Occupation Actress, dancer | Name Yvonne Hughes | |
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Full Name Yvonne Evelyn Hughes Born 1900 McKeesport, Pennsylvania Died December 26, 1950
New York City, New York Spouse(s) Gordon Godowsky (1928-1929) Partner(s) John McDonald (1936-1950) | ||
Yvonne Hughes (1900 - December 26, 1950) was a dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies and an actress in silent motion pictures.
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Career and personal life
Hughes appeared in films with Gloria Swanson and once danced with Rudolph Valentino. Her movie appearances came in 1923 and 1924. She had roles in Lawful Larceny, Zaza, Big Brother, A Society Scandal, and Monsieur Beaucaire. She also appeared in Rio Rita, and Whoopi! 1928-1929, a musical comedy.
In 1928, Hughes married Gordon Godowsky, son of Leopold Godowsky. The marriage lasted one year. In 1932, Godowsky committed suicide over financial trouble.
Murder
On December 26, 1950, Hughes was murdered in the New York City hotel room of Birger Nordkvist, a Swedish apple picker who worked for a western New York cider firm. Earlier that night, Nordkvist got into a cab driven by John McDonald, who had lived with Hughes for fourteen years. McDonald offered to take him to the Ashland Hotel, where he kept a room. Nordkvist met Hughes, who demonstrated some old dance routines for him, and they drank beer through the night and into the next morning; all the while, McDonald was driving his taxi. After Hughes rebuffed Nordkvist's advances, Nordkvist strangled her by tying his handkerchief around her throat and stuffing a silk scarf into her mouth. Nordkvist was arrested in Utica, New York where he went after leaving the hotel.