A Hearsty Reminder

            Michael passed around a small tile from the Neptune Pool at the HearstCastle, the gold piece was to be returned or Michael threatened to filibuster his talk until it showed up! Michael showed a deep knowledge and appreciation for the man, myth and legend that Hearst was. He said that Hearst's son knew his father was a genius, and had a passion for the property that had been in his family before his birth. He had visited since 1865 when he was 2 years old. It was his backyard; his heart was there.

            While he was building the castle he owned, Hearst operated 96 companies, motion picture businesses; 37 houses, 1.2 million acres in Mexico, a castle in Wales, and the 225,000 acres of the Hearst Ranch. His father was the source of the money, hitting it big in 1860 when one of his mines became active. Then he meets Miss Phoebe Apperson who is self-educated young woman of the world. He is a 40-year-old man interested in a 20-year-old child. There is talk about a pre-nup agreement so she decides to be a runaway bride.  They did finally get married.  William is the only child of the two.  William's father strikes again, winning the San Francisco Examiner newspaper playing poker. It is 'rags to riches' for Phoebe.  William, is called 'wasteful Willy' because of his habits and when his father dies, everything is left to Phoebe (William is left nothing).  Later on when constructing the castle estate William has, according to architect Julie Morgan,  a "changeableness of mind."  He started the idea of a 45 foot pool; he is termed excessive-compulsive.

            Michael talked about William Hearst's only wife Millicent and their "proper" relationship, and how he met Marion Davies, his long-time mistress, and the jealously and pretention of his wife. Architect Julia Morgan was Hearst's constant guest for dinner, because she shared his passion for the Castle.

            Julia worked with men during the day and dined with Hearst at night. Designed to exceed California earthquake standards, the Castle has 22,500 artifacts. The castle ran this way:  8-9 p.m. cocktails; 9-11 p.m. dinner was served; and 11 p.m. was movie time.  Hearst liked to walk around after the movie and then would go to his office at 1-1:30 a.m. to work.  He slept little as he deemed ("...sleeping as practicing death"). His Rules of the Castle were simple, yet frequently ignored: Don't get drunk; Don't insult or be rude with the other guests; and don't be in bed with anyone but your spouse.

            In public life, Hearst was a Presidential candidate, good friends with Joseph Kennedy, began the Food and Drug Administration, and was a proponent and initiator of the first Child Labor Laws. Privately, he really a country boy, and he spoke too fast. Hearst enjoyed, when at the castle, being surrounded by the sea. In is in this private life, living at his beloved Castle, that he keep Davies, the second-highest paid actress of her time. Davies only left the grounds when Millicent showed up, still playing the role of William's wife. Davies was a gold-digger who used Hearst initially, but grows to love the man, according to Michael.

            Michael said that Hearst left the Castle in 1947 for medical attention, and Davies assures her "Pops" he will return. But he does not, dying in the company of a sedated Davies. Despite the tangled mess that followed Hearst's death, at his funeral Millicent states "if you knew him you would love him." Michael summed it up with a credo that was William Randolph Hearst: "It is what it is; not right and not wrong."