A Recap of the Myra Bairstow’s Myth Series

El Suicidio de Dorothy Hale

In the 1930s, Dorothy Hale was an actress, living in New York City. At age 33, on October 21, 1938, she was found dead on the sidewalk outside of her NYC apartment. Her death was ruled a suicide. On November 1, 1938, Dorothy’s friend, Clare Boothe Luce met famed surrealist Frida Kahlo at the Julien Levy Gallery. Clare hired Frida to paint a portrait of Dorothy as a gift for Dorothy’s grieving mother. Instead of a portrait, Frida painted an eerie rendition of Dorothy’s death. Clare was horrified by the painting, “El Suicidio de Dorothy Hale” and had sections of the canvas repainted. The picture was sent to storage for nearly thirty years. In the 1960s the painting resurfaced and was given to the Phoenix Art Museum by an ‘anonymous donor’.

Author and art scholar, Myra Bairstow became intrigued with the painting and began exploring the life and death of Dorothy Hale. Her research unearthed numerous mysteries and mistruths about Dorothy Hale. The following is a recap of Myra’s “Myth Series” that details Clare Luce’s inconsistent quotes and incorrect narratives about Dorothy Hale.

In Myth #1, we learned that Clare commissioned Frida Kahlo to paint a portrait of Dorothy for her grieving mother. Here is what Mrs. Luce said in Hayden Herrera’s biography of Frida Kahlo, “Suddenly it came to me that a portrait of Dorothy by a famous painter friend might be something her poor mother might like to have. I said so, and Kahlo thought so too. I asked the price, Kahlo told me, and I said, ‘Go ahead. Send the portrait to me when it is finished. I will then send it on to Dorothy’s mother.’ say: The inaccuracy with Clare Luce’s statement is that Dorothy’s mother had died when Dorothy was 16 years old. Dorothy’s father never remarried.
View: Myth #1

In Myths #2 and #3, we discussed the alleged suicide note left only to Clare. As Clare stated in Hayden Herrera’s biography of Frida Kahlo, “The only message she {Dorothy} had left in the apartment was a note addressed to me. She thanked me for my friendship and asked me to see that her mother, who lived in upstate New York, was notified so that arrangements could be made to have her buried in the family plot.” Again, the inaccuracy with Clare Luce’s statement is that Dorothy’s mother was not living when Dorothy died . In addition, Dorothy’s family never lived in upstate New York—they lived in Pennsylvania.
View: Myth #2, Myth #3

In Myth #4, it was continuously stated that Dorothy resided in a “top-story” suite in the Hampshire House in New York City. In fact, Dorothy lived at Hampshire House, but in a studio apartment on the 16th floor.
View: Myth #4

In Myths #5 and #6, Myra further explores the relationship between Dorothy and Roosevelt advisor, Harry Hopkins. In Clare’s interviews about Dorothy, she insinuated that Dorothy committed suicide after FDR ordered Hopkins to end his relationship with Dorothy. Interestingly enough, Dorothy was seeing another man before her untimely death. In interviews with Dorothy’s family members, Myra discovered the family believed that Dorothy was the one to break off the relationship with Hopkins.
View: Myth #5, Myth #6

In Myths #7 and #8, Clare expressed her distaste with Dorothy’s supposed lavish spending and did not want to attend the farewell party Dorothy was throwing for herself. Clare declined and told Dorothy to wear her “old Madame X black velvet” dress. last sentence--instead: Interestingly, Dorothy was hosting a party for Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt, not for herself. She was not wearing an old ‘Madame X’ dress, but a new dress she had recently purchased.
View: Myth #7, Myth #8

Myths Photo Gallery 

Clare Boothe Luce	Dorothy Hale
Frida Kahlo	The note from Frida to Clare Boothe Luce
Receipt for black evening gown	Portion of the Montreal Gazette
Harry Hopkins, TIME Magazine July 1938	FDR (left) with Harry Hopkins (right)