They say the sun never sets on a Vanderbilt, but no good fortune lasts forever.

Dowager Alice Vanderbilt opens the Breakers after a season away. The great Vanderbilt fortune is no longer growing and dwindling under the weight of far too many heirs. In her twilight years, Alice tries to hide her financial situation while trying to see who will be the next Society queen her daughter-in-law Grace Wilson Vanderbilt or Daisy Van Alen.

Too many heirs with not enough wealth builders lead to the demise of the Vanderbilt dynasty before the Great Depression. Though some future lesser heirs amass their own fortunes, and one leaves behind a musical legacy that has made all our lives far richer.

Other people and subjects include: Barbara Hutton, Doris Duke, Louise Astor Van Alen, Astor vs Vanderbilt fortunes, Newport cottages (Breakers, Wakehurst, & Beechwood), Caroline Astor, Alva Vanderbilt, disinheritance, loss of fortune, CW’s original Gossip Girl tv series Nate Archibald, Gloria Vanderbilt, Anderson Cooper, Princess Diana, Timothy Olyphant, Altered Carbon, music producer John Hammond, and Benny Carter.

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Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: Nightfall by Benny Carter & His Orchestra, Album Nightfall – Sophisticated Jazz Classics
Section 2 Music: These Foolish Things by Benny Carter, Album Perfect Blues
Section 3 Music: Nightfall by Benny Carter & His Orchestra, Album Nightfall – Sophisticated Jazz Classics
End Music: These Foolish Things by Benny Carter, Album Perfect Blues