Collette Lyons ~ The Starlet Who Married A Billionaire

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Collette Lyons was a 1930s starlet who married billionaire George Randolph Hearst

She was born Mary Retta Lyons on October 3, 1908 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, Jeremiah Lyons, worked as a dishwasher. While attending Dorchester high school she won an amateur talent contest The prize was a contract with a musical stock company. After graduating she began her career performing in vaudeville. Collette teamed up with Bob Weston and they became a popular dance duo. Director Mervyn LeRoy signed her to a long term contract in 1937. That same year she made her film debut in the comedy Hotel Haywire. She costarred with Glenda Farrell in Dance Charlie Dance and with Carole Landis in the western Three Texas Steers. The beautiful blonde also starred on Broadway in George White’s Scandals. During World War 2 she was one of the first stars to volunteer to entertain the troops. In 1942 she married actor Alan Dineheart Jr. Collette landed small roles in the films Frisco Sal, Blonde Ransom, and The Dolly Sisters. Unfortunately her Hollywood career never really took off. She returned to Broadway in 1946 to appear in a revival of Showboat. Her marriage to Alan ended in 1950.

With George Randolph Hearst

Then she began dating George Randolph Hearst, the eldest son of billionaire William Randolph Hearst. On October 17, 1951 they were married and she became his fifth wife. Soon after they discovered the marriage wasn’t legal because George’s divorce from his fourth wife hadn’t been finalized. Collette and George were remarried in March of 1952. The couple bought a large mansion in Beverly Hills and spent a lot of time travelling around the world. In 1958 she filed for divorce claiming mental cruelty. Although George’s family was worth billions she only received $50,000 in the settlement. She continued to act on television shows like The Phil Silvers Show and The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp. Collette also appeared in the 1959 crime drama The Rebel Set. Her final role was in a 1962 episode of 77 Sunset Strip. During the 1970s she began a new career working in real estate. As she got older she had health problems and moved into an assisted living facility. On October 5, 1986 she died from an aneurysm at the age of seventy-eight. She was buried at Milton cemetery in Milton, Massachusetts.