Movie Classic (Sep 1932-Feb 1933)

♦ MOVIE CLASSIC TABLOID NEWS SECTION ♦ VlDOR-BoARDMAN MARRIAGE EnDS — Disappointed At Not Having Son Hollywood Sees Irony In Fact That Eleanor Boardman And Famous Director, Who Have Long Wanted A Boy, Come To Parting Of The Ways On Same Day That Florence Vidor Heifetz, His Former Wife, Announces Birth OP A Son By RUTH WING ATE THE front page of the Los Angeles newspapers carried the story that Eleanor Boardman and director King Vidor, after nearly six years of married life, were planning a divorce. Tucked away on page 3 was the notice that Florence Vidor Heifetz (the first Mrs. Vidor, and present wife of Jascha Heifetz, the famous violinist) had, on the previous Saturday, given birth to a son. To all appearances, the two items had no relationship. King and Florence Vidor had long been divorced; for several years both had been married to new mates — happily so, it had seemed. Two children, both girls, had been born to King and Eleanor Boardman Vidor and all, except a few of their most intimate friends, believed them to be happy in spite of the "trouble" rumors that occasionally circulated about them. Yet, though divorce, re-marriage and children lay between those two announcements that appeared simultaneously in the morning papers, Hollywood could not help gossiping of the ironical twist of fate that somehow wove them together. For years it has been the dearest wish of King Vidor and Eleanor to have an heir, a male child, a son. Just why Eleanor in the beginning had so keenly desired a son is not known, unless it could have been the fact that King had had a daughter, Suzanne, during his married life with Florence. A year after their marriage when Eleanor, then a prominent M-G-M star, realized that she was to have a child, she remarked to an intimate, "I am sure we will have a boy. It must be. It wouldn't be right to want a son so deeply — and be disappointed." But in place of the expected manchild, a baby daughter was born, a lovely little girl whom they named A n t o n i a after the character in Willa Cather's famous novel, "My An Eleanor Boardman will ask custody of their two small daughters. She has made no plans e about her future but may return to screen tonia." With the passing of the first feeling of disappointment, Eleanor came to adore the little girl and to make as glowing plans for her future as though the baby had been the desired boyThen, as a couple of years went by and Eleanor knew she was to have another child, the old yearning reasserted itself. She felt that this time, surely, there would be a son and heir to carry on the name and possibly the talents of the director who has been called the most artistically sensitive in Hollywood. But again it was a little girl who arrived in the Vidor nursery, intended for a boyKing and Eleanor Vidor both love their children (who will remain in Eleanor's custody), and would not trade the two little girls for all the world — so it is probably coincident, rather than significant, that it was soon after the birth of the second girl-child that divorce rumors were first whispered about them. At first, they vehemently denied the reports, but as time wore on a "break" became apparent. No, it was not a surprise to Hollywood. It was merely ironical that Eleanor and King Vidor should have "broken up" at the very timeFlorence Vidor, the first wife, gave birth to their hearts' desire — a son! King Vidor and Eleanor Boardman were married on September 8, 1926. King was two hours late. With tears in her eyes, Eleanor said to a friend: "I wonder if this is a forecast of misunderstandings between us?" 28