Yvonne Evelyn Hughes ( - December , ) was a dancer in the Ziegfeld
Follies and an actress in silent motion pictures.Hughes appeared in
films with Gloria Swanson and once danced with Rudolph Valentino. Her
movie appearances came in and . She had roles in Lawful Larceny,
Zaza, Big Brother, A Society Scandal, and Monsieur Beaucaire. She also
appeared in Rio Rita, and Whoopi! -, a musical comedy.In , Hughes
married Gordon Godowsky, son of Leopold Godowsky. The marriage lasted
one year. In , Godowsky committed suicide over financial trouble.On
December , , Hughes was murdered in the New York City hotel room of
Birger Nordkvist, a Swedish apple picker who worked for a western New
York cider firm. Earlier that night, Nordkvist got into a cab driven
by John McDonald, who had lived with Hughes for fourteen years.
McDonald offered to take him to the Ashland Hotel, where he kept a
room. Nordkvist met Hughes, who demonstrated some old dance routines
for him, and they drank beer through the night and into the next
morning; all the while, McDonald was driving his taxi. After Hughes
rebuffed Nordkvist's advances, Nordkvist strangled her by tying his
handkerchief around her throat and stuffing a silk scarf into her
mouth. Nordkvist was arrested in Utica, New York where he went after
leaving the hotel.
Follies and an actress in silent motion pictures.Hughes appeared in
films with Gloria Swanson and once danced with Rudolph Valentino. Her
movie appearances came in and . She had roles in Lawful Larceny,
Zaza, Big Brother, A Society Scandal, and Monsieur Beaucaire. She also
appeared in Rio Rita, and Whoopi! -, a musical comedy.In , Hughes
married Gordon Godowsky, son of Leopold Godowsky. The marriage lasted
one year. In , Godowsky committed suicide over financial trouble.On
December , , Hughes was murdered in the New York City hotel room of
Birger Nordkvist, a Swedish apple picker who worked for a western New
York cider firm. Earlier that night, Nordkvist got into a cab driven
by John McDonald, who had lived with Hughes for fourteen years.
McDonald offered to take him to the Ashland Hotel, where he kept a
room. Nordkvist met Hughes, who demonstrated some old dance routines
for him, and they drank beer through the night and into the next
morning; all the while, McDonald was driving his taxi. After Hughes
rebuffed Nordkvist's advances, Nordkvist strangled her by tying his
handkerchief around her throat and stuffing a silk scarf into her
mouth. Nordkvist was arrested in Utica, New York where he went after
leaving the hotel.
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