes that follow for “Zsa Zsa’s Daughter” on here.) Still, Ed understood that the important thing was for my readers to have empathy for some of the challenges Francesca has faced in her lifetime. He found ways for me to have a better understanding of his client so that I could present a fair portrait of her. I thank him for that.
Carole Wells Doheny and Noreen Nash Siegel both gave of their time freely and generously, and their vivid memories of the Hiltons are on these pages as well. Also, Stewart Armstrong and Robert Wentworth were both good friends of Nicky Hilton’s and spent countless hours sharing their memories of him with me, for which I am deeply grateful.
Rhona Graff, vice president/assistant to the president of the Trump Organization, did everything she could do to make sure we were able to interview Donald Trump for this book, and I am so appreciative to her, and of course to Mr. Trump as well. “It’s really a great idea for a book,” Mr. Trump enthused as I was working on this project.
I am indebted to Backstreet Investigations’ Daniel J. Portley-Hanks. “Danno” helped us find court records long hidden away in the basement of the superior courthouse in Los Angeles, and as you will see from the following notes, they were absolutely essential to my research. I thank him as well.
I would also like to acknowledge Mark E. Young, Ph.D., the director of hospitality industry archives at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel Restaurant and Management for his invaluable assistance, and also his time.
Thanks also to Katherine Miller, executive assistant to Steven M. Hilton, president and CEO of the Hilton Foundation, for her time and consideration.
Thanks also to Bob Neal, now deceased, but whose memories of his good friend Nicky Hilton live on in this book.
Just two months after he was interviewed for this book, attorney Myron Eugene Harpole passed away in Pasadena, California, at the age of eighty-five. He gave so many hours of his time to this project and was so helpful to me; I will always remember him with great fondness. He told me he had never before been interviewed, and that he wanted his memories to live on in this book. Therefore, I’m so happy that a major part of his legal career—his thirty-plus years with Conrad Hilton and Zsa Zsa Gabor—will now be memorialized in this work.
Also, I would like to acknowledge Phyllis Bradley, who also passed away within a year after being interviewed for this book, at the age of ninety-four. Ms. Bradley was a lively and fun woman who shared many reminiscences of her time with Frances Hilton, Conrad Hilton, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. She once gifted me with a marvelous keepsake: an antique glass bottle of perfume that Zsa Zsa had given to her almost forty years earlier. I’ll treasure it always, as I will my time with Ms. Bradley.
A NOTE ABOUT THE GABOR SISTERS, ZSA ZSA AND EVA
It was the morning of February 2, 1986, when I first met Zsa Zsa Gabor. My agent at that time, Bart Andrews, was scheduled to interview her for a possible collaboration on a memoir. He asked me if I also wanted to ask questions of her, and of course I couldn’t resist such an offer.
With her teased blonde—almost platinum—hair, Zsa Zsa was in full makeup and wearing a hot pink silk pantsuit when we arrived at her Bel-Air home. She had jewels dripping from both wrists and around her neck—and it was only ten o’clock in the morning! She certainly looked every bit the star. “Ask me anything, dah-lings,” she told us. “My life is your life.”
That morning, Mr. Andrews and I discussed a wide variety of subjects with Zsa Zsa, ranging from her early days in Hungary, her many marriages—including the one to Conrad Hilton—to her career as an actress and the consummate talk show guest. Much of what she had to say that day is included in this book. When it came to Hilton, she still seemed to have affection for him. “He was a great man in many ways,” she said, “but I was young and stupid and I didn’t know it at the time. What really makes me mad,” she allowed, “is that my entire life people think I am rich because of him. They think I got all of my money because I was his wife. If you knew him, you would know how ridiculous that is.”
During the two hours we spent with Zsa Zsa, we found her to be charismatic, funny, and even self-deprecating. We couldn’t help but notice, however, that the versions of some stories she told were not in accord with the accounts in her previous books, My Story and How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man. “I leave it to you to decide what is true and what is not true,” she snapped at us when we pressed her about conflicting details. “It is not my job to tell you what is the truth. You figure it out for yourselves.” (Incidentally, the book we were discussing with Zsa Zsa never materialized; she changed her mind about it. Then, in 1991, she wrote the memoir One Lifetime Is Never Enough, using another writer.)
My time with Zsa Zsa Gabor that winter morning gave me great insight into her personality and character. I learned firsthand that she was the chief architect of her career and—as I wrote on these pages—a woman who should be admired for what she did with her life even if some of her choices were questionable. I liked her very much. For the most part, in this book I used versions of stories she relayed to me and Bart that morning, some of which I was able to corroborate with others who knew her well.
In years to come, I would see Zsa Zsa from time to time in Hollywood—once backstage in the green room at The Pat Sajak Show in September 1989, for instance, where we had a lively conversation about her desire to market a campy workout video (which she would do a few years later, called It’s Simple, Darling!). She was always bubbly, charming, and ready to tell a good story.
Years later, a strange thing happened to me relating to Zsa Zsa’s sister Eva Gabor. On August 20, 1991, I received a message on my voice mail from Eva—calling the wrong number! She was telephoning to tell me that her sister Magda had said that I would be delivering flowers to her, and she wanted to know what had happened to the delivery. It was just a random wrong-number voice mail. Since she left her number, I returned the call. How could I resist? When she picked up, I gave her my first name, but before I had a chance to tell her that she had reached me by mistake, she interrupted me and said, “Oh, Randy, the flowers just arrived. They’re lovely, dah-ling. Thank you very much,” and she hung up. I then sat staring at the telephone for a few moments marveling at such a strange chain of events. Two days later, I called her back to ask if she would consent to an interview for a magazine I was working for at the time. I mentioned that I knew her sister. “I don’t do interviews,” she said. “However, since you know my sister, why don’t you interview her?” When I said that I already had, she laughed and exclaimed, “There’s not one writer in this goddamn town who my sister has not told her entire life story to!”
I certainly never imagined that I would ever write a book in which Zsa Zs
a Gabor would figure so prominently. Now that I have, I would like to thank Zsa Zsa for every moment I ever spent in her company, and for so many years of entertainment.
I must also acknowledge my late agent, Bart Andrews. His extensive notes and interviews with Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda Gabor for that planned memoir were utilized in this book. He was a terrific writer, my first agent, and the man who got me started in this business. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
A NOTE ABOUT PUBLICATIONS PRIVATELY PUBLISHED BY THE HILTONS
For much of The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty, I referred to three publications that were privately published by the Hilton family. These publications comprise so much information, it would be impossible to detail all of the material in them in the space allotted here. However, I felt it would be of interest to you, the reader, if I explained the purpose of each volume, and also how I came upon it.
When my researcher, Cathy Griffin, requested interviews with Barron and Eric Hilton, and Barron’s son Steven M. Hilton (president and chief operating officer of the Hilton Foundation), she received a letter from Steven M. Hilton (dated February 16, 2012) explaining that, in his view, Conrad Hilton’s 1957 autobiography, Be My Guest, was sufficient to understanding the Hilton story. However, he did send her a copy of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: The Hilton Legacy Serving Humanity Worldwide to forward to me for my research purposes, as well as press releases explaining Barron Hilton’s philanthropic legacy and also the most recent Conrad N. Hilton Foundation annual report.
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: The Hilton Legacy Serving Humanity Worldwide was published by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Among the in-depth features found in this book that I used as part of my research were the following: “My Father, Conrad N. Hilton: The Man and His Gift to the World” by Barron Hilton; “In the Footsteps of Extraordinary Men” by Steven M. Hilton; “Toward a World Free of Multiple Sclerosis” (which details Marilyn Hilton’s battle with the disease); and “Barron Hilton Steps Up as Chairman of the Board.” This book was written by Joseph Foote and edited by Marge Brownstein. It proved invaluable to me in terms of understanding Conrad and Barron Hilton and their philanthropic goals. It also provides as clearheaded and astute an analysis of the legal battle over “Barron’s Option” as one is likely to find.
With persistence being all-important in the researching of biographies such as this one, a few months later, on July 16, 2012, we decided to again approach the Hiltons. This time I personally endeavored to interview Barron and Eric Hilton and Steven M. Hilton. In response to this second attempt, I received a warm letter (dated August 2, 2012) from the Hiltons’ spokesman, Marc Moorghen.
In his correspondence, Mr. Moorghen observed that Steven Hilton “appreciated the case you made” as to why I felt it important to conduct these interviews for my book. However, he explained that since Steven Hilton was intimately involved with the preparation and publication of the foundation’s book, The Hilton Legacy Serving Humanity Worldwide, “we feel this gesture meets your suggested goals of an opportunity to tell the truth and have his personal imprint on the work.” He reiterated Hilton’s belief that his grandfather’s autobiography, Be My Guest, is “the best possible narrative of his life since it is told in his own words.” Also, in regards to Barron Hilton, “an authorized biography is already under way, so that will suffice for the time being.” Mr. Moorghen closed by writing, “Thank you for checking in with Mr. Hilton and we wish you every success with your project.”
I have long maintained that it is a matter of personal choice as to whether or not someone wishes to speak to me regarding his or her life for a book of mine. Therefore, I respect any decision made by the subjects of any of my books in terms of cooperation. A book such as this one is not necessarily based on a single person’s account of a life, but rather on the cumulative research conducted into the lives of those whose stories I have chosen to tell. That said, I am grateful to Steven M. Hilton for providing me with a rare copy of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: The Hilton Legacy Serving Humanity Worldwide, and I am especially grateful to him for inscribing the book to me. It will always be a treasured keepsake of mine, and a reminder to me of the great philanthropy of both Conrad and Barron Hilton.
The second privately published volume I utilized was Inspirations of an Innkeeper: From the Speeches, Christmas Messages, Correspondence and Experiences of Conrad. N. Hilton by Conrad N. Hilton. This is a stunning, large coffee-table book, bound in blue leather with gold-embossed type (with page edges gilt in gold leaf), of which only 312 copies were printed in 1963 for Hilton’s close friends. I have number 260, and it was signed by Conrad N. Hilton on July 14, 1970. It was given to me by a close friend of Hilton’s who has asked for anonymity.
This book’s introduction is written by his loyal assistant, Olive Wakeman. “Twenty years is a long time,” she wrote. “To most people, twenty years is a generation. For a generation, then I have worked with Mr. Hilton. For a generation, I have worked with him daily; watched him work, watched him play, watched him pray. I have seen him in patience, in anger, in doubt, in excited enthusiasm. I have seen him sad and exploding in merry laughter. I think I know Conrad Nicholson Hilton.” (Olive continued to work for Conrad for another sixteen years, until his death in 1979.)
It is impracticable to fully detail in the space allotted here the incredible wealth of information found in this volume’s 234 pages, and how vital it was to my research for The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty. It includes more than a hundred speeches and personal writings of Conrad Hilton’s, rare photographs from Conrad’s private collection, and personal reminiscences in his own words about his storied life and career. It is a stunning work, every chapter typical of the kind of care and attention to detail Conrad Hilton gave to every project to which he dedicated himself. I am proud to own a copy.
The third rare volume I utilized in my research is The House of Hilton: Casa Encantada. One hundred and fifty copies of this book were privately published by Conrad for his friends and family members; I have the last one published—number 150—and it is signed by Conrad N. Hilton (but not dated, and, again, given to me by a friend of Hilton’s who asked not to be identified). This lovely book is about Conrad’s beautiful estate and includes many pictures of Casa Encantada, as well as drawings and diagrams of the property. It also provides a detailed account of the furnishings, right down to the “ash burl” color of the fabric used on the dining room chairs. There are photos of the china tea sets from Russia and France used by Conrad and two of his wives, Zsa Zsa and Frances. It’s a spectacularly intimate look at the private world of Conrad Hilton and his family, and as such, was invaluable to my understanding of their privileged way of life. Many of the descriptions of the Hiltons’ lifestyle at Casa Encantada found in The Hiltons were culled from the specifics found in this work.
SOURCES AND OTHER NOTES
It is impossible to write accurately about anyone’s life without many reliable witnesses to provide a range of different viewpoints. A biography of this kind stands or falls on the frankness of those involved in the story. A great number of other people went out of their way to assist me over the years that I worked on The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty. Friends, relatives, journalists, socialites, lawyers, celebrities, and business associates of the Hilton family were contacted in preparation for this book. I and my research team also carefully reviewed, as secondary sources, books about Conrad Hilton, as well as hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles written about him. I’m not going to list all of them here, though I will list those that I believe deserve special acknowledgment.
Also, in writing about a family as culturally significant as the Hiltons, a biographer such as myself will encounter many sources who would like to speak, but not for attribution. I have learned over the years that sometimes anonymity is important. Though I would prefer that all of my sources be acknowledged by name, it’s not a reasonable or practical expectation. Therefore, whenever a sourc
e of mine or of one of my researchers asks for anonymity, I always grant the request.
The following source acknowledgments and extraneous notes are by no means comprehensive. Rather, they are intended to give the reader a general overview of my research.
PROLOGUE
Interviews conducted: Myron Harpole (August 15, 2012; August 17, 2012; August 20, 2012).
Volumes referenced: Be My Guest by Conrad Hilton; The Silver Spade: The Conrad Hilton Story by Whitney Bolton; How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man by Zsa Zsa Gabor; Zsa Zsa Gabor: My Story by Zsa Zsa Gabor and Gerold Frank; Jolie Gabor by Cindy Adams.
Legal documents referenced: “Certificate of Birth, Constance Francesca Hilton,” March 10, 1947, Borough of Manhattan, New York, N.Y.; “Certificate of Baptism of Constance Francesca Hilton,” by Rev. Charles J. McManus, assistant pastor of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, May 4, 1947; “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories,” (May 29, 1979); “Declaration of Constance Francesca Hilton” (June 13, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (June 14, 1979; July 9, 1979; July 10, 1979); “Declaration of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (July 1, 1979); “Declaration of Myron Harpole” (July 12, 1979); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (July 20, 1979); “Declaration of Ralph Nutter” (August 12, 1979); “Declaration of Robert D. Walker in Response to Opposition to Motion for Leave to Amend Will Contest” (March 27, 1980); “Declaration of Myron Harpole” (July 29, 1982); “Declaration of Constance Francesca Hilton” (July 29, 1982).