Enrica Soma

Enrica Soma (May 9, 1929 – January 29, 1969) was an American socialite, model, and prima ballerina. She was also the wife of director John Huston and mother of their three children.

Life and career

Soma was born in Manhattan, New York, the daughter of Italian-immigrant parents, Antonio Angelo "Tony" Soma, an entrepreneur; and Angelica (née Fantoni; 1891–1933), an aspiring singer and actress. Enrica was known by her nickname "Ricki". Her father ran the famed Tony's Wife restaurant in Manhattan, a popular celebrity dining spot for folks like Dorothy Parker. Tony Soma then became a prominent Manhattan night-life figure known as "Broadway Tony" and "Yoga Tony"; he would greet guests entering the restaurant by standing on his head and singing. Her mother died at the age of 42 from pneumonia and her father remarried socialite Dorothy Flora Fraser (1910–1996). Ricki had a brother, Philip Soma, and half-siblings from her father's remarriage: Linda, Fraser, and Tony Jr.^[1][2][3][4]

Soma was pushed into the entertainment industry by her father, using the connections he had gained through his restaurant. She studied ballet with George Balanchine and joined his company as a principal dancer. As a model, she appeared on the June 9, 1947 cover of Life Magazine at the age of 18. She worked often with Philippe Halsman.^[5][6][7][8] She was then offered a film contract by David O. Selznick, but turned down becoming an actress once she met Huston.

The director John Huston saw Soma's photo and began pursuing her, even though he was married to actress Evelyn Keyes at the time. Eventually she became his fourth wife, and they married in 1950 when she was pregnant with their first child, Walter Antony Huston (b. 1950), an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. Their second child is Academy Award winning actress Anjelica Huston (b. 1951). The marriage was troubled, due to the age difference between them, and Huston often being absent from home to make movies. It was later revealed that while married to Huston Enrica had an affair with John Julius Norwich, producing a child, Allegra Huston (b. 1964).^[9][10] Around the same time, Huston was having an affair with actress Zoe Sallis, who gave birth to Huston's son, Danny Huston (b. 1962). Soma is also the grandmother of actor Jack Huston.

Death

Soma died on January 29, 1969, in a car accident in Dijon, France. She was 39 years old. ^[11]

References