Conrad Hilton Jr. Explained

Conrad Hilton Jr.
Birth Name:Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr.
Birth Date:6 July 1926
Birth Place:Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Children:2
Occupation:Businessman
Relatives:Hilton family

Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton Jr. (July 6, 1926 – February 5, 1969) was an American socialite, hotel heir, and businessman. He was the eldest son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton and the first husband of actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Life and career

Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr. was born in Dallas, Texas. His parents were Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels, and Mary Adelaide Barron. Hilton had three younger siblings: Barron, Eric, and Francesca. He is a grand-uncle of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton.[1]

Growing up he did not take interest in the family business and he dropped out of Loyola University in Los Angeles to join the Navy.[2] His father enrolled him at École hôtelière de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland but he was suspended after six months.[3] [4] In 1951, he became the vice president of the Hilton Corporation and manager of the Bel Air Hotel.[5] [6] In his later years, he was a director and chairman of the executive committee of the Hilton International Company.[7]

Hilton died at the age of 42 from a sudden heart attack due to alcoholism on February 5, 1969. His funeral was held at St. Paul's Church in Los Angeles. He is interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[8]

Personal life

Hilton dated various Hollywood starlets and gained a reputation for being a playboy.[9]

Hilton had an affair with his stepmother, Zsa Zsa Gabor, according to claims made by Gabor after his death.[10] Gabor stated in her 1991 autobiography One Lifetime Is Not Enough, that their affair began when her marriage to Hilton's father was on the rocks and ended during his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.[11]

In October 1949, Hilton met Taylor at Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles.[12] The couple were married in a highly publicized ceremony at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on May 6, 1950.[13] [14] They had a tempestuous 8-month marriage due to his gambling, drinking, heroin addiction, and abusive behavior.[15] [16] During one of his violent outbursts, Hilton kicked Taylor in the stomach and caused her to have a miscarriage.[17] [18] [19] Taylor announced their separation in December 1950;[20] she was granted a divorce on grounds of mental cruelty on January 29, 1951.

In September 1951, actress Betsy von Furstenberg announced her engagement to Hilton.[21] [22] They planned to marry the following spring but they were never married.[23]

In May 1954, Hilton was arrested on drunk charges and received two years of probation.[24] [25] [26]

In the 1950s, Hilton dated actresses Terry Moore, Mamie Van Doren, Arlene Solof, and Jeanne Carmen.[27] [28] In 1957, he dated actresses Natalie Wood and Joan Collins at the same time.[29] [30] [31] Shortly after, he dated Mexican actress Silvia Pinal, whom he met at the opening of a hotel in Acapulco.[32]

In 1958, Hilton married Patricia McClintock, an oil heiress from Oklahoma. They had two sons, Conrad Nicholson Hilton III and Michael Otis Hilton.[33] Their marriage deteriorated as Hilton became addicted to the sleeping pill Seconal and mixed it with hard liquor. McClintock sued for divorce on February 10, 1964.[34] She charged Hilton with "causing her extreme mental and physical suffering" but they later reconciled.[35] In August 1967, McClintock filed for divorce again, accusing Hilton of "repeated acts and threats of violence."[36] The divorce was never granted but they were separated at the time of Hilton's death.[37]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gurvis, Sandra . Paris Hilton: A Biography . 2011 . ABC-CLIO . 978-0-313-37940-6 . 5–6.
  2. Book: Bogle, Donald . Elizabeth and Michael: The Queen of Hollywood and the King of Pop—A Love Story . June 6, 2017 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4516-7698-3 . 106.
  3. Book: Heymann, C. David (Clemens David) . Liz: an intimate biography of Elizabeth Taylor . 1995 . New York : Carol Pub. Group . Internet Archive . 978-1-55972-267-4 . 83–84, 104.
  4. Book: Taraborrelli, J. Randy . The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty . April 1, 2014 . Grand Central Publishing . 978-1-4555-8236-5.
  5. News: May 7, 1950 . Liz, Nick Married With All-Star Cast . 56 . Daily News.
  6. Book: Amburn, Ellis . The most beautiful woman in the world : the obsessions, passions, and courage of Elizabeth Taylor . 2000 . New York, NY : HarperLargePrint . Internet Archive . 978-0-06-019719-3 . 56.
  7. News: February 6, 1969 . Conrad Hilton Jr., 42, Is Dead; Once Wed to Elizabeth Taylor . The New York Times . August 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=IeN5AAAAQBAJ&dq=nicky+hilton+holy+cross&pg=PT333 The Hiltons
  9. News: Breen . Jay . July 31, 1952 . Hilton Reveals Plan For Getting Along With Girls . 2 . The Daily News.
  10. It's a Mad, Mad, Zsa Zsa World. Vanity Fair. Leslie. Bennetts. September 6, 2007. March 29, 2022.
  11. Book: Gábor, Zsa Zsa . One Lifetime Is Not Enough . Leigh . Wendy . 1991 . New York, N.Y. : Delacorte Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-385-29882-7 . 53.
  12. Web site: Smith . Laura C. . January 26, 1996 . Elizabeth Taylor's divorce from Nicky Hilton . August 4, 2022 . EW.com . en.
  13. News: May 7, 1950 . Hotel Heir Conrad Hilton Weds Elizabeth Taylor . 1 . Los Angeles Times.
  14. News: May 7, 1950 . Elizabeth Taylor Weds; 2500 Film Fans Attend . 1 . Sunday News.
  15. News: Elizabeth Taylor's obituary: outtakes from a 12-year work in progress . April 1, 2011 . Woo, Elaine . March 23, 2011 . Los Angeles Times.
  16. News: Elizabeth Taylor, 1932–2011: A Lustrous Pinnacle of Hollywood Glamour . March 23, 2011 . Gussow . Mel . March 23, 2011 . The New York Times.
  17. Book: Hadleigh, Boze . Elizabeth Taylor: Tribute to a Legend . October 20, 2017 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1-4930-3106-1 . 101.
  18. News: Kuczynski . Alex . September 29, 2002 . Good Times and Bum Times, but She's Here . The New York Times . August 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  19. Book: Mann, William J. . How to be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood . 2009 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 978-0-547-13464-2 . 120.
  20. News: December 15, 1950 . TO DIVORCE NICK HILTON; Elizabeth Taylor Rules Out Possibility of Reconciliation . The New York Times . August 6, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  21. News: September 19, 1951 . Noble Starlet To Wed Hilton . 1 . Ogden Standard-Examiner . Utah, Ogden . September 4, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  22. October 15, 1951 . Another Gabor . Time . 104.
  23. News: January 6, 1952 . 'Betsy Von' Says She'll Wed Nicky in Spring . 1 . The Austin American.
  24. News: Netbun . Deborah . May 4, 2007 . Seven key dates in Hilton history . Los Angeles Times .
  25. News: May 14, 1954 . Nicky, Hilton, Freed From Jail, Threatens 'Expose' . 2 . Los Angeles Times.
  26. News: May 18, 1954 . Nicky Hilton Fined and Put on Probation . 23 . Los Angeles Times.
  27. Book: Oppenheimer, Jerry . House of Hilton : from Conrad to Paris: a drama of wealth, power, and privilege . 2006 . New York : Crown Publishers . Internet Archive . 978-0-307-33722-1 . 186, 207–212.
  28. Web site: Mueller . Jim . March 23, 1999 . SEX KITTEN WITH NINE LIVES . September 5, 2022 . Chicago Tribune.
  29. News: Mosby . Aline . March 1957 . Joan Collins Sets Date Record: Hollywood 'Queen' Is Having a Ball . 16 . Press and Sun-Bulletin.
  30. Hopper . Hedda . April 14, 1957 . She Grew Up Beautiful . 26 . Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine.
  31. News: April 28, 1957 . Joan Collins is so tired of falling in love . 7 . Sunday Dispatch.
  32. Web site: La belleza de Silvia Pinal enamoró a un multimillonario de la Época de Oro . August 6, 2022 . El Heraldo de México . es.
  33. Web site: Meet the Hiltons: A who's who of May cover star Paris Hilton's famous family. live. April 22, 2021. Tatler.com. March 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210325123500/https://www.tatler.com/gallery/hilton-family-dynasty . March 25, 2021 .
  34. News: February 11, 1964 . Mrs. Hilton Asks Divorce . The New York Times . August 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  35. News: February 11, 1964 . Nicky Hilton's Wife Files for Divorce, Custody . 31 . Los Angeles Times.
  36. News: August 11, 1967 . 'Nicky' Hilton Sued for Divorce . 2 . The Boston Globe.
  37. News: February 6, 1969 . Nicky Hilton, Hotel Heir, Playboy, Dies in Sleep at 42 . 5 . The San Bernardino County Sun.

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