A Dangerous Woman

by Susan Ronald

  I owe a very special debt of thanks to Krystyn Hastings-Silver and Howard Zar at the Gould family estate in New York, Lyndhurst, for providing me with images of the family and the estate without charge. Similarly, I owe a special thanks to Floriane Malignon and the generosity of the Hyatt Regency Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice for giving me the photos of the hotel as Frank J. Gould and Florence originally developed it. Since writers must purchase licenses for photographs for the books they write, this is much appreciated.

  Archives and libraries that I consulted are filled with banks of expert and willing people who also deserve acknowledgement. To the employees of the Archives Nationales de France at Pierrefitte, archives communales de Nice, archives municipales de Cannes, archives municipales d’Antibes, archives départementale des Alpes-Maritime, Bibliothèque nationale in Paris (Gallia online), the Préfecture de Police, Paris (archives de la Sûreté nationale), California State Archives (probate section), London Library, the Library of Congress, the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, and the Westchester Historical Society, thank you all. Websites that were extremely helpful include ancestry.com, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, newspapers.com, oac.cdlib.org.

  Above all, I hope that you, the reader, enjoyed the book.

  SUSAN RONALD

  Devon, England

  February 2017

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Note: Dates of birth and death are given only for well-known individuals.

  Florence Juliette Antoinette Lacaze Gould (1895–1983), society beauty, businesswoman, racketeer, Nazi collaborator, patron of the arts.

  The Family

  Bazille, Florence “Florinte” Rennesson (1837–1911), laundress grandmother of Florence. She gave birth to Berthe in 1869 and placed her in a convent. The father is unknown.

  Castellane, Count Marie Ernest Paul Boniface “Boni” de (1867–1932), first husband of Anna Gould, noted as the leading Belle Epoque tastemaker. He married Anna for her money, and never hid the fact from the public. Florence befriended him in the 1930s.

  Gould, Anna (1875–1961) was the second youngest of Jay and Helen Gould’s children. She married Boni de Castellane against her family’s wishes and after her divorce married Boni’s cousin, Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Sagan. She was Frank Jay Gould’s closest family member.

  Gould, Dorothy (1904–1969), twin daughter of Frank Jay Gould, sister of Helen, who believed her father was kept a virtual prisoner in his last years.

  Gould, Edith Kelly, Frank Jay Gould’s embittered second wife. After five years of unsuccessful litigation to overturn the French divorce decree, she finally married London director Albert de Courville.

  Gould, Edwin (1866–1933), son of Jay and Helen Gould, was a railway official and investor, and had precious little to do with either sibling, Anna or Frank.

  Gould, Frank Jay (1877–1956), Florence’s multimillionaire second husband, son of railway robber baron Jay Gould. Frank exiled himself from the United States in 1913 when the first federal income taxes were collected, never returning to America. He was a canny investor, sportsman, and breeder of thoroughbred horses.

  Gould, George Jay (1864–1923), railway executive and financier brother of the senior Gould children. He was the lead trustee of the family trust, engaged in a bitter feud with Frank Jay Gould from 1910 until his death due to Frank’s marrying without the family’s approval.

  Gould, Helen (b. 1904), Frank and Helen Kelly Gould’s twin daughter, sister of Dorothy.

  Gould, Helen Day Miller (1838–1889), wife of Jay and mother of all the Jay Gould children.

  Gould, Helen Kelly (1884–1952), first wife of Frank Jay Gould and mother of his two children. She gave birth to twin daughters, Helen and Dorothy, in 1904, divorcing Frank shortly after in 1906. She was married four times.

  Gould, Howard (1871–1959) had little to do with his younger siblings once he left the family home. He married actress Katherine Clemmons in 1898, divorcing in 1909, naming “Buffalo Bill” Cody as the co-respondent.

  Gould, Jay (1836–1892), father of Helen, Edwin, George, Anna, and Frank. American railway robber baron who left his fortune in trust for his children to avoid conflicts.

  Heynemann, Henry Chittenden (1891–1974), San Francisco architect and first husband of Florence.

  Lacaze, Berthe Josephine Rennesson Bazille (1869–1940), Florence and Isabelle’s strong-willed mother. Florence looked after them both during their lifetimes.

  Lacaze, Isabelle (1897–1956), younger sister of Florence. She never married and remained overshadowed by her sister throughout her life.

  Lacaze, Maximin Victoire (1861–1911), father of Florence and Isabelle, husband of Berthe Lacaze. Newspaper editor at Le Franco-Californien.

  Shepard, Helen Gould (1868–1938), philanthropist and eldest child of Jay and Helen Gould. She tried only to see the good in her tear-away siblings.

  Talleyrand-Périgord, Hélène-Violette de (1915–2003), daughter of Anna Gould and Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, lover and later wife of Gaston Palewski.

  Talleyrand-Périgord, Hélie de, Duc de Sagan (1859–1937), second husband of Anna Gould. After his death, Anna returned to Lyndhurst in New York in 1939.

  The French

  Arland, Marcel (1899–1986), friend of Florence who attended her Thursdays, novelist, literary critic, and journalist who directed the Nouvelle Revue Française from 1966 through 1977. He was elected to the French Academy in 1968.

  Arletty (1898–1992), born Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat. She attended the same school as Florence in Paris, and was an actress, singer, and fashion model. Arletty had extremely poor taste in men, marrying the swindler Alexandre “Sasha” Stavisky, then living with Colonel Hans Jürgen Soehring at the Ritz during the war. She served eighteen months under house arrest after the war for la collaboration horizontale.

  Barney, Natalie Clifford (1876–1972), American heiress, salonnière, playwright, poet, and novelist, held her salon at 20 rue Jacob for over sixty years. Her mother was artist Alice Pike Barney. Barney was openly lesbian, and had many overlapping love affairs. She attended Florence’s Thursdays in the 1960s.

  Baudoin, Edouard, business partner of the Goulds in Juan-les-Pins and Nice in casinos and hotels. Today, there is a boulevard named after him in Antibes.

  Beaumont, Etienne de (1883–1956), French aristocrat, patron of the arts, librettist. Friend of Florence who was noted for the extravagant balls he gave to entertain his friends.

  Bell, Marie (1900–1985), born Marie-Jeanne Ballon, was a French film actress and director. A friend of Florence’s during the war, she was one of nine directors of the Front National du Théâtre. She wrote a letter of support for Florence to the DGER after the liberation.

  Blanc, François (1806–1877), called the “Magician of Monte Carlo,” was the first person to establish a casino and create what is today Monte Carlo. He was a founding director of Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), the Monégasque hotel and casino company.

  Bousquet, Marie-Louise (1888–1975), salonnière whose Thursdays were a “renowned rallying point for persons of quality,” was associated with Harper’s Bazaar from 1937. She ran the gray mice network of high-class sex workers with Florence during the occupation of France. Her lover during that time was General Carl Albrecht Oberg, later a war criminal sentenced to death. She was made Paris editor of Harper’s Bazaar in 1946.

  Braque, Georges (1882–1963), a major French artist and sculptor known mostly for his Fauvist and Cubist periods. He was a friend of Florence’s and attended her salon, yet she did not buy his art.

  Céline (Dr. Louis Ferdinand Auguste Destouches) (1894–1961), right-wing French novelist, pamphleteer, and physician who refused to be “owned by a millionaire,” Florence Gould. His 1932 novel, Journey to the End of the Night, was his most famous work. In 1944 he fled to Denmark, was tried in absentia in 1950 for collaboration with the Nazis, and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and was declared a national disgrace. He was granted a
mnesty in 1951 and returned to France.

  Chaigneau, Alfred, original owner of Le Franco-Californien newspaper in the nineteenth century who promoted Maximin Lacaze to the position of editor.

  Chambrun, Josée de (1911–1992), only daughter of Pierre Laval and wife of René de Chambrun.

  Chambrun, René de (1906–2002), great-great-grandson of Lafayette, son-in-law of Vichy Prime Minister Pierre Laval, and lawyer. He was legal counsel to Florence Gould, Pierre Laval, and Coco Chanel (against Wertheimer), among others. He practiced at the Paris Court of Appeals and was a member of the New York Bar.

  Chanel, Gabrielle “Coco” (1883–1971), French fashion designer and businesswoman. She was virulently anti-Semitic and during the war took Hans Gunther von Dincklage (a German spy) as her lover. She was a friend of Florence’s and the fashion designer of her famous pajamas.

  Chevalier, Maurice (1888–1972), French actor, cabaret singer, author, and entertainer. He knew Florence from their days at the Folies Bergère, and was very fond of her. In the 1960s he regularly attended her salon to meet publishers and writers, since he was writing his autobiography.

  Cocteau, Jean (1889–1963), French writer, artist, designer, and filmmaker friend of Florence’s from the 1920s. He was openly bisexual and his muse for over twenty-five years was actor Jean Marais.

  Colette, Sidonie-Gabrielle (1873–1954), novelist and entertainer, nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1948. Bisexual friend of Florence’s who notably attended her salons during the war and later demanded champagne and Camembert instead of biscuits and tea.

  de Gaulle, Charles (1890–1970), French general and statesman. Leader of Free France (1940–1944) and founder of the French Fifth Republic in 1958.

  Dequoy, Roger, faithful employee of the Wildensteins who took over their art-dealing operations in Paris during the occupation at the family’s behest.

  Drieu de la Rochelle, Pierre (1893–1945), right-wing novelist and writer who became the editor of the Nouvelle Revue Française during the occupation. He scorned Florence Gould and her Thursdays. Initially going into hiding at the liberation, he eventually committed suicide.

  Du Pasquier, Pierre, French plenipotentiary minister to Monaco, friend of Prince Louis II of Monaco, and owner of Du Pasquier & Co. of New Orleans, affiliated with the German-controlled Experta. He was involved with Florence and the Banque Charles scheme.

  Faucigny-Lucinge, Prince Jean-Louis de (1904–1992), aristocrat, author, charitable patron, and giver of legendary parties. He decamped to London (marrying Baba d’Erlanger) and was part of de Gaulle’s Free France in exile. He was also on the board of, and a shareholder in, SBM.

  Fellowes, Daisy (1890–1962), celebrated beauty and socialite, raised by her aunt Winnaretta Singer, Princesse de Polignac. Her daughters were caught up in the purges after the liberation.

  Gallauziaux, Mr., manager of the Goulds’ French assets during the Second World War and beyond. He was deposed by the FBI and gave an unfavorable statement about Florence’s involvement with Banque Charles.

  Gallimard, Gaston (1881–1975), French publisher who founded the Nouvelle Revue Française in 1911 with Jean Schlumberger and André Gide. He and his authors were most favored by Florence’s salon for fifty years, including during the occupation.

  Georges, General Alphonse Joseph (1875–1951), commander-in-chief of French forces of the northeast, he wanted to move Allied forces into the Low Countries to defend against Hitler but was outvoted. He refused to have anything to do with Vichy, and fought alongside the Allies in North Africa. He believed Florence helped his family from being singled out by the Nazis.

  Gide, André (1869–1951), French author and Nobel Laureate (1947). Gide attended Florence’s Thursdays after the war, and, like Camus, did not want to see any more executions of collaborators.

  Goustiaux, Auguste, purchaser of Le Franco-Californien from Alfred Chaigneau and family friend of the Lacazes.

  Greffulhe, Élisabeth (1860–1952), French society beauty and renowned queen of the Faubourg St.-Germain salons. Florence eventually sang there.

  Homo, Magdeleine, former award-winning ice skater and secretary to Florence Gould; then secretary to Frank Jay Gould until his death in 1956.

  Jouhandeau, Marcel, (1888–1979), writer and high-school teacher who wrote Le Peril Juif (The Jewish Peril) in 1938. A friend of Jean Paulhan, Jouhandeau helped Florence run her Thursdays during and after the war until Jean de Noël took over.

  Laurencin, Marie (1883–1956), French painter and printmaker associated with the Cubists and the Section d’Or. She was a frequent visitor to Florence’s Thursdays during and after the occupation, Florence’s friend, and she painted Florence.

  Manigler, Madeleine, Impressionist art expert, particularly knowledgeable about Monet. She worked for the Wildensteins and was a frequent companion of Florence Gould from the mid-1930s.

  Melchior, Marie Charles Jean, Marquis de Polignac (1880–1950) French aristocrat, businessman, heir to the Pommery/Mumm champagne empire, and member of the International Olympic Committee in the 1930s. He was a lover and friend of Florence Gould.

  Monnier, Adrienne (1892–1955), bookseller, writer, and publisher. Partner of Sylvia Beach.

  Noailles, Marie-Laure de—(1902–1970), a descendant of the infamous Marquis de Sade, an artist and financier of films as well as a salonnière and a friend of Florence Gould’s.

  Palewski, Gaston (1901–1984), joined de Gaulle’s Free French forces in London in 1940, and acted as his chef de cabinet, throughout the war. He met Nancy Mitford in London and was her lover for over twenty years, immortalized as Fabrice, Duc de Sauveterre, by her. He married Hélène-Violette de Talleyrand-Périgord (Florence’s niece) and became very friendly with Florence Gould after the war.

  Pétain, Maréchal Philippe (1856–1951), “Hero of Verdun” in the First World War; chief of state of Vichy France. He was found guilty of “state collaboration with Nazi Germany” but his sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.

  Rochefoucauld, Armand de la (1870–1963) president of the Jockey Club in France (1919–1963) and also the Polo Club. A friend of both Frank and Florence Gould, he was also one of Florence’s lovers.

  Ruhl, Henri (1882–1955), an international hotelier of Swiss origin (becoming both a British and a French citizen) and widely regarded as a “personality” in his field.

  Sella, Antoine (of Italian origin), owner and operator of the Hôtel du Cap from 1889 until his death. He famously kept the hotel open for the Murphys and their writer friends of the Lost Generation in the summer of 1923, giving birth to the French Riviera’s summer season.

  Singer, Winnaretta, Princesse de Polignac (1865–1943), daughter of Isaac Merritt Singer, inventor of the even-stitching sewing machine, salonnière most noted for her promotion of music. Among her protégés were Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.

  Sixte de Bourbon-Parma (1896–1986), born Hedwige de la Rochefoucauld, was the daughter of Armand de la Rochefoucauld, one of Florence’s lovers, and Princess Louise Radziwill. Like her parents, she was a close friend of Florence. On her marriage to Prince Sixte de Bourbon-Parma in 1919, she became princesse Hedwige de Bourbon-Parma.

  Stavisky, Alexandre (1886–1934), con man, swindler husband of Arletty, who created the greatest financial fraud of the French Third Republic. Florence and Frank Gould allowed him to gamble at their hotels, despite his having been banned from all casinos.

  Tellier, Cécile, childhood friend of Florence and paid companion for Berthe Lacaze, and then after Berthe’s death, for Frank Jay Gould.

  Thomasson, Robert de, independent French journalist. His father was in the French military but retired at the time of the occupation. De Thomasson joined in the fight for liberation with the Maquis. He was a friend of Florence’s before, during, and after the occupation.

  Wildenstein, Daniel (1917–2001), art dealer and connoisseur, thoroughbred horse breeder, and third generation of the family to presi
de over Wildenstein & Co., one of the most successful art dealers ever. He was the personal art dealer to Florence Gould and adviser on her art estate.

  The Germans

  Abetz, Otto (1903–1958), Nazi spy in Paris in the 1930s for Ribbentrop who became German ambassador during the occupation. Florence knew him and was friendly with him from the 1930s on. In July 1949, he was sentenced by a French court to twenty years in prison for war crimes, particularly the deportation of Jews to death camps. He was released in April 1954 and died (along with his French wife, Suzanne) in an automobile accident in 1958.

  Garthe, Arnold, aka “Colonel Patrick” (b. 1893, Port Elizabeth, South Africa), was head of the Abwehr in Paris until 1943 and was the lover of Marie-Louise Bousquet. In 1943, he was transferred to head up Abwehr operations in Lyon. He was tried at Nuremberg for war crimes.

  Heller, Gerhard (1909–1982), German literary censor and later author. During the occupation of Paris, he was a great friend of Florence Gould and those who frequented her salon. His book Un Allemand à Paris portrays him as only concerned with saving French culture.

  Jünger, Ernst (1895–1998), highly decorated German soldier and author who became a close personal friend of Florence and her set during the occupation. Florence financed the translation of his Paris diaries into French. They were part-time lovers during the war and remained friends for her entire life.

  Klingeberg, Werner, director of the Deutsche Nachrichtenableitung, Paris (German Newspapers). An old friend of Melchior de Polignac, he was technical adviser to the 1936 and 1940 Olympic Games. Florence claimed he introduced her to Ludwig Vogel.