Motto: live a fast life, die young and be a beautiful corpse (Irene L. Luce 1920 August 25)

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/14/2012 11:41 AM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>...
>Here are some earlier instances of the general expression.
>
>Cite: 1920 August 25, Riverside Daily Press, Did Not Want to Be
>Bothered with Husband, [Dateline: Los Angeles, Aug. 25], Page 2,
>Column 4, Riverside, California. (GenealogyBank)
>[Begin excerpt]
>Letters from Mrs. Irene L. Luce, to Oscar B. Luce, won a divorce for
>the husband here today.
>"I can't be bothered with a husband," one letter said.
>"I intend to live a fast life, die young and be a beautiful corpse,"
>Mrs. Luce wrote.
>[End excerpt]

I'd be more ready to credit the letter-writer if it were not Irene L.
but Clare Booth.  Or Dorothy Parker.
:-)
Joel

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