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Today is my 21st wedding anniversary, and because of this, I decided to explore the topic of romance and a classic view on relationships. This is our fifth and final segment in this series, so if you missed the others you can find them here with parts one, two, three, and four.
The strength and depth of a longstanding, loving relationship is something to behold. In this installment I thought it would be fun to share some of those classic Hollywood couples whose relationships have stood the test of time - because we all know that is a rarity in Hollywood. So here are 30 very inspiring couples whose romance and relationship have stood the test.
Married 52 years until her death
September 27, 1942 - September 11, 1994
This was a second marriage for both of them.
They have two children and Jessica has a daughter from her previous marriage. I personally think they were the cutest couple and loved watching movies that they acted in together. You could just see the love and respect that they had for one another.
Married 58 years and still going
May 29, 1954 -
This is a second marriage for both of them.
They have two sons and Kirk has two sons from his previous marriage which includes his actor son, Michael Douglas. Kirk has survived a stroke. Anne has survived breast cancer. Both survived his
infidelities. Kirk: "I think I'm more romantic than ever. A woman knows the man she wants
to marry and a man knows the woman he doesn't want to be without."
Fess Parker and Marcella Rinehart
Married 50 years until his death
January 18, 1960 - March 18, 2010
Fess retired from acting in the 70s and became a real estate developer and owner operator of an award winning winery. He and Marcella have two children.
Married 53 years until his death
August 12, 1949 - January 29, 2003
This was a second marriage for both of them.
They have two children and Peter has a son from his previous marriage. Peter managed and guided Angela's career until his death in 2003. Looking at their wedding photo, you can see just how much she adores him.
Married 50 years until his death
January 29, 1958 - September 26, 2008
This was a second marriage for Paul. They have three daughters and Paul has two daughters and a son from his previous marriage. His son died from a drug overdose in 1978 and Paul started the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention in his memory. They also developed camps that permit seriously ill youngsters to enjoy the great outdoors, at
no cost to them or their families, in addition to creating Newman's Own, a food company from which they donate all post-tax profits and royalties to
charity. The Newmans lived away from the Hollywood environment, making their home in Westport,
Connecticut. Paul was well known for his devotion to his wife and family and when asked once about infidelity, he famously quipped, "Why go out for a
hamburger when you have steak at home?"
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
Married 50 years until his death
December 31, 1947 - July 6, 1998
This was Roy's third marriage and Dale's fourth but they finally got it right and hit the jackpot with each other. Their home was graced by nine children, some from their previous marriages, some together and some they adopted. They had 16 grandchildren and
30+ great-grandchildren.
Art Linkletter and Lois Foester
Married 74 years until his death
November 26, 1935 - May 26, 2010
The Linkletter's enjoyed one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America. They had five children together. Art has been quoted as saying, "To be married happily you have to have a sense of humor and you have to
communicate. Don't go to bed mad. In other words -- and this is very important:
You can disagree, but you don't get disagreeable. That "a-b-l-e" is the big
difference between disagree. And by being friendly, you can always get by
things. And then, of course, if you have a sense of humor. Lois and I might have
an argument, and if I see it getting serious, I say: Honey, this is getting
serious. If it gets much more serious, I'll have to kill you."
Dr. James McNulty and Ann Blyth
Married 53 years until his death
June 27, 1953 - May 13, 2007
Dr. James Vincent McNulty was an obstetrician in North Hollywood and Ann was introduced to him by his brother, singer-comedian Dennis Day. She was twenty-four; he was thirty-five when they married, but they didn't let the age difference bother them. They have five children together.
Married 69 years until his death
February 19, 1934 - July 27, 2003
Dolores put her singing career on hold to be at Bob's side and to raise their children, they adopted four and became great advocates for adoption. They were very patriotic and performed at more than 200 USO tours to entertain our troops, including annual Christmas tours for 35 consecutive years. They both were centenarians, he living to be 100 and she living to be 102.
Married 44 years until her death
February 14, 1934 - August 24, 1978
Ten days after their first meeting they were married. That must have been some whirlwind romance! Unlike most such elopements, their marriage was a huge success and they were considered one of Hollywood's happiest couples. They had one son who died at the age of 20 while playing Russian Roulette. When Pat died from a brain tumor, Charles was so devastated that he committed suicide two days later.
Married 38 years until her death
January 7, 1926 - August 27, 1964
When they first started working together, Gracie was engaged to another man, but that didn't stop George. He carried a ring around in his pocket for four years until she finally agreed to marry him. Their marriage was somewhat daring for those times, considering his Jewish and her Irish Catholic
upbringing. When she died at the age of 69 from a heart attack, George was devasted. Gracie was the love of his life and in the 32 years he lived after her death, he never remarried. Once a month he would visit the tomb where she was buried and have conversations with her about what was happening in his life. They have two adopted children
James Cagney and Billie Vernon
Married 63 years until his death
September 28, 1922 - March 30, 1986
James and Billie spent much of their private time at their farms, they had an 100 acre farm at Martha's Vineyard and a 750 acre farm in Dutchess County, NY, so possibly staying out of the limelights of Hollywood helped strengthen their marriage. The also adopted two children.
Married 46 years until his death
November 9, 1940 - March 21, 1987
Their marriage survived the heartache of not being able to have children and his extra-marital affairs but they stayed devoted to one another.
Married 71 years until her death
April 12, 1931 - November 30, 2002
Charles and Ruth are another couple who had one of the longest Hollywood marriages. Despite his stern, hard-hearted demeanor in films and television, friends and
acquaintances seemed to have unanimously described Charles as a warm, funny and kind
person. Maybe this had something to do with their marriage's longevity. They had two children.
Married 64 years until his death
March 17, 1944 - April 5, 2008
They knew they were in love with each other after their very first date. While out for a Spring stroll, they passed a little country church, deciding to go inside, they emerged married. One reason they remained married for so long could be the fact that they celebrated every anniversary together, no matter the circumstances or the travel
required to do so. They have two children.
Married 60 years until her death
May 15, 1948 - June 17, 2008
This was a second marriage for both of them. One reason that could have lead to their long lasting marriage was the fact that they put it first. When offered the lead role opposite Gene Kelly in An American in Paris, Cyd opted not to take the role, instead deciding to have a child with Tony. They have a son and Cyd has a son from her previous marriage.
Married 61 years and still going
October 28, 1951 -
Now here's a couple that puts family first, over the years Eva Marie turned down at least three movie deals to be with her children, they have two, and on many occasions had it written into her contract that her husband and kids accompany her.
James Garner and Lois Clarke
Married 56 years and still going
August 17, 1956 -
James and Lois met at a political rally and were married 14 days later. He adopted her daughter from her previous marriage and they have a daughter together. He has been quoted as saying "Marriage is like the Army; everyone complains, but you'd be surprised at the
large number of people who re-enlist." and about his wife, "It was love at first sight. The 'thunderbolt.' She was as beautiful as she was
sweet... I was nuts about her from the moment we met. Still am."
Married 54 years until his death
December 2, 1926 - April 29, 1980
Everyone knows what a great director Hitchcock was, but he trusted and relied on Alma's expertise throughout his career. She is credited with writing contributions to 29 of his films and also served in a variety of other capacities, including editor and assistant
director. Hitchcock never questioned her opinion; any idea or input she offered was put
into affect, and she was his biggest fan. They have one daughter.
Jimmy Stewart and Gloria Hatrick McClean
Married 44 years until her death
August 9, 1949 - February 16, 1994
Before they were married, Jimmy was somewhat of a playboy saying that he could never choose just one girl to settle down with. Then he met Gloria and at the age of 41, he popped the question. This was his first marriage and her second. They had twin daughters and she had two sons from her previous marriage, one of which was killed in the Vietnam war. They were devoted to each other and after her death he spent the next couple of years just puttering around in their garden, talking to her. He missed her terribly and it begin to take a toll on his health and within three years, he was gone as well.
Married 38 years until his death
August 17, 1962 - June 27, 2001
This was a second marriage for both of them. They have a daughter together and each have a child from their previous marriages. I would guess that funny man Jack kept them laughing the entire marriage.
Married twice and together for a total of 57 years until his death
September 17, 1957 - 1962 annulment
April 9, 1966 - January 10, 2007
When they first met, Sophia was 16 and Carlo was 38, and married with children. They secretly began seeing each other while Carlo tried to get a divorce which proved difficult, it took eight years and a Mexican judge to grant him his divorce from his first wife. Two lawyers stood in for he and Sophia, and they were then considered married by proxy. But not in Italy. The Vatican condemned the marriage outright, accused Ponti of bigamy and Sophia of concubinage. They spent years trying to appease the Italian authorities and in 1962 had no choice but to agree to an annulment. It took another four years to finally acquire his divorce and they finally were legally married. Of their marriage, Carlo felt that, given their long marriage against all odds, is quoted as saying “we are a
phenomenon that’s beyond their belief. It’s almost as if they resented us.”
Ponti would say, “I have done everything for love of Sophia. I have always
believed in her.” They have two sons together and he has two children from his previous marriage.
Karl Malden and Mona Greenburg
Married 70 years until his death
December 18, 1938 - July 1, 2009
Another of the longest marriages in Hollywood, this was the only marriage for both of them. They have two daughters. Karl has been quoted as saying in regards to their marriage, "If I have been fortunate enough to build a life of which I can be proud,
then Mona is the foundation on which that life was built."
Ricardo Montalban and Georgiana Young
Married 63 years until her death
October 26, 1944 - November 13, 2007
It is said that Ricardo fell in love with Georgiana, who is Loretta Young's half sister, before he even met her. He carried a picture of her around in his wallet plus kept a scrapbook of her, and finally arranged to have a blind date with her. They were married just days after they met and have four children together. Ricardo has been quoted as saying, "I have an intellectual commitment. I play by the rules. Why say 'until death do
you part' unless you plan to do it?"
Married 75 years until her death
June 29, 1936 - August 30, 2011
They considered their marriage one of the greatest accomplishments of their Hollywood careers. And they should considering they made it 75 years with one of the longest and happiest Hollywood marriages. They have two children.
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
Married 56 years until his death
December 9, 1948 - February 4, 2005
When asked what it was that made the fullness and longevity of their relationship possible Ruby responded, "Some of our best times were just talking to each other, and as we got older, we
talked about everything. There was nothing we couldn't tell each other, nothing
too private for us to share." This was Ossie's only marriage and the second for Ruby. They have three children.
Married 52 years until his death
March 4, 1952 - June 5, 2004
It is said that they walked hand in hand always, and they often left love notes for
one another. A press secretary is quoted as saying, "They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting." Charlton Heston, their friend, said they probably had the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency.
Married 58 years and still going
September 14, 1954 -
Hollywood's funny couple, for many years they performed together and still managed to maintain a home life. This is the only marriage for both of them and they have two children, both actors, Amy Stiller and Ben Stiller.
Married 64 years and still going
March 5, 1948 -
One of the most successful marriages in Hollywood, they have frequently acted together. When asked what was the secret of their long marriage Wallach
said, "I don't know. I didn't want to get divorced. I loved her. And we fight
and argue and all this stuff, but we get along." They have three children.
Married 40 years until his death
January 1, 1956 - May 29, 1996
This was the only marriage for him and the second marriage for her. When they married, she moved her career to the back burner to become a wife and mother although she never stopped performing. He was an innovative MCA/Universal Studios production executive and she had featured roles in several of his blockbuster movies. They have three children.
And finally, I thought I would share our wedding photo with you.
Married 21 years and still going
November 29, 1991 -
This is the second marriage for me and the third for the Mister. What makes our marriage work? A love and devotion to one another, commitment, respect and forgiveness, and as much romance as we can squeeze in.
A relationship is not created in an instant, its formed over time through a variety of influences, and it's certain that no influence has a more positive and profound effect on a relationship than romance.
I hope you have enjoyed this series, I know I sure have.
