The Mdivani ( ka, მდივანი) is a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

family. In the West, the best known bearers of this name were the children of General Zakhari Mdivani and his wife Elizabeth. The five siblings fled to Paris after the

Soviet invasion of Georgia The Red Army invasion of Georgia (15 February17 March 1921), also known as the Soviet–Georgian War or the Soviet invasion of Georgia,Debo, R. (1992). ''Survival and Consolidation: The Foreign Policy of Soviet Russia, 1918-1921'', pp. 182, 361� ...

in 1921, and became known as the "Marrying Mdivanis", as they all married into wealth and fame. The Mdivani siblings were: *Nina Mdivani (1901–1987), who was married to

Charles Henry Huberich Charles Henry Huberich (February 18, 1877June 18, 1945) was an American lawyer and scholar of international law. In 1906, he served as the acting executive head of Stanford Law School. Life and education Charles Henry Huberich was born on Februa ...

, a

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

professor and lawyer, from 15 July 1925 until their divorce on 19 May 1936. On 18 August 1936 she married Denis Conan Doyle, a son of

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

, the creator of

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

. After Denis's death on 9 March 1955, she married Anthony Harwood, a secretary to Denis Conan Doyle. *Serge Mdivani (1903–1936), came to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

in 1921 with his brother David and was supported by Marshall Crane of the

Crane Currency Crane Currency is a manufacturer of cotton based paper products used in the printing of banknotes, passports, and other secure documents. History Stephen Crane was the first in the Crane family to become a papermaker, buying his first mill, "T ...

paper empire. By 1923, the brothers moved out and ended up working in the Oklahoma oil fields owned by

Edward L. Doheny Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...

. Serge then moved to Los Angeles, met, and married actress

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femme ...

in 1927, but when she lost her fortune in the

Stock Market Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

, he abandoned her and took up with opera singer

Mary McCormic Mary McCormic (November 11, 1889DOB is from her grave marker; the DOD listed in thSocial Security Death Indexstates November 12, 1895; the grave marker is consistent with archival records, namely the 1910 US Census, which, places her DOB around ...

, who divorced him in a highly publicized trial. He then married his former sister-in-law, Louise Astor Van Alen Mdivani, in 1936, but died later that year in a polo accident. He is buried in the church yard of St. Columba's Episcopal Chapel in

Middletown, Rhode Island Middletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,075 at the 2020 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown". History Vari ...

, under a massive marble tombstone. *David Mdivani (1904–1984), was the first Mdivani to marry "well". He came to the US with his brother Serge under the support of Marshall Crane. When the two brothers fell out of favor with Marshall Crane, they moved to New York where David was working for a radio repair shop owned by a fellow Georgian refuge on Vesey Street in New York City. David also dabbled in acting, but failed. The brothers moved to Oklahoma where David and Serge worked in the

oil fields earning $25 per week up until 1926, just months before David married actress

Mae Murray Mae Murray (born Marie Adrienne Koenig; May 10, 1885 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "Th ...

; they had a son, Koran David (1926-2018). After he bankrupted her, she divorced him in 1933 and they became involved in a fierce custody battle over their child. He was involved with French actress

Arletty Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat (15 May 1898 – 23 July 1992), known professionally as Arletty, was a French actress, singer, and fashion model. As an actress she is particularly known for classics directed by Marcel Carné, including ''Hotel du No ...

. David then married

Sinclair Oil Sinclair Oil Corporation was an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916, the Sinclair Oil and Refining Corporation combined, amalgamated, the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corp ...

heiress Virginia Sinclair (daughter of

Harry Ford Sinclair Harry Ford Sinclair (July 6, 1876 – November 10, 1956) was an American industrialist, and the founder of Sinclair Oil. He was implicated in the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal, and served six months in prison for jury tampering. Afterwards he return ...

) in 1944, and they had a son, Michael (1945–1990). *Alexis Mdivani (1905–1935), who married Louise Astor Van Alen (a member of the

Astor family The Astor family achieved prominence in business, society, and politics in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. With ancestral roots in the Italian Alps region of Italy by way of Germany, the Astors settle ...

) in 1931, but divorced her to marry Woolworth heiress

Barbara Hutton Barbara Woolworth Hutton (November 14, 1912 – May 11, 1979) was an American debutante, socialite, heiress, and philanthropist. She was dubbed the "Poor Little Rich Girl"—first when she was given a lavish and expensive debutante ball in 1930 a ...

, one of the world's richest women at the time. He died in an automobile accident in Albons, Catalonia (Spain), while he was traveling with Baroness Maud Thyssen, a beautiful, married, twenty-three year old German. *Isabelle Roussadana Mdivani (1906–1938), aka Roussie or Roussy. A sculptor, she married the Spanish painter

Josep Maria Sert Josep Maria Sert i Badia (; Barcelona, 21 December 1874 – 27 November 1945, buried in the Vic Cathedral) was a Spanish People, Spanish muralist, the son of an affluent textile industry family, and friend of Salvador Dalí. He was particularly ...

in 1928. The word "Mdivani" in

means member of the

Divan A divan or diwan ( fa, دیوان, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan''). Etymology The word, recorded in English since 1586, meanin ...

"Secretary". File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10764, Pola Negri mit Ehemann.jpg, Serge Mdivani and

in 1930 File:Prince David Mdivani and Mae Murray, 1926.jpg, David Mdivani and

in 1926

Notable members

Polikarp Mdivani Polikarp "Budu" Gurgenovich Mdivani ( ka, პოლიკარპე ��უდუმდივანი; russian: Поликарп Гургенович �удуМдивани, ''Polikarp Gurgenovich uduMdivani''; 1877 – 19 July 1937) was a veter ...

* Marina Mdivani

References

{{reflist

External links

How an Early Hollywood Family Became the Original Kardashians
Los Angeles Magazine, December 2016 Nobility of Georgia (country) Families of Georgia (country) Woolworth family Georgian words and phrases Georgian-language surnames Astor family