The Murder Of Joan Robinson Hill

[isuredid]

I'd never seen that pix... Wonder where it was taken.. I think the last public place they

were out together was the "wild game" dinner thing that they went to a few days before she

got sick. But they also went to quite a few other places.. They were regulars at the "Stables"

in those years. Probably a few other places too.. They also showed up at various musical

functions.. BTW, I may be way off base, but judging from the description of the dress they

buried her in, in "blood and money" , it's possible the dress she is wearing in that picture may

well be the dress she was buried in. Not sure though.. Matches the overall description though..

Of course, can't see the color. If it's gold, that may well be it..

MK

The picture was taken at a black tie gala for the opening of Niemann-Marcus benefiting the Texas Heart Association. John played in the orchestra that night. The orchestra was called "The Heartbeats" and was made up entirely of doctors.

[FilioScotia]

The orchestra was called "The Heartbeats" and was made up entirely of doctors.

It sure was. Dr. Denton Cooley played string bass, and equally noted cardiologist Dr. Grady Hallman played trumpet, I think. About a dozen other Texas Medical Center doctors alternated in and out on various instruments.

These guys were very good musicians, and played at any number of notable public and private events. They even cut a record sometime in the 70s.

I saw them one July 4th in the gazebo at Sam Houston Park. They recruited about a dozen other musicians from around the medical center and did patriotic music for a couple of hours.

It's an interesting phenomenon that many doctors are also accomplished musicians. The Texas Medical Center has a performing orchestra right now that's made up almost entirely of doctors, nurses and medical students.

They even have their own website. http://www.doctorsorchestrahouston.org/pre.../p2_articleid/2

My own sister in law -- A BCOM graduate who studied under some guy named DeBakey -- was a surgeon for 35 years and a professional quality flutist in her spare time. She's now retired from medicine, and she makes her living performing flute with orchestras and teaching it at the college level.

[nm5k]

I'm pretty sure I saw 4-5 of them play at Johnston Jr. High at a

school concert. In fact, I think one of them may well have been John

Hill. That was in 1970-71.

John Hill , along with a few of the others played a lot of schools.

I don't know if he was still a member when Joan Hill died.

He was kicked out of the band at the time of the "Kurth"

affair, due to some of the wives complaining about him

showing up in public with her, while still married to Joan.

He still played his other gigs though.. The schools, etc..

Now that I think back on it, I'm fairly sure one of the guys

I saw playing at the school was most likely John Hill.

MK

[Don Julio]

It sure was. Dr. Denton Cooley played string bass, and equally noted cardiologist Dr. Grady Hallman played trumpet, I think. About a dozen other Texas Medical Center doctors alternated in and out on various instruments.

These guys were very good musicians, and played at any number of notable public and private events. They even cut a record sometime in the 70s.

It's an interesting phenomenon that many doctors are also accomplished musicians. The Texas Medical Center has a performing orchestra right now that's made up almost entirely of doctors, nurses and medical students.

The Heartbeats album dates from the late '60s. They made it when John Hill was still in the band; he is pictured on the cover.

What is it about doctors and music, anyway?

[Vertigo58]

The Heartbeats album dates from the late '60s. They made it when John Hill was still in the band; he is pictured on the cover.

What is it about doctors and music, anyway?

I can only imagine that if we consider the stressful positions they find themselves in, there has to be some kind of outlet. Music is probably one of the best I can think of.

[FilioScotia]

I can only imagine that if we consider the stressful positions they find themselves in, there has to be some kind of outlet. Music is probably one of the best I can think of.

They grew up studying music and one instrument or another, but somewhere along the line they chose medicine over pursuing a music career. You're right about doctors using music as an outlet for the stresses they face every day, but not for Dr. John Hill.

Hill was a plastic surgeon, and an accomplished pianist who could play popular or classical. Tommy Thompson wrote in Blood and Money that Hill kept a grand piano in his office suite in the old Hermann Professional Building. He used it to serenade rich middle-aged women, to soften them up so he could use his enormous personal charm to persuade them to get plastic surgery. It's how he got rich.

[musicman]

I can only imagine that if we consider the stressful positions they find themselves in, there has to be some kind of outlet. Music is probably one of the best I can think of.

kind of like the astronaut band Max Q, if you don't join and relieve that stress you may get the urge to wear a diaper.

[Vertigo58]

kind of like the astronaut band Max Q, if you don't join and relieve that stress you may get the urge to wear a diaper.

So instead of saying he "went Postal" we can say he "Spaced out"

a gymnist would have "flipped out", etc.

[FilioScotia]

So instead of saying he "went Postal" we can say he "Spaced out" a gymnist would have "flipped out", etc.

And a hair stylist would have "wigged" out? Come on let's keep it going.

[Vertigo58]

And a hair stylist would have "wigged" out? Come on let's keep it going.

a sleepwalker could be "trippin"

Mind-reader "psyched-out"

Big Bird "flew the coop"

[FilioScotia]

a sleepwalker could be "trippin out"

Mind-reader "psyched-out"

Big Bird "flew the coop"

Don't forget the dog-walker who "pooped" out. Or the basketball player with diarrhea who "dribbled" out. Sorry. I seem to be stuck in the bathroom.

[isuredid]

[isuredid]

[plumber2]

The house they used to depict the Hill mansion in the "Murder in Texas" made for TV movie was actually on South MacGregor. It was only used for driveway and still shots. I'm sure all the interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood.

[Vertigo58]

The house they used to depict the Hill mansion in the "Murder in Texas" made for TV movie was actually on South MacGregor. It was only used for driveway and still shots. I'm sure all the interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood.

Very interesting to know and those pictures above are more interesting.

Mrs Hill looks so much like actress Cybill Sheperd, except no Moonlighting going on here.

[johnfinley]

Vertigo, I thought she looked like Cybil as well. I just didn't want to say anything about it. I wonder what house on S. Macgregor was used?

[Vertigo58]

Vertigo, I thought she looked like Cybil as well. I just didn't want to say anything about it. I wonder what house on S. Macgregor was used?

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...post&id=240

Wouldn't be surprised it it were the ill-fated Wright Morrow Estate that was discussed in another topic of its recent destruction. MacGregor area has or had numerous beauties such as this one. The address for the estate was listed as 3028 S MacGregor. Its now in the landfill.

[mkultra25]

If I'm reading the edge that got cut off here correctly, Ash Robinson's house was at 1029 Kirby. I've admired that distinctive, low-slung mod for years, but I never knew he'd lived there. HCAD says it was built in 1960 and remodeled in 2000 - anyone know if the remodeling substantially changed its appearance, or does it still look the way it did in the 60s?

[Vertigo58]

Please see beginning of this topic. The Kirby adress is listed, we were just commenting on the films use of another location for shots of the real house. The original home is still there on Kirby. Lets not get confused sorry, scusi mi'.

Lets try to find out how to get the movie. Worth seeing.

[johnfinley]

Yes...........that's the Wright Morrow Esate that's no longer with us. That was a beautiful colonial/Hollywood regency style home. Hollywood regency refers to that 1930's/1940's style of architecture and interior design that was partly created by William Haines, Joan Crawford's BFF.

[isuredid]

[isuredid]

[isuredid]

[isuredid]

[pshaddock]

My wife, also an alumni of West Briar (Weenie Briar), grew up at 2514 Brentweeod, in the house to the east of the Hills. In fact, they just sold the Brentwood house last Friday. Her father, Dr. Finkelstein, was a friend of the Hill's. My wife used to play the hills piano in their upstairs music room and swim in their pool.

Since the hills, the house has had a few owners. My understanding is it was sold to a nice gentleman who lived there for 20 or so years until he died of illness. He bequethed it to his live in significant other who lived there until recently. Now, according to my brother in law, a new family with kids has moved in. The mother is reported to be quite striking.

[BadhamCounty]

I won the movie Murder in Texas off of Ebay recently. I don't blame the people on this message board who complained about the inaccuracies in the movie. (If you knew the people or lived through those times, you always want things to be as accurate as possible.) That being said, I thought the movie held up through the years and was very well-acted and entertaining. I remember seeing it as a kid when it premiered on NBC and finding its depiction of upscale Houston fascinating. I think, of all the characters, Joan Robinson Hill and Ash Robinson came off as the most sympathetic. Farrah Fawcett and Andy Griffith did a superb job of giving those people depth and humanity. Sam Elliott was chilling as John Hill. Katharine Ross was fetching but dull as Ann Kurth. Fawcett makes Joan such a vibrant and likeable person that the movie isn't the same in the second half when she is gone.

Which house on MacGregor did they film at? I tried looking it up on Zillow and it doesn't look anything like the house in the movie.

I'm not from Houston and never visited, but this is a great message board.

[Southgater]

The Hills lived down the street from us in Southgate, prior to living in River Oaks. As an 8 year old kid, I remember them as very nice people. My parents were friends with them, and remember them as very nice people.

I remember Joan Robinson as very outgoing and confident...she seemed to always have a smile on her face. I remember John Hill as a nice man, clean-cut man.

The movie, as I recall painted him as kaniving (sp?) and her as overly dependent on him, neither which seemed to be true.

[BadhamCounty]

Well, like I said, I don't blame anyone for having problems with the movie if they had a personal connection to this tragedy. Even though I think it's a good film, I still watched it with a grain of salt knowing that things were not being dramatized as accurately as possible.

According to Zillow, the Hill house was recently sold. Here is the link to it:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=27845096

The Hills lived down the street from us in Southgate, prior to living in River Oaks. As an 8 year old kid, I remember them as very nice people. My parents were friends with them, and remember them as very nice people.

I remember Joan Robinson as very outgoing and confident...she seemed to always have a smile on her face. I remember John Hill as a nice man, clean-cut man.

The movie, as I recall painted him as kaniving (sp?) and her as overly dependent on him, neither which seemed to be true.

[Retama]

I recall listening to a local talk radio program shortly after Ash Robinson died wherein the host or a guest played a tape recording of a telephone conversation between himself and Robinson which took place the day after Hill was killed. I wish I could remember which show and who taped the phone call, but I don't, damnit. I do recall that Robinson sounded tired, stressed and fearful. The only thing I actually recall Robinson saying was, "I've got troubles," in response to "how are you doing Ash?"

I remember the guy who owned the recording said he made it without Robinson's knowledge and that he felt it showed that Robinson was not responsible for Hill's death.

Anyone else recall this?

[WestUNative]

Although not an insider, I remember it all very well. If you want to know the general popular feeling around town, I can tell you outright that I never spoke to anyone who did not absolutely believe John Hill murdered Joan and that Ash Robinson had him axed. When the news broke about the shooting of John Hill, everyone cheered and the word of the day was, "Way to go Ash!" Afterwards for a very long time, the fear was Ash wouldn't get away with it. We read every news story about the trial and there was much celebrating when Mr. Robinson was not punished.

Now, all this may seem exceedingly harsh to you gentle (cough) readers, but you cannot imagine the outrage at Joan's death and the terrible circumstances surrounding it. In the first place, there was no excuse for a medical doctor to deny his wife treatment when she was so direly ill over an extended period. With all the proven power and excellence of the Texas Medical Center at the time, he finally shuttled her off to a tiny, suburban hospital with a very bad reputation then and miles and miles away from home. Further Dr. Hill was not well thought of by many in their society and downright abhored by some.

I did have some personal/professional association with the Pathologist referred to in the books and his utter bumbling of the situation when Joan died. I take my life in my hands here, but I will only say that many years after I personally witnessed him make a major life and death error and could not respect his professionalism.

These incidents were the shock, horror and scandal of the era, but followed up by the other River Oaks debacle with Candace Mossler. Ah, but that's another story which turned the town on its ear due to the injustice.

Post Script - small asides. My daughter attended West Briar in the late 1970's, really good school then. When she was in elementary school at St. Mark's, a little girlfriend of hers lived next door to Lilla Paulus, the woman in charge of finding the hit man for Ash Robinson. She resided in a very swank, large home in the Braes Heights area south of Bellaire. Go figure.