Diksha Sundriyal
John Lee Hancock’s ‘The Founder’ follows the story of Ray Kroc, as his fortune sees a turn after he crosses paths with the McDonald brothers. He sees great potential in their restaurant business, which is unlike anything he has ever seen before. However, the task demands his dedication, and it becomes the sole thing he cares about, completely forgetting about his personal life, especially his marriage. Things eventually fall apart between the two, and as Ray takes to the stars, Ethel is left behind. The film presents quite a realistic portrayal of her character in the context of her husband’s growing ambitions.
Ethel Spent Most of Her Life Outside the Public Limelight
Ethel Fleming was born in Melrose Park, Illinois, in 1901 to Alexander and Janet Fleming. She was one of five children. Her father was an engineer, while her mother ran a hotel. She and Ray Kroc met in 1919, and a romance blossomed between them, which eventually turned to marriage in 1922. As Ray tried his hand at all kinds of business, Ethel remained supportive of him in all his ventures. Sometime after their wedding, they moved to Chicago. In the movie, the couple and the dynamics between them are presented without children in the equation. In real life, however, they had a daughter, Marilyn, in 1924.
As depicted in the film, Ray was constantly on the move due to his job due to which he had little to no time for his family. This put a strain on his marriage as well as on his relationship with his daughter. By the time the idea of franchising McDonald’s came around, Ray and Ethel’s relationship had already deteriorated to the point of no return. In 1961, he walked out of their marriage after about four decades of being tougher, and the couple got divorced soon after. However, with all the success that Ray had found so far, Ethel received a fair share in alimony.
Reportedly, as part of the divorce settlement, the court ordered that Ethel should receive $30,000 a year in alimony. In case she got remarried, this amount would fall by half to $15,000. Due to it being a large amount, it had to be made sure that Ray could make the payments. As a form of guarantee, he had to deposit 30 percent of his stocks in McDonalds. Apart from this, Ethel also got their family home in Arlington Heights, which is also featured in the film. At the time, it was valued at $100,000. Additionally, Ray was also ordered to continue his life insurance policy worth $50,000, in which Ethel was named as beneficiary.
In the film, following the divorce, Ethel completely disappears from the story, and something similar seems to have happened in real life as well. While her ex-husband married two more times, she never remarried. She died a few years after the divorce, passing away on December 2, 1965, at the age of 64. The relationship between her and Ray remained cordial, at best, in her final years, and she spent most of the time with her friends and loved ones, especially her daughter.
Read More: The Founder: Is the Movie Based on Ray Kroc’s Story?
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