Born On This Day- September 30th... Truman Capote

"I don't care what anybody says about me as long as it isn't true."

My mother is a very accomplished, intelligent, & serious woman, but she always has had a sly interest in show biz & celebrity gossip. She told me the details & intricate ins & outs of the Elizabeth Taylor + Eddie Fisher + Debbie Reynolds divorces & marriages when I was just 5 years old. I appreciated that she explained that one to me. I remember well, being 12 years old & my mother giving me the low down on the infamous “party of the century”- Truman Capote's Black & White Ball.


The now legendary Black & White Masked Ball was a bash that Truman Capote threw at Manhattan's Plaza Hotel on Nov. 28, 1966. The guest of honor was Katharine Graham, president of the Washington Post Co., but no one had any illusions: The purpose of this gala was to celebrate the host, a serious writer, but also a serious celebrity. There had never been much doubt about the celebrity part, from the moment that he styled himself as a male nymphet for his 1st novel's jacket photo; Capote had shown a rare talent for self promotion. What had been in doubt were his literary accomplishments. As he entered his forties, the once promising young writer had produced only a few slim volumes of exquisitely written fiction & journalism. But recently In Cold Blood, a masterpiece in a new genre- the non-fiction novel & a milestone in popular culture, had buried his skeptics, & it was time to celebrate. Capote's plan was to mix & match people: titled aristocrats with intellectuals with ordinary folk from the rural Kansas county where the In Cold Blood murders had occurred. But in this respect, the party seems to have failed. "I've never seen such ghettoizing in all my life," complained Capote's lover- Jack Dunphy. "No group mixed with another group." As for the excluded, on the cover of the next Esquire, under the title "We wouldn't have come even if you had invited us, Truman Capote" was a photo of a surly looking group comprising Kim Novak, Tony Curtis, Pat Brown, Ed Sullivan, Pierre Salinger, Lynn Redgrave & Casey Stengel.

From the moment my mother told me about the Black & White Ball, I became fascinated by Truman Capote (at 5’3’’ he was dubbed the Tiny Terror) & I went on to read everything by & about him. I was fascinated by his distinctive, high-pitched voice & odd vocal mannerisms, his offbeat manner of dress & his fabulous stories when he would appear on TV talk shows. I have everything he has written, plus biographies, diaries & books of letters. He is a member of a handful of authors that make up the club: Stephen’s Favorite Writers. He had a long standing rivalry with another of my favorites- Gore Vidal. Their rivalry prompted another member of my club- Tennessee Williams to complain: "You would think they were running neck &neck for some fabulous gold prize." I own a first edition paperback of Breakfast At Tiffany’s. I love all his work, but my very favorite is A Christmas Memory. During the holidays I always re-read it, & I set a copy out, as part of a Christmas tableau, on a table as a holiday ritual.

"All literature is gossip."

Happy Birthday, Johnny Mathis

Remember the wonderful moment when the house shakes & a glow appears under the front door & a record player has the sound of Johnny Mathis singing Chances Are filling the room as we have the first ET encounter in Close Encounters of the Third Kind? He was well represented in my parent’s record collection & I have loved his velvet voice for 5 decades… so why do I feel he is a gulity pleasure?

This clip is from Johnny's first TV appearence 1957 on Ed Sullivan.


In 1958, Johnny’s Greatest Hits was released and was the first ever Greatest Hits album in the music industry. It began the Greatest Hits tradition copied by every record company. Johnny's Greatest Hits spent an unprecedented 490 consecutive weeks (nine and a half years) on the Billboard album charts, a feat earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records & not broken until the 1980s by Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. He has had five of his albums on the Billboard charts simultaneously, an achievement equaled by only 2 other singers, Frank Sinatra & Barry Manilow. He has produced over 60 albums, released 200 singles & had 71 songs charted around the world. He is Barbra Streisand’s favorite singer & one of mine.

Born On This Day- September 29th... Madeline Gail Wolfson

To say that I loved her is to say too little. She left us too soon. The 1st time that I took notice of Madeline Kahn was in Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc? (one of my favorite films of all time) as the hysterical fiancée of Ryan O'Neal. What a feature film debut!

I was lucky enough to have seen her on Broadway in On The Twentieth Century with Kevin Kline, She Loves Me with Barry Bostwick, In The Boom Boom Room, & off-Broadway in Marco Polo Sings A Solo, back in those crazy 1970s. Her legacy will always have the triple crown of the close succession of Kahn comedies: Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), & High Anxiety (1977), all were directed by Mel Brooks, who many Hollywood observers claimed was able to bring out the best of Kahn's comic talents. She was nominated for an Oscar for Blazing Saddles & for her amazing turn in Paper Moon, again with Bogdanovich directing. Kahn won a Tony for Windy Wassersein's The Sisters Rosenweig.



She died of ovarian cancer in 1999, & my life has never been the same. She was truly loved by the Husband & Me. Just a few nights ago, we stumbled on High Anxiety while channel hopping & we commented on her genius. Madeline Kahn, you are missed. She would have been  68 years old today.

Do You Hate It When Bloggers Post Photos Of Their Pets?

Photo by the Husband

Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage Mrs Worthington... Part 1 Of A Series

My parents claim that from a very early age, I would sing & dance for them & their guests, & I would point to the TV & announce that- “I wanna do that. I wanna be in the TV… & with Ed Sullivan!” The parents say that my big number was- Istanbul (Not Constantinople).


I wanted to be a performer. Other subjects held my attention, but I certainly set my heart on being an actor/singer/dancer/stand up. I started training when I was 5 with piano lessons. My very loving parents gave their blessing & paid for every lesson I wanted to give a whirl: cello, string bass, voice, tap dancing, fencing.

Destined for stardom, 2nd from the left-front row

I started grabbing every opportunity to show em’ what I got. My stage début was age 6, in my elementary schools holiday pageant, where I wowed the audience with my spry wit & star power as Jack Be Nimble. I played piano & sang at every school talent show. In 5th grade, as a boy soprano, I performed in my school’s production of Hänsel und Gretel, an opera by 19th century composer Engelbert Humperdinck. I played the Sleep Fairy (a role that would come back to haunt me, when later in life, I have been known to occasionally fall asleep during sex). I was told by my teacher that it was professional & polished performance, & that I was correct to be on a path to stardom.

At Sacajawea Junior High School, I broke away from any possible adolescent shyness by performing at an all school convocation of talent, with my dizzying take on a Going Out Of My Head/ Windmills Of Your Mind medley in my brand new tenor singing voice. The student body was speechless, startled, stunned, & stupefied by my mature talent & good taste. Those 2 songs remain in my repertoire.

Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington

Don’t put your daughter on the stage
The profession is overcrowded
The struggle’s pretty tough
& admitting the fact she’s burning to act
That isn’t quite enough
She’s a nice girl and though her teeth are fairly good
She’s not the type I ever would be eager to engage

I repeat, Mrs. Worthington, sweet Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
Regarding yours, dear Mrs. Worthington
Of Wednesday, the 23rd.


Although your baby may be keen on a stage career
How can I make it clear that this is not a good idea
For her to hope and appear, Mrs. Worthington
Is on the face of it absurd
Her personality is not in reality quite big enough, inviting enough
For this particular sphere
Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage


She’s a bit of an ugly duckling, you must honestly confess
& the width of her seat would surely defeat
Her chances of her success
It’s - it’s a loud voice, and though it’s not exactly flat
She’ll need a little more than that to earn a living wage
On my knees, Mrs. Worthington, please Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage


Though they said at the school of acting
She was lovely as Peer Gynt
I’m afraid, on the whole, an ingenue role might emphasize her squint
She has nice hands, to give the wretched girl her due
But don’t you think her bust is too developed for her age
No more buts, Mrs. Worthington, nuts! Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage

Noel Coward
1933

Born On This Day- September 26th... Song Stylist- Miss Julie London

Around this time of the year, the Husband & I have traditionally traveled a bit. We have had major, marked, momentous, meaningful journeys: Northern Italy, NYC several times, Vancouver BC, San Fransisco. Even in lean times we would pack up the dogs & rent a cabin on the Washington Coast. The trips to the coast were always very perfect, really. We would bring books, magazines, whiskey, pot & a big stack of perfect beach CDs. There was nothing as sexy, seductive & special as playing Julie London's or Chet Baker’s music on the sound system, as waves crashed, the wind rattled the little WPA era cabin that we frequently rented, & we would get a little drunk & a little dreamy while listening to Julie London’s perfect music.

Now, in the 21st century, I also hear a perfect sound for my mind wrapping around this season’s Mad Men. It could be made that the phrase “bedroom community” was coined with London in mind.


I love the economy of London’s singing. Her phrasing is spot on & yet surprising in its nuance. With her throaty, smoky voice, playfully seductive as any voice I have heard, London was a skilled temptress. But she never played the goddess. Her appeal wasn’t like an unattainable Rita Hayworth or Lauren Bacall. She cleverly cast herself as the not quite as wholesome, non-Doris Day girl, the chick at cocktail parties who would send every man in the room fumbling for his lighter whenever she reached for a cigarette. As a recording artist she was, perhaps more so than any other, entirely a product of her time. No wonder her career began in the mid-1950s, just as the USA was starting to discover sex as recreation, & ended in 1969.

The character London played on her albums was no pushover: My Heart Belongs to Daddy, An Occasional Man, Take Back Your Mink could reduce a real man to jelly. When suggested that Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast, her closing line was “pass the jam”.


If you only know London for her 1955 gigantic hit -Cry Me A River, (despite 100s of other versions, London’s remains definitive),or for her role as nurse Dixie McCall on the long-running NBC series Emergency, you would be surprised by the depth & breadth of her recording career From 1955-1969, London released 29 studio albums, a live session & greatest hits compilations. Among the adult pop singers, she rivaled the biggest sellers of the day: Sinatra, Mathis, Streisand in terms of output, & easily out sold Fitzgerald, Vaughan, & Tormé.


I was slightly scandelized & somewhat aroused by the covers of my parent’s Julie London Albums. They seemed to have some relation to my father’s Playboy magazines. There was- Julie, featuring a seemingly naked London reclining in a wire mesh chair & Whatever Julie Wants with her sporting nothing but a mink stole. I think I don't understand the vetting process... why is Julie London not a Gay Icon or the basis for a drag persona?

London fully appreciated her vocal limitations & her ability to make the most of them: “It’s a thimbleful of a voice, & I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, & it automatically sounds intimate.”

Happy 112th Birthday, George Gershwin

He would have turned 112 today. I can’t imagine what Brooklyn's own George Gershwin could have produced if had not died at 38 years old. In his short life he produced a huge catalogue of theatre & popular songs that are among the best ever composed. He worked with several lyricists, but it was his life long collaboration with his brother Ira that are, for me, the cream of American theatre music: Swanee, The Man I Love, Embraceable You, But Not For Me, I've Got A Crush On You, Our Love Is Her To Stay, Somebody Loves Me, & Fascinatin' Rhythm. The brothers went to Hollywood & made musical films like Shall We Dance, which included such hits as Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off & They Can’t Take That Away From Me. The brothers were often associated with the work of Fred Astair, on Broadway & in Hollywood.

When he was 25 years old, his jazz-influenced Rhapsody in Blue premiered in New York’s Aeolian Hall at the concert, “An Experiment in Music.” The audience included Jascha Heifitz, Fritz Kreisler, Leopold Stokowski, Serge Rachmaninov, & Igor Stravinsky. Gershwin followed this success with his orchestral work Piano Concerto in F, Rhapsody No. 2 & An American in Paris. Serious music critics were often at a loss as to where to place Gershwin’s classical music in the standard orchestral works. In 1935 he presented an opera- Porgy and Bess in Boston with only moderate success.  It is now recognized as one of the most loved works of American opera & is included in the repertoire of the major opera companies around the world. It included such memorable songs as It Ain’t Necessarily So, I Loves You, Porgy, & Summertime.  He planned a string quartet, a ballet & another opera, but these pieces were never written. At the age of 38, he died of a brain tumor. Today he remains one of America’s most beloved popular musicians.


My favorite Gershwin song (I think it is a very perfect song, really):
Someone To Watch Over Me. But what version? It has been covered by everyone from Ella to Pink, even Amy Winehouse does a stand-up job on this rather difficult tune. Men do it also; I dig Frank Sinatra's take on it. I did it for audtions for a while without changing the pronouns. But, I think I like Linda Ronstadt & Nelson Riddle's the best:

Born On This Day- September 25th... Spanish Filmmaker Pedro Pedro Almodóvar

I am a fan of the films of Pedro Almodóvar, but I came late to his career in appreciating him, & picking up on how exciting & original his work as a director & screenwriter could be .My first film by him was Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. I was won over by his use of the conventions of melodrama & using elements of pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humor, strong colors & over the top décor. Desire, passion, family & identity are among Almodóvar’s most prevalent themes. My favorite Almodóvar films, so far, are 2002’s Talk To Her & Bad Education in 2004. He is the very definition of auteur.

At the 2003 Oscars, he used his winner's speech to protest the war in Iraq, dedicating his Best Screenplay award for Talk to Her to “those who are raising their voices in favor of peace, human rights, democracy & international legality.”

Almodóvar remains committed to portraying & celebrating homosexual relationships in all their complexity. Defined by their sexual orientation yet not restrained by it, his gay characters are more passionate & complicated than the Hollywood stereotypes of hysterical sidekick, sensitive best friend, or hairdresser.

Almodóvar is a champion of the mistreated & marginalized in modern cinema. It’s a role he excels in, though he’s wary of being typecast because of his sexuality. “No one talks about the heterosexual President of the United States,” he told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. “So why should they call me a gay director?”  By pushing boundaries & ripping clichés, he’s brought clout to the gay cause & helped Spain become a more tolerant & liberal nation after decades of repression & fascism.

Who's Your Daddy Bear?

You are poodle.

Born On This Day- September 24th... Tony Award Winning Cuite- John Logan

When he accepted his Best Play Tony Award this spring for RED, I thought- “hmmm… what a little Irish type hottie, & talented to boot. I wonder if he is family? Am I wrong or does this guy seem gay”, which makes sense at the Tonys, but John Logan is also the screenwriter responsible for such butch work as: Any Given Sunday, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Aviator… oh, there is a tip off after all- Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.

Logan: "I would much rather go see the new Stephen Sondheim show than go to a football game anymore. The 1st movie I wrote- Any Given Sunday, is about football players, the most he-man demimonde you can explore. I would walk into meetings with studio executives, & their jaws would drop about the fact that I'm clearly not a he-man, I make no bones about being anything but gay, & my personal interests are sort of arty.”


Logan & his partner of 19 years- Marty Madden, live in Malibu. Logan: “The reason I am successful today is due to his support. When we met I was a starving playwright. He supported me for years, with absolute faith that it would all work out. The nature of our relationship is the 2 of us together, walking our dogs, having dinner, or sitting on the sofa watching TV. We so rarely do things like get dressed up & go out to ceremonies like the Academy Awards, that it's really fun. It's like a really cool date with Marty.”


Logan on being out: “In American history there's been nothing but tragedy to come from anyone being ashamed of who they are or denying who they are for any reason whatsoever. If I were a movie star, where my career would be ruined if I came out of the closet, maybe I would feel some justification for hiding, but I don't think so. I know people who are in the closet & it is killing them. Any human being who denies the central aspect of who they are, which is love, is not going to be a happy person.


I think it is of paramount importance that anyone in the public eye who has done anything of note that might get respect in, say, Georgia or Texas, stand up & say, ‘This is who I am. & I still wrote The Aviator, & I still worked on Gladiator, & I still worked on The Last Samurai, & I still worked on Any Given Sunday. & I'm still working. & no one I work with has a problem with that’."


Logan has written 14 plays including: Never the Sinner, Hauptmann: Speaking in Tongues, Scorched Earth, & Riverview. His new adaptation of Ibsen's The Master Builder appeared on the West End in 2003. He is a member of the Victory Gardens Theatre Playwright Ensemble. Logan's work as a screenwriter includes Sweeney Todd (Golden Globe award), The Aviator (Oscar, Golden Globe & WGA nominations); Gladiator (Oscar, Golden Globe & WGA nominations), The Last Samurai, Any Given Sunday, & RKO 281 (WGA award, Emmy nomination).


About RED:
Master American expressionist Mark Rothko has just landed the biggest commission in the history of modern art, a series of murals for New York’s famed Four Seasons Restaurant. In the two fascinating years that follow, Rothko works feverishly with his young assistant, Ken, in his studio on the Bowery. But when Ken gains the confidence to challenge him, Rothko faces the agonizing possibility that his crowning achievement could also become his undoing.

Next up- The Miraculous Year, an HBO series created, written & executive produced by John Logan. Kathryn Bigelow, Best Director Oscar winner for The Hurt Locker will direct.  The series is a character driven, contemporary look at the arenas of art & theater: "an examination of a New York family as seen through the lens of a charismatic, self destructive Broadway composer." I hope I am being considered  for the lead. John Logan is quite the little underachiever.

Born On This Day- September 21st... Patricia Neal (The Gay One)

"Remember if people talk behind your back... it only means you are 2 steps ahead."



Her novel- Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Café was the beach book in the summer of 1987 & the Husband & I both really took to it & passed it around to friends. It remained a favorite for a long time. Before this book, I knew Fannie Flagg mostly as a funny fixture on game shows of the 1970s panels including The Match Game (occupying the lower right-hand seat next to regular panelist Richard Dawson). Flagg began writing & producing TV specials at age 19 & went on to be an actress & a writer in television, films, & the theatre. Her acting credits include the Broadway production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the films- Some of My Best Friends Are..., Five Easy Pieces, Stay Hungry, Grease, & Crazy in Alabama. During the 1960s & 1970s, Flagg did standup , & recorded 2 comedy albums that included many parodies of Southern ladies including- Martha Mitchell & Lady Bird Johnson. During the 1960s, Fannie Flagg hosted a morning show on WBRC TV in Montgomery, Alabama.



She wrote the screenplay based on her most popular novel which became the film- Fried Green Tomatoes. The 1991 movie gained her an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Fried Green Tomatoes starred Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary Louise Parker, & Cicely Tyson. The Husband & I caught it on cable this summer & enjoyed it as much as in previous viewings. The film really stands the test of time, even if Flagg did remove a substantial portion of the lesbian content in the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in order to make the film Fried Green Tomatoes more commercially viable. Too bad, when the novel was very gay & still very heartfelt.




Flagg is openly gay, & was once the partner of writer Rita Mae Brown, who outed her in the press after the breakup. As if being a lesbian wasn’t tough enough, like me, Flagg is profoundly dyslexic. Flagg: “I am severely dyslexic & couldn't spell, still can't spell. So I was discouraged from writing and embarrassed” Her promising writing career was put on hold for much of the 1970s, but Flagg overcame her fear & completed several novels & screenplays.


2 little tid-bits: 1.At one time Flagg was linked in the press, & was in some reports said to be married, to actor Dick Sargent. They appeared as a couple on the 1970s game show- Tattletales, which featured celebrities & their spouses. Host Bert Convy would introduce them as "Dick Sargent & his lady, Fannie Flagg." Sargent was himself gay & eventually came out before his death in 1994. 2. Her birth name was Patricia Neal, but when she tried to use her birth name, the acting unions informed her that some other bitch had the name.


Flagg divides her time between homes in California & Alabama.


Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe


Ingredients:
3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oat milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


1. Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, & bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.


2. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Wake Me Up When September Ends... Songs Of Autumn

Today is the last full day of Summer. I feel the melancholia seeping in, which comes easy to me. Yet, the charms of October are not lost on me.

I am a Green Day fan, & this is my favorite of their songs, & I am moved by this acoustic version by Billy Joe Armstrong's amazing voice moved to full focus. It seems perfect for this week's transition into autumn:




summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends


like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends


here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are


as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends


summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends


ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when September ends

From My Collection Of Vintage Photos of Men Together

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are


as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends


summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

20 years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends

Billy Joe Armstrong
2005

Woof!

I was on the job 11 days in a row including two 12 hours days, 59 hours in the last week alone. When I was finally finished with my September workathon, I spent 5+ hours sprawled on a comfortable day bed watching past episodes of True Blood. Let’s just say that I have taken to this show like Jason Stackhouse to V. I realized while watching the end of season 1... I am magic! I am a shape shifter. I can, at will, morph into a bear. & that is a very special thing.

I have taken notice of several newspaper accounts & blog posts about bears being spotted in suburban Portland, Oregon.

Tammy Wagner, wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife: "We're talking bears getting into garbage; bears getting into apple trees, pet food. Some of them have attempted to get into houses. They've false-charged people, taken injured pets, things more substantial than what we normally see."


People always run the risk of bear encounters. But this year the bears are turning up in populated areas. Once they become a problem, it's generally not a good ending for the bear. That's because removed bears generally return to the place they were taken from. In Oregon they have taken bears that were causing problems in urban areas, trapped them, put ear tags on them & released them outside city limits, but they return to the place they were taken from. There are instances where they attacked people. In one of them, a Girl Scout was killed.


The blackberry crop is beginning to come in & wildlife experts hope that will ease the problem, but with winter approaching, it could get worse. Bears have an increasing need for nutrition because they are trying to put on weight for the winter months. If you don't have berries, bears are craving nutrition & they start getting desperate. We have a big spot of blackberries in the side yard. If my white trash-ish neighbor spies a bear in those blackberries, it won’t end happily for someone.

It is so difficult for me to write these words. I have found bears, as a sub-set, to be particularly sweet, sincere, silly, & sympathetic. Yet, when we have been in our neighborhood bear bar, the Husband (who is the very definition of a non-bear) claims that he invisible & ignored by staff & patrons. I feel right at home, & being somewhat beastly, I fit in. It’s nice to fit in every once in a while, even if you like to be stage center 75% of the time.


I don’t think anyone needs to worry about bears in their neighborhood, unless you actually don’t like Gypsy, good home cookin’, denim, flannel, gardens, hugging, BBQs, & of course, fur.

Hide Your Love Away... A Consideration On The Occasion Of the Birthday Of Brian Epstein

John Lennon: “I was on holiday with Brian Epstein in Spain, where the rumours went around that he & I were having a love affair. Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated. But it was a pretty intense relationship. It was my first experience with a homosexual that I was conscious was homosexual. He had admitted it to me. We had this holiday together because Cynthia was pregnant, & I went to Spain & there were lots of funny stories. We used to sit in a cafe in Torremolinos looking at all the boys and I'd say, 'Do you like that one, do you like this one?' I was rather enjoying the experience, thinking like a writer all the time: I am experiencing this, you know. Eppy just kept on & on at me, until one night, I finally just pulled me trousers down & said to him: ‘Oh, for Christ's sake, Brian, here, just stick it up me fucking arse then.'


He said to me, ‘Actually, John, I don't do that kind of thing. That's not what I like to do.’
"Well," I said, ‘what is it you like to do?’ & he said, ‘I'd really just like to touch you, John.’
& so I let him toss me off, & that was it... Yeah, so fucking what! He's having a fucking hard time anyway. So what harm did it do, for fuck's sake? No harm at all. The poor fucking bastard, he can't help the way he is.”


This Spanish holiday was later dramatized in the rather well done 1991 film- The Hours & Times, with David Angus & Ian Hart as Epstein & Lennon.

Brian Epstein certainly led an interesting life. Born during the depression in the 1930's, At the age of 16 he started working in his parent’s Liverpool department store & soon realized he was born to sell. His father promoted him to managing the record department, as the family business- "NEMS" expanded.


In December of 1961, Epstein assumed his role as Manager of the Beatles. After seeing them play at a Liverpool club in their leather jackets, smoking cigarettes & swearing on stage he immediately decided to change their image. Changing their look & stage presence, he purchased Mod Mohair suits for the boys, insisted on their signature haircuts & made a dogged effort to get them gigs.he sacked the drummer-Pete Best so that he could be replaced by Ringo.  He pitched The Beatles to the various record labels, determined to get them signed to a recording contract. After being rejected by Decca, among other labels he managed to get them signed with EMI. Initially The Beatles weren't completely confident or trustful of "Eppie", but through his hard work & devotion he earned their respect & admiration.

It was no secret that Brian Epstein was gay. In school he recalled being "ragged, nagged & bullied", & dropped out at the age of 16. He was drafted into the Army but after 10 months he was discharged for being "mentally unfit" afte once again being harassed & bullied. Epstein began pursuing his sexual interest in men. In 1956 he was arrested for propositioning several men in a subway lavatory, a victim of an undercover sting, pleading guilty Epstein was fined & released.

The Beatles knew that Epstein was gay. Although he was professional & a distinguished business man, his double life wasn't always as private as he wanted it to be. There were relentless rumors that Epstein was in love with John Lennon. Epstein was very attracted John's talent, his wittiness & his good looks. He was not able to look John in the eye when speaking with him for fear he would reveal his secret. Actually, John was completely aware of Epsteins's feelings toward him & was sometimes teased by his mates about "Eppie's" subtle advances. The gossip began.

Brian Epstein also managed Gerry & The Pacemakers & Cilla Black. He appeared on television a number of times, & hosted a regular slot on one of my favorite shows- Hullabaloo.


As The Beatles' career was soaring, Epstein found himself less involved in the routine daily operations. The Beatles empire was growing & Brian was no longer holding the key. Epstein was feeling insecure about his future with the boys, his contract was due to expire as manager, & he feared it would not be renewed. He would remain their manager until his death. He began a downward spiral, becoming depressed & driven by his drug addiction, he was drinking, gambling, tripping on LSD, & popping pills. Brian Epstein's lifestyle became more than he could handle.

When The Beatles went to India to meet the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in August 1967, it was the first time they had gone anywhere without Brian being in charge. Brian had seemed interested in what Maharishi had to offer, but it was a Bank Holiday weekend and he was committed to spending it with friends.The Beatles were like kids allowed to play without their nanny. John: "like going somewhere without your trousers on"

While in India, The Beatles received word that Brian Epstein, who was just 32, had died, disillusioned & alone from a drug overdose. The Beatles were devastated & in shock.  He was their friend, their enabler, their hero. He was irreplaceable. After Epstein's death The Beatles were like orphans, & that was when underlying tensions & resentments began to surface. John said it was the beginning of the end of The Beatles.John Lennon: "He was in love with me. It’s interesting & will make a nice Hollywood Babylon story someday about Brian Epstein’s sex life, but its irrelevant, absolutely irrelevant." Double Life/Double Fantasy, the secret was not buried with Brian Epstein.

Vivaldi's Song

Baby, when you love me, I feel
Home sweet home inside of yours sublime
This Garden's sure to grow you know
Our love is just like Summertime


Parrots eye the fruit & we make love
Between the harpsichords & lutes?
Our greenlimbs intertwine, you know
Our love is just like Summertime


Our souls collide
We slip & slide
We feel no pain
& with our lives locked together


We weather the Wind & Rain
We grow the Farm
We're safe from Harm
Inside this Circle of Summertime
Both of us know is our Love


Lovers from the Past with poison smiles
All pray our love will never last
But we are Trees not Vines, you know
Our love is just like Summertime


As the song begins these shipwrecks fade
Behind a wave of violins;
Vivaldi made us rhyme, you know
Our love is just like Summertime

Michael Franks
1978

Happy Birthday, Michael Franks

I was very much into him before I met the man that would become my husband & lifemate. Lucky for me that man had also already found this music. His music was a soundtrack to our 1st few years as couple & when I re-listened in preparing this post, I felt that his music had become timeless, even if it brings me back to the late 1970s/early 1980s. Michael Franks is pigeonholed into the smooth jazz genre, but I am not sure that fits. I think of him more as Singer/Songwriter with a jazzy edge with a big nod to Antonio Carlos Jobim.





Over the long meandering journey of 35 years & 18 albums, Michael Franks has mesmerized & seduced me. Seamlessly weaving lyrics of stunning sensuality, satire, shadow, & sophisticated style over music that tastefully incorporates shadings of jazz, soul, pop, chamber & world music, Michael Franks the songwriter is simply a statesman of song craft. His best known works include Popsicle Toes, When the Cookie Jar is Empty,Tiger in the Rain, Rainy Night in Tokyo & Tell Me All About It. His work has been covered by artists from Diana Krall & Natalie Cole to Manhattan Transfer & The Carpenters). As if that weren't enough, Michael Franks the singer is gifted with a gentle, deliciously expressive voice identifiable from the 1st note. As a singer, I have been influenced by the economy of his singing. He was a huge influence on me when I was singing jazz & standards.

Michael Franks is also very much "my type" ( & I don't just mean male & still breathing), I find him very attractive.I love a rainy day at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia, with a glass of whiskey & Michael Franks on the sound system. I can get lost in his exotic, intoxicating world.

Born On This Day- September 17th... Star & Friend To The Stars- Roddy McDowall

I ran into him 2 times. The 1st time was at the 50th Anniversary of MGM Ball at the Beverley Wilshire Hotel in 1973 (which I crashed). He was there as Elizabeth Taylor’s date. He could not have been more gracious & friendly. He was better looking in person than I had ever found him to be in films. The 2nd time was at a coke fueled all boy party at the home of a famous producer in the Hollywood Hills. He couldn’t have been more gracious & friendly. He was profoundly better endowed than I would have ever thought from his films.


Roddy McDowall was thought to be one of the nicest people in show biz ever, & an especially good friend who was known to be able to keep a confidence.

After winning an acting prize in a school play, he was able to secure film work in Britain, beginning at age 10 with 1938's Scruffy. He appeared in 16 roles before his family were evacuated to the U.S. during the 1940 Battle of Britain. McDowall’s arrival in Hollywood coincided with the desire of 20th Century-Fox’s Darryl F. Zanuck to create a "new Freddie Bartholomew." He tested for the juvenile lead in Fox's How Green Was My Valley (1941), winning both the role, great reviews & a long contract. Roddy McDowall was cast with the then unknown Elizabeth Taylor, in her screen debut, in 1943's Lassie Come Home. Elizabeth & Roddy became life long close friends. Elizabeth's selection for this movie was an absolute fluke. The director wanted a young girl with an English accent.

McDowall's 1st adult role was as Malcolm in Orson Welles' 1948 film version of Macbeth. Basically, McDowall left films in the 1950s, preferring TV & stage work; among his Broadway credits were No Time for Sergeants, Compulsion, (working with fellow former child star Dean Stockwell) & Lerner & Loewe's Camelot (as Mordred, a role I played in summer stock a decade later). McDowall won a 1960 Tony Award for his work in the short run of the play- The Fighting Cock (by coincidence a chapter title in my memoir- Jockstraps & Vicodin: The Early Years). he spent the early 1960s playing Octavius in the mammoth production Cleopatra, with longtime friend Elizabeth Taylor.

An accomplished & original photographer, McDowall’s photos of Taylor & other celebrities were frequently published in the leading magazines of the era. He was briefly an advising photographic editor of Harper's Bazaar, & in 1966 published the first of several collections of his camerawork- Double Exposure.

McDowall went ape shit for his acting gigs between 1968 & 1975, in elaborate simian makeup as Cornelius in the Planet of the Apes films & TV series. He did an occasional film role & play into the 1990s. McDowall served on the executive boards of the Screen Actors Guild & the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

A lifelong movie collector, in 1974 (around the time I met him briefly) the FBI raided the home of McDowall & seized his collection of films & television series during an investigation of movie piracy & copyright infringement. His collection consisted of 160 16 mm prints & more than 1,000 video cassettes. McDowall had purchased Errol Flynn's home movies & the prints of his own directorial debut Tam-Lin (1970) starring Ava Gardner, and transferred them all to tape for archival storage. McDowall was forthcoming about those who dealt with him: Rock Hudson, Dick Martin & Mel Tormé were just a few of the celebrities interested in his film reproductions. No charges were brought against McDowall. McDowall has also worked diligently with the National Film Preservation Board. In August, 1998, he was elected president of the Academy Foundation.

McDowall was one of the Hollywood golden age’s much loved stars, famed for his kindness, generosity & loyalty. McDowall's announcement that he was suffering from terminal cancer a few weeks before he died rocked the film community, & many of his friends visited the ailing actor in his Studio City home. Shortly before he was diagnosed with cancer, McDowall had provided the voiceover for Disney/Pixar's animated feature- A Bug's Life. A few days prior to McDowall's passing, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences named its photo archive after him.

Roddy McDowall graduated from University High School in Santa Monica. Christopher Isherwood wrote in a volume of his memoir that Tom Maddox told him, that he was having an affair with the Roddy, then 17 years old.

Tab Hunter mentions Roddy in his autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential : The Making of a Movie Star : "While making shakes at the Rexall drugstore at Hollywood & Highland, I met my first bona fide movie star. It was the night of the big 1948 Christmas parade...Dick Clayton brought along Roddy McDowall. Roddy was only 20, but he'd been in pictures his whole life.... We hit it off, gabbing and laughing....". Several years later, Tab & Roddy posed shirtless for a fan magazine spread entitled "Calling All Girls".

Farley Granger talks of Roddy in his autobiography Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway. He knew Roddy prior to Farley's enlistment in the Navy at age 18. Granger: "It was 1953. I found an apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan... My old pal Roddy McDowall & Monty Clift lived on the same block" Roddy & Montgomery were very close. During this period he also had an affair with Marlon Brando.

Eddie Fisher, in his autobiography Been There, Done That mentions Roddy McDowall & the years of hatred he had for Roddy. Eddie had first met Elizabeth at a party that Merv Griffin & Roddy threw in an apartment they were then sharing in one of my favorite NY structures- The Dakota. Fisher: "She spent most of the evening in a corner with her close friend Montgomery Clift... She was recently divorced from her first husband Nicky Hilton...."

Lauren Bacall in her memoir By Myself & Then Some: "He was someone I looked forward to being with, loved seeing, loved hearing from."

Roddy was with Bette Davis during the last part of her life. When Julie Andrews asked Roddy why he didn't write a book about his life, he said, "I have too many friends, I know too much, I couldn't."

Roddy McDowall has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6632 Hollywood Blvd, & there is an honorary rose garden at the Woodland Hills grounds of the Motion Picture & Television Fund with a statue of him in costume from the Planet of the Apes. I think that I would have really liked to have been friends with him. Really good friends are to be treasured.

She Is One Classy Dame

"You know how to whistle, don't you Steve? You just put your lips together & blow"

It is my all time favorite movie quote. I had it as my outgoing message on my answering machine (remember answering machines?), until I got too many complaints that it was salacious. Betty Joan Perske was born on this day in 1924… & what a classy broad little Betty turned out to be. She began her career as a model, gracing the cover of Harper's Bazaar at age 19, before moving on to acting. Lauren Bacall landed a starring role in To Have & Have Not (1944) opposite Humphrey Bogart. The pair married a year later, & went on to make five films (and two children) together, including The Big Sleep (1946) & Key Largo (1948). She was with him until his death in 1957. Her movie career slowed down in the 1960s & 1970,  & she turned to Broadway, winning Tony Awards for her roles in Applause (1970) & Woman of the Year (1981). She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Barbra Streisand's mother in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). She was also married to actor Jason Robards (1961–69) & is the mother of actor Sam Robards.

A couple pf years ago, her granddaughter insisted that she watch the movie- Twilight, declaring it the greatest vampire film of all time. Bacall: "After the 'film' was over, I wanted to smack her across her head with my shoe, but I do not want a book called Grannie Dearest written on me when I die, so instead I gave her a DVD of Murnau's 1922 masterpiece Nosferatu & told her, now that's a vampire film!"

 When I was living in NYC in the 1970s, I followed her for 14 blocks, but couldn't bring myself to say something to her. Just as I got the nerve, she stopped in front of The Russian Tea Room, where she greeted Liza Minnelli with a kiss & they went inside. A truly gay moment.

"I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that."

Good News!

While reading the NY Times on line this morning, it was so nice to read some good news for a change: A strong majority of Americans now view married same-sex partners as families. Better still, most consider an unwed gay or lesbian couple with children to be a family, too. There's also an increasing willingness to see homosexuality as a natural, innate trait, & most people know or have family member who is gay, quotes the report in the NY Times. This good news is from a survey included in the new book out next week- Counted Out: Same-Sex Relations & Americans' Definitions of Family.

I was so excited for this bit of good news instead of gloom news. Until I read the details & found this little tid-bit: "There's a solid core resisting this trend who are more willing to include pets in their definition than same-sex partners." It's a solid core of 30 percent. In an interview lead researcher Brian Powell was understated in his assessment of this stat, "The sheer idea that gay couples are given less status than pets should give us pause". I will have to inform my terriers.

What makes a family?

Old Men... Happy Birthday to Robert Waltrip Short

 He is a favorite of mine. I am feeling it, & never more so than when I am trying to explain pop culture from the 20th century to my young wards- the group of 14 20-30 year olds that I hire, train, schedule, counsel & maintain as part of my job. Despite the fact that I am able reference to Green Day, Rhianna or Weezer, they just stare dumbly, vacant eyed, & with a touch of disgust, if I try to explain to them who Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Iggy Pop, the Clash or Men At Work are in our cultural history. I am truly old hat, old-fangled, old-fashioned, out-of-date, outmoded, & outworn.


 I wasn’t dismayed that they didn’t know who Bobby Short was. I didn’t expect them to. I am sure that few in my own circle know of Mr. Short. I just couldn’t get them to wrap their heads around the idea of nightclubs, supper clubs, or Café Society. I was just attempting to give them a jumping off place in today’s lesson.


Mr. Short liked to call himself a saloon singer, a moniker I would have loved to have lived with. His was my 1st choice for an avocation. His saloon, from 1968 until his death in 2005, was one of the most elegant in the country, the intimate Cafe Carlyle tucked in the Carlyle hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There for 6 months each year, in a room where he was only a few feet from his audience, he sang & accompanied himself on the piano. I saw him perform there 4 times in the mid-1970s.






Mr. Short transcended the role of cabaret entertainer to become a New York institution & a symbol of civilized Manhattan culture. In Woody Allen's films a visit to the Carlyle became an essential stop on his characters' cultural tour. He attracted a chic international fan base that included royalty, movie stars, sports figures, socialites & jazz fans. He also appeared in small roles in TV commercials & movies.


Mr. Short's hobnobbing with the cream of society overshadowed his significance as a jazz pianist, singer & scholar. He dedicated himself to spreading an awareness of the African-American contribution to New York's musical theater. In his list of great American songwriters, Cole Porter stood side by side with Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, & Fats Waller who wrote- Guess Who's in Town?... Mr. Short's unofficial musical greeting.


Mr. Short had a bout of notoriety in May 1980 when Gloria Vanderbilt sued the River House on the East Side of Manhattan, which had refused to sell her a $1.1 million apartment. She accused the management of racial bias because of her friendship with him. The building's board said it wanted to avoid "unwanted publicity." A month later, she dropped the suit. Mr. Short generally stayed out of the fray but said, "I'm old enough to be sophisticated about these things." This phrase is my new motto.