World War II Haymes's birth in Argentina to non-U.S. citizens meant he was not an American citizen. In order to avoid military service during World War II, Haymes asserted his nonbelligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which remained neutral until almost the end of the war. Hollywood-based columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper questioned Haymes' patriotism, but the story had surprisingly little effect on his career. About that time, he was classified 4-F by the draft board because of hypertension. As part of his draft examination, he was confined for a short period to a hospital on Ellis Island, which confirmed his diagnosis of hypertension. In 1953, Haymes went to Hawaii (then a territory and, technically, not part of the United States) without first notifying immigration authorities. On returning to the mainland United States, he was nearly deported to Argentina, but won his battle to remain in the United States. Later years Haymes experienced serious financial problems later in life, by the early 1960s declaring bankruptcy with $500,000 in debts. He appeared as unscrupulous doctor Elroy Gantman in a 1974 episode of the TV show Adam-12. Through his mother's nationality, Haymes spent his last years as an Irish citizen. Marriages Haymes was married six times, including to film actresses Joanne Dru (1941–1949), Rita Hayworth (1953–1955), and Fran Jeffries (1958–1964). He was also married to Nora Eddington (1949–1953), a former wife of Errol Flynn. Haymes had a total of six children—three with Joanne Dru, one with Fran Jeffries, and two with his sixth and final wife, British model Wendy Smith. Death Haymes died from lung cancer on March 28, 1980, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 61 years old. Discography 78rpm albums Dick Haymes Sings – Carmen Cavallaro at the Piano – Irving Berlin Songs (1948 Decca Record) Original LPs Rain or Shine (1955) Moondreams (1957) Look at Me Now! (1957) Richard the Lion-Hearted – Dick Haymes that is! (1960) LP compilations Dick Haymes (1950s) Little White Lies (1958) Dick Haymes – Maury Laws Orchestra / Featuring Cy Coleman (1960s) Love Letters (1960s) Spotlight On – Dick Haymes Sings Romantic Ballads – Featuring Johnny Kay (1960s) Easy (1973) Imagination (1982) (also available on CD) Live LP albums Dick Haymes Comes Home! (1973) Selected CD compilations (2016) Dick Haymes You'll Never Know His 53 Finest 2 CDset (Retrospective) (1990) Richard the Lion-Hearted – Dick Haymes that is! (1990)