Tommy Manville
Thomas Franklyn Manville Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1894 |
| Died | October 8, 1967 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Socialite, heir |
| Known for | Heir to Johns-Manville asbestos empire; record-setting 13 marriages to 11 women |
Thomas Franklyn Manville Jr. (April 9, 1894 – October 8, 1967) was a prominent American socialite and heir to the Johns-Manville asbestos empire. His considerable inherited fortune and a record-setting 13 marriages to 11 different women made him a well-known figure in mid-20th-century Manhattan society, earning him a mention in the Guinness World Records. The high-profile nature of his divorces often attracted extensive media attention and involved substantial financial settlements.
Early years and initial marriages
Thomas Franklyn Manville Jr. was born on April 9, 1894, as the son of the founder and chairman of the Johns-Manville Corporation, and the grandson of Charles B. Manville.<ref>Manville reportedly had a difficult relationship with his father, who disinherited him multiple times but eventually left him an inheritance.<ref> His father also held a directorship at Consolidated National Bank beginning in 1904.<ref>
At just 17 years old in 1911, Manville married Florence Huber, a chorus girl he met under a Broadway marquee only five days earlier. Despite his father's threats to annul the marriage and withdraw financial support, Manville stood firm, even accepting a $15-per-week position at the family's Pittsburgh factory after being disinherited.<ref> Florence left him in 1917 due to his unfaithfulness; their divorce was finalized in 1922.<ref> In 1930, she filed a lawsuit seeking $45,000 in unpaid settlements based on an alleged agreement for $15,000 annually to live apart but dropped the case in 1931.<ref>
Manville’s second wife was Lois Arline McCoin, who served as his father’s stenographer; they married in September 1925. The following month, his father passed away, bequeathing Manville approximately $10 million from an estate valued at $50 million. McCoin secured a Reno divorce in December 1930 on grounds of desertion and received alimony of $1,000 per month.<ref>
Trust fund and property
A trust fund established by his family reportedly guaranteed Manville $250,000 upon each marriage. According to a 1995 The New York Times article, Manville’s pattern involved paying $50,000 to his wife, retaining $200,000 for himself, obtaining a swift divorce, and then remarrying when additional funds were required. He owned the "Bon Repos" estate located within the gated waterfront community of Premium Point along the Long Island Sound in New Rochelle, New York. Describing himself as either a "retired businessman" or someone "managing my estate," Manville sought solitude at this property despite the public attention from his multiple marriages. His residence was fortified with burglar alarms, peephole-equipped doors, armed security personnel, a public-address system, radios installed in every room, and twenty telephones. He referred to it as his stronghold and frequently carried two pistols. In June 1967, while hospitalized, three masked intruders raided his estate stealing cash, jewelry, furs, and clothing. At that time, his eleventh wife Christina Erdlen was present with him at the hospital during the incident.
Subsequent marriages
Over his lifetime, Manville entered into thirteen marriages with eleven different women, including two remarriages among the first ten unions. His numerous weddings contributed significantly to his public notoriety and personal fame. In a 1936 American Weekly feature published under his name, he humorously addressed his marital patterns and promised that his next spouse would be blonde. The following year he placed full-page advertisements seeking new legal representation for family-related disputes.
In May 1931, he took as his third wife Avonne Taylor, a Ziegfeld Follies performer; their marriage lasted only 34 days before separation and ended with a Mexican divorce that November. In October 1933 he wed showgirl Marcelle Edwards from The Earl Carroll Vanities, divorcing her four years later in October 1937 with an estimated settlement of $200,000. In November 1941 he married Bonita "Bonnie" Edwards; their marriage concluded with divorce in January 1942.
In October 1942 he married actress Wilhelmma Connelly (Billie) Boze; they divorced by February 1943 without any financial settlement. In August 1943 he wed Macie Marie (Sunny) Ainsworth; after separating within eight hours they finalized divorce proceedings in October 1943 with a $75,000 settlement.
December 1945 saw Manville marry British-born Georgina Campbell; she left after five weeks requesting divorce but remained separated from him until her death in an automobile accident in 1952. Though not intending reconciliation during this period, they maintained a friendship.
In July 1952 he married Anita Frances Roddy-Eden from Britain; she obtained a Mexican divorce in August accepting $100,000 instead of alimony. She divorced him again in Reno in 1955 and later remarried actor John Sutton, whose annulment was granted in 1960 due to improper divorce procedures.
In May 1957 Manville married Pat Gaston, a Texas showgirl; their marriage ended by November that same year.
His final marriage occurred in January 1960 when he wed Christina Erdlen from Heidenheim an der Brenz, West Germany. At their meeting she was a twenty-year-old waitress with one daughter. Following Manville's death, Christina inherited the majority of his $1.1 million estate.
Death and legacy
Tommy Manville passed away on October 8, 1967. His ninth spouse, Anita Manville, wrote a biography titled The Wives and Lives of Tommy Manville, which served as the inspiration for Jackie Curtis’s camp musical Lucky Wonderful: 13 Musicals About Tommy Manville. It is believed that Manville was the model for Gary Cooper’s character in the 1938 motion picture Bluebeard's Eighth Wife. Additionally, Manville’s name appears in Irving Berlin’s song "What Chance Have I with Love" and has been used in various cultural references.
Although frequently portrayed as a figure of amusement—partly a bon vivant and partly a hapless victim of romantic entanglements—Manville was respected for his many romantic relationships and impressive fortune. At the time of his death, estimates suggested he had expended more than $1.25 million on divorce agreements.
See also
- Page Morton Black
- Premium Point, New Rochelle
- Veronica Lake
- List of people who remarried the same spouse