Hollywood marriage

A Hollywood marriage originally meant a glamorous high society marriage between celebrities involved in the U.S. film industry; the word "Hollywood" is often used to represent the US film industry. However, the term has grown to also have strong negative connotations of a marriage that is of short duration and quickly ends in separation or divorce.^[1] The term developed the negative connotations fairly early; by the 1930s, a "Hollywood marriage" was a marriage both glamorous and short-lived.^[2][3] This connotation may also have related, at times, to moral panics over Hollywood's influence on the culture.^[4]

Issues

Sympathetic views of celebrities point out that in Hollywood, it is mostly the bad marriages that are documented by the media, giving a skewed perspective that might make "Hollywood marriages" appear to have a worse success rate than they have in reality. In 1972 Bob Thomas of the Associated Press remarked specifically about the tendency to ignore lasting celebrity marriages with the examples he gave including Bob Hope's marriage to Dolores Hope and Rosalind Russell's marriage to producer Frederick Brisson.^[5]

Negative views of Hollywood marriages take the position that the divorce rates are indeed unusually high among celebrities and that this is caused by faults within Hollywood as a culture or by personal faults of the celebrities themselves. They point to the usage of weddings as publicity stunts, the egotism or immaturity of celebrities or "celebrity culture", and high rates of infidelity or promiscuity. Bee Wilson, in an article for The Daily Telegraph, critiqued "Hollywood marriages" for often being based on the unrealistic dreams of what she termed "permanent children," although she points to some classic Hollywood couples, like Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart or Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, as exceptions to these criticisms.^[6] While the introduction to the Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia edited by Robert E. Emery specifically mentions Hollywood divorces as epitomizing a "consumerist, throw-away-marriage view found in the West."^[7]

The actors and entertainers themselves vary in perspective on the commonality or reason for divorce in Hollywood. In 1961 Anne Baxter stated Hollywood was "the most difficult place in America for marriage" due, in part, to the "terrible extremes of success and failure" both spouses may face.^[8] In a 1964 interview Mitzi Gaynor, who would remain married to the husband mentioned in the interview until his death, took the more "defensive" position that "Hollywood" couples look different mostly because "everything we do is magnified." Although she conceded they might be slightly different because "you have to be a little off-center to get into this business in the first place."^[9]

Beyond anecdote or opinion the actual evidence on the matter is complicated by differing definitions of who qualifies as a "celebrity" or "Hollywood." That stated a study from Radford University placed "dancers and choreographers" as the occupations having the highest percent currently divorced^[10] with "Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other" still being above average at tenth. That placed them between "Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides" at ninth and "Baggage porters and concierges" at eleventh.^[11] In 1900 "actors, professional showmen" were listed as having the highest divorce rate of occupations, but as this predates even the incorporation of Hollywood it refers to the profession itself rather than "Hollywood" or "celebrity culture" as we know it.^[12] A Forbes article placed "professional athletes and entertainers" together and with a high divorce rate.^[13]

Entertainers married a year or less

The idea that the term "Hollywood marriage" equates to something short-term is sometimes displayed by citing celebrities who had marriages that ended in divorce, separation or annulment within approximately one year. The following examples of that are primarily restricted to marriages involving a notable actor or director linked to "Hollywood" in some way.

• Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon: Married for ten weeks; she was also married to Kid Rock for six months, then remarried Saloman again for less than a year.^[14][15] Saloman himself had another brief marriage to Shannen Doherty (see below).
• Drew Barrymore and Jeremy Thomas: Nineteen days from February to March 1994.^[16] Her second marriage, to comedian Tom Green, lasted a little over a year.^[17][18]
• Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman: Married for 32 days, marrying on June 27, 1964 and separating on August 4.^[19] Another of Merman's previous marriages (she had four in all, Borgnine being the last), to agent William Smith, lasted two months.
• Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray: Married for five months from April 2005 to September 2005. Announced separation in September 2005, Bush unsuccessfully petitioned for an annulment in February 2006 and instead was granted a divorce in December 2006.
• James Caan and Sheila Marie Ryan: Married from 1976 to 1977, Scott Caan is their son.^[20]
• Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley: Married for less than four months in 2002, but the divorce took over a year to be finalized.^[21][22]
• Jim Carrey and Lauren Holly: Married for ten months from September 1996 to July 1997 when divorce proceedings started.^[23][24]
• Kim Darby and James Westmoreland: Married for 47 days in 1970. She had previously had a brief marriage to James Stacy; it lasted 7 months, which led to a daughter.^[25]
• Shannen Doherty and Ashley Hamilton: Their marriage ended in divorce in March 1994 after less than six months.^[26][27] Doherty also had a brief marriage, ending in annulment, with Rick Salomon in 2002.
• Patty Duke and Michael Tell: The marriage was annulled after 13 days.^[28][29][30]
• Kelsey Grammer and Leigh-Anne Csuhany: The marriage lasted a year.^[31]
• Woody Harrelson and Nancy Simon, daughter of Neil Simon, married in Tijuana with the intent of getting a Mexican divorce afterward. The divorce did not occur until ten months later as the "divorce stand" was closed.^[32]
• Milla Jovovich and Shawn Andrews: Married in 1992, but annulled two months later.^[33]
• Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: Married for 72 days before filing for divorce.^[34][35] It was the first for Humphries and the second for Kardashian.
• Chris Kattan and Sunshine Deia Tutt: Marriage lasted less than a year, separated within weeks of the wedding.^[36]
• Lorenzo Lamas and Victoria Hilbert: Marriage lasted a year.^[37] His second marriage, to Michele Smith, did not last two years but did lead to children.^[38]
• Angela Lansbury and Richard Cromwell: Married from September 27, 1945 to September 1946.^[39][40]
• Michelle Phillips and Dennis Hopper (married October 31, 1970 – divorced November 8, 1970)^[41][42]
• Mickey Rooney and Ava Gardner: A little over a year.^[43]
• Martin Scorsese and Julia Cameron: 1976 to 1977^[44]
• Charlie Sheen and Donna Peele: Less than a year from 1995 to 1996.^[45][46]
• Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander: Married in Las Vegas, marriage annulled soon after (56 hours).^[47][48]
• Lana Wood and Jack Wrather, Jr.: Marriage annulled within a year.^[49]
• Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney: Four months before being annulled.^[16]

Entertainers married 50 years or more

Entertainment couples that last for decades, and/or life, are occasionally used as a counterpoint when referring to "Hollywood marriage".^[50] In relation to that, here is a selection of entertainers who have or had marriages that lasted over 50 years.

Names	Length	Marriage	Source
Irving Benson and Lillian Waldowsky	79 years, 105 days	November 19, 1936 – March 3, 2016 (her death)	[51]
Norman Lloyd and Peggy Lloyd	75 years, 65 days	June 26, 1936 – August 30, 2011 (her death)	[52]
Art Linkletter and Lois Linkletter	74 years, 172 days	November 25, 1935 – May 16, 2010 (his death)	[53][54]
Karl Malden and Mona Greenberg	70 years, 195 days	December 18, 1938 – July 1, 2009 (his death)	[55]
Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach	66 years, 111 days	March 5, 1948 – June 24, 2014 (his death)	[56][57][58]
William Schallert and Rosemarie D. "Lia" Waggner	65 years+	1949−2015	[59][60]
William Daniels and Bonnie Bartlett	65 years, 160 days	June 30, 1951 − present	[61]
Eva Marie Saint and Jeffrey Hayden	65 years, 40 days	October 28, 1951 − present	[62]
Carl Reiner and Estelle Reiner	64 years, 306 days	December 24, 1943 − October 25, 2008 (her death)	[63]
Lydia Clarke and Charlton Heston	64 years, 19 days	March 17, 1944 − April 5, 2008 (his death)	[64][65]
Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens	62 years, 192 days	May 29, 1954 − present	[66]
Danny Aiello and Sandy Cohen	61 years, 334 days	January 8, 1955 − present	[67]
Dick Van Patten and Patricia Poole	61 years, 59 days	April 25, 1954 − June 23, 2015 (his death)	[68][69]
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara	60 years, 251 days	September 14, 1954 – May 23, 2015 (her death)	[70]
Kristine Miller and William Schuyler	60 years, 136 days	July 27, 1953 − December 10, 2013 (his death)	[71]
Alan Alda and Arlene Alda	59 years, 267 days	March 15, 1957 − present	[72]
Larry Hagman and Maj Axelsson	58 years, 341 days	December 18, 1954 − November 23, 2012 (his death)
William Christopher and Barbara O'Connor	58 years+	1957−present	[73][74][75]
James Garner and Lois Clarke	57 years, 336 days	August 17, 1956 − July 19, 2014 (his death)
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee	57 years, 57 days	December 9, 1948 − February 4, 2005 (his death)	[76]
Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss	55 years, 42 days	October 26, 1961 − present	[77][78]
Ann Blyth and Dr. James Vincent McNulty	54 years, 320 days	June 27, 1953 – May 13, 2007 (his death)	[79][80]
Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling	54 years, 190 days	November 21, 1951 − May 30, 2006 (his death)	[81]
Martin Sheen and Janet Templeton	54 years, 350 days	December 23, 1961 − present	[82][83]
Bob Newhart and Virginia Quinn	53 years, 330 days	January 12, 1963 − present	[84][85]
Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola	53 years, 309 days	February 2, 1963 − present	[86][87]
Angela Lansbury and Peter Shaw	53 years, 170 days	August 12, 1949 – January 29, 2003 (his death)	[88][89]
Nancy Davis and Ronald Reagan	52 years, 93 days	March 4, 1952 − June 5, 2004 (his death)	[90]
Mitzi Gaynor and Jack Bean	52 years, 16 days	November 18, 1954 − December 4, 2006 (his death)	[91][92]
Don Rickles and Barbara Sklar	51 years, 268 days	March 14, 1965 − present	[93]
Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard	51 years	1949 − September 2, 2000 (her death)	[94]
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman	50 years, 241 days	January 29, 1958 − September 26, 2008 (his death)	[95]
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean	50 years, 191 days	May 30, 1966 − present	[96]

Notes

1. Jet September 23, 1985. Books.google.com. 1985-09-23. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
2. "St. Joseph News-Press - July 31, 1938". News.google.com. 1938-07-31. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
3. "The Border Cities Star - April 3, 1935". News.google.com. 1935-04-03. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
4. Moffitt, J C (1933-07-23). ""Hollywood's 'Big Parade' To The Reno Divorce Mill Result of Actors' Insatiable Craving for Publicity" from the Hartford Courant on July 23, 1933". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
5. AP via The Palm Beach Post - April 23, 1972
6. Wilson, Bee (2007-02-11). ""Movie Stars plus marriage equals disaster" Daily Telegraph: 11 February 2007". London: Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
7. Cultural Sociology of Divorce edited by Robert E. Emery
8. The Miami News - June 5, 1961
9. The Pittsburgh Press - June 19, 1964
10. The Washington Post
11. Business Insider
12. Overcoming Bias
13. Forbes via "love to know."
14. Colonist, Times (2008-05-05). "Canada.com". Canada.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
15. "BBC". BBC News. 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
16. Karen Thomas, USA TODAY (2005-09-16). "USA Today". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
17. Silverman, Stephen M. (2001-07-10). "(magazine)". People. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
18. Darst, Jeanne (2001-12-18). "(magazine)". People. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
19. "Borgnine Sues Merman For Divorce". The Morning Record. October 22, 1964. p. 20. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
20. Sun-Times Obituary for Sheila Marie Ryan Caan
21. "IOL". Breakingnews.iol.ie. 2004-05-26. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
22. "MSNBC". MSNBC. 2004-05-25. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
23. "The Madison Courier - July 30, 1997". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
24. "Lakeland Ledger - August 27, 1997". News.google.com. 1997-08-27. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
25. "The Confused Life of Kim Darby" in The Prescott Courier of February 22, 1971
26. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - April 8, 1994". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
27. "The Milwaukee Journal - April 7, 1994". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
28. Lipton, Michael A. (1999-05-03). "People Magazine on Patty Duke". People.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
29. Victoria Barrett (2003-12-19). "The Guardian on Sean Astin". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
30. "2004 Article on Michael Tell from Las Vegas Review-Journal". Reviewjournal.com. 2004-02-29. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
31. "The Vindicator - September 7, 1993". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
32. Herald-Journal - October 3, 1989: "It seemed like a good idea at the time," says Simon. "It was like a dare."
33. "Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich admits she married Shawn Andrews as a teenager as she wanted a bank card" in The Daily Telegraph
34. Digital Spy
35. WUSN-FM/US99.5
36. The Star-Ledger
37. The Miami News of April 29, 1983
38. Schenectady Gazette of March 23, 1985
39. "The Telegraph-Herald - July 27, 1949". News.google.com. 1949-07-27. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
40. "Spokane Daily Chronicle - September 12, 1946". News.google.com. 1946-09-12. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
41. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - December 8, 1971". News.google.com. 1971-12-08. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
42. "The Phoenix - March 29, 1971". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
43. "Edmonton Journal - May 21, 1943". News.google.com. 1943-05-21. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
44. "The Victoria Advocate - October 29, 1977". News.google.com. 1977-10-29. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
45. "The Mirror". The Mirror. 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
46. "Lakeland Ledger - February 20, 1996". News.google.com. 1996-02-20. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
47. "New York Daily News". Nydailynews.com. 2004-01-05. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
48. "Sydney Morning Herald". Smh.com.au. 2004-01-07. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
49. Los Angeles Times of January 26, 1963
50. ""A Hollywood Marriage That Succeeded", article on Ida Cantor's death from The Deseret News on August 10, 1962". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
51. Starr, Michael. "Johnny Carson's favorite comic still standing". New York York Post. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
52. "Broadway thesp Peggy Lloyd dies at 98". Variety Magazine. 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
53. "Art Linkletter: "no work, just fun"". CBC Archives. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
54. Duke, Alan (May 27, 2010). "Legendary broadcaster Art Linkletter is dead at 97". CNN. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
55. "Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden dies aged 97". Yahoo!.
56. The New York Times
57. Obituary in Variety
58. "NPR". NPR. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
59. Los Angeles Times of August 20, 1989
60. TCM profile
61. "Overview for William Daniels". TCM. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
62. "Broadway World on a joint-project they did". Losangeles.broadwayworld.com. 2009-05-16. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
63. Lester, Shallon (2008-10-30). "New York Daily news obituary of Estelle Reiner". Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
64. Welkos, Robert W.; King, Susan (2008-04-06). "Obituary of Charlton Heston from Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
65. RICHARD CORLISS Thursday, April 10, 2008 (2008-04-10). "Obituary of Charlton Heston in Time Magazine". Time.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
66. Douglas, Family. "Douglas History". Douglas History. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
67. "Just who is Danny Aiello" from CBS News
68. Biography.com
69. TV Radio Mirror
70. "BBC article on their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame". BBC News. 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
71. Monterey Herald via Legacy
72. CNN
73. The Fayetteville Observer
74. Princeton Patch
75. "Christopher biography at Best Care Anywhere". Bestcareanywhere.net. 1932-10-20. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
76. "The 15 Long Celebrity Marriages We Admire Most". Huffington Post. 2014-07-21.
77. TCM Profile for Paula Prentiss
78. People Magazine
79. Obituary for Dr. James Vincent McNulty in The Los Angeles Times
81. Obituary of Robert Sterling in the New York Times
82. The Dispatch - December 14, 2002
83. Interview in Patheos on his Golden Anniversary
84. The Miami News - January 4, 1963
85. Interview in the Miami Herald of January 20, 2013
86. Article in "The Telegraph" about Sofia Coppola
87. Book Review of "Notes on a Life" in The New York Times
88. "Playbill obituary of Peter Shaw". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
89. "USA Today". USA Today. 2004-01-29. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
90. Bostn Globe
91. "Mitzi Gaynor still has 'Razzle Dazzle!'" in the Patriot Ledger of April 20, 2012
92. USA Today
93. "50th Anniversaries In 2015". January 22, 2015.
94. "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obituary for Jean Speegle Howard". News.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
95. "Obituary of Paul Newman in People magazine". People.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
96. "Dolly and Carl's 50th Wedding Anniversary". May 22, 2015.

References

• Brown, Kelly R. (1999). Florence Lawrence, the Biograph girl: America's first movie star. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0627-2. p 106: Quote:"He is a director, she is an actress. Divorce is inevitable"

• Grazer, Gigi Levangie. The starter wife. Simon & Schuster, 2005. ISBN 978-0-7432-6502-7. Lede: Husband dumps wife by cellphone and upgrades to a younger version.(not verbatim quote) p28: Chapter: "Seven stages of a Hollywood marriage"

• Rannow, Jerry (2002). Surviving Hollywood: your ticket to success. Allworth Communications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-58115-255-5. p69 and onwards, many Hollywood marriage "survival tips" are offered

• "The Sidney Poitiers Enjoy Solid Tinsel Town Marriage, Hollywood Author Reports - Page 32". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 69 (2): 32. September 23, 1985. Retrieved 28 May 2009.