Elizabeth Lloyd Holman (née Holzman; May 23, 1904 – June 18, 1971) was an American socialite, actress, singer, and activist.
Early life
Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman was born May 23, 1904, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of a lawyer and stockbroker Alfred Holzman and his wife Rachel Florence Workum Holzman. Her family was Jewish, but she was not raised religiously.
Their other children were daughter Marion H. Holzman and son Alfred Paul Holzman.
In 1904, the wealthy family grew destitute after Holman's uncle Ross Holzman embezzled nearly $1 million of their stock brokerage business. Alfred changed the family name from Holzman to Holman around World War I due to
anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment (also known as Anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.
Anti-German sentiment largely began wit ...
. Libby graduated from
Hughes High School
Hughes High School (HHS) was an accredited comprehensive public middle and high school located in Hughes, Arkansas, a part of the Hughes School District, until its entire school district was closed due to declining enrollment in 2015. The Hughe ...
on June 11, 1920, at the age of 16. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati on June 16, 1923, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Holman later subtracted two years from her age, insisting she was born in 1906, the year she gave the Social Security Administration as the year of her birth.
Theatrical career
Holman left her hometown in the fall of 1924 to pursue acting in New York City. She first lived at an all-women's dormitory at a YWCA and took classes at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. She began working for female pimp
Polly Adler
Pearl "Polly" Adler (April 16, 1900 – June 9, 1962) was an American madam and author, best known for her work ''A House Is Not a Home'', which was posthumously adapted into a film of the same name. In 2021, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian D ...
in the winter when her savings ran low. Adler arranged her shift schedule to accommodate her classes. She later remembered of Holman: "Every afternoon she would arrive after her classes, carrying her schoolbooks, wearing the short skirts, oxfords and beret that were the thing among coeds, and settle down to work..." She was "pleasant, smiling, and matter-of-fact about her method of earning a living, and no matter what amount of money was offered her after her deadline of eleven o'clock
he curfew of the YWCA her answer was always 'No.'"
Her first theater job in New York was in the road company of ''The Fool''.
Channing Pollock, the writer of ''The Fool'', recognized Holman's talents immediately and advised her to pursue a theatrical career. She followed Pollock's advice and soon became a star. Producer
Leonard Sillman relates, in his autobiography ''Here Lies Leonard Sillman: Straightened Out at Last'', that he "liked the name Libby much better than her legal one and under my gentle prodding, 24 hours a day, she changed it.” An early stage colleague who became a longtime close friend was future film star
Clifton Webb
Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...
, then a dancer. He gave her the nickname, "The Statue of Libby".
Her Broadway debut was in the play ''The Sapphire Ring'' in 1925 at the
Selwyn Theatre, which closed after 13 performances. She was billed as Elizabeth Holman. Her big break came while she was appearing with Clifton Webb and
Fred Allen
John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
in the 1929 Broadway revue ''
The Little Show
''The Little Show'' was a musical revue with lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz. It was the first of 11 musicals that featured the songs of Dietz and Schwartz. The revue opened at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on April 30, 192 ...
,'' in which she first sang the
blues number "
Moanin' Low" by
Ralph Rainger
Ralph Rainger ( Reichenthal; October 7, 1901 – October 23, 1942) was an American composer of popular music principally for films.
Biography
Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, United States, Rainger initially embarked on a legal career, ...
, which earned her a dozen curtain calls on opening night, drew raves from the critics and became her signature song.
[''New York Times'']
Jack Cavanaugh, "Treetops: An Aura of Glamour, a Trail of Tragedies," May 18, 1997
accessed January 7, 2011 Also in that show, she sang the
Kay Swift
Katharine Faulkner "Kay" Swift (April 19, 1897 – January 28, 1993) was an American composer of popular and classical music, the first woman to score a hit musical completely. Written in 1930, the Broadway musical '' Fine and Dandy'' includes s ...
and
Paul James song, "
Can't We Be Friends?". She became known as the “premier
torch singer
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affecte ...
” of Broadway.
The following year, Holman introduced the
Howard Dietz
Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz.
Biography
Dietz was born in New York City. He attended Columbia Colle ...
and
Arthur Schwartz
Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz.
Biography
Early life
Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Nov ...
standard "
Something to Remember You By" in the show ''Three's a Crowd'', which also starred Allen and Webb. Other Broadway appearances included ''The Garrick Gaieties'' (1925), ''Merry-Go-Round'' (1927), ''Rainbow'' (1928), ''Ned Wayburn's Gambols'' (1929), ''Revenge with Music'' (1934), ''You Never Know'' (1938, score by Cole Porter), during which production she had a strong rivalry with the Mexican actress
Lupe Vélez
María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.
Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...
; and her self-produced one-woman revue ''Blues, Ballads and Sin-Songs'' (1954).
One of Holman's signature looks was the
strapless dress
A strapless dress or top is a garment that stays put around the upper body without shoulder straps or other visible means of support. It is usually supported by an internal corset and/or brassiere, with the tightness of the bodice preventing the d ...
, which she has been credited with having invented, or at least being one of its first high-profile wearers.
Personal life
In the industry, press, and among friends, Holman was known for her bold personality. She was the frequent subject of contemporary gossip columns,
and became known in the press as "the dark purple menace." Memories of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues detail the stage manner and individuality she was known for. For example, friend and colleague Howard Dietz, who described her as "the swarthy, sloe-eyed houri," recalled:
Additionally,
Leonard Sillman remembered of her:
Libby Holman had a variety of relationships with both men and women during her lifetime, including
Jeanne Eagels,
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...
,
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...
, and, later in her life, writer
Jane Bowles
Jane Bowles (; born Jane Sydney Auer; February 22, 1917 – May 4, 1973) was an American writer and playwright.
Early life
Born into a Jewish family in New York City on February 22, 1917, to Sydney Auer (father) and Claire Stajer (mother), Jane ...
.
Although friends observed her to be a "ball breaker" with men, she was tender and intimate in her same-sex relationships. Her most prominent relationship was with
DuPont heiress
Louisa d'Andelot Carpenter. The couple's relationship would last until Holman's death in 1971; during Libby's Broadway career in the early 20s, they would go out to parties and jaunts in Harlem dressed identically in men's suits in bowler hats, joined by other lesbian and bisexual contemporaries such as Tallulah Bankhead,
Beatrice Lillie,
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...
, and
Marilyn Miller
Marilyn Miller (born Mary Ellen Reynolds; September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. She was an accomplished tap dancer, singer and actress, and the combination of these ...
.
Carpenter was to play a significant part throughout Holman's lifetime. They raised their children and lived together and were openly accepted by their theater companions. She scandalized some by dating much younger men, such as American actor
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''.
He is best remembered ...
, whom she mentored.
Holman took an interest in one fan,
Zachary Smith Reynolds, a hobbyist aviator and heir to the
R.J. Reynolds tobacco company. He was known to friends and family as just "Smith." They met in Baltimore, Maryland in April 1930 after he saw her perform in ''The Little Show''. He asked his friend
Dwight Deere Wiman
Dwight Deere Wiman (August 8, 1895 – January 20, 1951) was an American silent movie actor, playwright and theatrical director. He is best known as a Broadway producer.
Biography
Early life and education
Dwight Wiman was born in Moline, Illi ...
, the producer of the show, to introduce him to her. He pursued her around the world in his plane, and became known as "Smitty, the traveling bear" in Holman's friend group, referencing his pet-like devotion to following her around the world.
Although Holman's friends didn't like Reynolds, finding him moody and difficult to talk to, they tolerated his presence, as he paid for the entourage's visits to New York speakeasies and nightclubs.
The couple argued often and would occasionally descend into fights in front of Holman's circle of friends. Reynolds threatened suicide to Holman on multiple occasions; In a letter to her, written while on an aviation journey, he once wrote: "Darling Angel. I would gladly come home if you were not going on with the show. I'll gladly give up this trip or anything I have to devote all my time to you, if you would do the same for me. If I get to the point where I simply cannot stand it without you for another minute, well, there's the old
Mauser with a few cartridges in it. I guess I've had my inning. It's time another team went to bat."
Despite the tempestuous nature of their relationship, Holman and Reynolds married on November 29, 1931, in the parlor of the Justice of the Peace's house in Monroe, Michigan. Reynolds wanted Holman to abandon her acting career. She took a one-year leave of absence to stay at the Reynolds
family estate
An estate is a large parcel of land under single ownership, which would historically generate income for its owner.
British context
In the UK, historically an estate comprises the houses, outbuildings, supporting farmland, and woods that s ...
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Death of Zachary Smith Reynolds
On the night of July 5, 1932 at Reynolda, Reynolds and Holman threw a 21st birthday party for Smith's childhood friend Charles Gideon Hill Jr. After the party attendees had left, with only Reynolds's best friend and secretary Albert "Ab" Bailey Walker, and Holman's friend, actress
Blanche Yurka
Blanche Yurka (born Blanch Jurka, June 19, 1887 – June 6, 1974) was an American stage and film actress and director. She was an opera singer with minor roles at the Metropolitan Opera and later became a stage actress, making her Broadway debu ...
, remaining in the house, Reynolds died of a gunshot wound to the head in the morning of July 6. As many witnesses had been drunk, statements about the event were conflicting and muddled. Holman said she was unable to remember much of the night or the following day; the numerous testimonies given by Walker in the inquest contradicted each other. Authorities ruled the shooting a suicide, but a coroner's inquiry ruled it murder.
The death was front-page news, and the local sheriff leaked details to the press, inciting more speculation. Carpenter paid Holman's $25,000 bail at the Rockingham County Courthouse in Wentworth, North Carolina. Holman wore a heavy veil and dark dress, and bystanders and reporters thought she was black or of mixed race—a common misconception because of her olive skin tone.
Holman left for Cincinnati to seek the help of her father, who was a lawyer. Fearing further scandal, the Reynolds family contacted the local authorities and had the charges dropped. On January 10, 1933, Holman gave birth to Christopher Smith "Topper" Reynolds.
The trauma of Reynolds' death would follow Holman until the end of her life. She died by suicide June 18, 1971. Friend and former lover
Ned Rorem
Ned Rorem (October 23, 1923 – November 18, 2022) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and writer. Best known for his art songs, which number over 500, Rorem was the leading American of his time writing in the genre. Althoug ...
recorded in his diary on June 22:
That Holman was unable to remember what happened is repeated by biographer Jon Bradshaw's work. Bradshaw relates from interviews with still-living close friends that Holman called them on the telephone in a panic: "She told Louisa
arpenterthat the Reynolds family were being horrible to her, almost as though they suspected that she had something to do with Smith's demise. But unfortunately Libby could not remember anything. 'I was so drunk last night,' she said, 'I don't know whether I shot him or not.'"
Journalist
Milt Machlin investigated the death of Reynolds and argued that he committed suicide. In his account Holman was a victim of the anti-Semitism of local authorities. The district attorney involved with the case later told Machlin that she was innocent,
and he thought that if the case had gone to trial there might have been violence similar to the
Leo Frank
Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...
case.
The 1933 film ''
Sing, Sinner, Sing'' was loosely based on the allegations surrounding Reynolds' death,
as were the films ''
Reckless'' and ''
Written on the Wind''.
Later years
In March 1939, Holman married Ralph (pronounced "Rafe") Holmes, a film and stage actor. She had dated his older brother
Phillips Holmes
Phillips Raymond Holmes (July 22, 1907 – August 12, 1942) was an American actor. For his contributions to the film industry, he was posthumously given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Early life, education and career
Born in ...
. In 1940, both brothers, who were half-Canadian, joined the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
. Phillips Holmes was killed in a collision of two military aircraft on August 12, 1942. When Ralph Holmes returned home in August 1945, the marriage soured and they separated. On November 15, 1945, Ralph Holmes was found dead in his Manhattan apartment from a
barbiturate overdose at age 29.
During World War II, she tried to organize shows for servicemen with her friend, African-American musician
Josh White
Joshua Daniel White (February 11, 1914 – September 5, 1969) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names Pinewood Tom and Tippy Barton in the 1930s.
White grew up in the Sout ...
, but they were turned down on the grounds that "we don't book mixed company."
Holman adopted two sons, Timmy (born October 18, 1945), and Tony (born May 19, 1947). Her biological son Christopher ("Topper") died on August 7, 1950, after falling while mountain climbing. She had given him permission to go mountain climbing with a friend on
Mount Whitney, the highest peak in California, but was unaware that the boys were ill-prepared for the adventure. Both died. Those close to Holman claim she never forgave herself.
After the death of her son Christopher, Holman (who had some money from her marriage to Reynolds) created the Christopher Reynolds Foundation to support equality, international disarmament, and the resolution of environmental problems. Over time the foundation narrowed its scope to more specific causes, such as relations between Cuba and the U.S. She contributed to the defense of
Benjamin Spock
Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998) was an American pediatrician and left-wing political activist whose book '' Baby and Child Care'' (1946) is one of the best-selling books of the twentieth century, selling 500,000 copies ...
, the pediatrician and writer arrested for taking part in antiwar demonstrations.
In the 1950s, Holman worked with her accompanist, Gerald Cook, on researching and rearranging what they called earth music. It was primarily
blues and
spirituals
Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the ex ...
that were linked to the African American community. She was involved in the
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
and became a close friend and associate of
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
Through her foundation she provided funds for King's trip to India with his wife
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was married to Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she ...
to meet followers of Mahatma Gandhi, whom he referred to as "the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change".
On December 27, 1960, she married artist and fellow activist
Louis Schanker
Louis Schanker (1903 – May 7, 1981) was an American abstract artist.
Early life
He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish environment in the Bronx, New York. His parents, Sam, a tailor, and Fannie Schanker, were of Romanian descent. He had five sibl ...
. She continued to perform and make records.
Death and legacy
Holman reportedly suffered from depression following the deaths of
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
and
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
, the presidential election loss by
Eugene McCarthy, the deaths of young men in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, the death of her son, and the illness of her friend
Jane Bowles
Jane Bowles (; born Jane Sydney Auer; February 22, 1917 – May 4, 1973) was an American writer and playwright.
Early life
Born into a Jewish family in New York City on February 22, 1917, to Sydney Auer (father) and Claire Stajer (mother), Jane ...
.
Friends said she lost her vitality after the death of
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''.
He is best remembered ...
in 1966. The deaths of multiple people close to her, combined with the Vietnam War and the turbulent political situation took a toll on her mental health.
On June 18, 1971, Holman was found nearly dead in the front seat of her Rolls-Royce. She was taken to the hospital where she died hours later. Her death was ruled a suicide due to
carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...
. In view of her bouts with depression and reported past suicide attempts, none of Holman's friends or relatives was surprised by her death. She was cremated and her ashes scattered at Treetops.
In 2001, a successful effort was made by citizens to save
Treetops, her Connecticut estate, from development. It straddles the border of Stamford and Greenwich. As a result, the pristine grounds were preserved. Treetops is part of the Mianus River State Park, overseen by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Treetops is south of the Mianus River Park. The mansion is privately owned. In 2006, Louis Schanker's art studio on a hill overlooking the property became the home of the Treetops Chamber Music Society.
Filmography
* ''
Dreams That Money Can Buy'' (1947)
Musical theater credits
* ''The Sapphire Ring'' -
Selwyn Theatre (1925)
* ''
The Garrick Gaieties
''Garrick Gaieties'' is a revue with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, the first successful musical by this songwriting team.
It debuted in 1925 on Broadway and was the first of three ''Garrick Gaiety'' revues, which were sub ...
'' -
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...
(1925)
* ''Greenwich Village Follies'' -
Shubert Theatre (1926)
* ''Merry-Go-Round'' -
Klaw Theatre
The Klaw Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 251–257 West 45th Street (now a part of George Abbott Way) in Midtown Manhattan. Built in 1921 for producer Marcus Klaw, the theater was designed by Eugene De Rosa. Rachel Crothers' '' Nice ...
(1927)
* ''Rainbow'' -
Gallo Theatre (1928)
* ''Ned Wayburn's Gambols'' -
Knickerbocker Theatre (1929)
* ''
The Little Show
''The Little Show'' was a musical revue with lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz. It was the first of 11 musicals that featured the songs of Dietz and Schwartz. The revue opened at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on April 30, 192 ...
'' -
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane in a Palladian-inspir ...
(1929)
* ''Three's a Crowd'' -
Selwyn Theatre (1930)
* ''Revenge with Music''-
New Amsterdam Theatre
The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater on 214 West 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the New Amsterdam was built fro ...
(1934)
* ''
You Never Know'' -
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...
(1938)
* ''Blues, Ballads, and Sin Songs'' (1954)
Hit records
In pop culture
* The 1933 film ''
Sing, Sinner, Sing'' was loosely based on the allegations surrounding Reynolds' death,
as were the films ''
Reckless'' and ''
Written on the Wind''.
* The song "Broken Bracelets" by ''
Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...
'' is about Holman, referencing her suicide, "Moanin' Low," and the violence in her relationship with Reynolds. Almond also featured Holman in a retrospective of his favorite torch singers, calling her "perhaps the first bona fide torch singer."
References
External links
Biography of Libby Holman by Kenneth Lisenbee
*
*
*
ttp://www.louisschanker.info/lshamptons.pdf Louis Schanker and Libby Holman: The Hamptons ConnectionLibby Holman collectiona
Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Libby
1904 births
1971 suicides
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
Actresses from Cincinnati
Female suicides
American civil rights activists
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American musical theatre actresses
American socialites
American stage actresses
American women activists
Bisexual actresses
Bisexual musicians
Bisexual women
Connecticut Democrats
Jewish American actresses
Jewish women singers
Ohio Democrats
LGBT Jews
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LGBT singers from the United States
Musicians from Cincinnati
Reynolds family
Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning
Suicides in Connecticut
Torch singers
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Women civil rights activists
20th-century LGBT people
20th-century American Jews
American bisexual actors