Dorothy Hale

Dorothy Hale (January 11, 1905 – October 21, 1938) was an American socialite and aspiring actress who died by jumping off a building in New York City. Her husband's death, followed by several unsuccessful relationships, had left her financially dependent on her wealthy friends. The artist Frida Kahlo created a famous painting commissioned by Clare Boothe Luce, titled The Suicide of Dorothy Hale. Early life Hale was born Dorothy Donovan, the daughter of a real estate agent, in Pittsburgh. In 1919, after attending a convent and a drama school, Hale left home to pursue a career. Her family hired detectives to find her, but she subsequently returned when her funds ran out. With the assistance of friends, she eventually landed a job in the chorus of a Broadway production of Lady, Be Good. According to former NBC News producer Pamela Hamilton, who researched Hale's life extensively, Fred Astaire offered Hale the role in Lady, Be Good. While she was studying sculpture in Paris, she married millionaire stockbroker Gaillard Thomas, son of the wealthy gynecologist T. Gaillard Thomas; the brief marriage ended in divorce. She married Gardner Hale in 1927. Gardner Hale was a fresco, mural, and society portrait artist. During this marriage Dorothy Hale continued moving in creative, sophisticated, and upper-class social circles. In her west coast period, she socialized with artists Miguel Covarrubias, Rosa Rolanda, Frida Kahlo, and photographer Nickolas Muray.