Alone Together

by Theodora Getty Gaston

It was 1935. Flame-haired Teddy Lynch finished singing "Alone Together" at the swanky nightclub the New Yorker and left the stage to find a charming stranger at her friends' table. It was Jean Paul Getty, enigmatic oil tycoon and America's first billionaire.

In her passionate, unflinchingly honest memoir of two outsize lives entwined, Theodora "Teddy" Getty Gaston—now one hundred years old—reveals the glamorous yet painful story of her marriage to Getty. As formidable as he was, Teddy was equally strong-minded and flamboyant, and their clutches and clashes threw off sparks. She knew the vulnerable side of Getty—he underwent painful plastic surgery and suffered terrible phobias—that few, if any, saw.

A vivid love story, Alone Together is also a fascinating glimpse into the twentieth century from the vantage point of one of its most remarkable couples. This is how the other half lived—dinner dances, satin gowns, beach houses, hotel suites, first-class cabins on the Queen Mary. Teddy's extra-ordinary life story moves from the glittering nightclubs of 1930s New York City to Mussolini's Italy, where she was imprisoned by the fascist regime, to California in the golden postwar years, where Paul and Teddy socialized with movie stars and the elite.

But life with one of the world's richest men wasn't all glitz and glamour. Though terrifically charismatic in person, Getty grew more miserly as his wealth increased. Worse, he often left Teddy and their son, Timothy, behind for years at a time while he built planes for the war effort in the 1940s or brokered oil deals—he was the first American to lease mineral rights in Saudi Arabia, which made him, at his death, the richest man in the world. Even when Timothy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Getty complained about medical bills and failed to return to the United States to support his wife and son. When Timothy died at age twelve, the marriage was already falling apart.

Teddy's unrelenting spirit, her valiant friendship, and her winning lack of vanity transform what could have been a sob story into a nuanced portrait of a brilliant but stubbornly difficult man and the family he loved but left behind, as well as an enchanting view into a bygone era. This was a life lived from the heart.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Meg Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alone Together is right! Though married to 18 years to J Paul Getty, she and Getty spent years straight apart, even as their son was suffering from cancer. She does little to dispel the rumor that he was a terrible miser, but also shows a softer side. And apparently, he was terrific in the sack.

[Cheryl Schibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy Lynch Getty Gatson was J. Paul Getty's 5th and last wife. She died at 103 and she wrote this book shortly before she died. I felt like I was in a 1930's movie, the way they spoke back during their courting and married years (23 or so years). Anyway, J. Paul Getty was cheap, very cheap. While he collected art, bought real estate, and acquired companies, he made his wife pay her own phone bill and complained about the doctors' bills of their son Timmy while he was dying of cancer at the age of 10-12. She wanted to write a nice book about him because all the others were so mean. He didn't come off much better here. She must have been a saint and she could sing.

[Vicki Pepperdine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. She such great things to say. What a amazing life. I would love for her to write about her life after ths book was written. She has a beautiful quote written to her son when other chidren were teasing him. Beautiful lady inside and out.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was fascinating how naiieve she was and how controlling he was and what a tragic love story- she was before her time really - had an abortion to not force him to marry her - was sexualy abused and she is now 100!

[Elizabeth Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great and fun read if you like biography....Teddy Getty Gaston was JP Getty's 5th wife. A story of their meeting through their end years later including the loss of their 12 year old son, it paints a sad picture of the man JP Getty was, removed and remote from his family.
The stories and pictures she paints of society in New York, Europe and Southern California leading up to WWII, through the war and post war years as Hollywood came into its own are a delightful walk through history.
I cannot remember who recommended this read but I liked it. The writing style was quite childish, however....not well written from a literary standpoint.

[Esther Bradley-detally · Rating 4 out of 5]

i gave it a 4 star because i was fascinated by her life. Unusual marriage to say the least, and i had compassion for her; she got an assist from Digby Dieml in the writing of this. It would have been interesting to see why her husband was so distant; a biography of him is probably out there; but hers was heartfelt, and her son was very dear. Intriguing book.

[Sunhawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

As should be expected, an amateurish but sincere story of a failed relationship. The supposedly experienced ghost writer, Digby Diehl, clearly worked with a very light hand, because there is lots of repetition and irrelevance. I read it for an alternative view of J Paul in preparation for a visit to his galleries in LA; I would not have made it through the book otherwise.

[Azabu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tycoon J. Paul Getty, as passionate in bed as he was about building an oil empire , jotted mash notes to his wife as shared in this intimate self-portrait from socialite and singer Theodora (Teddy) Gaston, the fifth (and final) Mrs. Getty. Sexually abused by her stepfather, rejected by her first love for being half Jewish , she found success as a nightclub chanteuse in the 1930s. While performing at the Club New Yorker young Teddy met Paul, her future husband. Her voice enchanted the urbane Getty, a graduate of UCLA and Oxford, who decided that she was destined for the opera house. He squired her to the New York hotspots of the Fred and Ginger era – El Morocco, the Algonquin and the Stork Club, where Teddy performed to great acclaim in March 1936. As gossip columnists spread rumors of the romance Getty, who vowed never to remarry , presented her with an engagement ring. Together with the ring and Getty’s blessing Teddy then decamped to London to study voice. In 1940 they tied the knot in Mussolini’s Rome. Following the ceremony the groom zoomed back to the US while the young bride continued taking voice lessons abroad. Despite prolonged separations and her observation that he ‘wasn’t the easiest of husbands’, Teddy gave birth to a son in 1946 Sadly, within five years the marriage was on the rocks and their son developed an optic tumor, which cut his life tragically short. A modern woman able to buy her own Lincoln Continental – much to her husband’s relief-- Gaston never gave up her career, which included a role in the classic film “The Lost Weekend” and a contract with Allied Artists. Moral of the story: Money can't buy everything.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and about a talented lady whose life changed due to a Billionaire. ‘Whose life wouldn’t change you day?’ Well, be careful what you wish for. That is all I can say without spoiling the read. It is nicely written, but be prepared for a lot of name dropping ....all people in her daily life that you know of or have heard about. In summary, being married to the USA’s first billionaire wasn’t a walk in the park.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Very well written and kept me reading and wanting more.

What a life she had. Some horrible, some very happy times and some romantic, and tragedies like we all have. Wonderful person, so glad I read her story.

[Morris Gemberling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching Teddy's descriptions of her loneliness and her love just was so honest

What a life story and how poignantly she expresses her experiences living apart from husband. Money certainly caused so much heartache.

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on social climbing however was glad that at the end she was content.

[Terri Durling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do believe that the 5th and last wife of J. Paul Getty, Teddy Gastin Getty, was being very kind when she wrote this story based in her life with him. He didn't seem to be deserving of her kindness for he was not a very attentive husband for the most part and certainly when she needed him most, during the illness & subsequent death of their only child, Timmy, he was noticeably absent. I guess what kept them together as long as it did, 18 years in fact, was their independent natures and her accepting and undemanding nature. As much as she seemed to love and care for him, initially her desire to become an opera singer, which he wholly supported, was what truly mattered to her. In fact, at the beginning of WW2, she elected to remain in London, England, & not leave with her husband even though it was clear there was danger in remaining, because she wanted to continue her singing lessons with a famous opera teacher of the time. She subsequently was detained in London for a few years and even spent a week in jail. She appears to be an amazing woman with much talent, not only musically but in writing. It was heart wrenching to read her account of losing her 8 year old son. An interesting read that speaks to a different time and a woman ahead of her time. She was a survivor in the true sense of the word. She apparently was the only one of his wives to receive any money from his will.

[Richard Zimmelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teddy Lynch, Paul Getty's fifth wife tells of her life with J Paul Getty. She describes Paul's as a once very romantic, exciting young man who is eager through his insight and connections to help her visualize her potential and achieve great success as a world-class opera singer. The book allows the reader to engulf himself within the writer's affluent and high social-caste lifestyle in Santa Monica, New York City, and Europe; as well as to experience Paul's multi-year separations from Teddy the author due to work demands, though it is clear to Teddy and the reader that Paul is uniquely driven and in many ways uniquely cold-hearted if not just not fully valuing aspects of his family relationships. Although it is clear Paul loves Timmy, the child he has with the author, Paul is mostly absent from this relationship. This is a masterful book and I enjoyed every single word in it. It is written so well.

[Anne]

Pretty good. Rather self absorbed writing.

[Gail O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Treid to get into it but was too dry for me

[Nancy Bruns · Rating 2 out of 5]

ugh

always thought the story was leading somewhere. no resolution of anything. so long. so disappointing. don't waste your money or your time.

[Arlene S]

maybe no need to search for the book, perhaps just read the book review and article with photos on LATimes, 9-08-2013

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start, a lot of time spent name-dropping (people/places) when we could have been learning a bit more about Teddy in her youth. She doesn't seem to truly emerge until Paul enters her life.
We're given the impression that as he's older, more experienced and, naturally, stinking rich, he easily steamrolls his way into her naive life's and controls it, which is a bit of a stretch, considering she'd been amongst the entertainment/club scene long enough to shed her blinkers.
Contradictions like this run throughout the book: though it's her dream to be an operatic soprano, she does it for him. Though he wants her out of Italy and safe with him in the US, she remains behind, endangering herself "for him." She willingly chooses to take a lover on the basis that Paul abandoned her, yet, he never did at this point. On and on like this.
Chapters full of allusions to his infidelities, yet no details come forth. The details are well documented, but left out. One has to wonder why.
The book finally picks up a comfortable pace near the end, which felt to this reader like hitting a sort of wall. The story simply stops. There is no extensive epilogue on what Teddy's life is like afterward and much revolving around Paul, including the famous kidnapping of his grandson is completely missing.
Though a good read, this memoir could have been much, much more.

[Debbie Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Paul Getty's 5th wife

Paul Gerry married a 5th time and the longest to the author. He was gone a lot for business and at the end for a year or two at a time. Even when their child was terminally ill, he still stayed away in Europe. He chose work over family. And yes he did complain about her phone bill and even the expenses of the medical bills that his son incurred while terminally ill.

[Catherine Dean]

Wonderful Love Story

Growing up in Oklahoma I knew all about J Paul Getty and the oil business but never knew about his work with Spartan Aircraft.
Truly amazing the life of Teddy Lynch Getty and her amazing talent.
Their separate lives eventually killed the love with the death of their only child sealed their fate

[xq · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love books in this time period, when people used telephones to call each other on the phone and wrote letters.
also neat b/c the war was happening during Teddy's time in Europe, so i got my history nerd box checked off here too.
nothing mindblowing, but an enjoyable read!

[Donna McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well now you know the rest of story!

This was quite a revealing account from Getty's 5th wife. She was an accomplished singer, writer and business woman on Her own. Held my interest.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not well written...but the story gets so heart-wrenching, it really pulls you in.

[Mary]

NYT

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Was a good read.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am amazed at Teddy's memory , yet saddened by the life she led . Certain things money just can't buy !

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

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