BEHIND THE SCENES
A woman fell to her death in 1938, making front-page news. Over a half century later, a reporter discovers there’s more to the story
Read the Interview with Pamela Hamilton
Lady Be Good tells the true story behind Frida Kahlo’s portrait of Dorothy Hale, 1930s It Girl. Tell us more about it.
Yes, Lady Be Good tells the story of Dorothy Hale, the legendary 1930s socialite and actress immortalized in one of Frida Kahlo’s most famous and controversial paintings (titled The Suicide of Dorothy Hale). It blends fact and fiction to bring to life one of the most enduring mysteries of New York society.
The narrator, Anne, is a modern-day journalist who sets out to solve the mystery of what happened in Dorothy’s last moments: did she take her own life or was there more to the story? Dorothy’s death made front-page news in 1938, but the coverage leaves Anne with more questions than answers.To find the truth, she learns everything possible about Dorothy and her circle of fabulous friends.
Right, modern-day events bookmark the story at the beginning and end, and the narrative is primarily set in the 1920s and 1930s. It’s a cross between Midnight in Paris and Only Murders in the Building!
I have to admit I related to Owen Wilson’s character. And, yes, the novel transports readers to the Jazz Age.
At the dawn of the 1920s, Dorothy and her confidante Clare Boothe Luce break from conventions of high society to pursue their dreams and find themselves at the center of dangerous political intrigue. They’re beautiful, smart, determined women who forge their own identities as they rise to the upper echelons of society and to fame. But behind the public façade they contend with their tempestuous friendship, epic disappointments, and tragedy.
It’s an intimate look into the hearts and minds of these two remarkable and very different women as they navigate careers, marriage, and friendship.
To quote the Publishers Weekly reviewer: Dorothy was ‘a woman determined to make a name for herself in a world ruled by men and governed by money, power, and connections.’
What inspired you to write Lady Be Good?
You’ll find the answer in the first chapters. The narrator’s storyline is based on my own experience.
Many years ago, I rented an apartment in the Manhattan high-rise where Dorothy lived (and died), but I had never heard of her. Before long, I had an eerie sense that something tragic had happened there and — out of nowhere — imagined a woman falling from a window. I finally decided to research the history of the building and was stunned to discover that a thirty-three year-old woman, Dorothy Hale, had indeed fallen to her death there in 1938. It made national front-page news.
Then I came across an article about Frida Kahlo’s portrait of her; she’s wearing a glamorous black “Madam X” gown, falling from a 16th floor window of my building. (If you haven’t seen it, brace yourself.)
I realized I had to find out more. It was too uncanny to let go.
As I dug deeper, I found inconsistencies in the accounts about Dorothy’s death and wondered if it truly was a suicide, as some newspapers reported. That question launched me on a decades-long journey to find the answer.
Dorothy struck me as a sophisticated woman, surrounded by some of the most influential figures in art, politics, publishing, and film. Yet the press portrayed her as a glamour girl who died of a broken heart. It would only be said of a woman. The tone seemed dismissive, the story contrived. Years in network news taught me to follow the evidence wherever it led. The more I researched, the more the myth of Dorothy Hale unraveled.
I wasn’t convinced that she took her own life; the letters she wrote in her last days and hours prompted doubt, and she didn’t seem to be a hapless woman.
While tragedy is inherent to the story, the investigation often felt like great adventure through the era, seeing it through the eyes of Dorothy and Clare. It was a time of extraordinary art, design, and literature, a time of creative and cultural combustion. They were at the center of it all.
Tell us more about Dorothy and Clare and their experience as women coming of age in the 1920s.
While women had won the right to vote in 1920, they were still expected to marry, raise children, support their husbands’ careers, and stay in their place. Dorothy and Clare wanted something more. They fought to succeed and find their voices in a society that silenced women.
By all accounts they were intelligent, witty women. Dorothy was an actress, sculptor, fashion influencer voted one of the Best Dressed Women in America, artists’ manager, and writer. Clare was a writer at Vogue and Vanity Fair where she became managing editor, and playwright of The Women – a 1936 hit on Broadway that had an all-female cast, as did the 1939 movie adaptation.
It was fascinating to study the arc of their lives and see how they managed to land on top after divorces, abuse, depression, disappointments, and loss.
I think many of us can recognize aspects of their personalities that we aspire to and ones that we wouldn’t want to see in ourselves.
Lady Be Good also takes us behind the Gilded curtain of the 1920s Smart Set, “Polite Society,” which perhaps doesn’t always live up to its name. That’s on full display in The Women.
I hope readers will enjoy stepping into this extraordinary era and feel deeply connected to Dorothy and Clare.
You researched the story on and off for two decades. What kept your interest for that long?
The internet was young when I started research. There was little information online, so each time I found a new lede or piece of the puzzle, it felt like a victory.
Every so often I’d stumble onto something too coincidental to ignore—a letter written by her husband that was tucked inside a first edition of his book, or a forgotten account of a burglary at Dorothy’s home just months before her death. It fueled my interest.
Clare Boothe Luce was one of Dorothy’s closest friends, but you’ve said her story about the painting raised some questions?
Yes, they were close friends. Clare commissioned the painting from Frida Kahlo, expecting a beautiful portrait of Dorothy— not a narrative painting of her death. When the painting was delivered, she nearly cut it up with library scissors.
Instead, she had Isamu Noguchi paint over the ghost in the clouds and scribble out the inscription “commissioned by Clare Boothe Luce for Dorothy’s mother.” Even after the alteration, she didn’t want it in her home. She gave it to her friend, Frank Crowninshield, to hide away. The painting was returned to her after he died, so she donated it anonymously to the Phoenix Art Museum. Soon enough, her name was revealed.
While Clare said she commissioned the painting for Dorothy’s mother, Dorothy’s mother had died years earlier. Discovering that discrepancy early in my research made me wonder what else had been misunderstood about Dorothy’s story.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character?
For me, what stands out the most about Dorothy is her courage, fortitude, and ability to overcome adversity with grace. In her thirty three years, she had dramatic, heart-wrenching setbacks, and yet she prevailed time and again. Clare’s most distinctive trait, in my view, is her clever mind and ability to conquer her lofty goals, of which she had many.
Writing Dorothy and Clare’s characters became pure joy. Once I sat down to write, I completely lost track of time.
The dialogue and imagery in your novel has been praised time and time again. What did your creative process look like while developing such vivid scenes?
Writers are armchair analysts. Research was the starting point for a more in-depth exploration of their internal life. I try to inhabit each character completely, imagining what they feel and see, what’s in their conscious and unconscious mind. Then I consider how they would express themselves verbally, physically.
My deep interest in literature, music, movies, art, architecture, and fashion of the 20s and 30s gave me a good sense of the period, which was incredibly helpful when I decided to write Lady Be Good and recreate that world. By coincidence, I have been to many of the places they frequented, from the old iconic New York spots (The Plaza, the St. Regis, the 21 Club) and Maine to the South of France.
What do you consider to be one of the most important messages in Lady Be Good?
Different themes seem to resonate with different people. Dorothy and Clare struggle in a world where women are expected to stay in their place. They have money, social status, and husbands, yet they want more—they want and need to fulfill their life’s purpose. To achieve their goals, they face their fears and insecurities. Their intelligence, sense of humor, and joie de vivre also serve them well.
Another theme touches on something we know too well these days: the simple stroke of a pen can raise someone to the apex of the good life as easily as it can destroy a name. But truth isn’t defined by black, bold print.
As the narrative unfolds in Lady Be Good, we see how mindless gossip and the tabloid press can ruin reputations and reshape legacies. The story of Dorothy and Clare shows us that there is almost always a richer, more complicated and compelling story behind the headlines.
I’m thrilled that we now have more opportunities to look deeper into women’s stories and celebrate their true legacies.
Tune in to the video interview with Pamela.
