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15 February 2009

White House hanky-panky

San Francisco Chronicle writer Martin Rubin reviewed Cari Beauchamp's new Kennedy bio, Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years, which name-drops Dietrich for her "White House romp" with JFK. I remember reading about this bizarre love triangle in Maria Riva's bio, but I never realized these shenanigans had taken place in the presidential residence. I suppose Jackie O. was too busy thumbing through color swatches for the Red Room to notice.

While I look forward to reading this book, I wonder whether Beauchamp gave us all she had to offer in her sneak-peek Vanity Fair article. A tour of the West Sitting Hall and 3-6 minutes of awkward lust in an unnamed bedroom. I suspect it was the Queen's Bedroom, which presidents have used to "reward" friends and allies. At least Dietrich had the panty perfume to show (smell?) for it.

4 comments:

  1. Maria back peddled on this story on Larry King Live.

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  2. Umaneo, I haven't seen that interview in a long time. What did Maria say? It's odd she would back-track, as this Vanity Fair article seems to use Maria's testimony as a source.

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  3. She implied that Marlene 'loved' drama and the incident may or may not have been true. I thought it was strange since she presented it as fact in her book but when questioned it was 'oh that might not have been true'.

    By the way I just love your blog!

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  4. Never happened. Marlene was invited to the White House in 1963 for a standard celebrity visit (lunch or dinner then they are sent on their way home), later that year Greta Garbo visited the White House as well.

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