Customer Reviews

This Crazy Thing Called Love: The Golden World and Fatal Marriage of Ann and Billy Woodward

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(1)
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Susan Braudy's lucidly-written book does justice to the fearless, insular Woodward clan of mid-Century New York society. Poor Ann Woodward, who wanted nothing more than everything the Woodwards had, claws her way to the upper social strata using her good looks and sexual wiles to capture the heart of William Woodward, Jr., a handsome, rich and directionless young man. Their relationship desinergrates early, held together only by the birth of their two sons, but Ann Woodward fiercely clings to the power of her status and in the process, shoots the very man whose existence gives her validation in that tenuous world. Shunned from society after that, Ann travels the globe restlessly while the Woodward family falls apart, a glory of worlds past. After her suicide in 1975, her youngest son, Jimmy commits suicide by jumping out of a tall window. Ironically, in 1999, the oldest son, William Woodward III, does the same. This brief shining world of the Woodwards is factualy accounted for here and should not be missed by any lover of the rich and infamous.

I must say that I enjoyed this book tremendously and could not wait to get back to it on evenings.
For those of you who love to read about the golden world of the ultra rich traveling from pillar to post, having champagne and caviar at every corner of the globe, this book is for you.
Ann Crowell was a dirt poor kid from Kansas, but when she married Billy Wood ward, the heir of a banking fortune her world changed instantly. Though not accepted by the rich society whom Bill wined and dined with, and just barely appreciated by her mother in law Ellen, it wasn't an easy life for Ann.
She was more obsessed with Bill than he was with her but there was this certain magic surrounding her which kept him returning to her every time he went astray
"Money makes the mare fly" and Ann Crawford had no urgent desire to divorce him or leave him. She knew where her bread was buttered and she wanted every slice. Ms, Braudy takes us through their torrid life together, as they travel to the various polo matches all spanning various continents.....until things start going wrong, Very wrong.
I encourage those lovers of true crime situations, to get their hands on this book ....soonest possible.

Author Susan Braudy admits that she began writing this book to prove that Dominick Dunne's book The Two Mrs. Grenvilles and Truman Capote's unfinished novel Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel contained the REAL story about the tragic 1955 Woodward murder. While doing a thorough job of research, Susan found herself swayed.

Ann Crowell was a beautiful young girl from Kansas who wanted to be famous; she downplayed and changed her humble beginnings and enjoyed modest success as a New York City radio actress. She met wealthy Billy Woodward, Jr. and a tempestous love affair began for the two of them. Woodward's snobby family thought Crowell beneath them, and never accepted her into the fold. Ann fought for acceptance until the day she died, attempting to better herself and mimic the gestures, vocal inflections, and sense of style that were part of the upper crust. Billy Woodward preferred her as she was, and her social climbing caused many a problem for the marriage. Ann constantly sought Billy's approval in everything that she did; Woodward's affairs and bisexual leanings did nothing to help allay her insecurities. Tragedy came in the form of Ann accidentally shooting her husband, thinking he was the prowler that had been terrorizing the neighborhood. Although found innocent in a court of law, Ann was privately found guilty by society, and lived the rest of her days floating from one city to the other, looking for love and acceptance. It is truly a sad tale, and much more fascinating that Capote's acidic bitter grapes story that was founded on hateful gossip.

Braudy has used Ann's journals as well as firsthand witnesses to recreate her in the flesh; Ann becomes a living breathing human being again through Braudy's account. What a heartwrenching tale, especially for Ann & Billy's children . I HIGHLY recommend this book! Plenty of great photos as well.

Unlike The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, this book is based on truth. The author was a friend of Mrs. Woodward's son. Doing her research she takes us through the nuts and bolts of Ann's marriage, and what most likely happened the night her husband was killed. It is probable that Ann did NOT mean to kill her husband, as he was her meal ticket, so to speak, and her entire life revolved around him and the comforts and acceptance (from society) that he provided her with. True, she was more emotional than the typical "society lady" who allowed their husbands to wander...

It was interesting how Ann had been brought up - by a liberated mother with apparently very poor taste in men. This book shows much empathy to Mrs. Woodward and explains a lot of unanswered questions.

This story had all the trappings of a Ross Hunter production of a Lana Turner tearjerker. I can see John Gavin in the Billy Woodward part. It was fifty years ago that Ann Woodward made a double-barreled blast into the headlines when she mistook her husband for a prowler and shot him. Twice. (The first time, she missed.) And thus was born not only the misery of Ann Woodward and her children but the delight of Truman Capote and his book "Answered Prayers." Tru intended to make the Woodward murder the highlight of his first excerpt in Esquire magazine, labeling her a "malicious Betty Grable." When word filtered back to her, Ann Woodward swallowed a cyanide pill leaving her two sons orphans. What makes this tale of passion and death so moving and sad is the children. Both of them followed their parents to an early grave. Both by jumping from windows. They say the murder house is haunted to this day.

Dominick Dunne would go on to soften Ann's image with the two Mrs. Grenville's, giving justification for her bewitching success in captivating society's finest and most eligible bachelor. She couldn't be completely bereft of any redeeming features whasoever.

Susan Braudy attempts to fully rehabilitate Ann's image here, and the mistruths told about her case. Her attempt is largely successful except for one major thing. Ann Woodward aimed at her naked husband (most prowlers arrive clothed) and fired. Twice.

Although meticulous, Braudy doesn't address a theory put forth that the elder Mrs. Woodward paid the prowler to confess to being on the roof that night. If that theory is false, then Ms. Braudy has posthumously exonerated Ann Woodward and is to be applauded.

This Crazy Thing Called Love is a beautifully written book, spare and yet lush at the same time. I could not put it down because everything is spot on perfect, not least of all the idle arrogance of the upper classes who flocked to parties featuring those boring marionettes, the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor, who were reduced to charging their hosts by the hour for personal appearances.

Braudy knew William Woodward III and was actually introduced to Ann Woodward herself, and she writes about a meeting with her at her maisonette apartment which had me riveted to the page.

It is interesting to note that the Woodward women, strivers in their own day, all turned out to be perfect little snobs themselves. But isn't that always the case.

If you are as obsessed with the Woodward case as I am (I grew up nearby and remember the case), this is the definitive word on this particular crime. I read Truman's La Cote Basque piece in Esquire and of course Dominick Dunne's book The Two Mrs Grenvilles. I even drove out to the Woodward "Playhouse" where the murders took place and swung my car around on the same cobblestones Mary Queen of Scots walked over to her execution. Ann was so proud of them. Suddenly, there it was, the plain, art deco-ish exterior with the trellis and the porthole windows.

I noticed that Dominick Dunne had the author of this book on as a contributor to a segment he did on the Woodward murder on his television program. She has done a masterful job putting together this book. Although Dunne is not listed as a source, a clue is given as to who the real "Basil Plant" is in The Two Mrs. Grenvilles. It isn't Truman Capote, but an actual employee of a cruise ship, the cruise ship from the opening of The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, who knew both Dunne and Capote.

Five stars. Great read.

I enjoyed every page of this book. It was so well reserched, and wonderful pictures. I think Ann Woodward is one of the most selfish self centered woman I have ever read about. I no longer envy people with unlimited wealth, it seems to bring nothing but tragedy. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

This is the non-fiction version of the Ann and Billy Woodward story. In a nutshell: Ann, a poor but beautiful actress and showgirl from Kansas, meets Billy, the passive-aggressive, messed-up heir to a banking fortune. They marry over the objections of his family, who see her as a low-class golddigger. Determined to win the approval of Billy's social circles, Ann embarks on an intense self-improvement course to learn the right ways to talk, dress, entertain and act in society. She succeeds in becoming a recognized society hostess and fashion plate, but is still socially ostracized. Billy is not much help, as he drinks too much, has affairs, puts Ann down in public and occasionally hits her. Ann tries desperately to hang onto her husband and her place in society, until one night she shoots him in the vast, decaying mansion she was hoping to remodel into a prestigious estate. Ann claims that she mistook Billy for a prowler who had been reportely terrorizing the neighborhood. Was it a terrible accident - or murder?

If you're a fan of either true crime, or well-researched biographies of the dysfunctional super-rich (such as "Little Gloria, Happy at Last"), then you'll enjoy this book. I found out in the course of reading it that the story had been fictionalized by both Truman Capote ("Answered Prayers") and Dominick Dunne ("The Two Mrs. Grenvilles"). I'm not a huge fan of either Dunne or Capote (with the exception of "In Cold Blood") because they tend to fictionalize their subjects and include a lot of gossip, to the point where the truth of the story gets blurred and the reader is hampered from making his or her own decision about what really might have happened. Although Ann escaped prison for shooting Billy, she allegedly was driven to suicide by the insinuations in the Capote book. If you've already read one or both of the fictionalized books, then "This Crazy Thing Called Love" will provide yet another side to the story, but if you haven't read anything previously about this case, you won't need it in order to enjoy "This Crazy Thing".

The author does a fine job of investigating Ann's obscure background. Ann's mother, an independent woman who's about 50 years ahead of her time regarding women's education, careers and general independence, makes mighty efforts to escape a stultifying rural marriage and support little Ann as a single parent. Unfortunately, Ann's mother has limited career options available, and is forced to take dead-end jobs in mob-controlled nightclubs and operating a taxi stand. When Ann is old enough, she leaves home hoping to make her fortune as an actress, and has some minor success in stage and radio productions, as well as modeling and working as a nightclub showgirl. One day, Billy and his equally dissolute and rich best buddy happen into the nightclub where Ann and another girl are entertaining dressed up as sexy bunnies, and before you know it both boys have run off with the "bunny girls," much to their families' chagrin. Billy's friend, the instigator of the whole affair, soon dies, leaving Billy, the passive follower, to deal with the long-term consequences alone. Does Billy stay with Ann because she's very sexy, or because underneath it all she's his true soulmate, or because she's his main means of rebellion against his parents even as he joins them in putting her down, or because he's too much of a wimp to get himself out of the situation? The author does a good job of hinting at all these possibilities while letting the reader make up his own mind. The author also hints at the violent dynamics of Ann and Billy's relationship, showing how the couple always seemed to get emotional and sexual energy from the drama of arguments and physical fights. Billy spends most of his time in a maddeningly passive, boozy haze, except when Ann jolts him out of it by starting an argument.

Whether or not you think Ann Woodward was guilty of murder, you'll probably feel sorry for her by the end of the book. She never seems to get to feel secure, not as a rich man's wife or even as a child, and eventually, like a character in a bad soap opera, her nerves start to show the strain. One wishes she could have just told all the snooty rich people, and maybe Billy himself for that matter, to go jump off a bridge and stormed out with her head held high, instead of destroying herself trying to win their approval.

This is an excellently written book. So many true crime books tend
to bore me or I find too bloodletting to stay with it. This book is
a refreshing change. It is a big book but I find I couldnt put it down
til done. She explains beautifully all the trials and tribulations the
poor little girl from Kansas faced when she landed one of the richest
men in the country, Billy Woodward. Coming from two entirely different worlds, you wonder how these two stayed married so long before
tragedy struck. Their love and hate relationship ultimately destroyed
one then the other taking other family members down with them.
At about 420 pages, it is well worth the time to read this fascinating story.

Whenever I read about the rich and of the problems they may have, I feel less inclined to lament the fact that I am not wealthy. If ever there was a case to support the statement: Money does not buy happiness, this sad story should do it. If Ann Woodward had only studied the moral of Scott Fitzgerald's story "The Great Gatsby", the fairytale might have had a happy ending. Read this book, enjoy the excellent writing, but learn something of human nature that, deep down, you should already know.

After reading Truman Capote's "Answered Prayers," I wanted to learn everything possible about Ann Woodward. And this book has everything--every detail and then some (and a fabulous collection of photos). What it lacks is foreshadowing, suspense and energetic storytelling, so it does its dazzling subject a disservice.

Braudy itemizes endless minutiae ("A week later Peter's flight was grounded in London for hours because of fog. He was bringing fifty pages of his novel about a young man stranded in the South of France. Peter arrived late in Dublin and missed his train connection. He sat drinking in the Gresham hotel bar, waiting for the next train.") without making them lively and relevant to the unfolding tale--should I care about the missed connection? and why? Rather than drawing you into the story's web, the details read like a laundry list of research. A list that's 400 pages long.

It was such tedious going that I elected to read the highlights and skip the rest. I recommend checking it out of the library--it's great for getting to know the facts of the case, but it's not one I'd add to my permanent collection.