- Slim Keith
Infobox Person
name = Nancy “Slim” Keith
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1916|7|15
birth_place =Salinas, California
death_date = death date and age|1990|4|16|1916|7|15
death_place =Manhattan, New York
other_names =
known_for =
occupation =
nationality = flag|United StatesNancy "Slim" Gross Hawks Hayward Keith, Lady Keith (
July 15 ,1916 –April 6 ,1990 ) was a New Yorksocialite and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s, exemplifying the Americanjet set . She is perhaps best known, along with her friendBabe Paley , as the thinly veiled inspiration for characters inTruman Capote 's novel "".Early life
Born Mary Raye Gross in
Salinas, California (her mother changed her name to Nancy), by age 22, she had appeared on the cover of "Harper's Bazaar ". She graced the Best Dressed list almost annually, and was the first private citizen to receive theNeiman Marcus Fashion Award .Fact|date=March 2008 She was also dubbed the original "California Girl", for her golden looks and athletic ability. She considered a career inopera , before deciding it was too demanding.Fact|date=March 2008Personal life
Film director
Howard Hawks and Broadway producerLeland Hayward both divorced their wives to marry her; she had one child, Kitty Hawks, by her first husband. Although she was pursued by the likes ofClark Gable andErnest Hemingway , she wrote that the one love of her life remained Hayward, who in turn left her for another socialite, Pamela Churchill. Her next and last husband was British banker Sir Kenneth Keith, whom she left in 1972, after a 10-year marriage.Keith banished Capote from her life when he used her as the unflattering model for the fictional Lady Coolbirth of his infamous and unfinished "". She never spoke to him again.
Death
The last years of her life were spent pursuing travel and quiet social activities in New York. An inveterate smoker, she died of
lung cancer .Fictional portrayals
Slim Keith was portrayed in the film "Infamous" (2006) by
Hope Davis .Quote
*"God blessed me with a happy spirit and many other gifts. What I was not blessed with I went out and got. Sometimes the price was too high, but I've never been much of a bargain hunter." from "Slim: Memories of a Rich and Imperfect Life" (1991).
References
*cite book | author=Keith, Slim with Annette Tapert | title=Slim: Memories of a rich and imperfect life| location=New York| publisher=Simon and Schuster| year=1991 | id=ISBN 0-446-36196-8
*cite book | author=Zilkha, Bettina | title=Ultimate style: the best of the best dressed list| location=New York| publisher=Assouline| year=2004 | id=ISBN 2-84323-513-8
*cite news |first=Marilyn |last=Berger |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Nancy Lady Keith Is Dead at 73; A Socialite Known for Her Wit |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DD1531F934A35757C0A966958260 |work=New York Times |publisher= |date=1990-04-07 |accessdate=
*cite news |first=Margo |last=Jefferson |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=She knew how to whistle |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD9163AF937A15755C0A966958260 |work=New York Times |publisher= |date=1990-06-24 |accessdate=External links
* [http://www.divasthesite.com/Society_Divas/slim_keith_a.htm Divas - The Site]
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