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ABROAD

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fter a while a buyer from France appeared, a financier named Georges Levy. He had 'Marcon' loaded by crane onto the deck of an Atlantic mail ship "City of Norfolk". Possibly a first time crossing the pond as deck cargo for such a large boat. She was unloaded at Le Havre. (Love to find photographs). A pair of 6 cyl Atlas Imperials replaced the old Mianus engines.

Atlas Imperial Marine c.1927

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hings were getting ominous for Jews in Europe and no doubt Levy hoped his new yacht would be a means of urgent escape. 'Marcon' was renamed 'Fifrelin II' and based at Deauville where Levy used her as a place to entertain. He reputedly did a wonderful parody of Hitler.. He was an established gentleman with land and a beautiful Chateau at Meslay le Vidame. There was a relationship with a reputedly charming woman who lived with him as his wife, Mme Jeanne.

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e had built up an important collection of impressionist paintings and other valuable antiques. As adviser to the Rothschilds he led a comfortable life. But maybe it was an uncertain future which inspired his delightful homemade colour cine documentary about the life of his village in 1938. http://memoire.ciclic.fr/1093-meslay-le-vidame

In Paris he met and fell for an American night club singer Alice Snow Barbee. She married him in France in 1937 but within three years he abandoned his old life and they left for America on the last liner to leave France before the outbreak of war in 1939. The chateau, contents and estate was impounded by the Vichy government. Levy was labelled a traitor and poor Jeanne moved to Nice where she became destitute and hanged herself.

Possibly Alice and Jeanne with flowers

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n America Levy changed his name to Lurcy. He wasted no time in rebuilding his wealth as a financier on Wall Street. After the war he revisited France, but died from cancer in 1953. He seems to have kept his art collection and estate but the chateau became a home for delinquents. He left a huge charitable and educational Trust for students. Sotheby's sold his paintings and furniture for record prices. Alice was provided for in his will but his fortune went into the Georges Lurcy Charitable and Educational Trust which provideds substantial grants to American students for the study of French culture.