Barbara Hutton

Barbara Woolworth Hutton
Born	(1912-11-14) November 14, 1912 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 11, 1979(1979-05-11) (aged 66)
Occupation(s)	Heiress, socialite, philanthropist
Known for	Heiress to Woolworth fortune; "Poor Little Rich Girl"

Barbara Woolworth Hutton

Barbara Woolworth Hutton (November 14, 1912 – May 11, 1979) was a prominent American heiress, socialite, debutante, and philanthropist. She gained the nickname "Poor Little Rich Girl"—initially after her extravagant debutante ball in 1930 during the Great Depression, and later because of her notoriously troubled personal life.

As an heiress to one-third of the fortune amassed by retail magnate Frank Winfield Woolworth, Hutton ranked among the wealthiest women globally. Her childhood was shadowed by paternal neglect and the early death of her mother at age four, who passed away from suffocation caused by mastoiditis. There have been persistent speculations that her mother’s death might have been a suicide. These early hardships contributed to lifelong challenges in forming stable relationships. Over her lifetime, Hutton married and divorced seven times, acquiring numerous grand foreign titles but frequently suffering mistreatment and exploitation at the hands of several spouses. While publicly admired for her wealth, beauty, and seemingly carefree lifestyle, she privately battled deep insecurities and often sought solace in alcohol, drugs, and romantic escapades.

Hutton’s role as a mother was marked by inconsistency and insecurity, issues that intensified following a bitter custody dispute after her second divorce. During this period, she developed anorexia nervosa. Her only son, Lance Reventlow, tragically died in a plane crash in 1972, leaving her profoundly grief-stricken. Despite immense wealth, lavish expenditures combined with mismanagement and exploitation by those overseeing her finances brought Hutton close to financial ruin before her passing.

Early life

Barbara Hutton was born in New York City as the sole offspring of Edna Woolworth (1883–1917), herself a daughter of Frank W. Woolworth, the founder of the prosperous Woolworth five-and-dime retail chain. Her father, Franklyn Laws Hutton (1877–1940), was a wealthy co-founder of the prominent New York investment banking and brokerage firm E. F. Hutton & Company, which was originally established by Franklyn's brother, Edward Francis Hutton. Through marriage, she was related to cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, who was wed to E.F. Hutton from 1920 to 1935; their daughter, actress and heiress Dina Merrill (born Nedenia Hutton), was thus Barbara's first cousin. Merrill mentioned on A&E's Biography that Barbara lived with them for a period following the death of her mother and her father's subsequent abandonment.

Edna Hutton reportedly passed away on May 2, 1917, at age 33, due to suffocation caused by mastoiditis, though speculation endures that she may have taken her own life by poisoning due to distress over her husband's infidelities, especially since the coroner ruled an autopsy unnecessary. At just four years old, Barbara discovered her mother's lifeless body—a traumatic event that deeply affected her throughout her life. Following Edna’s death, Barbara was raised by various relatives and cared for by a governess. Her education included attendance at Miss Hewitt's Classes—now known as The Hewitt School—located in New York's Lenox Hill area, as well as at Miss Porter's School for Girls in Farmington, Connecticut. She developed into an introverted child with limited social engagement among peers. Her closest companion and sole confidant was her cousin Jimmy Donahue, son of her maternal aunt. Like Barbara, Jimmy inherited part of the Woolworth fortune and later became known for his public struggles with substance abuse and tumultuous relationships.

In 1924, Barbara inherited $26.1 million (~$Template:Format price adjusted for inflation) from her grandmother Jennie (Creighton) Woolworth’s estate. Additionally, $2.1 million in stock from Edna’s inheritance was placed into a separate trust—both trusts managed by Franklyn Hutton. By the time she reached her majority in 1933, her father had grown her fortune to $42 million ($966,549,230.77 in 2023Template:Fix/category), excluding an extra $8 million from her mother’s estate—positioning Barbara among the wealthiest women worldwide.

Following upper-class New York social customs, Barbara celebrated her eighteenth birthday in 1930 with an extravagant debutante ball attended by notable families such as the Astors and Rockefellers. The event featured performances by entertainers like Rudy Vallee and Maurice Chevalier. Costing approximately $60,000—a considerable sum during the Great Depression—the lavish affair attracted harsh public scrutiny that compelled her to embark on a European tour to evade media criticism.

Barbara resided at the family mansion located at 4 East 80th Street, situated in Manhattan’s prestigious Upper East Side.

Marriages

The well-known poet Ogden Nash humorously commented on the complexities of Hutton's romantic life with the following lighthearted verse:

Barbara Hutton was asked by Aimee McPherson,

"How does one make a marriage stick?"
"Perhaps you should inquire elsewhere,"

Barbara replied to Aimee McPherson

Barbara Hutton entered into matrimony with:

1. 1933: Alexis Mdivani, a self-proclaimed Georgian prince, marriage ended in 1935
2. 1935: Count Kurt Heinrich Eberhard Erdmann Georg von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, union dissolved in 1938
3. 1942: Cary Grant, divorced in 1945
4. 1947: Prince Igor Troubetzkoy, marriage concluded in 1951
5. 1953: Porfirio Rubirosa, ended in divorce by 1954
6. 1955: Baron Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt von Cramm, separated in 1959
7. 1964: Pierre Raymond Doan, a chemist of Vietnamese origin, divorced in 1966

Alexis Mdivani

Alexis Mdivani was Barbara Hutton’s initial spouse, who exploited her considerable fortune. As an ambitious social climber and member of the exiled Georgian nobility classified as aznauri (untitled aristocracy), he and his siblings were known as the "Marrying Mdivanis" from Georgia. They claimed princely status after fleeing Tbilisi in 1921 following the Soviet invasion of Georgia. Alexis was still wed to Louise Van Alen, a friend of Barbara’s from Bailey's Beach in Rhode Island and part of the prestigious Astor family, when he encountered Barbara in Biarritz, France. This meeting was orchestrated by Alexis’ scheming sister Isabelle Roussadana Mdivani (nicknamed Roussie), who persistently pushed her family members toward wealthy marriages, even if it meant subsequent divorces. Roussie and Alexis hatched a plan during a visit to San Sebastian, Spain involving Louise, Barbara, and others. While Alexis seduced Barbara, Roussie ensured Louise and other witnesses were visiting a guest cottage. The group discovered Alexis and Barbara together, causing Barbara to escape to Paris to avoid scandal. However, Roussie threatened to damage Barbara’s reputation publicly unless she agreed to marry her brother. On June 22, 1933, Alexis and Barbara were united in matrimony at the Russian Orthodox Church in Paris. Barbara’s father contributed a dowry of $1 million. Alexis squandered millions of her wealth on a residence, polo ponies, apparel, and jewelry intended for men before their divorce was finalized in March 1935.

Kurt Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow

Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, her second spouse and father of her only child, a son named Lance, subjected her to severe verbal and physical mistreatment. This abuse intensified to such an extent that she required hospitalization following a brutal assault, which resulted in his imprisonment. He also convinced her to renounce her American citizenship and adopt his native Danish nationality for tax advantages, a change she formalized in December 1937 at a federal court in New York. During this period, she descended into drug abuse. Subsequently, Hutton developed anorexia, a condition that afflicted her for life and rendered her unable to have additional children. Their son Lance went on to become a notable race car driver and creator of the Scarab, a respected sports car during the peak era of American motorsports.

Following a contentious legal battle, Hutton secured custody of Lance after divorcing Reventlow. Mirroring her own upbringing, she entrusted her son's care primarily to a governess and enrolled him in exclusive boarding schools.

In 1938, Hutton briefly engaged in a romantic liaison with Howard Hughes at London's Savoy Hotel, where Hughes spent multiple afternoons with her. At that time, Hughes was engaged to Katharine Hepburn and was in London negotiating with officials to obtain permission for European overflight as part of his plan to fly around the world. Hutton later described Hughes as someone who "felt he must absolutely be in control of a situation."

Hughes had initially met Hepburn while visiting the set of a Cary Grant film, during an encounter facilitated by his close friendship with Grant.

Cary Grant

In 1937, Hutton and her then-husband settled into their newly constructed residence, Winfield House, located in London's Regent's Park. The couple had acquired the land from the Crown Estate Commission in 1936 and received authorization to build their home there. As the threat of World War II loomed in 1939, Hutton relocated to California. She endorsed the British military's requisition of Winfield House for wartime operations.

During the conflict, Hutton actively contributed by funding the Free French Forces and donating her yacht to the Royal Navy. Leveraging her public profile to promote the sale of war bonds, she garnered favorable attention despite previous negative press stemming from her marital controversies. While in Hollywood, she encountered Cary Grant, one of the era’s leading film stars, whom she married on July 8, 1942. According to the U.S. Embassy website, after their wedding, Grant traveled to London for wartime duties and visited Winfield House. When U.S. broadcaster Edward R. Murrow criticized Hutton for abandoning her London residence, Grant encouraged Murrow to inspect the property before making such judgments. After the war concluded, Hutton donated Winfield House to the U.S. Government for use as the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador.

The media labeled the couple "Cash and Cary," although Grant neither required financial assistance nor sought advantage from Hutton’s status; he appeared sincerely devoted to her. Nonetheless, this marriage also ended in divorce, with Grant neither pursuing nor receiving any financial settlement.

Igor Troubetzkoy

After departing California, Hutton relocated to Paris, France, before purchasing a palace in Tangier. She then entered into a relationship with Igor Troubetzkoy, a Russian prince living abroad who, despite his limited financial resources, was internationally recognized. Their marriage took place in the spring of 1948 in Zürich, Switzerland. That same year, Troubetzkoy made history as the driver of the first Ferrari to participate in Grand Prix motor racing, competing in the Monaco Grand Prix and later securing victory at the Targa Florio. The couple eventually divorced. Following this, Hutton's attempted suicide attracted global media attention. Dubbed by journalists as the "Poor Little Rich Girl," her life became a sensational story that captivated the public and was extensively covered by the press.

Porfirio Rubirosa

Hutton’s subsequent marriage lasted only 53 days, from December 30, 1953, to February 20, 1954, when she wed Dominican diplomat Porfirio Rubirosa, an infamous international playboy who maintained an ongoing relationship with actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. In 1953, Hutton was granted citizenship in the Dominican Republic.

In a sharply critical commentary on their wedding published in the Milwaukee Sentinel, journalist Phyllis Battelle famously remarked: "The bride, for her fifth wedding, wore black and carried a scotch-and-soda."

Following this brief union, Hutton associated with Americans James Douglas and Philip Van Rensselaer. Her extravagant expenditures persisted; already possessing multiple mansions worldwide, she commissioned the construction of an opulent Japanese-style residence in 1959 on a sprawling 30-acre (120,000 m²) property located in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Gottfried von Cramm

Her next husband was longtime acquaintance and German tennis champion Baron Gottfried von Cramm. This marriage also ended in divorce. Von Cramm died later in 1976 as a result of a car accident near Cairo, Egypt.

Raymond Doan

In Tangier, Hutton encountered her seventh spouse, Prince Pierre Raymond Doan Vinh na Champassak. This union, however, was brief. Doan’s noble title was acquired for him by Hutton from the erstwhile royal lineage of the Kingdom of Champasak, an area corresponding approximately to present-day Laos.

Other relationships

Following her marriage to actor Cary Grant, Hutton shared a residence with Frederick McEvoy, buying a chalet located in the ski area of Franconia, New Hampshire. Although they never formalized their relationship through marriage, their friendship endured until McEvoy’s passing in 1951. Throughout her life, Hutton was often seen in public appearing intoxicated and gained a reputation for extravagant expenditures. She was also known for generously bestowing gifts upon complete strangers.

Art and jewelry

Beyond inheriting a significant collection that included Old Master artworks and notable sculptures, she personally amassed an impressive assortment encompassing various art forms, fine porcelain, and valuable jewelry. Her collection featured historic pieces formerly owned by Marie Antoinette and Empress Eugénie of France, as well as distinguished items crafted by Fabergé and Cartier. Among her treasured jewels was the 40-carat (8.0 g) Pasha Diamond, originally purchased as an uncommon octagonal brilliant-cut stone but later recut into a round brilliant, reducing its weight to 36 carats (7.2 g).

Final years and death

File:F W Woolworth Woodlawn jeh.JPG

Woolworth family mausoleum

The tragic loss of her only son, Lance Reventlow, in a 1972 aviation accident plunged Hutton into profound grief. By this stage, her wealth had significantly dwindled, largely due to her generous nature, which included gifting Winfield House to the United States government to serve as the residence for its ambassador in the UK. Additionally, her longtime attorney, Graham Mattison, was implicated in dubious financial dealings that further eroded her fortune. Ultimately, she resorted to selling off possessions to sustain herself but persisted in spending on acquaintances who offered her some semblance of attention. Hutton spent her last years residing at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles and passed away from a heart attack in May 1979 at age 66. While one biographer claimed that only $3,500 remained of her estate at the time of death, others close to her disputed this figure. Her remains were laid to rest in the Woolworth family mausoleum located at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York.

In popular culture

• Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987) is a television miniseries adapted from David Heymann’s biography. It features Farrah Fawcett as Barbara Hutton, with Fairuza Balk portraying her at age 12 and Matilda Johansson at age 5. The role of Cary Grant is played by James Read.
• Phantom Thread (2018) depicts a 1950s London haute couture dressmaker (portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis) grappling with creative inspiration and personal relationships. The character Barbara Rose (played by Harriet Sansom Harris) draws inspiration from Barbara Hutton during the period surrounding her marriage to Rubirosa.
• Rubirosa (2018) is a Mexican web series featuring Gabriela de la Garza as Barbara Hutton.
• As The Money Burns (2020–present) is a history podcast that explores the Great Depression through the perspectives of heirs and heiresses. Barbara Hutton appears prominently in several episodes starting with episode two, "Welcome to Newport, Part 1," which covers events leading up to the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Other episodes highlight significant moments such as her debutante ball and presentation at Buckingham Palace.

See also

• Woolworths
• Lady Hutton (yacht)
• List of people from Morelos, Mexico

Further reading

Numerous biographies have been published about Barbara Hutton; notable titles include:

• Barbara Hutton: A Candid Biography, authored by Dean Jennings (F. Fell, 1968, 301 pages)
• Million Dollar Baby: An Intimate Portrait of Barbara Hutton, by Philip Van Rensselaer (Putnam, 1979, 285 pages)
• Poor Little Rich Girl: The Life and Legend of Barbara Hutton, written by C. David Heymann (L. Stuart, 1984, 390 pages)
• In Search of a Prince: My Life with Barbara Hutton, by Mona Eldridge (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1988, 210 pages)

A notable adaptation:

The 1987 television film Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story featured Farrah Fawcett portraying Barbara Hutton.

External links

• Barbara Hutton at IMDb