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33-482: A jet set is an international social group of wealthy people. Jet set or Jetset may also refer to: Jet set The term "jet set" is attributed to Igor Cassini , a reporter for the New York Journal-American who wrote a gossip column under the pen name " Cholly Knickerbocker ". He was a younger brother of the fashion designer Oleg Cassini . Another term that developed during

66-428: A CBS documentary on hunting, The Guns of Autumn . Amory also presented a daily radio essay called "Curmudgeon at Large". Later he wrote a syndicated column called "Animail" and served as a senior contributing editor of Parade magazine from 1980 to 1998. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Amory wrote another series of bestselling nonfiction books about Polar Bear, a stray, starving white cat that he had rescued from

99-577: A Manhattan street on Christmas Eve 1977. The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987) spent twelve weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Its sequels, The Cat and the Curmudgeon (1990) and The Best Cat Ever (1993, published after Polar Bear's death), also were bestsellers. In 1988, Amory made his only feature film appearance in the role of "Mr. Danforth" in the comedy-drama Mr. North , starring Anthony Edwards . Beginning in

132-553: A bullfight in Nogales , Mexico which strongly influenced him to become an activist for animal rights. Starting in the late 1940s, Amory wrote a series of bestselling social history books, starting with The Proper Bostonians (1947) and continuing through The Last Resorts (1952) and Who Killed Society? (1960), that satirized the pretensions of the upper class society, particularly in Boston, where he had grown up. In 1952, he became

165-575: A corporate association with the Fund for Animals. Inspired by Anna Sewell 's novel Black Beauty , Amory established the Black Beauty Ranch, a 1,460 acres (590 hectares) sanctuary that sheltered various abused animals, including chimpanzees, burros and elephants. Located in Murchison, Texas , this ranch accommodated over 600 resident animals. Amory's goal when creating the animal refuge

198-451: A debate with its planners. When he returned, instead of the usual lighthearted commentary expected by the Today show management, Amory proposed, on air and during viewers' breakfast hour, the formation of a hunt club where human hunters would be tracked down and killed for sport, arguing that killing hunters in cold blood would be humane and kind owing to their overpopulation. Viewer response

231-433: A dream that one day I would have a place which would embody everything Black Beauty loved about his final home. I dreamed that I would go even a step further—at my place none of the horses would ever wear a bit or blinkers or check reins, or in fact have reins at all, because they would never pull a cart, a carriage, a cab, or anything else. Indeed, they would never even be ridden—they would just run free." Black Beauty Ranch

264-542: A regular columnist for the weekly magazine Saturday Review . He continued to write the column for 20 years, until 1972. He also wrote articles for many other publications. In the spring of 1955, he traveled to France with his wife Martha for an assignment with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor . Amory agreed to ghostwrite the Duchess' autobiography, but after realizing that she wanted him to sugar-coat her life, he quickly left

297-547: A television and radio commentator. In the late 1980s and 1990s, he wrote bestselling books about his adopted cat, Polar Bear, starting with The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987). Amory devoted much of his life to promoting animal rights, particularly protection of animals from hunting and vivisection . The executive director of the Humane Society of the United States described Amory as "the founding father of

330-752: Is operated by HSUS. In 1978, Amory purchased the first oceangoing vessel for Captain Paul Watson , the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society . Watson used this boat in his first actions against the Japanese whaling fleet. Amory took part in many campaigns such as the one waged by Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society against whaling and sealing. Amory, who had many prominent persons and celebrities in his social circle,

363-585: The Department of Defense . By the time Amory died in 1998, the Fund had a "$ 2 million budget, more than 200,000 members, and three animal sanctuaries, and had initiated several high profile animal rescues, including the organic 'painting' of baby harp seals off the Magdalen Islands in Canada to ensure that their fur was worthless to hunters." In 2005, a few years after Amory's death, HSUS formed

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396-568: The Beautiful People and the Jet Set are being threatened by current economics." A sign that "jet set" had passed from urbane use was the 1974 country song " (We're Not) The Jet Set ", in which George Jones and Tammy Wynette claim they are "the old Chevrolet set," as opposed to leading a glamorous, "jet-setting" lifestyle. In 1976, the jet set first flew on the supersonic Concorde . Scheduled flights began on 21 January 1976 on

429-489: The Fund for Animals with a planned focus on protecting animals from hunters and creating animal sanctuaries. The Fund struggled during the first years of its existence but became known in 1979 for sponsoring a removal by air and land of 580 Grand Canyon burros slated for destruction by the National Park Service . Amory later fought a similar battle to prevent the killing of San Clemente Island's goats by

462-514: The London– Bahrain oil executive route and the distinctly jet-set Paris– Rio de Janeiro (via Dakar ) route. From November 1977 the Concorde was flying between standard jet-set destinations, London or Paris to New York City; passenger lists on initial flights were gossip-column material. The Concorde restored the term's cachet: "From rock stars to royalty, the Concorde was the way to travel for

495-536: The early 1960s, Amory, while maintaining his career as an outspoken reporter and commentator, began to devote an increasing amount of his time to animal rights organizations. In 1962, he joined the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), remaining there until 1970. Amory also served as president of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) from 1987 until his death in 1998. In 1967, Amory founded

528-422: The era was Beautiful People , a period equivalent to today's concept of " glitterati " being " supermodels , celebrities and socialites ", where looks, youth, and attractive activities predominated over wealth and high social standing. Jet passenger service in the 1950s was marketed primarily to the upper class, but its introduction eventually resulted in a substantial democratization of air travel . Although

561-571: The first generation that might spend a weekend in Paris or fly to Rome just for a party. The jet set was celebrated in popular culture, for example, Federico Fellini captured their lifestyle in La Dolce Vita (1960), and many movies and record albums of the era promoted flying to foreign lands for honeymoons and getaways, such as Capitol Records Honeymoon in Rome (1956). The term was joined in

594-436: The jet age. Cleveland Amory Cleveland Amory (September 2, 1917 – October 14, 1998) was an American author, reporter, television critic, commentator and animal rights activist. He wrote a series of popular books poking fun at the pretensions and customs of society, starting with The Proper Bostonians in 1947. From the 1950s through the 1990s, he had a career as a reporter and writer for national magazines and as

627-537: The jet set," according to the Nova retrospective special "Supersonic Dream". However, the Concorde was doomed by its sonic boom , limited global fly-over rights because of the boom, its huge thirst for jet fuel, and a disastrous crash . The aircraft was retired in 2003. Meanwhile, the Boeing 747 , densely packed with some 400 passengers, was a craft that accelerated the democratizing social changes already brought about by

660-411: The largest sanctuary sponsored by the Fund. One of Black Beauty's most famous residents was a 25-year-old chimp named Nim Chimpsky who had been used in language experiments when young and then sold as a laboratory animal. The ranch was the fulfillment of a longtime dream for Amory. He explained in his 1997 book Ranch of Dreams : "It was not long after reading Black Beauty for the first time that I had

693-447: The modern animal protection movement." Amory was born September 2, 1917, into a privileged Boston Brahmin family; his parents were Robert Amory and Leonore Cobb Amory, daughter of Chicago architect Henry Ives Cobb . During his childhood, he had a great affection for his aunt Lucy "Lu" Creshore, who took in many stray animals and was instrumental in helping Amory get his first puppy, an event that Amory remembered seventy years later as

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726-437: The most memorable moment of his childhood. In 1936, when he was 18, Amory held a summer job as tutor and companion to 13-year-old William Zinsser , who grew up to be a notable writer and editor. Zinsser later recalled that they had many discussions about their shared interest in journalism, which at that time was not considered suitable for upper-class young men. After attending Milton Academy , Amory went to Harvard where he

759-669: The place of Bermuda . Meanwhile, Cannes , Capri , St. Tropez , Portofino , and other sea-side towns on the French and Italian Riviera were on the jet set itinerary. Greek Islands such as Mykonos were included in the loop around 1974. Later on other hot spots such as Spain's Marbella on its Costa del Sol also developed a similar reputation. The original members of this elite, free-wheeling set were those socialites who were not shy about publicity and entertained in semi-public places like restaurants and in night clubs , where paparazzi —a jet set phenomenon—photographed them. They were

792-471: The project. In 1952, Amory was hired as a commentator on the NBC morning news and talk television program Today , the first of its genre. He provided a televised commentary every few weeks, usually with light humor or satire. Because his subject matter tended to be light, the network did not review his planned commentaries in advance. Amory continued as a popular commentator for eleven years until 1963, when he

825-439: The spring of 1962 by Vogue 's coinage of the term "the Beautiful People". This expression initially referred to the circle that formed around President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy . Readers of the 15 February 1964 Vogue could learn "What the beautiful people are doing to keep fit." The two phrases ran for a time in tandem; in 1970, author and social commentator Cleveland Amory could fear "that

858-490: The term "jet set" can still be found in common parlance, its literal meaning of those who travel by jet is no longer applicable as such. The British international air carrier BOAC inaugurated the world's first commercial scheduled jet service on 2 May 1952, using the de Havilland Comet , followed by the introduction of the Comet 4 in 1958 after a series of accidents in 1953–1954. The first successful service, from October 1958,

891-535: Was abruptly fired from the Today show with no warning. Over time, the subject matter of Amory's published work increasingly focused on animal rights. From 1963 to 1976, Amory was a television critic for TV Guide magazine, where he drew the ire of hunters for his biting criticisms of sports hunting programs. His book Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife (1974) detailed inhumane hunting practices, sparking an editorial in The New York Times and

924-577: Was fired in one of his first controversial moments relating to his views on animal rights. In 1963, Amory learned that the American Legion in Harmony, North Carolina , planned to sponsor a "bunny bop" rabbit killing contest. At that time, wild rabbits in the United States were widely regarded as both agricultural pests and game animals for hunting and eating. After learning of the "bunny bop," Amory and his assistant traveled to Harmony to engage in

957-549: Was noted for influencing celebrities to support animal rights. He reportedly enlisted Henry Fonda , Andy Williams and Grace Kelly , and he also recruited Doris Day , Angie Dickinson , and Mary Tyler Moore for his campaigns against fur clothing. Amory was married twice. His first wife was Cora Fields Craddock in 1941; they divorced in 1947. His second wife was actress Martha Hodge, whom he married on December 31, 1954. The couple divorced in 1977. Amory had one stepdaughter by his second marriage. Amory enjoyed playing chess and

990-526: Was overwhelmingly negative and Amory was quickly reprimanded by NBC President Julian Goodman . Just a few months later, Amory again voiced controversial animal rights opinions during his Today show segment by speaking at length about the evils of vivisection—the abuse of animals in laboratory experiments. Although Amory did not entirely oppose the scientific use of animals, he strongly believed that many of them were being inhumanely and needlessly mistreated. His commentary drew opposition from scientists, and he

1023-654: Was president of The Harvard Crimson . After graduating from Harvard in 1939, where he joined the Spee Club, Amory became the youngest editor ever hired by The Saturday Evening Post , a position he held until 1941 when he left to serve in the Second World War . Amory served in military intelligence in the United States Army from 1941 to 1943. Upon returning, he worked as a writer and reporter for several publications. Around 1945, Amory witnessed

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1056-579: Was the typical "jet set" route, London–New York City. Pan Am followed suit with the Boeing 707 , making its first scheduled flight between New York City and Paris on 26 October 1958. Other cities on the standard jet set routes were Honolulu , Mexico City , Las Vegas , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Washington, D.C. , Rio de Janeiro , Athens , Madrid , Paris , Rome , Vienna , Bangkok , Hong Kong , Manila , and Tokyo . Jet set resorts in places like Acapulco and Nassau , where Huntington Hartford 's new Paradise Island opened in 1962, were taking

1089-413: Was to "create a sanctuary where its inhabitants would roam unfettered and unbothered by human taskmasters." The words on the ranch's gate are taken from the final lines of Sewell's novel: "I have nothing to fear, / and my story ends. / My troubles are all over, / and I am at home." The ranch was created as sanctuary for the many burros rescued in 1979 and the early 1980s by the Fund for Animals. It became

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