Queen of the Ritz

by Samuel Marx

From the front flap of this 207 page "Blanche Auzello, who with her husband Claude ran the famous Hotel Ritz in Paris during the halcyon twenties and thirties and into the cruel forties of the German Occupation, was born Blanche Rubenstein in Manhattan. This is the moving, frequently funny, always fast-paced story of a remarkable woman, told with affection and literary skill by her nephew, Samuel Marx. On a lark, she and her friend Pearl White (famous star of 'The Perils of Pauline') took off for Paris in the mid-twenties. Although she was to rendezvous with an Egyptian who had introduced her to the high life in New York, she was taken up by Claude Auzello. The marriage had its he was the proper Frenchman who thought a wife should take care of home and hearth while the husband took on a mistress; she was the liberated American woman who thought neither should be the case (although she later gave in on the mistress). This unlikely marriage endured, and she helped Claude run the Ritz with a flair. Walk-on characters include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.P. Morgan, Cole Porter, and many others. The famous and the infamous stayed at the Ritz, where service and discretion were hallmarks. Love affairs, for those who could afford the tab, were carried on in its ornate rooms. Then came the Nazi Occupation, and Blanche found herself helping the French Resistance - while important Nazis were occupying the finest suites at the hotel. She was eventually arrested and spent agonizing time in prison. Through an amazing incident, she was released in time to witness the arrival of American troops to free her beloved city."

Genres: History, Nonfiction

207 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book that I have read after reading MISTRESS OF THE RITZ. It is remarkably similar to Mistress. If I were Samuel Marx, I might consider plagiarism charges. This book did provide more factual information covering the time period before Blache returns to Ritz during WWII. If you find Blache an interesting character, you might want to read this book.