My father, Georgie Price (1901-1964), told me he
advised
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt to go to his friend
and
surgeon, Maxwell Maltz, for cosmetic surgery, and
that they
did. If I recall correctly, they had work done on
one or
more noses and chins.
Independently of that, I heard on a television show
that they
retired to Hyde Park for a month during Franklin's
Presidency,
avoiding all visitors.
Is this true, and are the two events related?
My father advised many aspiring entertainers to
improve their
chances at success in various ways, coining stage
names and recommending
body building, training, elocution lessons, etc.,
and he attributed
much of his success in show business to having his
teeth pulled
and replaced by dentures when he was young, having a
"nose job,"
having his ears "taken in," sitting in front of a
sun lamp, taking
speech and voice lessons, and learning many skills.
He impressed upon me profoundly the importance of
keeping the
Roosevelts' surgery secret, but that was many years
ago, and I'm sure
divulging it now would harm no one and would serve
history well.
I agree with Mr. Price's attitude toward history and
the passage of time.
I am publishing the note because it contains a verifiable
claim. If readers determine there was an acute noticeable
change in the appearance of President Roosevelt, please
let me know.
The note is published with the permission of Mr. Price.
