Pepi Lederer
Encyclopedia
Pepi Lederer was an American actress and writer. She was the niece of actress Marion Davies
.
in 1910 and later formally adopted the name. Her mother, Reine Davies
(née Douras) was a stage actress and the sister of Rosemary Davies
and Marion Davies
, while her father, George Lederer
, produced musical comedies.
After her aunt Marion began a long-term affair with William Randolph Hearst
, Hearst took responsibility for the accommodation of Pepi and her several siblings, who included Charlie Lederer
, later a well-known screenwriter. She spent a good deal of her youth at Hearst Castle
.
The Hearsts took the ambitions of her brother seriously and relegated Pepi to a few small parts in movies such as Her Cardboard Lover
.
Increasingly restless with her stalled career and her suspicions that she was only valued by others insofar as she could initiate them into the luxurious world of the Hearst family, she moved to London.
in 1930 and, shortly after New Years' Eve 1929 was shocked to discover she was pregnant. She was friends with actress Louise Brooks
. Though she was considered a captivating personality, Lederer had a voracious appetite for rich food, alcohol, and eventually, cocaine
.
In 1935, her drug addiction worsening, Davies and Hearst committed her to a mental hospital to receive a drug cure. Shortly afterward, she jumped out of a window, dying instantly after falling several floors. She was 25.
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
.
Early life & career
Josephine Rose Lederer was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1910 and later formally adopted the name. Her mother, Reine Davies
Reine Davies
Reine Davies was an American singer and actress.-Biography:Davies was born Irene Douras in Brooklyn, New York. She was the eldest sister of the actress Marion Davies. Reine was the first of the Douras daughters to start using the name, 'Davies.' One day she was driving through the Brooklyn...
(née Douras) was a stage actress and the sister of Rosemary Davies
Rosemary Davies
Rosemary Davies was an American actress who appeared in one motion picture.Born Rose Douras in Brooklyn, New York, she was the sister of the actresses Marion Davies and Reine Davies but did not reach the same fame as her two sisters.However, her name was mentioned in different circles briefly when...
and Marion Davies
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
, while her father, George Lederer
George Lederer
George Lederer was an American producer and director on Broadway from 1894 to 1931. He was the husband of Reine Davies and father of Charles Lederer and Pepi Lederer....
, produced musical comedies.
After her aunt Marion began a long-term affair with William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
, Hearst took responsibility for the accommodation of Pepi and her several siblings, who included Charlie Lederer
Charles Lederer
Charles Lederer was a prolific and well-connected American film writer and director of the 30s to the 60s, from a prominent theatrical family with close ties to the Hearst dynasty.-Early life:...
, later a well-known screenwriter. She spent a good deal of her youth at Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
.
The Hearsts took the ambitions of her brother seriously and relegated Pepi to a few small parts in movies such as Her Cardboard Lover
Her Cardboard Lover
Her Cardboard Lover is a 1942 American comedy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Jacques Deval, John Collier, Anthony Veiller, and William H. Wright is based on the English translation of Deval's play Dans sa candeur naïve by Valerie Wyngate and P.G. Wodehouse...
.
Increasingly restless with her stalled career and her suspicions that she was only valued by others insofar as she could initiate them into the luxurious world of the Hearst family, she moved to London.
Personal life
She returned to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1930 and, shortly after New Years' Eve 1929 was shocked to discover she was pregnant. She was friends with actress Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
. Though she was considered a captivating personality, Lederer had a voracious appetite for rich food, alcohol, and eventually, cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
.
In 1935, her drug addiction worsening, Davies and Hearst committed her to a mental hospital to receive a drug cure. Shortly afterward, she jumped out of a window, dying instantly after falling several floors. She was 25.