The Wrecks of the Brulatours

[Phillip Gowan]

(Taken from the New York Times, 23 April 1915, page 19 Column 3)

WANTS HER INCOME ASSURED

* * *

Mrs. Brulatour, Separated From Husband, Would Force Him to Buy Insurance

Application was made yesterday to Supreme Court Justice Giegerich by Mrs. Isabelle Brulatour to compel her husband, Jules E. Brulatour, to insure his life for $65,000 for her benefit. The defendant is the agent of a big European photographic and film concern, with offices at 31 East Twenty-seventh Street. The papers accompanying the application set forth that Mr. and Mrs. Brulatour signed a separation agreement in order to avoid the publicity of a separation suit that was begun about a year ago. After the agreement was made the suit was withdrawn.

Under the terms of the agreement Mrs. Brulatour was to receive $20,000 for the support of herself and her three children. Mrs. Brulatour wanted a larger allowance, but she finally agreed to accept the $20,000 on condition that her husband would take out the $65,000 life insurance so that she might be protected in case of his death. Mr. Brulatour delayed insuring himself, and while he was still resisting the pressure brought against him, he was sued by Mrs. Julia Smith for $20,000 for injuries suffered when she was struck by Mr. Brulatour's automobile.

When the damage suit came up in court testimony revealed the fact that at the time of the accident Mr. Brulatour's car was being driven by Miss Dorothy Gibson, who is studying for the operatic stage. Mr. Brulatour said that if a divorce was ever obtained he would marry Miss Gibson.

This revelation induced Mrs. Brulatour to insist that the agreement between herself and her husband concerning the insurance should be carried out. Justice Giegerich reserved decision.

 

[Phillip Gowan]

(Taken from the New York Times, August 16, 1924, page 11, column 6)

MRS. CLARA BRULATOUR IS KILLED IN EGYPT

Thrown From Car in an Accident--She Was the First Wife of Wealthy Film Importer

CAIRO, Aug. 15

A tragic accident here has cast gloom over the visit to Cairo of passengers from the Tuscania which is making a Mediterranean cruise with Americans.

While returning last night from the Pyramids, whither she had gone with her daughter and son and an Egyptian friend in the latter's car, Mrs. Clara Brulatour of New York was thrown from the car in a collision with a tram car in the Pyramids Road, and sustained fatal injuries, dying in the Anglo-American Hospital an hour later.

The rest of the passengers were unhurt.

Mrs. Clara Brulatour was the first wife of Jules E. Brulatour, wealthy film importer. They were married in 1884 in Louisiana and lived together until 1911. A separation was agreed on then and Mr. Brulatour received the custody of their three children.

In 1917 Mr. Brulatour obtained a divorce in Kentucky, Mrs. Brulatour, by the terms of an agreement, receiving $20,000 a year. A short while later Mr. Brulatour married Dorothy Gibson, artist's model, who was the original "Harrison Fisher Girl." The second Mrs. Brulatour obtained a divorce in 1919. Pending the trial of her suit she asked for $48,000 alimony, but the court allowed her only $10,000 a year.

Mr. Brulatour married the third time in Aug. 22, 1923, when he took for his bride Hope Hampton, motion picture actress. He had been her manager for several years. They live at 1,207 Park Avenue.

Mrs. Clara Brulatour, accompanied by her son Jules and daughter, Miss Y. Brulatour, sailed on the Tuscania on July 3, on a sixty-day cruise.

(Side-note by PG: When Jules Brulatour married actress Hope Hampton they took a honeymoon trip to Egypt. In Egypt they met a "sheik" who was in the process of buying amber paste. He became distracted from the purchase of the paste and started staring at Hope Brulatour, finally approaching Jules and offering to "buy" her--saying that he would give Mr. Brulatour as much as 10,000 English pounds for her. Brulatour smiled at the sheik and told him that Mrs. Brulatour's jewels were worth more than that.)

Phillip Gowan

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Phil,

In doing a bit of research not long ago, I found reference to Jules Brulatour being as much an inspiration to Orsen Welles as W.R. Hearst was for "Citizen Kane." I had questioned this but the article you've turned up here mentioning Dorothy Gibson contemplating a singing career surely sounds familiar, huh?

Thanks for posting this info.

Randy

 

[Phillip Gowan]

No problema--recently got some very good celebrity photos of Hope Hampton--she was much better looking than Dorothy Gibson and even younger (but lied about her actual age--on documents she claimed to be born in 1902 and I think 1898 is the correct birth year). Did you know that she (Hope) was from Houston?

Phil

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

The Titanic connection just keeps-a comin', huh? Yes, I too have seen a few pics of Hope Hampton who was very pretty indeed. She's been luckier than Dorothy too in that at least one or two of her films survive.