The Bandstand Bluebeard
The Eight Wives of Artie Shaw
In the 1940s the leading big band leaders were the kingpins of popular music. Mostly male — though there were notable women — the generally accepted skill set required was top musicianship and a (comparatively) charming persona for audiences.
Those ticked off, you were largely free to be tyrannical backstage. There was also plenty of blind-eye turning when it came to exploiting the power that came with your exalted position. When on tour etc.
Arties Shaw fitted the template. Arguably the finest jazz clarinettist of his era, he dazzled his peers with his innovative arrangements. Young, handsome and leading an exciting band, he had many female fans. According to his own account, he was also an incorrigible romantic. Think Rick seeing off Ilsa at the airport. A married Rick but let’s not quibble.
That line just about held when his fame consisted of cool cat status amongst the swing cognoscenti. But the sensational success of Begin the Beguine moved Artie Shaw into the big league of Hollywood celebrity. This broadened the field of his energetic womanising.
The love objects
Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth Betty Grable escaped with a few dates. Others would find themselves repenting at leisure about hitching their waggons to a self-confessed ‘very difficult man.
Lana Turner, became the third Mrs Shaw. Ava Gardner (1945–46) was the fifth of the eight. Betty Kern, the daughter of Jerome Kern stepped briefly into Lana’s shoes (1942–43).
Then the cultured, well read Artie wandered over to the book store. There he hooked up with Forever Amber author Kathleen Winsor (1946–48) before completing his wife set with more two actresses Doris Dowling (1952–56) and Evelyn Keyes (1957–85).
Evelyn was the hands-down winner of the longevity award. The other generally did around two years. She was no slouch when came to signing the certificate herself: four husbands including two major film directors (King Vidor and John Huston). Boyfriends included Michael Todd (who left Evelyn for Elizabeth Taylor), actors Glenn Ford, Sterling Hayden, Dick Powell, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and another wrong ‘un Kirk Douglas.
I guess a dating app might have steered her Artie’s way — had there been such a thing then. Not that she needed one, “I always took up with the man of the moment and there were many such moments.”[10]
Perhaps Artie mellowed with age, softening the edges of that Bluebeard-without-the-murdering approach to matrimony. Didn’t quite make the finish line though — Artie passed in the year their divorce was confirmed. That lead to a battle over the will that raged for 20 years. Evelyn eventually scooped half the pot but only had two more years to enjoy her winnings
None of the eight wives ended up wanting to write him a testimonial — and several had unflattering references things to say in their memoirs.
Both Turner and Gardner later claimed that the charming clarinetist had been ‘extremely emotionally abusive’. Lana Turner, tough broad from the old school was driven to the point of a nervous breakdown. Ava contrasted Mr Meanie to the ‘gentle’ Sinatra. Surely she didn’t mean the blue-eyed one with pals in low places? Other views are available
One mystery is how Artie managed to swing (!) two annulments with the Vatican— take that Henry VIII! That meant no Reformation in Hollywood. So was he all bad? Mr Shaw rests his (clarinet) case.
