In the next few blog entries I will be posting pics and information about several classic actors and actresses and their marriages. I will be focusing on star on star marriages.
It's a well documented fact that being in the limelight is not conducive to a healthy marriage. The likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, Gloria Swanson, and Cary Grant to name a few, are perfect examples of serial marrieds. Hectic schedules, romantic scenes with aesthetically pleasing co-stars, and basic human error often play roles of their own.
Let's begin with the stars that married more than one star.
George Brent's first wife was Ruth Chatterton (who was married to actor Ralph Forbes beforehand). After that marriage dissolved he tried his hand years later with the lovely Ann Sheridan.
Orson Welles was a talented man, he also had great taste in women. Before Rita Hayworth "couldn't take his genius anymore", he had a torrid affair with domestic partner Dolores del Río.
I was suprised to learn that Joan Blondell (who was also married to the notorious Mike Todd) and Dick Powell were married. I always thought it was just him and June Allyson.
Ava Gardner first married Mickey Rooney (pardon me but, WTF?) Then she married Frank Sinatra who left his wife for her thus catipulting Ava into fame and leaving Frank to dependent on her studio clout to get him a desired part that brought him back into favor again. Ah, Hollywood.
Joan Crawford reportedly ended her marriage to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. due to her affair with Clark Gable (whom she starred in eight films with) and then married Franchot Tone (another repeat offender, he also married actresses Jean Wallace, Barbara Payton and Dolores Dorn) but it was Joan who reportedly took him into her home and cared for him until his death from lung cancer.
Carole Lombard knew how to pick em! She got herself two fine actors, William Powell and Clark Gable.
After his first marriage to actress Virginia Cherrill, Cary Grant went on to marry two more actresses, Betsy Drake and Dyan Cannon.
Other repeat offenders are:
George Sanders got himself two Gabors. Pictured above is Zsa Zsa and after his longest marriage stint to Benita Hume (who married him after the death of Ronald Colman), he married Zsa Zsa's sister, Magda. Whoa.
Benita Hume was married to Ronald Colman then George Sanders.
Mary Pickford left actor Owen Moore to marry Douglas Fairbanks Sr.. Then she married actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers.
Bogey was also married to actress Mary Phillips and also to Mayo Methot whom he divorced before marrying Bacall only two weeks later.
The king of them: John Barrymore married only actresses. Besides Dolores Costello, pictured below, he married Katherine Corri Harris, Blanche Oelrichs, and Elaine Barrie.
Tonight on TCM!
Summer Under the Stars: Judy Garland
