The Real War of the Roses

Or how fiction is an exaggeration of reality, which provides further teaching

Someone once said that anyone who tries to defend themselves has a fool for a lawyer.  The American journalist and astute businessman William "Billy" Rose suffered that experience many years ago. One day, he decided to divorce Eleanor Rose and concocted all sorts of wickedness not to give her a single dollar. He was a man of great power and enormous goodwill.

His fame throughout the United States was so great that the press soon headlined the mess as "The Wars of the Roses." Journalism did a comparison with the famous "War of the Roses," the famous dispute for the throne of England between the noble houses of York and Lancaster. A standoff that lasted 30 years.

Warren Adler wrote an exaggerated and improbable book, based on “The American divorce”: "The War of the Roses." Filmed by Danny De Vito (as actor and director), the film starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. It tells the tragicomic story of a couple who commits so many follies, outrages and atrocities that the divorce ridiculously ends with the death of both. It has nothing to do with reality, which was much more interesting and inspiring, as we shall see.

The divorce lawyers argue that there is nothing more perverse and dirtier than the disputes between spouses.  Anger, abomination, and poison of two people come out.  Lest we forget, they sworn eternal love "till death do us part."

The director, Louis Nizer, was kept away from the press and Eleanor was put to watch the greatest circumspection. Billy, who had the patronage of a famous New York lawyer, Arthur Garfield Hays, decided to handle their case. He talked and talked in front of every microphone, which he kept near his mouth. "I hoped that his reputation was the best weapon we have. I even dared to predict that the court will burn Troy."

The meetings of the parties prior to trial showed an outspoken, arrogant, insulting Billy, one giving absolutely no importance to his counsel’s advice, who did not resign because he perceived succulent fees. He was in charge of the case and, just like the fish, he "died because of his big mouth".

In his eagerness to get rid of Eleanor, Billy Rose did not assess the situation correctly and, so unexpectedly, he provided clues that allowed the taking of evidence which was very damaging to him and the distribution of goods he intended to avoid. Reaching the podium in such conditions would have been his moral Waterloo, especially because they was irrefutable evidence of adultery, of cheating on Eleanor with Milton Berle’s wife, Milton being one of the most famous American showmen, who turned 93 last July 12.

Few minutes before the hearing, the judge received the parties and accepted Billy Rose’s unconditional surrender, as he dropped the suit and accepted all the legal requirements imposed on the counterparty.

Thus ended "War of the Roses", the American version. Eleanor pocketed several million dollars, mansions and works of art of great value.

Of course, there was great unease among the people of the press - especially the tabloids - that was assisting the marital scandal of the century. Billy Rose was a fanatic, no doubt about it, but it turned out he was not stupid.

Eleanor did not celebrate her win, except for the dogs she got from her ex-husband. "Despite everything he said, did and lied – she confessed bluntly – I do not hold grudges; the years we lived together were very happy."

Conclusion: one is master of their silence and slave of their words, especially when there is the hair of a beautiful woman and a yoke of oxen in the middle.