The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (84 page)

Volumes referenced:
The Man Who Bought the Waldorf
by Thomas Ewing Dabney;
Conrad N. Hilton, Hotelier
by Mildred Houghton Comfort.

Articles referenced: Dora Jane Hamblin, “In 19 Lands, Instant America: His Hotels Keep Conrad Hilton Hopping,”
Life
, August 30, 1963.

Legal documents referenced: “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979).

NOTES

The conversation and prayer referenced in “At Long Last Love” were reconstructed using William P. Kelly’s first-person account.

The telephone conversation between William P. Kelly and Frances Kelly in “A Gentle Nudge” was reconstructed using William P. Kelly’s first-person account.

The conversation between Helen Lamm and Frances Kelly in “Best Friend’s Advice” was reconstructed using Helen Lamm’s first-person account.

The Thorn in His Side/The Marital Agreement/Conrad and Frances Marry
Interviews conducted: Carole Wells Doheny (March 8, 2012); Noreen Nash Siegel (April 10, 2012); Anna Fragatos (July 5, 2012; August 3, 2012; September 2, 2012; October 11, 2012); William P. Kelly (July 19, 2012; July 20, 2012); Frances Kelly Fawcett Peterson (July 20, 2012; July 30, 2012; August 5, 2012); Helen Lamm (July 25, 2012); Debbie Reynolds (August 2, 2012).

Volumes referenced:
One Lifetime Is Not Enough
by Zsa Zsa Gabor;
Zsa Zsa Gabor: My Story
by Zsa Zsa Gabor and Gerold Frank;
Gaborabilia
by Anthony Turtu and Donald F. Reute;
House of Hilton
by Jerry Oppenheimer.

Legal documents referenced: miscellaneous file notes from
Zsa Gabor Plaintiff vs. Fawcett Publications, Inc.
(November 1960); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (May 29, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (June 14, 1979; July 9, 1979; July 10, 1979); “Deposition of Constance Francesca Hilton” (September 12, 1979; September 13, 1979; September 14, 1979); “Deposition of William Barron Hilton” (September 24, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979); “Declaration of Constance Francesca Hilton” (March 24, 1980).

NOTES

The conversation between William P. Kelly and Conrad Hilton in “The Thorn in His Side” was reconstructed using William P. Kelly’s first-person account.

Details of Frances Kelly Hilton’s financial arrangement with Conrad Hilton were drawn from “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979).

PART TWELVE. HOUSE OF HILTON

Life at the Mansion/“Spoiled Fruit”/Clearing the Air

Interviews conducted: Carole Wells Doheny (March 8, 2012); Carole Wells Doheny (March 12, 2012; June 15, 2012); Noreen Nash Siegel (April 10, 2012); Anna Fragatos (July 5, 2012; August 3, 2012; September 2, 2012; October 11, 2012); William P. Kelly (July 19, 2012; July 20, 2012); Frances Kelly Fawcett Peterson (July 20, 2012; July 30, 2012; August 5, 2012); Stella Kelly (July 20, 2012; July 22, 2012; July 24, 2012; August 3, 2012); Helen Lamm (July 25, 2012); Debbie Reynolds (August 2, 2012); Phyllis Davis Bradley (October 15, 2012; October 16, 2012; November 4, 2012; November 6, 2012).

Volumes referenced:
Be My Guest
by Conrad Hilton;
The Silver Spade: The Conrad Hilton Story
by Whitney Bolton;
Building the Cold War: Hilton International Hotels and Modern Architecture
by Annabel Jane Wharton.

Articles referenced: “Hilton: The Stuff of a Hotel Man,”
Newsweek
cover story on Conrad Hilton, September 27, 1954; “Hotels: By Golly!,”
Time
cover story on Conrad Hilton, July 19, 1963.

Legal documents referenced: “Codicil to Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (April 1, 1947); miscellaneous file notes from
Zsa Gabor Plaintiff vs. Fawcett Publications, Inc.
(November 1960); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (June 14, 1979; July 9, 1979; July 10, 1979); “Deposition of Constance Francesca Hilton” (September 12, 1979; September 13, 1979; September 14, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979).

Television programs referenced:
Phil Donahue
, interview with Zsa Zsa Gabor, August 10, 1971;
Conrad Hilton: Innkeeper to the World
, Arts & Entertainment, 2005;
Biography: Conrad Hilton
, CNBC, 2010;
Larry King Live
, interview with Zsa Zsa Gabor, November 26, 1991;
The Hiltons
, Arts & Entertainment, 2005.

NOTES

The invitation to the anniversary party of Conrad N. Hilton and Frances Hilton, held on December 21, 1977, at Casa Encantada, was graciously provided by Stella Kelly.

The conversation between Phyllis Davis Bradley and Frances Hilton that took place after Zsa Zsa Gabor appeared at the party on December 21, 1977, was reconstructed using Phyllis Davis Bradley’s first-person account. Evelyn Fragatos’s memories of the events of that night, as told to her daughter, Anna, were also key in describing this evening. Also, with her permission, I had access to Anna Fragatos’s unpublished manuscript
The Gabors of Their Time.

The quotes in the conversation between Zsa Zsa Gabor and Conrad Hilton in “Clearing the Air” are from “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (July 9, 1979) and reconstructed from Myron Harpole’s firsthand account (August 15, 2012).

Barron, Eric, and Francesca/Francesca’s Idea/The Great Adventure of His Life/Understanding Zsa Zsa

Interviews conducted: Carole Wells Doheny (March 8, 2012); Noreen Nash Siegel (April 2, 2012; April 10, 2012); Anna Fragatos (July 5, 2012); Stella Kelly (July 20, 2012; July 22, 2012; July 24, 2012; August 3, 2012); Myron Harpole (August 15, 2012; August 17, 2012; August 20, 2012); Patricia Bragg (September 17, 2012); Virginia “Gini” Tangalakis (September 24, 2012); Phyllis Davis Bradley (October 15, 2012; October 16, 2012; November 4, 2012; November 6, 2012).

Articles referenced: Christopher P. Anderson, “The Barron of Las Vegas Is a Buttoned-Down Hilton,”
People
, September 8, 1975; Peter Lester, “When This Hotel Barron Says He’s Staying at the Hilton, That Means He’ll Be at Home,”
People
, September 28, 1981; Robert Welkos, “Francesca Hilton Turns Her Topsy-Turvy Life into Stand-up,”
Los Angeles Times
, August 3, 2008.

Volumes referenced:
The Man Who Bought the Waldorf
by Thomas Ewing Dabney;
Conrad N. Hilton, Hotelier
by Mildred Houghton Comfort.

Legal documents referenced: miscellaneous file notes from
Zsa Gabor Plaintiff vs. Fawcett Publications, Inc.
(November 1960);
Constance Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[original filing] (March 13, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (July 10, 1979); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (July 20, 1979); “Deposition of Constance Francesca Hilton” (September 12, 1979; September 13, 1979; September 14, 1979); “Deposition of William Barron Hilton” (September 24, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979);
Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[First Amended Contest of Purported Will] (March 13, 1980); “Sworn Declaration of Robert D. Walker” (February 13, 1980); “Declaration of Myron Harpole” (July 29, 1982).

Television programs referenced:
Intimate Portrait: Eva Gabor
, February 1, 1998.

NOTES

The reconstruction of quotes in “Francesca’s Idea” is based on “Deposition of Constance Francesca Hilton” (September 12, 1979) and also an interview with Myron Harpole (August 20, 2012).

The conversation between William P. Kelly (July 19, 2012; July 20, 2012) and Conrad Hilton, Barron Hilton, and Eric Hilton in “The Great Adventure of His Life” was reconstructed based on Kelly’s first-person account.

Details of the luncheon of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Evelyn Fragatos, Frances Kelly, and Marilyn Hilton were culled from Anna Fragatos’s unpublished manuscript
The Gabors of Their Time.

Death’s Door/Conrad Hilton: Rest in Peace/The Way He Wanted It

Interviews conducted: Anna Fragatos (July 5, 2012; August 3, 2012; September 2, 2012; October 11, 2012); Stella Kelly (July 20, 2012; July 22, 2012; July 24, 2012; August 3, 2012); Phyllis Davis Bradley (October 15, 2012; October 16, 2012; November 4, 2012; November 6, 2012).

Volumes referenced:
House of Hilton
by Jerry Oppenheimer;
The Man Who Bought the Waldorf
by Thomas Ewing Dabney;
Conrad N. Hilton, Hotelier
by Mildred Houghton Comfort.

Articles referenced: Robert Wrubel, “Rumors at the Inn: The Wall Street Sharks Are Circling Hilton Hotels, Eager to Break Up the Family Dynasty,”
Financial World
, April 4, 1989.

Legal documents referenced: “Codicil to Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (April 1, 1947); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973);
Constance Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[original filing] (March 13, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (July 10, 1979); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (July 20, 1979); “Deposition of James E. Bates” (September 20, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979);
Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[First Amended Contest of Purported Will] (March 13, 1980).

I also referenced “List of Secondary Beneficiaries of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,” which details more than two hundred charities—most of them Catholic—that were to benefit from Conrad Hilton’s will.

Television programs referenced:
Phil Donahue
, interview with Zsa Zsa Gabor, August 10, 1971;
Conrad Hilton: Innkeeper to the World
, Arts & Entertainment, 2005;
Biography: Conrad Hilton
, CNBC, 2010;
Larry King Live
, interview with Zsa Zsa Gabor, November 26, 1991.

NOTES

Details of Zsa Zsa Gabor’s attempted visit of Conrad were culled from eyewitness account of Phyllis Davis Bradley, as well as “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (July 10, 1979) and also
One Lifetime Is Never Enough
by Zsa Zsa Gabor, and
The Gabors of Their Time
(unpublished) by Anna Fragatos.

All of the details of Hilton’s will provided in “The Way He Wanted It” were culled from “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973).

PART THIRTEEN. THE FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES

Interviews conducted: Myron Harpole (August 15, 2012; August 17, 2012; August 20, 2012); Ed Lozzi (March 2, 2012); Stella Kelly (July 20, 2012; July 22, 2012; July 24, 2012; August 3, 2012); Phyllis Davis Bradley (October 15, 2012; October 16, 2012; November 4, 2012; November 6, 2012).

Articles referenced: Paul Lowry, “Femmes Fatale,”
Escapade
, August 1956; “Francesca Hilton Contests Will,” Associated Press, March 14, 1979; Myrna Oliver, “Effort to Break Conrad Hilton Will Fails,”
Los Angeles Times
, March 29, 1980; “Zsa Zsa’s Daughter Rips Hiltons,”
New York Post
, August 14, 2000; “Frances Kelly Hilton Obituary,”
Chicago Tribune
, June 6, 2005; Alice Garrard, “Q & A with Steven M. Hilton, President and CEO of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,”
Philanthropy News Digest
, July 3, 2007; Robert Welkos, “Francesca Hilton Turns Her Topsy-Turvy Life into Stand-up,”
Los Angeles Times
, August 3, 2008.

Legal documents referenced: “Codicil to Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (April 1, 1947); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (October 4, 1951); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (December 19, 1953); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (June 3, 1955); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (October 21, 1960); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (January 27, 1967); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad Nicholson Hilton” (August 19, 1970); “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973);
Constance Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[original filing] (March 13, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (June 14, 1979; July 9, 1979; July 10, 1979); “Deposition of Willard Kramer” (July 1, 1979); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (July 20, 1979); “Deposition of Olive Wakeman” (September 12, 1979); “Deposition of Constance Francesca Hilton” (September 12, 1979; September 13, 1979); “Deposition of James E. Bates” (September 20, 1979); “Deposition of William Barron Hilton” (September 24, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979); “Sworn Declaration of Robert D. Walker” (February 13, 1980);
Francesca Hilton v. Frances Kelly Hilton
[First Amended Contest of Purported Will] (March 13, 1980); “Declaration of Robert D. Walker in Response to Opposition to Motion for Leave to Amend Will Contest” (March 27, 1980); “Declaration of Myron Harpole” (July 29, 1982); “Correspondence from Walter L. Kellerman,” Exhibit A-676 (no date).