Mercedes de Acosta
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Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1893 - May 9, 1968) was a Spanish-American poet, playwright, costume designer, and socialite best known for her lesbian affairs with Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Alla Nazimova, Eva Le Gallienne, Isadora Duncan, Katharine Cornell, Maude Adams, Ona Munson ("Belle Watling" in the movie Gone With the Wind), Adele Astaire, and others.
It was a reputation not appreciated by everyone. As Alice B. Toklas (also a noted lesbian) wrote to a disapproving friend, Anita Loos,
".....you can't dispose of Mercedes lightly - she has had the two most important women in the US - Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich."
Background
She was born to a Cuban father, Ricardo de Acosta, and a Spanish mother, Micaela Hernandez y de Alba, who herself was a descendant of the Spanish Dukes of Alba, in New York City in 1893.Mercedes de Acosta married Abram Poole (1882 - 1961) in 1920, a noted painter and socialite. They divorced in 1935. Both he and she were homosexuals.
Personal Life
Although talented in her professional field, it is no doubt her personal life that has made her famous in Hollywood circles. She became involved in numerous lesbian relationships with Hollywood's elite, and although lesbianism and bisexuality in Hollywood was common in its early years, she was one of the few of the time who did not attempt to hide her sexuality.In 1916 she began an affair with actress Alla Nazimova, and shortly thereafter started an affair with young actress Tallulah Bankhead, and later dancer Isadora Duncan. Shortly after marrying Abram Poole in 1920, she became involved in a turbulent 5 year relationship with actress Eva Le Gallienne. De Acosta and Le Gallienne began their 5 year lesbian affair shortly after de Acosta's marriage to Abram Poole, also a homosexual. They vacationed and travelled together often, at times visiting the salon of famed writer and socialite Natalie Barney. [link] De Acosta wrote two plays for Eva during that time, Sandro Botticelli and Jehanne de Arc. Neither were successful, and the combined financial failures of both plays and de Acosta's possessive and jealous nature brought the affair to an end. [link] [link]
Over the next decade she amassed an ensemble of female partners, all of whom were either rising stars, or aging stars. These included Rudolph Valentino's alleged fiancée, Pola Negri, writer Edith Wharton, writer and stage actress Katharine Cornell, socialite Dorothy ("Dickie") Fellowes-Gordon, and with writer Amy Lowell.
De Acosta was involved with married Russian ballerina Tamara Platonovna Karsavina throughout her life, after their first meeting in 1920. The two were as much friends as they were lovers, and Karsavina was one of the few who continued to be friendly toward de Acosta following the controversial autobiography released by the latter, exposing many of her relationships to the public.
Affair with Greta Garbo
In 1931, she met and quickly became involved with Greta Garbo. The two were introduced to one another by de Acosta's lover at the time, author Salka Viertel, with whom Garbo was also alleged to have been involved. Her relationship with Garbo has often been described as the love of her lifetime.
It is doubtful from all information from the time that Garbo shared those feelings. Garbo was in control of the affair, and the two would be together for lengthy periods often taking vacations together, then apart for long spells without Garbo even acknowledging de Acosta, and everything was at the will of Garbo. In 1944, Garbo ended the on-again off-again relationship. At that time, she insisted de Acosta stop sending her poems and letters professing her love. The last known poem written by de Acosta for Garbo was written that same year. By all accounts, de Acosta remained in love with Garbo for the remainder of her lifetime.
Later life, controversial autobiography
Her memoir, Here Lies the Heart, was published in 1960 because Mercedes was ill with a brain tumour and in need of money.
Its revelations, though highly sanitized and supported as fact, resulted in the severing of numerous friendships of famous women who preferred their sexuality remain private, including that of the mercurial Garbo. Eva Le Gallienne in particular was furious, and completely did away with anything reminding her of de Acosta. Many denounced her as a liar, stating that she invented these stories for fame. This is unlikely, as most of the affairs have been confirmed through personal correspondance, and many of the affairs were known to Hollywood insiders, but for the sake of the actresses careers were kept out of the headlines.
She found herself cut off from many of her friends and increasingly in financial straits. De Acosta died at age 75 in relative poverty (although her sister, Rita, had married well) and obscurity.
She is buried with her mother and sister, Rita de Alba de Acosta (a fabled beauty best known as Mrs. Rita Lydig) at Trinity Cemetery in Washington Heights, New York City.
Further reading
External links
References
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