A Gay/campy chronicling of daily life in NYC,with individual kernels of human truth. copyright 2011 by The Raving Queen
Monday, November 4, 2013
Oh, That Mary Frances!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, darlings, Mary Frances Creighton is in no way related to Mary Katherine Gallagher, created and played by comedic actress, Molly Shannon! Quite, the contrary; Mary Frances, another of the "Marys" featured on the Halloween program, "Bloody Marys" was an adept serial killer, who worked both sides of the Hudson, from Newark, New Jersey, to Baldwin, Long Island! Just the perfect places for serial murders, loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Things really came to a head in Baldwin, in 1935. The Creightons, ten years married, but down on their luck, due to the Depression, were forced to take in boarders. They turned out to be John's old Army buddy, Everett Applegate, his wife, Aida, and their children. Aida was supposedly fragile and in poor health, though the actress who played her on "Bloody Marys" looked heftier than Kathy Bates when she played Annie Wilkes in "Misery," and looked capable enough of doing anyone in, herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time went on, and things got hot and heavy between Mary Frances and Everett Applegate. With husband John, wife Aida, and the children, all under one roof. But Everett was one cat who was not content with his cream, for soon he began licking his chops at the Creighton's 15-year-old daughter, Ruth. Who, I am not sure was thrilled with John's attention, or not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, you know how sick Mary Frances was, darlings?????? When she found out about Everett and Ruth,she did not get mad at Everett, or Ruth! She got mad at Everett's wife, Aida, and said she was the one who had to go! Then, they could skirt the issue of Everett's pedophilia, by having Ruth marry Everett!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it??????? If I were Ruth, I would have done them all in, myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, slowly, inexorably, Mary Frances began to systematically poison Aida, by using a brand of rat pesticide called "Rough On Rats!" Catchy, huh? It proved to be rough on Aida, too, especially as Mary Frances was forcing her to scarf down richly concocted drinks, like egg nog, with all the aplomb of Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castevett, forcing Mia Farrow to drink her pregnancy cocktail, in "Rosemary's Baby." Only, Minnie was nicer!!!!!!!!!!
Aida died, but eventually, Mary Frances' activities in Newark, New Jersey came to light. There, she had murdered, among others, her father-in-law and younger sibling, Raymond (the Creightons had raised them, when orphaned) in order to inherit all of her parents' money!!!!!!!!!! Eventually, both Mary Frances and Everett were charged, convicted, and had dates with Old Sparky, at Sing Sing! Mary Frances went to hers, wearing a decorative robe, but she passed out en route, and was executed unconscious. Good bye, Mary Frances! Now, you are TOAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for daughter, Ruth, I wonder what happened.to her. Every Easter, on TV, ABC would run "The Story Of Ruth," with Stuart Whitman, Tom Tryon, (of "The Other" fame!!!!!!) and Elana Eden. But it's this other Ruth I want to know about, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But you have to hand it to Mary Frances! She went out in style!!!!!!!!!
When I was little, we lived in Queens Village,very near the notorious Ruth Snyder house. It's still there and I wonder if the current occupants realize what happened there way back in the 20's!
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ReplyDeleteWas Ruth Snyder Mary Frances' daughter?
Ruth Snyder was a frumpy Queens housewife who had an affair with an equally frumpy salesman. They killed her husband while he slept with a sashweight (try finding one of THEM today!) and tried to make it look like burglary. They were arrested, convicted and executed. There is a very famous photo you can still see of Ruth frying in the electric chair. A photographer strapped a camera secretly to his leg and snapped the picture literally as the volts were passing through her body. There was a semi feminist
ReplyDeleteplay written about Snyder a few years later called Machinal. It featured a young Clark Gable, and is being revived by Roundabout in a few months.
Thanks for the update. Now I recall Ruth Snyder. What a piece of work. I have seen that photo. Wonder who will play it at Roundabout? That should be interesting
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