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Inventing Elsa Maxwell: How an Irrepressible Nobody Conquered High Society, Hollywood, the Press, and the World
One of the twentieth century's most colorful characters brought back to life in this biography by the author of All About All About Eve With Inventing Elsa Maxwell , Sam Staggs has crafted a landmark biography. Elsa Maxwell (1881-1963) invented herself–not once, but repeatedly. Built like a bulldog, she ascended from the San Francisco middle class to the heights of society in New York, London, Paris, Venice, and Monte Carlo. Shunning boredom and predictability, Elsa established herself as party-giver extraordinaire in Europe with come-as-you-are parties, treasure hunts (e.g., retrieve a slipper from the foot of a singer at the Casino de Paris), and murder parties that drew the ire of the British parliament. She set New York a-twitter with her soirees at the Waldorf, her costume parties, and her headline-grabbing guest lists of the rich and royal, movie stars, society high and low, and those on the make all mixed together in let-'er-rip gaiety. All the while, Elsa dashed off newspaper columns, made films in Hollywood, wrote bestselling books, and turned up on TV talk shows. She hobnobbed with friends like Noel Coward and Cole Porter. Late in life, she fell in love with Maria Callas, who spurned her and broke Elsa's heart. Her feud with the Duchess of Windsor made headlines for three years in the 1950s. Inventing Elsa Maxwell , the first biography of this extraordinary woman, tells the witty story of a life lived out loud.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2012
15 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Sam Staggs
21 books28 followersSam Staggs is the author of several books, including biographies of movies: All About All About Eve, Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard, When Blanche Met Brando, and Born to be Hurt. He has written for publications including Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 29, 2015
(Two and a half stars) I've enjoyed Sam Staggs' frothy, gossipy books (especially the one about the filming of All About Eve), but this particular one was a bit of a slog. Elsa Maxwell was the kind of outsized, famous-for-being-famous personality from the mid-20th century whose well-traveled life certainly makes for a worthy biography. This one isn't it, however. Staggs includes a fair share of interesting tidbits and anecdotes, but he also seemed too enamored of all the famous celebrities, royalty and socialites Maxwell hung around with. Sizable chunks of this book are just lists of various people who attended this party or that benefit, making it read like dusty newspaper society page clippings full of forgotten names. Aside from being a fun-loving, shameless self-promoter who lived for giving and attending lavish parties, we end up not knowing that much about the subject. Personality-wise, apparently Miss Maxwell had all the depth of a kiddie swimming pool.
July 4, 2015
Sadly, like a lot of biographies Staggs' book on Elsa Maxwell consists of a series of lists of events and names strung together about the life of this incredible subject. Stages' writing style is light and airy and that of a gossipy queen who interjects his own voice into the narrative to fill in the gaps of knowledge when he cannot give adequate details for Maxwell's life. Too often his research consists of using other secondary sources and biographies of authors to provide information about Maxwell. The only really fascinating primary research are the interviews conducted Hugo Vickers with Maxwell's companion Dickie in the 1990s. If not for the subject it would be a hard read.
Advice from Maxwell's father: "First, never be afraid of what They say. They exist only in your fears. Second, the more you own, the more you are possessed. Keep free of material things and enjoy life as it comes. Third, take serious things lightly and light things seriously. Fourth, always laugh at yourself first-before others do." 36
"The American soprano Grace Moore, a close friend of Elsa and Dickie, described Dickie as "humorous, bitchy, and charming...she has never done much with her own beautiful voice though she has made a career out of telling everyone else exactly how to run their life." 67
"According to Diana Vreeland, in the introduction to Jane Smith's biography Elsie de Wolfe, "She simply cleared out the Victoriana and let in the twentieth century. She was the first person who pulled up the blinds, let in the sunshine, cleared out the smelly tasseled curtains within curtains-loaded with cigar smoke and dust-and replaced them with clean English chintz and French toilet." (Many of Elsie's new-fangled ideas came from Oscar Wilde, who had been her guest in New York in the 1890s.)" 95 This is a perfect example of Staggs' writing style and research using quotes from other secondary sources.
"Elsie de Wolfe's snapshot of that heady time: "A tremendous change took place in the pace of society, Old conventions were cast aside. Old barriers were torn down. Cabarets, cocktails, all-night parties, became the prerogatives of youth-of girls as well as of the boys. The release from the hardships and self-sacrifice of four long years had its reaction in a license of speech and action unheard of since Elizabethan days. Life was broken up into a mad patchwork." 99
"The British writer Harold Acton, who was there, called Elsa "an astute psychologist of the idle rich. She prescribed strenuous action. Keep them hopping! Persuade them that they are living at top speed, turn them into bloodhounds; let them satisfy their cravings for exhibitionism!" 149
"Philip Ziegler, in his biography King Edward VIII: "There comes a point in nearly everyone's life when he must accept the fact that he is old; from that moment onwards all that is left is a melancholy process of decay, sometimes mitigated by remissions or apparent recoveries, sometimes proceeding heading to total degeneration." 283
Advice from Maxwell's father: "First, never be afraid of what They say. They exist only in your fears. Second, the more you own, the more you are possessed. Keep free of material things and enjoy life as it comes. Third, take serious things lightly and light things seriously. Fourth, always laugh at yourself first-before others do." 36
"The American soprano Grace Moore, a close friend of Elsa and Dickie, described Dickie as "humorous, bitchy, and charming...she has never done much with her own beautiful voice though she has made a career out of telling everyone else exactly how to run their life." 67
"According to Diana Vreeland, in the introduction to Jane Smith's biography Elsie de Wolfe, "She simply cleared out the Victoriana and let in the twentieth century. She was the first person who pulled up the blinds, let in the sunshine, cleared out the smelly tasseled curtains within curtains-loaded with cigar smoke and dust-and replaced them with clean English chintz and French toilet." (Many of Elsie's new-fangled ideas came from Oscar Wilde, who had been her guest in New York in the 1890s.)" 95 This is a perfect example of Staggs' writing style and research using quotes from other secondary sources.
"Elsie de Wolfe's snapshot of that heady time: "A tremendous change took place in the pace of society, Old conventions were cast aside. Old barriers were torn down. Cabarets, cocktails, all-night parties, became the prerogatives of youth-of girls as well as of the boys. The release from the hardships and self-sacrifice of four long years had its reaction in a license of speech and action unheard of since Elizabethan days. Life was broken up into a mad patchwork." 99
"The British writer Harold Acton, who was there, called Elsa "an astute psychologist of the idle rich. She prescribed strenuous action. Keep them hopping! Persuade them that they are living at top speed, turn them into bloodhounds; let them satisfy their cravings for exhibitionism!" 149
"Philip Ziegler, in his biography King Edward VIII: "There comes a point in nearly everyone's life when he must accept the fact that he is old; from that moment onwards all that is left is a melancholy process of decay, sometimes mitigated by remissions or apparent recoveries, sometimes proceeding heading to total degeneration." 283
April 8, 2013
Four stars for the subject matter, 1 star for the writing.
I had not heard of Elsa Maxwell, and if I had prior, do not recall her. She was a famous cultural icon of two and three generations ago, largely forgotten now. It seems she knew everyone from from the late 19th century through the early 1960s, many of whom she was on intimate terms with.
It's tempting to describe her as someone who is 'famous for being famous', but despite being the doyenne of parties for the rich, nouveau riche and royalty, she apparently was a very intelligent woman and an enormously talented pianist and musician.
I had not heard of Elsa Maxwell, and if I had prior, do not recall her. She was a famous cultural icon of two and three generations ago, largely forgotten now. It seems she knew everyone from from the late 19th century through the early 1960s, many of whom she was on intimate terms with.
It's tempting to describe her as someone who is 'famous for being famous', but despite being the doyenne of parties for the rich, nouveau riche and royalty, she apparently was a very intelligent woman and an enormously talented pianist and musician.
August 19, 2018
When reading about famous people from the 1920s through the 1950s, I am always blown away by the fact that "everybody knew everybody." The social interactions of actors, politicians, society folks, etc. is always amusing and eye-opening. Elsa Maxwell was THE quintessential person who was always "in the know" and "where it was at." Of course, the fact that she arranged these huge soirees and jaw-dropping parties had a lot to do with it. This book is fascinating in its background of Elsa's life, chipping away at stories of her life that Elsa repeatedly tried to pass off as truth. She definitely felt a need to be in the thick of things and, while not as openly malicious as Hedda Hopper or Louella Parsons, she did her own damage to reputations and careers. Particularly noteworthy was her devotion/puppy love crush on Maria Callas. The most disturbing thing about this woman was that although she was long suspected of being a lesbian (she had been in a 50 year "marriage" of sorts with "Dickie"), she regularly disparaged homosexuals and was most unkind in her remarks concerning them. This, in spite of the fact that she counted many famous gay people among her "friends." I know one cannot judge people from the past based on the current societal mores, but this aspect of her larger than life personality is a particularly ugly one. Putting that aside, she was certainly a larger than life character and worthy of a closer look.
September 6, 2019
I've been aware of Elsa Maxwell since I was small. She was in the same league as Perle Mesta, in my mind. When I saw this book I figured I'd give it a read...and it had photos from the times of Elsa Maxwell. Something I like in biographical works.
Elsa Maxwell was born in Keokuk, Iowa in 1881 and grew up in San Francisco, California. Her family was in a good income bracket, so life was not difficult. She was raised in society and knew her way around.
The book takes you through part of her childhood and how she reinvented herself to become reknown for her parties she organized, her musical abilities, a gossip columnist, writer, composer, actress, and all around bon vivant.
She lived a busy lifestyle and hobnobbed with the high society of New York, London, Paris, Monte Carlo and Venice. She created and gave themed parties that were over the top. She reported on various celebrities and their lives in her columns. She was involved with Hollywood for a brief time. I guess you could say she lived life large.
If you are curious about Elsa Maxwell and her world, Sam Staggs book is a good read. I enjoyed it!
Elsa Maxwell was born in Keokuk, Iowa in 1881 and grew up in San Francisco, California. Her family was in a good income bracket, so life was not difficult. She was raised in society and knew her way around.
The book takes you through part of her childhood and how she reinvented herself to become reknown for her parties she organized, her musical abilities, a gossip columnist, writer, composer, actress, and all around bon vivant.
She lived a busy lifestyle and hobnobbed with the high society of New York, London, Paris, Monte Carlo and Venice. She created and gave themed parties that were over the top. She reported on various celebrities and their lives in her columns. She was involved with Hollywood for a brief time. I guess you could say she lived life large.
If you are curious about Elsa Maxwell and her world, Sam Staggs book is a good read. I enjoyed it!
September 17, 2019
Fun read
Interesting biography of a woman that pops up in so many memoirs and celebrity bios covering the 20s to 50s. I didn't know much about her. This book presents her life in a readable, sometimes episodic way. She knew a lot of famous people!
Elsa Maxwell created an interesting life for herself. This biography tells her story in an amusing, engaging way, lots of anecdotes and lots of names famous in their day.
Interesting biography of a woman that pops up in so many memoirs and celebrity bios covering the 20s to 50s. I didn't know much about her. This book presents her life in a readable, sometimes episodic way. She knew a lot of famous people!
Elsa Maxwell created an interesting life for herself. This biography tells her story in an amusing, engaging way, lots of anecdotes and lots of names famous in their day.
September 14, 2024
Incredible story of how a kid in a small town, in a poor family, became the center of Europe's high society. LOL. What a life.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews