Glamorous Facts About Slim Keith, The Mysterious Muse
Slim Keith arrived at a Death Valley inn in the middle of the piping hot desert as if out of nowhere. The 16-year-old was alone and driving a huge yellow Packard Roadster convertible. Her extravagant and glamorous life seemed to start in that desert.
So who was Slim Keith? Let's dig deep into these hidden facts and get the skinny on Slim Keith.
1. She Needed A Name Change
If there was anyone who ever needed a stage name, it was Slim Keith. She was born on July 15, 1917, and her name was Mary Raye Gross. While Mary Raye has a nice ring to it, it was the family name that needed changing.
Keith’s mother, however, didn’t see it that way. She actually changed her first name from Mary Raye to plain old Nancy. How was little Nancy Gross going to grow up and become a leading socialite in the Hollywood scene? Just wait and see.
2. She Was Stuck In The Middle
Keith was the middle child—which came with a devastating side effect. As it sadly turned out, she was the one who got the least love from the parents. Her older sister was blonde, beautiful and “as mean as a snake”. Her younger brother, being the only boy, got all the attention from dad and thought of as the family’s only hope. Keith felt less than loved.
She may have been lucky in the end though: once you got to know her father, you may not want his love anyway.
3. He Had Issues
Keith’s dad had three enemies: Catholics, Jews, and Christmas. He blamed the Catholics for inventing Christmas, which cost him money and gave him heartburn.
According to him, the Jews were also after his money, but it was because they conspired to make him buy things he didn’t need. Needless to say, growing up the least liked child—and with a father full of hatred—was not a charming childhood.
It was, however, about to get even less charming.
4. They Were Home Alone
One evening, when the children and mom were relaxing and enjoying dad’s absence, tragedy struck. When Keith’s younger brother got too near the fireplace, a spark ignited his pajamas. The screaming eight-year-old ran around the house in agony while Keith, her sister and mother tried to stop him in order to extinguish the fire.
Mom finally got a hold of him and rolled him up in a carpet. Sadly it was too late. Little Buddy had passed. It was a terrible tragedy, but how Keith’s father dealt with it was almost worse.
