Did Anthony Biddle really have alligators?

Did Anthony Biddle really have alligators?

Several aspects of the film stayed true to real life. Most notably, Biddle really did keep alligators as pets in the family’s brownstone at 2104 Walnut St. His “Biddle Method of Close-Combat” was taught to Marines for decades after his death.

Who was Anthony Biddle?

(December 17, 1897 – November 13, 1961) was an American diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries between the 1930s and 1961. He served in the United States Army during World War I and after World War II, reaching the rank of major general.

What did AJ Drexel develop?

After the death of his father in 1863, Drexel closed the bank’s Chicago and San Francisco offices and changed the name of its New York branch from Read, Drexel & Co. to Drexel Winthrop. In 1867 he founded a separate Paris-based banking partnership, Drexel, Harjes & Co., with John H. Harjes and Eugene Winthrop.

Was The Happiest Millionaire based on a true story?

The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 American musical film starring Fred MacMurray, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle. The film, featuring music by the Sherman Brothers, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design by Bill Thomas.

Who founded Drexel University?

Anthony Joseph Drexel
Drexel University/Founders

When did Drexel fail?

Drexel Burnham Lambert

The Drexel headquarters (right) on Wall Street, New York
Defunct 1994
Fate Forced into bankruptcy
Headquarters New York, New York, United States
Key people Fred Joseph (president and CEO) Michael Milken (head of high-yield securities)

What time period is The Happiest Millionaire?

  • The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 American musical film starring Fred MacMurray, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle.
  • In autumn of 1916, Irish immigrant John Lawless (Tommy Steele) has applied for a butler position with eccentric Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J.
  • Mr.
  • Mr.

What year does Happiest Millionaire take place?

1916
Plot. In autumn of 1916, Irish immigrant John Lawless (Tommy Steele) has applied for a butler position with eccentric Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray). Even though the family is a bit strange, Lawless soon learns that he fits right in.

Were there real alligators in The Happiest Millionaire?

And, as portrayed in The Happiest Millionaire, his daughter Cordelia married Angier Buchanan Duke (whose family established an endowment to Duke University). In 1955, Cordelia co-wrote a biography about her father, which was adapted as a play starring Walter Pidgeon. Apparently, no live alligators were in it!