Mercedes de Acosta
Encyclopedia
Mercedes de Acosta was an American
poet
, playwright
, and socialite
, best known for her numerous lesbian
affairs with Hollywood personalities including Marlene Dietrich
, Greta Garbo
, Alla Nazimova
, Eva Le Gallienne
, Isadora Duncan
, Katharine Cornell
, Ona Munson
, Adele Astaire
and, allegedly, Tallulah Bankhead
, amongst others, which she documented in her controversial autobiography Here Lies the Heart.
It was a reputation not appreciated by everyone. As Alice B. Toklas
, the lover of Gertrude Stein
, wrote to a disapproving friend, Anita Loos
,
Four of de Acosta's plays were produced, and she published a novel and three volumes of poetry.
in 1893 to a Cuban
father, Ricardo de Acosta (of Spanish
descent), and a Spanish mother, Micaela Hernandez de Alba y de Alba, reportedly a descendant of the Spanish Dukes of Alba. She had several siblings: Aida
, Ricardo Jr., Angela, Maria, and Rita. The last would become a famous beauty best known as Rita Lydig
.
De Acosta married Abram Poole (1882–1961), a painter and socialite, in 1920. They divorced in 1935.
relationships with Hollywood's elite, claimed many more, and did not attempt to hide her sexuality
.
In 1916 she began an affair with actress Alla Nazimova
, and shortly thereafter, allegedly started an affair with young actress Tallulah Bankhead
, and later dancer Isadora Duncan
. Shortly after marrying Abram Poole in 1920, de Acosta became involved in a turbulent five-year relationship with actress Eva Le Gallienne
. The two women vacationed and travelled together often, at times visiting the salon
of famed writer and socialite Natalie Barney in Europe. De Acosta wrote two plays for Eva during that time, Sandro Botticelli and Jehanne de Arc. Neither were successful, and the combined financial failures of both plays and de Acosta's possessive and jealous nature brought the affair to an end.
Over the next decade she had other famous female partners, all of whom were either rising stars, or aging stars. These included Rudolph Valentino
's alleged fiancée, actress Pola Negri
, a film star during the 1930s, writer Edith Wharton
, writer and stage actress Katharine Cornell
, socialite Dorothy ("Dickie") Fellowes-Gordon, and writer Amy Lowell
.
In 1920 de Acosta met and became involved with the married Russian ballerina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina in a relationship and friendship that lasted throughout her life. Karsavina was one of the few who continued to be friendly toward de Acosta following her controversial autobiography.
. The two were introduced to one another in 1931 by Garbo's close friend, author Salka Viertel
. Her affair with Garbo was sporadic and volatile with Garbo always in control. The two were close for lengthy periods, occasionally taking vacations together, then apart for long spells without Garbo acknowledging de Acosta. By all accounts, de Acosta remained in love with Garbo for the rest of her life.
Garbo apparently did not share these feelings. In 1944, Garbo ended the on-again off-again relationship
for a time, insisting that de Acosta stop sending her poems and letters. In any case, they remained friends for nearly thirty years and had an active mail correspondence in the 1950s.
. For many years de Acosta was captivated by Meher Baba and spent time in his company when he visited Hollywood. In fact, Meher Baba made mention of de Acosta's affection for Greta Garbo, saying they had been married in a previous life (of Garbo, Meher Baba said she was the most spiritual of the Hollywood actresses of that era). De Acosta also went to India to meet with Meher Baba. Over the years however she lost focus on Meher Baba until the 1950s, when she met him for the last time. According to her published memoir Here Lies the Heart, Mercedes also met Ramana Maharishi, with whom she was more impressed than she was with Meher Baba.
and in need of money, she published her memoir, Here Lies the Heart. Its revelations, though highly sanitized, resulted in the severance of several friendships with women who felt she had betrayed their sexuality. Garbo also ended their friendship at this time but there is no evidence that the memoir was the cause. Eva Le Gallienne in particular was furious, denouncing de Acosta as a liar and stating that she invented the stories for fame. This assessment is unlikely since many of her affairs are confirmed in personal correspondence. While her book was not a success, it was rediscovered in the late 1960s and widely read in the underground gay community.
De Acosta died at age 75 in relative poverty. She is buried at Trinity Cemetery in Washington Heights
, New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, best known for her numerous lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
affairs with Hollywood personalities including Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
, Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova , was a Russian American film and theatre actress, a screenwriter and film producer. She is perhaps best known as simply Nazimova, but also went under the name Alia Nasimoff.-Early life:...
, Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century.-Early life and early career:...
, Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
, Katharine Cornell
Katharine Cornell
Katharine Cornell was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York.Cornell is known as the greatest American stage actress of the 20th century...
, Ona Munson
Ona Munson
Ona Munson was an American actress perhaps best known for her portrayal of prostitute Belle Watling in Gone with the Wind .- Career :...
, Adele Astaire
Adele Astaire
Lady Charles Cavendish , better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S...
and, allegedly, Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
, amongst others, which she documented in her controversial autobiography Here Lies the Heart.
It was a reputation not appreciated by everyone. As Alice B. Toklas
Alice B. Toklas
Alice B. Toklas was an American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century.-Early life, relationship with Gertrude Stein:...
, the lover of Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
, wrote to a disapproving friend, Anita Loos
Anita Loos
Anita Loos was an American screenwriter, playwright and author.-Early life:Born Corinne Anita Loos in Sisson, California , where her father, R. Beers Loos, had opened a tabloid newspaper for which her mother, Minerva "Minnie" Smith did most of the work of a newspaper publisher...
,
- "...you can't dispose of Mercedes lightly—she has had the two most important women in the US—Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich."
Four of de Acosta's plays were produced, and she published a novel and three volumes of poetry.
Background
She was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1893 to a Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
father, Ricardo de Acosta (of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent), and a Spanish mother, Micaela Hernandez de Alba y de Alba, reportedly a descendant of the Spanish Dukes of Alba. She had several siblings: Aida
Aida de Acosta
Aida de Acosta Root Breckinridge was an American socialite and the first female to fly a powered aircraft solo. In 1903, while in Paris with her mother, she caught her first glimpse of dirigibles...
, Ricardo Jr., Angela, Maria, and Rita. The last would become a famous beauty best known as Rita Lydig
Rita de Acosta Lydig
Rita Lydig was an American socialite regarded as "the most picturesque woman in America." She was photographed by Adolf de Meyer, Edward Steichen, and Gertrude Käsebier, sculpted in alabaster by Malvina Hoffman, and was painted by Giovanni Boldini and John Singer Sargent, among others...
.
De Acosta married Abram Poole (1882–1961), a painter and socialite, in 1920. They divorced in 1935.
Personal life
Although she showed no particular talent in her professional field, it is no doubt her personal life that has made her famous in Hollywood and gay circles. She became involved in numerous lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationships with Hollywood's elite, claimed many more, and did not attempt to hide her sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
.
In 1916 she began an affair with actress Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova , was a Russian American film and theatre actress, a screenwriter and film producer. She is perhaps best known as simply Nazimova, but also went under the name Alia Nasimoff.-Early life:...
, and shortly thereafter, allegedly started an affair with young actress Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
, and later dancer Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
. Shortly after marrying Abram Poole in 1920, de Acosta became involved in a turbulent five-year relationship with actress Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century.-Early life and early career:...
. The two women vacationed and travelled together often, at times visiting the salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
of famed writer and socialite Natalie Barney in Europe. De Acosta wrote two plays for Eva during that time, Sandro Botticelli and Jehanne de Arc. Neither were successful, and the combined financial failures of both plays and de Acosta's possessive and jealous nature brought the affair to an end.
Over the next decade she had other famous female partners, all of whom were either rising stars, or aging stars. These included Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
's alleged fiancée, actress Pola Negri
Pola Negri
Pola Negri was a Polish stage and film actress who achieved worldwide fame for her tragedienne and femme fatale roles from the 1910s through the 1940s during the Golden Era of Hollywood film. She was the first European film star to be invited to Hollywood, and became a great American star. She...
, a film star during the 1930s, writer Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
, writer and stage actress Katharine Cornell
Katharine Cornell
Katharine Cornell was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York.Cornell is known as the greatest American stage actress of the 20th century...
, socialite Dorothy ("Dickie") Fellowes-Gordon, and writer Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell
Amy Lawrence Lowell was an American poet of the imagist school from Brookline, Massachusetts who posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926.- Personal life:...
.
In 1920 de Acosta met and became involved with the married Russian ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina in a relationship and friendship that lasted throughout her life. Karsavina was one of the few who continued to be friendly toward de Acosta following her controversial autobiography.
Affair with Greta Garbo
In 1931, she met and claims to have quickly become involved with Greta GarboGreta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
. The two were introduced to one another in 1931 by Garbo's close friend, author Salka Viertel
Salka Viertel
Salka Viertel was an actress and screenwriter. The pianist and composer Eduard Steuermann was her brother. Mrs. Viertel was born Salomea Steuermann in Sambor, a city then in the province of Galicia, which was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but today is in western Ukraine.-Career:She...
. Her affair with Garbo was sporadic and volatile with Garbo always in control. The two were close for lengthy periods, occasionally taking vacations together, then apart for long spells without Garbo acknowledging de Acosta. By all accounts, de Acosta remained in love with Garbo for the rest of her life.
Garbo apparently did not share these feelings. In 1944, Garbo ended the on-again off-again relationship
On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is a form of casual relationship, usually sexual, between two people. It is where the couple concerned do not see their discontinuous affair as an ongoing or formal relationship...
for a time, insisting that de Acosta stop sending her poems and letters. In any case, they remained friends for nearly thirty years and had an active mail correspondence in the 1950s.
Travels in India
In the 1930s Mercedes had acquired an interest in Eastern spirituality through one of her acquaintances, Princess Norina Matchabelli, a follower of the Indian mystic Meher BabaMeher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
. For many years de Acosta was captivated by Meher Baba and spent time in his company when he visited Hollywood. In fact, Meher Baba made mention of de Acosta's affection for Greta Garbo, saying they had been married in a previous life (of Garbo, Meher Baba said she was the most spiritual of the Hollywood actresses of that era). De Acosta also went to India to meet with Meher Baba. Over the years however she lost focus on Meher Baba until the 1950s, when she met him for the last time. According to her published memoir Here Lies the Heart, Mercedes also met Ramana Maharishi, with whom she was more impressed than she was with Meher Baba.
Later life, controversial autobiography
In 1960, when de Acosta was seriously ill with a brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
and in need of money, she published her memoir, Here Lies the Heart. Its revelations, though highly sanitized, resulted in the severance of several friendships with women who felt she had betrayed their sexuality. Garbo also ended their friendship at this time but there is no evidence that the memoir was the cause. Eva Le Gallienne in particular was furious, denouncing de Acosta as a liar and stating that she invented the stories for fame. This assessment is unlikely since many of her affairs are confirmed in personal correspondence. While her book was not a success, it was rediscovered in the late 1960s and widely read in the underground gay community.
De Acosta died at age 75 in relative poverty. She is buried at Trinity Cemetery in Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
See also
External links
- Mercedes de Acosta at the Internet Broadway Database
- "Mercedes de Acosta Revisted"
- "Mercedes de Acosta: Playwright, Lesbian Pioneer and Lover to the Stars"
- "Mercedes de Acosta, 1893–1968: One Woman's Meeting With Enlightenment"
- The Awakener Magazine
- Lord Meher, pp. 1940, Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation, Inc.