It's been a few years since I've seen it so my memory's not fresh, but I do remember being disgusted by Elinor Smith's catty comments. She made a lifelong project of dissing Amelia, in part because she herself had hoped to become the first woman to solo the Atlantic; Amelia unknowingly beat her to it. For that matter, she was never very supportive of any women in aviation. Seems like the only person she was ever interested in promoting was herself. I think you would reach the same conclusion if you read her autobiography, "Aviatrix."
I think this too, she seems quite self serving in all the other interviews I've read. What is the point in dissing someone else? Then we have G.P.'s granddaughter speaking with a little too much authority on the marriage, as if she was actually there?
My guess is that GP must have been pretty good with kids, otherwise Sally Putnam Chapman wouldn't have remembered him so fondly. And she did have in her possession lovingly written correspondence between AE & GP. But as you know, GP was infamous for his temper, and there are eyewitness accounts of him exploding at AE in public. She may have been like many women: under the illusion that her spouse would mend his ways if she's just nice enough to him.
I just don't see her that way, I think of her as feisty, though not inclined to argument.It does seem to me that they must have loved each other at the beginning, though by the end from many accounts it seems that it was more of a business partnership, then there's Gore Vidal's take. Have you ever looked carefully at that photo I posted of her with Gene Vidal in the foreground. Her adoring look kind of says it all to me . . . I guess the wonderful thing about her is there's so much left to the imagination, at least it's wonderful for me.
No, haven't seen it--I'll await your pithy analysis;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's been a few years since I've seen it so my memory's not fresh, but I do remember being disgusted by Elinor Smith's catty comments. She made a lifelong project of dissing Amelia, in part because she herself had hoped to become the first woman to solo the Atlantic; Amelia unknowingly beat her to it. For that matter, she was never very supportive of any women in aviation. Seems like the only person she was ever interested in promoting was herself. I think you would reach the same conclusion if you read her autobiography, "Aviatrix."
ReplyDeleteI think this too, she seems quite self serving in all the other interviews I've read. What is the point in dissing someone else? Then we have G.P.'s granddaughter speaking with a little too much authority on the marriage, as if she was actually there?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that GP must have been pretty good with kids, otherwise Sally Putnam Chapman wouldn't have remembered him so fondly. And she did have in her possession lovingly written correspondence between AE & GP. But as you know, GP was infamous for his temper, and there are eyewitness accounts of him exploding at AE in public. She may have been like many women: under the illusion that her spouse would mend his ways if she's just nice enough to him.
ReplyDeleteI just don't see her that way, I think of her as feisty, though not inclined to argument.It does seem to me that they must have loved each other at the beginning, though by the end from many accounts it seems that it was more of a business partnership, then there's Gore Vidal's take. Have you ever looked carefully at that photo I posted of her with Gene Vidal in the foreground. Her adoring look kind of says it all to me . . . I guess the wonderful thing about her is there's so much left to the imagination, at least it's wonderful for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree, except that I don't think niceness and feistiness are mutually exclusive. :)
ReplyDeleteThe two can coexist, but was she "nice?" I wonder if that's the word I'd use, she's so determined, nice doesn't quite cover it for me.
ReplyDelete