Divorces come in several stages – physical, financial, legal, and emotional. The latter might be the hardest if ever to achieve. As one reporter learns with a slap in the face. November 1933, opera singer Mary McCormic and Prince Serge Mdivani are officially divorced. But when Mdivani biographer Grace Williams tries to expose the terms of the settlement, Grace faces Mary’s wrath. Other people and subjects include: Prince Alexis Mdivani, Princess Barbara Hutton Mdivani, Louise Van Alen – formerly Princess Mdivani, Prince David Mdivani, Mae Murray – formerly Princess Mdivani, Princess Nina Mdivani Huberich, Princess Roussadana “Roussie” Mdivani Sert, Pola Negri – formerly Princess Mdivani, Samuel “Sam” Insull, Michael Luddy, city editor, photographer, William K. Vanderbilt III, Virginia “Birdie” Graham Fair Vanderbilt, William K. Vanderbilt II, Brooke Hart, Northwest Mounty, slap, million dollar lawsuit, Faust opera, taxi, secondhand automobile, United Airlines, Assistance League Tea Room, Cocoanut Grove, Hollywood club, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times building, Liberty Magazine, Pacific Shore Oil Company, pawnshop, Los Angeles, Paris, New York, Omaha, Detroit, Arkansas, Texas, evolution of sources, tracking down information, The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri, Poor Little Rich Girl by David Heymann, secret unnamed source, “Who Cares” by Serge Mdivani as told to Grace Williams” unpublished manuscript, UCLA, Georgian website, Georgian community, Wikipedia, Joseph Stalin, Harry Sinclair, Teapot Dome Scandal, Washington D.C. social leader, Alabama, British ancestry, Duke of Wellington ancestor, Wellesley ancestor, Clark Gable, “Rhea / Ria” Maria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham, Carole Lombard, Gone With The Wind, Joan Crawford, Francois Tone, factual consistency, overplaying connections, 5 Los Angeles Times buildings, Mirror Building, 2 granite castles, Art Deco by Gordon Kaufman, new mid-century in El Segundo, Gutzon Borglum’s bronze eagle sculpture, bomb explosion, fire proof, bomb proof, earthquake proof, anti-union, American labor movement, John “J.J.” McNamara, James Barnabas “J.B.” McNamara, Clarence Darrow, Vanderbilt Cup motor racing, Crime of the Century, one of deadliest criminal acts in United States, deadliest crime to go to trial in California, tragedies, humanity, yesterday’s news, Will Smith, Chris Rock, 2022 Academy Awards, retrospectives of Mary McCormic slap, Ventura County Star, Tampa Times, Morning Call reprint, Louvre jewel heist, jewel history,… Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Divorces come in several stages – physical, financial, legal, and emotional. The latter might be the hardest if ever to achieve. As one reporter learns with a slap in the face.
November 1933, opera singer Mary McCormic and Prince Serge Mdivani are officially divorced. But when Mdivani biographer Grace Williams tries to expose the terms of the settlement, Grace faces Mary’s wrath.
Other people and subjects include:
Prince Alexis Mdivani, Princess Barbara Hutton Mdivani, Louise Van Alen – formerly Princess Mdivani, Prince David Mdivani, Mae Murray – formerly Princess Mdivani, Princess Nina Mdivani Huberich, Princess Roussadana “Roussie” Mdivani Sert, Pola Negri – formerly Princess Mdivani, Samuel “Sam” Insull, Michael Luddy, city editor, photographer, William K. Vanderbilt III, Virginia “Birdie” Graham Fair Vanderbilt, William K. Vanderbilt II, Brooke Hart, Northwest Mounty, slap, million dollar lawsuit, Faust opera, taxi, secondhand automobile, United Airlines, Assistance League Tea Room, Cocoanut Grove, Hollywood club, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times building, Liberty Magazine, Pacific Shore Oil Company, pawnshop, Los Angeles, Paris, New York, Omaha, Detroit, Arkansas, Texas, evolution of sources, tracking down information, The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri, Poor Little Rich Girl by David Heymann, secret unnamed source, “Who Cares” by Serge Mdivani as told to Grace Williams” unpublished manuscript, UCLA, Georgian website, Georgian community, Wikipedia, Joseph Stalin, Harry Sinclair, Teapot Dome Scandal, Washington D.C. social leader, Alabama, British ancestry, Duke of Wellington ancestor, Wellesley ancestor, Clark Gable, “Rhea / Ria” Maria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham, Carole Lombard, Gone With The Wind, Joan Crawford, Francois Tone, factual consistency, overplaying connections, 5 Los Angeles Times buildings, Mirror Building, 2 granite castles, Art Deco by Gordon Kaufman, new mid-century in El Segundo, Gutzon Borglum’s bronze eagle sculpture, bomb explosion, fire proof, bomb proof, earthquake proof, anti-union, American labor movement, John “J.J.” McNamara, James Barnabas “J.B.” McNamara, Clarence Darrow, Vanderbilt Cup motor racing, Crime of the Century, one of deadliest criminal acts in United States, deadliest crime to go to trial in California, tragedies, humanity, yesterday’s news, Will Smith, Chris Rock, 2022 Academy Awards, retrospectives of Mary McCormic slap, Ventura County Star, Tampa Times, Morning Call reprint, Louvre jewel heist, jewel history,…
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Extra Notes / Call to Action:
Fellow podcasters @WhatsHerName
What’s Her Name Podcast by Dr. Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle
https://whatshernamepodcast.com/
https://pod.link/1320638747
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The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri
https://www.amazon.com/Book-9781835740736-David-Gigauri/dp/1835740731
https://www.instagram.com/mdivanisaga/
The Silver Swan: The Search for Doris Duke by Sally Bingham
https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Swan-Search-Doris-Duke-ebook/dp/B078X21PDT
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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: Organ Grinder’s Swing by Jack Payne, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 2 Music: Umtcha, Umtcha, Da Da Da by The Rhythmic Eight, Album Fascinating Rhythm – Great Hits of the 20s
Section 3 Music: Turkish Towel by The Savoy Havana Band, Album Fascinating Rhythm
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 133 – ##
Outline
Divorce aftermath
Slap
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.
00:30
Story Recap
While Jakey Astor tries to decide amongst a new crop of debutantes, Princess Barbara Hutton Mdivani celebrates her 21st birthday.
Now back to AS THE MONEY BURNS
Title
00:44
Million Dollar Slap
[Music Fade Out]
Episode Tag
Divorces come in several stages – physical, financial, legal, and emotional. The latter might be the hardest if ever to achieve. As one reporter learns with a slap in the face.
01:07
[Music – Organ Grinder’s Swing by Jack Payne, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Section 1 – Story
[Music Fade Out]
01:24
Divorces are rarely sweet. Feelings can range easily from bitter to angry to desolate and so much more.
Even a very much desired divorce can be exhausting and once finished can still have lingering feelings.
Monday, November 13th, 1933, Los Angeles
Late afternoon, another divorce is finalized. Agreements are made and matters settled.
01:57
Tuesday, November 14th, 1933
The press announces that the Cowgirl soprano and opera singer Mary McCormic has gladly shed her husband Russian via Georgia Prince Serge Mdivani. Their brief whirlwind and tumultuous relationship ends abruptly and loudly.
It seems the “Marrying Mdivanis” should be labeled the Divorcing Mdivanis these days…
02:23
So much is happening in the Mdivani family as of late. Youngest brother Prince Alexis Mdivani divorced his blueblood socialite heiress wife Louise Van Alen in November 1932 and uses the lucrative settlement to scandalously pursue then quickly marry in June 1933 uber wealthy heiress Barbara Hutton, who celebrates her 21st birthday in New York on this exact same day of the divorce announcement in New York. Alexis now has access to his wife’s nearly 42 million dollar fortune if not more (almost $1.047 billion in 2025) if not more.
03:01
Middle brother Prince David Mdivani recently divorced his actress-singer-dancer wife Mae Murray back in October 1933. Mae gladly walks away with no alimony to merely finally rid herself of David.
The Mdivani – McCormic divorce is in particularly very bitter and public. With her calling him both the World’s Worst and Best Gigolo not quite two months ago in September 1933.
Now also coming out, Mary has given an interview in a four part article series to Liberty Magazine. Kicking it off, the first one features her divorce from Serge, while the other articles talk about her rise in opera and relationship with her dear friend silver fox Sam Insull, the Chicago utilities magnate who skipped to Greece to avoid charges for his failed business and Ponzi scheme.
Mary hopes she can put it all now past her. If only things could end so sweetly,…
04:00
Wednesday, November 15th, 1933, Los Angeles
The telephone rings. Mary picks it up. The muffled male voice mumbles a few things about a young woman coming into the Los Angeles Times news office to reveal parts of the property settlement then asks if Mary wants to make a statement.
“Will I? And HOW! Hold everything!”
Mary hangs up, rushes out the door, and catches a taxi.
Downtown at Broadway and First Street, a $150 (that’s about $3.7k today) second hand car pulls up outside the Los Angeles Times building, a castle like granite structure with a four-sided clock tower. Perched from above, the bronze eagle watches below.
Inside the car, sits smug Prince Serge Mdivani. He smiles at his young lady friend Grace Williams, a hotel club hostess who in her spare time is an earnest freelance journalist and writer trying to get her break. He squeezes her hand, then she nods her head, slips out of the car, and hurriedly enters the building heading straight to the editorial offices on the third floor.
05:15
Moments later a taxi arrives, and out pops Mary flustered and raring to go.
From inside the car, Serge slinks down hoping she doesn’t notice him. She looks around and spots the seemingly empty familiar old car.
The current LA Times structure was built after a bomb destroyed the previous one. Now fire proof, bomb proof, and earthquake proof, it is made to withstand anything except possibly a scorned diva’s temperament.
Inside surrounded by listeners, Grace claims to be working with her dear friend Prince Serge Mdivani to write his and his famous royal siblings’ biography especially after all the recent negative press. Grace also has a tidbit on the financial settlement of his most recent divorce.
06:05
In the larger open newsroom, Mary storms in and can see through the windows where Grace is having her conference in a smaller office. Mary heads towards the office, but other men hold her back. They are more than aware a fight might be brewing and in fact have been waiting for it. The nearby photographer grabs his camera.
Finally, Grace steps out with the editor.
Immediately, Mary demands, “You will, will you?”
Turning sheet white, Grace turns to see Mary rushing towards her unleashing all sorts of expletives.
With her Irish eyes blazing, Mary pulls off her glove.
The photographer fumbles with his camera, nearly dropping the flashbulb.
Then Mary strikes. A loud smack echoes throughout the silent newsroom.
According to varying reports from a looping right punch to an open-handed slap, whichever, squarely lands on Grace’s chin.
Mary’s hand stings but not nearly as bad as Grace’s jaw.
Grace almost faints in shock but is caught by the city editor.
Other reporters in the room jump in to separate the ladies before another attempt can be made. The photographer finally has his camera ready.
07:22
Stunned and humiliated, Grace sits there with her reddened cheek clearly marking the assault. The city editor ushers her out the door into safety.
Tempted to pursue Grace out the door and take another shot at Serge, Mary instead waits a beat. Mary spins around to the photographer laughing at his inability to get his prize shot.
Once peace is restored, Mary rather calmly remarks, “Anyway, I told her what I thought of this prince chap and his pals. After all, that’s something, if she sues me that’s something else, of course.”
The slap as it is referred in most accounts is witnessed by many. All of whom agree Mary clearly was the sole winner in the dispute. Fighting Kid McCormic has a nice ring to it as Mary now likes to refer to herself.
Never mess with a diva, opera or not, and certainly not one that is Arkansas born and Texas raised.
08:23
Thursday, November 16th, 1933, Los Angeles
Nationwide, the press goes wild with headlines and photos.
Mary claims she was outraged that the divorce details were about to be aired by the Prince’s little stooge. Serge and Mary had agreed to settle this peacefully after weeks of public dirty laundry on other matters. Serge wanted to quell Mary’s tongue, which is quite a sharp sword. She is naturally outraged at his double cross.
At a local coffee shop, Grace tells her side of a story to another reporter. Grace calls Mary unladylike and a wild woman. Grace poses for a picture showing off where her chin was hit.
09:05
Along side her and also photographed is Prince Serge. He supports Grace in the matter and claims he had no such agreement to keep the settlement a secret with Mary, and that Grace has his consent to release whatever she wanted to the press.
The formerly described perfect lover now defends his lady friend.
“My sympathies are entirely with Miss Williams,… (she) acted like a perfect lady.” Quite an observation for the man waiting in the street when the incident occurred.
Grace further defends, err publicizes, her position as his biographer and tries to play off that she will still treat Mary kindly and flatteringly in the manuscript despite the incident.
Pre-emptively striking back, Mary’s attorney Michael Luddy publicly discloses the divorce settlement will be $15,000 (an overall of $374.8k in 2025). With the first $5k to be paid within 6 months, and the $10k payment within the year (that’s the 2025 equivalent of $124.9k in 6 months and $249.8k in a year). Mary would keep all property whether in her sole name or jointly theirs. She would also receive $5k in compensation for the $3,500 loan (today around $87k loan) she gave to the Pacific Shore Oil Company, funds which had been raised through pawning her jewelry for which she still held the two pawn tickets as proof. Mary will have no further claims to the oil shares.
The he said, she said turns into a she said, she said, and he said in the press.
10:54
Friday, November 17th, 1933
Mary boards the United Airlines and flies to Omaha on her way east for another opera tour.
Grace slaps back and files a lawsuit for assault and demands a $1 million and $1 dollar for damages (that’s roughly $24.9 million in 2025, by the way $1 is the equivalent of $24.92).
When Mary encounters reporters in Detroit and elsewhere on her tour, she scoffs.
“That’s a lot of money. I’d like have that much myself… That suit’s strictly the piffle. All she is trying to do is get some publicity. Anyone who would sue me for a million is strictly an optimist.”
11:44
On the same day, other less amusing news is also released.
Elsewhere the body of 26 year old William K. Vanderbilt III is brought home via the family car. He was killed in a car wreck. Previously and bitterly divorced, Virginia “Birdie” Graham Fair Vanderbilt and William K. Vanderbilt II unite over their son.
Meanwhile another lesser heir Brooke Hart was kidnapped and his body dumped in the San Francisco Bay a week earlier, and his two abductors are caught and must relocate from jail to avoid lynching.
12:19
Later in November 1933, Grace and Serge will be photographed together at a Hollywood club.
As for the million dollar lawsuit, that will drag out for a time. Further delays occur until Mary returns from touring as she cannot be properly served to begin proceedings. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 24th. Only Mary will unlikely be in attendance while continuing her tour. She openly mocks and taunts Grace to dare serve the papers whenever Mary returns. Mary also continues to insult Serge.
By August 1934, Mary recovers from an appendix operation and revisits her divorce with Serge, she revels in being the only ex-Princess Mdivani to receive a monetary settlement from the Marrying Mdivanis. She was awarded $30,000 (a little over $727k in 2025). She also mocks Grace’s lawsuit.
Eventually, the case is dropped, thus Mary wins again.
13:20
Later in December 1934 during a press tour for her Faust opera, Mary is interviewed regarding her new potential beau – a real He-Man Northwest Mounty. She still remarks on the slap, “I still remember it, and if she ever crosses my path again I’ll sock her again.”
The Hollywood’s desultory powder puff wars might continue…
13:50
[Music – Umtcha, Umtcha, Da Da Da by The Rhythmic Eight, Album Fascinating Rhythm – Great Hits of the 20s]
Section 2 – History & Historiography
[Music Fade Out]
14:08
As I have referenced before, I began researching and developing these stories all the way back in 2013. I threw out a broad net and slowly culled story after story. As I have mentioned I like to research backwards and forwards to get as much information as possible, and some stories and people were more elusive than others.
The case in point has been the Mdivanis. Mostly, I was and am interested in Prince Alexis Mdivani for his relationships with Barbara Hutton and Louise Van Alen. There was almost nothing about him that I could find on the internet and only mentioned briefly within Barbara’s 4 biographies. I did the precursory newspaper search, but most was fairly thin and not really giving me the other side of the story.
15:00
It wasn’t until I uncovered in the early months of my search another source which revealed to me the Prince and his siblings’ reputation and exploits. I have chosen to keep this source unnamed until our story comes to its end, for the first half involves the Mdivanis and the second part is still relevant as to why I am telling these tales this way and will reveal in the post story wrap up. But with this unnamed source, I determined the overarching timeline frame and premise for a tv series that would then become this podcast series.
As the years progressed, I would occasionally expand more research. By 2016, there was now a Wikipedia page on the siblings (don’t recall seeing one before that time) and another website detailing Alexis and mention of his siblings. This website was by a group of formerly Soviet state not American Georgian descendants wanting to document more about their culture, people, and history away and independent from their most notorious historical figure Joseph Stalin.
16:11
The Mdivanis were not the easiest to research for a reason to be revealed at the end of this podcast series, which is a few more years away. A curious person might easily find the reason with a small cursory search, but I will leave the shock for later.
Even by the time I started my podcast in April 2020, there was still very little online presence in regards to them alone and not just mentioned in context of the other people mostly spouses they associated with. However with Covid and the spare time given with lockdowns, there has been a rise in the Mdivanis online.
The podcast allowed me to move from a thin general pitch to needing much more specifics and with a timeline of events and plots, I could pick and choose where elaboration would best feed the premise and overall story.
17:03
Earlier this year, the episode arrives where now I need to flesh out Prince Serge Mdivani and Prince David Mdivani’s simultaneous divorces. I have to jump ahead in the timeline then work backward to know what is needed for the final story. I already had Mae Murray’s biography early in Covid when I finally could get books, but then I learned of Mary McCormick’s Liberty magazine expose in early spring March 2025. Upon seeing this potential interview, I had to find new sources to get a copy of those articles as Mary does not have her own biography.
That is when I also discovered that there was a new book published on the Mdivani family in October 2024. It took some finagling but was able to order the book The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri. It arrived later in March 2025, and I didn’t have time to review parts for that episode.
The author David is a British citizen of Georgian descent. He has written several books on history and his other profession – finance. I have no idea when he started writing his book, but it seems he has not referenced my podcast in his research. Being UK based and with more finances than my means, he does have access to other resources near London and elsewhere as well as members of the Georgian community that knew some of the Mdivanis.
18:26
Remember before this book, any of the five Mdivani siblings are mentioned within a story of another major figure. They are smaller chapters – once again for a reason I will explain when I finish my podcast. They are often not too favorably portrayed in these other sources.
The Mdivani Saga is the opposite. It is written in mind to celebrate the Mdivanis and their special place in the world. Of course, this is partially due to the bias of the author. He wants to write about someone from his community and that person not be Stalin. The strengths of the Mdivani Saga are where it expands on the other siblings Serge, David, Nina, & Roussie. The earlier part of Alexis and Barbara relies heavily on the problematic Poor Little Rich Girl by David Heymann. Heymann both plagiarized and made up sources – like referencing Barbara’s diary, a fake reference as none has ever appeared to have existed and a separate unverifiable claim to interview her before her death a decade before he published his book. These are disputes brought up and exposed in a court case from the mid-1980s – which I have mentioned in prior episodes. The other source is my secret source, and yes I will still withhold naming it for now.
19:46
While we both cover the same topics, we aren’t covering them the same way. Of course, there can be a natural inclination of envy, rivalry, and territoriality towards another potentially competing work or alternative viewpoints. Regardless, neither of us would have sole proprietary rights to these past historical figures. Our methods are different. The Mdivani Saga could definitely serve as the basis for a movie or a short tv series on this particular family. Where as As The Money Burns is encompassing of a much larger world of characters with many more avenues to develop – movies, tv series, and whatever medium the future holds… I have scoured the Mdivani Saga and know that some of my more important storylines are barely mentioned or not covered at all.
20:35
Gigauri’s focus is all 5 siblings. My focus is one in particular, then the others as the story needs overlaps. He must cover birth to death. I am focused on a 7 year period with references to past and future. Like other sources, he might mention the same fact, but I go into far more detail when it serves my stories. There will be other situations like the Pacific Shore Oil lawsuits, where he is much more detailed and can far better explain the nuances. The lawsuit is a mere sidenote for my story – a minor irritation to the main plot.
21:17
Now when I look up Mdivanis online especially since Covid, there are plenty more websites with information. Most coming once again from those of Georgian descent and thus more protective and defensive of the siblings.
There is room to remember both sides, and even if you find the siblings less noble in their actions we must remember they had charm and allure which is why they were so effective. But their stars burned bright and fast, and so more will be told as our story and our characters go on.
21:53
Another case in point, Mary McCormic slaps Grace Williams. The Mdivani Saga is the only book I see so far to mention it, and the mention is 1 paragraph (ditto with Sam Insull and some other overlapping topics on which I expand). The paragraph references the slap, the lawsuit, and Serge’s defense of Grace. Quit cut and dry.
This is not where I learned of the incident, and with my research I have expanded far beyond those details.
22:24
I first learned of this infamous slap in early March 2022 as I scoured for more information regarding Mary McCormic while I was covering Prince Serge Mdivani and Pola Negri’s divorce. Mary had been identified as his mistress. I put the slap in the back of my mind for future use. When I finally got to the point of the dual Mdivani divorces in early March 2025, I briefly almost misattributed the slap to Mae Murray but quickly realized it was Mary instead, and that this particular story would then be forthcoming within our tale. There is no bio for Mary McCormic, but in March 2025 I learned in a newspaper reference of her upcoming 1933 articles in Liberty Magazine and tracked all 4 down. While in search for those, I learned of the Mdivani Saga. By the way, Mae too will soon get in trouble for her own slapping offense to a lawyer in court yet happens outside both our scopes to reference in either of our works.
23:26
On my first and early attempts in 2022, I had no luck trying to find Grace Williams’ history of the Mdivanis. It didn’t seem to ever be published. However I finally located it at UCLA. A thin manuscript which starts with a fairly fabricated retelling of Serge’s younger days and he and his brother David’s venture to America. It also mentions their young business deal with oil tycoon Harry Sinclair but that their venture was interrupted by Sinclair’s troubles, which would most likely have been the Teapot Dome Scandal. An interesting reference that will reverberate to more drama beyond the scope of our story. Back to “Who Cares? by Serge Mdivani, as told to Grace Williams” manuscript, it is very thin like only 37 pages and relies mostly on the unreliable Serge’s recollection.
24:23
As you know, I research forward and backwards people to contextualize them better. To see if my suspicions or biases can be a little more confirmed or disputed. The name Grace Williams is hard to distinguish from other same named ladies. Nothing I could locate indicated an obituary or wedding where I might get a little more identifying and biographical description about her. I have seen one off references to her as a Washington, D.C. social leader, then another says she grew up in Alabama and is of English ancestry as in a direct descendant of the Duke of Wellington and through another line the Wellesleys. These are one off references not repeated, and thus slightly suspicious to origin or a factual consistency.
25:16
Prior to moving to Hollywood, Grace lived in Paris studying design for 14 months. But mostly, she appears around Hollywood in her involvement with the Assistance League *and its tea room up to over a decade later. She likes to mention her involvement with Clark Gable’s second wife heiress “Rhea / Ria” Maria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham. Grace would speak in highly and familiar terms of Rhea / Ria prior to their divorce – Clark would divorce Rhea / Ria from the money he earned from Gone with the Wind to marry Carole Lombard). Grace also speaks highly Joan Crawford and her husband Francois Tone, though that couple implodes as well as other Hollywood notables. Grace definitely tries to name drop and likely overplays her connections.
26:01
Just prior to the infamous slap, I did track Grace down to an Assistance League Tea Room luncheon with Princess Nina Mdivani Huberich in attendance in early September 1933. As well as a dinner hosted by Prince Serge at the Cocoanut Grove where once again both Grace & Nina are listed attending on November 3rd, 1933.
Some articles refer to Grace as a good writer. Though the only sampling I found is the above 37 pages, which is hardly a decent writing sample on multiple levels. In 1938, Grace will make another grab at attention for a fashion fad. She will also cross paths with other characters outside our focused timeline to be revealed in the post stories wrap up.
When I sit with my feelings in reading everything, I sense Grace is another person desperate for attention. Trying to make her breakthrough however possible, and this is her perfect chance. Confirmed by an article later in 1934 as her million dollar slap lawsuit starts to fade in attention, and she mentions her focus is seeking to be more involved in the entertainment industry but does not specify as a writer or actress.
Thus it makes sense she would grab onto and do her best to milk the 1933 incident for all it’s worth.
27:26
I mean let’s think about it. It’s a rather trivial situation that got a lot, A LOT of press attention. It’s also one that didn’t merely disappear. In fact, it pops up for many years later. Other than that little fashion blip for Grace, the story comes up in relation to Mary McCormic who will go on for a quite bit of time though her star like Mae Murray’s is fading. Unlike Mae, Mary has grit and resilience and will maneuver adroitly through the transitions.
Mary too is one to maximize the publicity as she returns to her opera tour needing to raise money post a Mdivani marriage and the Insull Ponzi scheme implosion. The somewhat ludicrous nature of this incident provides a field day for headlines once again – jaw smacked, face slapped, stooge, unladylike, wild woman,… along with a ton of colorfully worded insults. Still the one sadly missing is my favorite phrase “face spanked” – which I found previously used in a side story in an accidental mistaken burglary but included mentioning it back then because I knew this incident would eventually be forthcoming.
28:42
Like I said, it pays to pay attention to even the littlest of details. Sometimes it gets a bit exhausting, but that little extra pays off with other interesting segways.
This time I thought I might could cheat with a quick description of the Los Angeles Times building, having seen it myself several times from the outside whenever I had to go downtown but I wanted one little specificity in architectural reference. That little check of course opens a tiny Pandora’s box.
29:16
The Los Angeles Times actually has had 5 buildings. The Mirror Building from 1881 to 1887, the second building at Broadway and First which was bombed in 1910, the third building is a reconstruction resembling the previous structure with dome and arching windows and new clock tower but adapted to be more fire, dynamite, and earthquake proof at the same location. Gutzon Borglum’s bronze eagle sculpture survives the explosion and returns to its perch overlooking the new building. This building lasts from 1912 to 1934. Across the street at Spring and 1st Street the fourth and best known white Art Deco building designed by Gordon Kaufman will serve as headquarters from 1935 – 2018, and now today the new mid-century 8 story building in El Segundo from 2018 to present.
30:14
The third building featured in our story is torn down in 1938. The prior second building was blown up with dynamite that struck the gas line which caused further damage, and that’s a whole other story with ties to other people within our story so bears giving a little more mention.
The culprits were two brothers John “J.J.” McNamara and James Barnabas “J.B.” McNamara, both members of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, in retaliation for then LA Times anti-labor stance on strikes. The bombing became a cause de célèbres for the American labor movement. It is first described as the Crime of the Century, which of course being 1910 there will be several more replacements to compete for that title, some of which we have covered. The McNamara brothers are represented in their trial by none other than our recurring celebrity defense attorney Clarence Darrow.
31:13
The explosion happened at 1:07am on October 1st, 1910, and is considered one of the deadliest acts in criminal history (*U.S.) and the deadliest crime to go to trial in California. The bombers were unaware the newsroom was full of reporters trying to finish an extra edition covering the Vanderbilt Cup motor race. There were at least 115 people in the building, 100 injured, and 21 died mostly from the fire. Only 14 bodies recovered with the ability to identify.
31:50
No matter which way one tells the stories of all these people, there is a consistent throughline of deep tragedies. Large enough tragedies that it doesn’t matter what any individual person did per se would justify the level of heartbreak that is yet to be experienced by the end of our tales, and as these are actual real people even beyond the timeline of our tales.
This is the focus of my takes – the large encompassing experiences of humanity, good bad, greedy, envy, lust, love, acceptance, rejection, betrayal, friendship, kindness, pride etc, … A never-ending well of stories left to tell.
32:40
[Music – Turkish Towel by The Savoy Havana Band, Album Fascinating Rhythm]
Section 3 – Contemporary & Personal Relevance
[Music Fade Out]
32:39
There’s a common saying “forgotten like yesterday’s news.” But we know full well in today’s digital age that there are some things that just seem to last forever.
Amazing how a small moment can be caught, captured, and retained for so long. I mean it has already been at least 3 years since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, and of course with that footage it has become a cultural reference point.
33:32
Somehow that Mary McCormic slap has a longer than expected memory. It will appear at least twice in retrospects – a 1948 Ventura County Star “Do You Recall These Days?” column for 15 years ago and a 1953 Tampa Times “Looking Backwards” for 20 yrs ago. But here’s a bigger kicker… On June 27th, 1999, Allentown, Pennsylvania – the Morning Call newspaper reprints the front page from November 17th, 1933. Along with multiple local stories and other articles, there it is a small piece to be continued later “Mary M’Cormic Slaps Woman In News Office.”
Sorry, Will Smith, yeah that kind of means you’re gonna suffer the humiliation over and over. So much for honor…
34:30
Lastly, the recent Louvre heist reminds us that even jewels have their own history, and there are several of note that appear within our tales. Mystery and intrigue and scandal surrounds these beautiful objects. Do you know where their stories will lead?
Our heirs and heiresses have plenty more troubles to come, but first let’s celebrate another 21st birthday…
34:58
By the way, As The Money Burns has ranked among Goodpods Top 8 Indie Documentary Podcasts and on other charts. Fellow podcasters @WhatsHerName also ranks on each of these lists.
On Goodpods leaderboards, As The Money Burns ranks for the week of October 29th, 2025, as:
#4 in the Top 100 Indie Documentary Weekly chart
#8 in the Top 100 Indie Documentary Monthly chart
#15 in the Top 100 Indie History Weekly chart
#18 in the Top 100 Indie History Monthly chart
#25 in the Top 100 Indie Society & Culture Weekly chart
*Please note rank is updated live so numbers will shift accordingly.
Links:
Best Documentary Podcasts [2025] Top 8 Shows - Goodpods
#4 in the Top 100 Indie Documentary Weekly chart
#8 in the Top 100 Indie Documentary Monthly chart
#15 in the Top 100 Indie History Weekly chart
#18 in the Top 100 Indie History Monthly chart
#25 in the Top 100 Indie Society & Culture Weekly chart
goodpods.app.link/4PeLmbBvAqb
35:46
While it might seem a little odd, I do recommend for those curious to check out The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri, if not the book then at least the Instagram account. They post wonderful tidbits and images on all five siblings. History is much more interesting as it gets shared.
The Mdivani Saga by David Gigauri
https://www.amazon.com/Book-9781835740736-David-Gigauri/dp/1835740731
https://www.instagram.com/mdivanisaga/
36:07
I will also include the 2020 Doris Duke biography The Silver Swan by Sally Bingham. Sally too has mined several interesting resources in her endeavors.
The Silver Swan: The Search for Doris Duke by Sally Bingham
https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Swan-Search-Doris-Duke-ebook/dp/B078X21PDT
As most of the other biographies on our subjects are out of print by decades, both books offer more recent scholarship. Yes, there might be a few spoilers revealed, but don’t worry I have plenty of other secrets to tell, and mine are definitely worth knowing…
Links in the notes and transcript.
If you enjoy As The Money Burns, then please share, like, & subscribe.
Hook
36:45
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Next when we return to AS THE MONEY BURNS…
Another heiress turns 21 thus gaining part of her fortune, but what the richest girl wants most horrifies her mother.
Until then…
Credits
37:05
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.
37:34
THE END.