This is the 6th Year Anniversary recap and teaser of future storylines. Allegory about seduction and betrayal in greenhouse with parallels to storylines. Playful hints and teasers of themes involving love and fortune, along with updates on podcast history and goals of the series. Other people (*referenced not specifically mentioned) and subjects include: Barbara Hutton, Doris Duke, John Jacob Astor VI aka “Jakey,” Prince Alexis Mdivani, Louise Van Alen, James H.R. Cromwell aka “Jimmy,” Prince Serge Mdivani, Prince David Mdivani, Eileen Gillespie, Ellen “Tucky” French, Madeleine Talmage Force Astor Dick Fiermonte, Enzo Fiermonte, Lindbergh baby kidnapping, heirs, heiresses, marriages, divorces, weddings, scandals, betrayals, sports, life changes, challenges, envy, listener interactions Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
This is the 6th Year Anniversary recap and teaser of future storylines.
Allegory about seduction and betrayal in greenhouse with parallels to storylines. Playful hints and teasers of themes involving love and fortune, along with updates on podcast history and goals of the series.
Other people (*referenced not specifically mentioned) and subjects include:
Barbara Hutton, Doris Duke, John Jacob Astor VI aka “Jakey,” Prince Alexis Mdivani, Louise Van Alen, James H.R. Cromwell aka “Jimmy,” Prince Serge Mdivani, Prince David Mdivani, Eileen Gillespie, Ellen “Tucky” French, Madeleine Talmage Force Astor Dick Fiermonte, Enzo Fiermonte, Lindbergh baby kidnapping, heirs, heiresses, marriages, divorces, weddings, scandals, betrayals, sports, life changes, challenges, envy, listener interactions
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Extra Notes / Call to Action:
Mansions of the Gilded Age
Instagram: Mansions of the Gilded Age and The Gilded Age Society by Gary Lawrance
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mansionsofthegildedage
https://www.youtube.com/c/MansionsOfTheGildedAge
New York Adventure Club www.nyadventureclub.com
Stories Among the Stones *formerly Power Privilege & Money
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/memoirsofthepast
Past Perfect Vintage Radio
https://www.pastperfect.com/radio/
www.pastperfect.com
Share, like, subscribe
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Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: These Foolish Things by Benny Carter, Album Perfect Blues
Section 2 Music: Nightfall by Benny Carter & His Orchestra, Album Nightfall – Sophisticated Jazz Classics
Section 3 Music: Top Hat, White Tie and Tails by Carroll Gibbons & Boy Friends, Album Sophistication – Songs of the Thirties
End Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
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AS THE MONEY BURNS
Podcast by Nicki Woodard
Episode 136 – Glass Cage, 6th Anniversary Bonus Episode
Outline
Recap
Teasers
Series Tag
00:00
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast by Nicki Woodard. Based on historical research, this is a deep exploration into what happened to a set of actual heirs and heiresses to some of America’s most famous fortunes when the Great Depression hits.
Each episode has three primary sections. Section 1 is a narrative story. Section 2 goes deeper into the historical facts. Section 3 focuses on contemporary, emotional, and personal connections.
00:29
Story Recap
6 years filled with tales of love and fortune with more to go…
Now back to AS THE MONEY BURNS
Title
00:42
Glass Cage, 6th Anniversary Bonus Episode
[Music Fade Out]
Episode Tag
This is the 6th Year Anniversary recap and teaser of future storylines.
01:00
[Music – These Foolish Things by Benny Carter, Album Perfect Blues]
Section 1 – Story
[Music Fade Out]
01:14
Inside an old estate manor, a beautiful young lady practices her daily lessons. Her face and body shift from younger to older, blonde to brunette, thin to pleasantly plump, always beautiful, always enchanting.
Life as an heiress can be rather lonely and isolating. She tries to fill her mind with thoughts away from the current time and place to one of love and romance.
01:41
When her cat interrupts, the young lady gladly takes a break and opens the window. The fresh air and warm sunlight brighten her day.
As she looks out the window, she sees a young handsome gardener walking about. She has never seen him before, as she would have definitely remembered him.
With gloves, he gathers some plants he has replaced and walks away pushing the wheelbarrow to behind the estate and out of sight.
Hearing her governess returning, the young lady nervously closes the curtains and goes back to her studies.
02:17
Each day the same routines, the same moments of boredom and daydreams. She heads back to the window to see if she will spot him again. She attempts to accidentally meet him on a walk, but no luck. Anyway she is too shy to start an actual conversation.
Within a short time, she picks up his routine.
One afternoon, she sneaks out and follows him to the back of the estate to an old greenhouse. The glass ceiling with ornate gilded frames sparkle when the sunlight hits at various points.
As a little girl, she was forbidden to go inside and instructed to leave all the servants alone. She has obeyed that rule ever since. Her heart sinks and goes back to the manor and her studies.
03:10
Another day passes, and again she cannot resist following him. This time she dares to get a little closer to peek. The wrought iron metal frame and glass shine blindingly. Green tendrils hang from rafters. She can’t help but be drawn to the various colorful flowers and beauty inside. It looks so lovely, so inviting.
Then she sees the gardener moving about, and she ducks and hides. Her heart races. When she thinks it is safe, she runs back to the manor.
He watches her but does not chase.
03:52
Another day, another afternoon, she sneaks behind him. Though aware, he pretends not to notice. Once again, she comes all the way up to the windows and door but does not go inside.
In the rush of excitement and desire, she does not pay attention to the sky. The sound of thunder startles her, then a sudden torrential rain pours down. She gets confused – run back to the manor or go inside. The storm grows too intense.
04:29
The glass door flings open.
She has no choice but to seek shelter.
The inside only provides mild protection. Wind howls as it slips through cracks, and water drips from above. The air is both cold and muggy. The thick humidity is suffocating.
Still as thunder and lightning crackle above, this place is better than none, and the enticing aroma of the exotic flowers has a calming hypnotic effect.
05:05
Drenched, she carefully tries not to disturb anything. She hears a noise only to turn around and meets the gardener face to face. She smiles sheepishly. He smiles back and warns her not to touch anything inside. He offers her a wooden chair to rest and a blanket to help her warm up. She watches him go about his duties caring for the plants tenderly without gloves.
Her heart beats so loudly she fears he can hear it too.
A beetle crawls around, and he picks it up then feeds it to a Venus Flytrap.
05:46
When the storm dissipates, he kindly walks her back far enough to be safe but not close enough to be spotted together. He invites her to visit again.
Sneaking back in, she is greeted by her cat. She goes to lovingly pet it, but it hisses and swats at her then runs off. Then she is confronted by her angry governess distressed in trying to find the young lady. She is told to report directly to her mother.
06:16
The beautiful secret hideaway still holds mysteries for the young lady. She cannot resist. At first, she spreads out her visits to be cautious, then *builds to every day. Each visit grows longer and longer. The secrecy makes it delightful and exciting.
The handsome gardener teaches the young lady to care for the plants as she aids in his routines. Every now and then, their hands almost touch but not quite. He pulls away.
One day when she leaves, he hands her a flower. On her way back, she picks some more to create a bouquet with his flower in the center.
When she returns, her governess inquires about her whereabouts. The young lady refuses to admit her secret and hides the bouquet. Her governess suspects something is afoot. Later, the young lady goes to retrieve the flowers only to find they have completely decayed.
07:19
Over the next few months, no one pays much attention anymore. The cat now avoids her. Her governess focuses on her very ill mother. When the young lady hugs her mother, her mother winces from her touch.
Afraid of being caught, the young lady avoids leaving the manor for a few days. She grows weak and lightheaded as if she is going through a withdrawal of sorts.
Days and nights go by. On the night of a full moon, she sneaks back into the greenhouse and immediately feels better amongst the flowers. She finds the gardener there waiting for her.
She sighs relief and runs into his arms, burying her head into his chest. He strokes her hair. The first time they ever touch. Their lips drift together about to kiss, then he suddenly drops her and pushes her away.
08:22
A bee breaks from a spider’s web flies about the greenhouse near her. Before she shoos it away, it drops dead in front of her. She stares down as it struggles in its last moments. The gardener strangely remarks the time is now right. He grabs her in a big embrace and kisses her. She melts into him with her first moment of real passion.
Dizzy, she soaks in the reality of her fantasies coming true.
He exclaims they are now destined and bound to each other. She’s confused. A spider spindling near her drops dead. He waves towards all the pretty flowers naming them – Foxglove, Oleander, Lenten Rose, Larkspur, Delphinium Buttercups, Lily of the Valley, Nightshade, Snowberry, Azaleas, Wisteria… Vibrant colors, delicate scents, and all deadly.
09:38
Did he poison her? She fears.
No, he assures her. He has not poisoned her. Only she like him has become poisonous for others. Now they alone will be together forever more. Has he ruined her for other men? Or would no man ever want her? He promises to take care of her. She is very special to him.
10:08
Then she hears the click of the door opening, coldheartedly her governess informs her that her mother has died, and the young lady is now officially an heiress.
Before the young lady has a chance to process, the knowing governess laughs mercilessly that the daughter has poisoned her mother. Only the young lady must stay away as she is a danger to others. The governess locks them inside and walks away with a devilish grin.
Betrayed, bewildered, and confused, the young lady turns to see the gardener’s adoring eyes.
Trapped alone in their special glass cage for all until eternity…
11:02
[Music – Nightfall by Benny Carter & His Orchestra, Album Nightfall – Sophisticated Jazz Classics]
Section 2 – History & Historiography
[Music Fade Out]
11:16
5 heirs and heiresses, 3 marriages, 4 more to add, 2 divorces, and 1 widowhood to go… Uh, but who is counting?
Prohibition is ending, so celebrations abound. Only the world is not getting much safer at least not on this round.
A prince might become a pauper, and a pauper a prince. Two princes are now paupers seeking their next dollar princesses.
Diamonds, rubies, jade, pearls, and tiaras attract thieves galore, of jewels and hearts and more…
Kidnapping and murder are always an occasional threat, but everyday real dangers come from those closest and most dear.
12:02
The biggest wedding of the Great Depression is on its way, that is if scandal doesn’t sidetrack the big day.
Love triangles multiply as the remaining bachelor heirs and bachelorette heiresses remain unattached. Never knowing who matches with them next.
Another engagement is pending, and a birthday present might seal the deal.
Wedding belles ring in the air as an heir with a spare becomes a celebrated pair.
A bridesmaid becoming the a bride should be of no surprise, unless it is the same groom on both tries.
The marry, divorce, and remarry merry-go-round whirls and twirls recycled partners. Even future affairs will bring crossovers to much despair.
As for our heirs and heiresses finding their happily ever afters? One should note fairy tales don’t always have happy endings.
13:02
These stories cover far and wide while also being strangely interconnected. A web of lies, deceit, and betrayals that will last many decades and for some even until the end of their lives.
So many stories left to tell. All within our tales of love and fortune.
13:27
At this moment, AS THE MONEY BURNS has:
136+ episodes
Current research archive of 8,200 news articles and growing
Fast approaching 100,00 downloads throughout all mediums
Ranks consistently every month on Goodpods Top 100 Indie Documentary Podcasts since August 2023
And we are only 60% through the bulk of our story. Wait until you see what we tell next.
14:01
[Music – Top Hat, White Tie and Tails by Carroll Gibbons & Boy Friends, Album Sophistication – Songs of the Thirties ]
Section 3 – Contemporary & Personal Relevance
[Music Fade Out]
14:17
AS THE MONEY BURNS is now crossing into our 7th Year!!! Can you believe it? And there are still so many stories left to tell. Have you unraveled one of our greatest mysteries? Little seeds of hints are planted along the way until the very end.
The journey we follow is not only of our heirs and heiresses but our own through these turbulent and tumultuous times. No matter what is going on, we all still seek, need, and want love and belonging. As we explore their lives, we are also learning more about our own experiences and the impact that remains long after.
14:56
Depending on the take, I either started this journey in 2013 when I discovered the New Yorker article that inspired over a decade of research, or far earlier with a summer program at Brown University and 2 trips to Newport which began a personal life story that is reflected in the people, topics, and subjects covered within these tales.
This is at its core a story about love. The loss that comes with death in most cases here of a parental figure, and the complicated search for love that comes with vulnerability and betrayal. While they seem to be two distinct situations, any look into the psychology of attachment theory would know that they are in fact quite intertwined. Add in more the mixture of greed, lust, and envy, and you have endless variations.
15:46
These tales have been told through *various multiple *mediums, and yet there still are things that are rarely mentioned or have long been forgotten and buried. This podcast is a re-exploration and reconstruction of a time period through a particular set of heirs and heiresses, whose long histories get more and more complex by the end of their lives. Details sometimes new and at other times refreshed to reorient how we view and relate to their journeys and our own.
16:17
There have definitely been twists and turns both in our tales as well as our own lives. My life too has changed in small and bigger ways. Deaths, injuries, and heartbreaks are just a matter of life. The road has been bumpy for sure for these 13 years since first developing the idea along with 6 years of podcasting. Unexpected delays and issues might slow down a few episodes, but they are temporary setbacks. As well, I have also uncovered some long forgotten details that deserve to be brought back into light. The stories are only getting more complicated as they get more and more intertwined.
These stories remain my fuel and passion as I navigate my own life into an unknown future. We might know their ends, but we don’t know ours. However the lessons learned from them can help us make better decisions.
I hope you will continue with me on this journey. I promise it is only getting juicier, more complex, and heading to some outrageous reveals by the end.
17:25
I really appreciate the listeners who reach out and give me updates and information related to both our characters as well as their own lives. I would love to hear from more of you at any of our social media channels for As The Money Burns.
As this is an anniversary episode, I want to point out some creator friends that have continually given me support through their platforms – Mansions of the Gilded Age and the Gilded Age Society by Gary Lawrence, New York Adventure Club, and Stories Among the Stones.
Mansions of the Gilded Age
Instagram: Mansions of the Gilded Age and The Gilded Age Society by Gary Lawrance
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mansionsofthegildedage
https://www.youtube.com/c/MansionsOfTheGildedAge
New York Adventure Club www.nyadventureclub.com
Stories Among the Stones *formerly Power Privilege & Money
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/memoirsofthepast
17:58
Did you know that AS THE MONEY BURNS RANKS ranks #3 in Apple’s search for vintage music albums?
Yes, that’s right AS THE MONEY BURNS is consistently noted for its great musical selection, and that is due to one major contribution.
18:16
Over the series 6 years and now for the 7th, there has been one solid partnership throughout and that is Past Perfect Vintage Music. This podcast would not be the same without its special musical touch for my transitions as well as opening and ending credits. A wonderful collection of digitally restored music from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Archival music featuring many great big band classics with stars like Benny Carter, The Savoy Orpheans, Carroll Gibbons, Roy Fox, only to name a few.
18:50
Their collection is also available through Past Perfect’s own digital radio station.
From your home or work you can enjoy the daily schedule (based on the UK timezone) of Vintage Mornings, Long Lunch, an hour long with World War II songs, followed by All That Jazz, a Tea Time Show, Noel’s Nightly Interlude with Noel Coward, then Showtime from musicals and movies with lots of Fred Astaire, lastly Love Songs, then Vintage Music After Dark…
It can be as simple as asking Amazon’s Alexa to turn on Past Perfect Vintage Radio. Also available on TuneIn Radio and myTunerRadio apps.
For more information check out:
https://www.pastperfect.com/radio/
www.pastperfect.com
Links in the notes and transcript.
If you enjoy As The Money Burns, then please share, like, & subscribe.
19:47
Once again here is the full main song featured in every episode of AS THE MONEY BURNS – all 136 so far and for the next to come…
My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton
Hook
20:05
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Next when we return to AS THE MONEY BURNS…
Our games of love and fortune involve plenty more tales of greed, lust, envy, pride, betrayal, and heartbreak to come…
Until then…
Credits
20:24
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast written, produced, and voiced by Nicki Woodard, based on historical research. Archival music has been provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, check out their website at www.pastperfect.com.
Please come visit us at As The Money Burns via Goodpods, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook (now Meta), or Instagram. Transcripts, timeline, episode guide, and character bios are available at asthemoneyburns.com.
23:23
THE END.