Slim Keith
Encyclopedia
Nancy "Slim" Keith, Lady Keith (July 15, 1917 – April 6, 1990) was a New York
socialite
and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s, exemplifying the American jet set
. She is perhaps best known, along with her friend Babe Paley
, as the thinly veiled inspiration for characters in Truman Capote
's novel Answered Prayers
.
(her mother changed her name to Nancy), by age 22, she had appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar
. She graced the Best Dressed list almost annually, and in 1946 won a Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
(as Mrs. Leland Hayward). She was also dubbed the original "California Girl", for her golden looks and athletic ability. She considered a career in opera
, before deciding it was too demanding.
. Through Powell, she met William Randolph Hearst
and his mistress Marion Davies. She thus became a Hollywood socialite, and was frequently seen at parties with Gary Cooper
and Cary Grant
. She was pursued by Clark Gable
, as well as 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 his long-standing marriage. Three years later (1941) they were married; however, Hawks was unable to remain faithful, and shortly after the birth of their daughter, Kitty Hawks, she moved to Havana to stay with Ernest Hemingway, where she met her second husband, Leland Hayward
. Slim and Hayward divorced their respective spouses in order to marry, and they stayed together for 12 years. Although she was pursued by the likes of Clark Gable
and Ernest Hemingway
, she wrote that the one love of her life remained Hayward, who in turn left her for another socialite, Pamela Churchill
. Her 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 Answered Prayers
. She never spoke to him again.
.
(2006) by Hope Davis
.
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...
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....
and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s, exemplifying the American jet set
Jet set
"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people...
. She is perhaps best known, along with her friend Babe Paley
Babe Paley
Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley was an American socialite and style icon. She was known by the popular nickname "Babe" for most of her life. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958....
, as the thinly veiled inspiration for characters in Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
's novel Answered Prayers
Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel
Answered Prayers is an unfinished novel by American author Truman Capote, published posthumously in 1986 in England and in 1987 in the United States.- History :...
.
Early life
Born Mary Raye Gross in Salinas, CaliforniaSalinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
(her mother changed her name to Nancy), by age 22, she had appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
. She graced the Best Dressed list almost annually, and in 1946 won a Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was a yearly award created in 1938 by Stanley Marcus. Unlike the Coty Award, it was not limited to American-based fashion designers...
(as Mrs. Leland Hayward). She was also dubbed the original "California Girl", for her golden looks and athletic ability. She considered a career in opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, before deciding it was too demanding.
Personal life
When she was 16, Slim left school and moved to Death Valley where she met William PowellWilliam Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
. Through Powell, she met William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
and his mistress Marion Davies. She thus became a Hollywood socialite, and was frequently seen at parties with Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
and Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
. She was pursued by Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, as well as Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
. In 1938 she met Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
, the noted film director, who was immediately smitten with her, and did everything he could to persuade her to marry him, despite his long-standing marriage. Three years later (1941) they were married; however, Hawks was unable to remain faithful, and shortly after the birth of their daughter, Kitty Hawks, she moved to Havana to stay with Ernest Hemingway, where she met her second husband, Leland Hayward
Leland Hayward
Leland Hayward was a Hollywood and Broadway agent and theatrical producer. He produced the original Broadway stage productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and The Sound of Music.-Early years:...
. Slim and Hayward divorced their respective spouses in order to marry, and they stayed together for 12 years. Although she was pursued by the likes of Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, she wrote that the one love of her life remained Hayward, who in turn left her for another socialite, Pamela Churchill
Pamela Harriman
Pamela Beryl Harriman , also known as Pamela Churchill Harriman, was an English-born socialite who was married and linked to important and powerful men. In later life, she became a political activist for the United States Democratic Party and a diplomat...
. Her 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 Answered Prayers
Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel
Answered Prayers is an unfinished novel by American author Truman Capote, published posthumously in 1986 in England and in 1987 in the United States.- History :...
. She never spoke to him again.
Death
The last years of her life were spent pursuing travel and quiet social activities in New York. An inveterate smoker, she died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
Fictional portrayals
Slim Keith was portrayed in the film InfamousInfamous (film)
Infamous is a 2006 American drama film, based on the 1997 book by George Plimpton, Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career....
(2006) by Hope Davis
Hope Davis
Hope Davis is an American actress. She has starred in more than 20 feature films, including About Schmidt, Arlington Road, Flatliners, Mumford, American Splendor, The Lodger and Next Stop Wonderland....
.
Quote
- "God blessed me with a happy spirit and many other gifts. What I was not blessed with I went out and got. Sometimes the price was too high, but I've never been much of a bargain hunter." from Slim: Memories of a Rich and Imperfect Life (1991).