Chapter 33
Brigid was dyeing my surgical corsets for me, the ones I wear around my stomach because of when I was shot. She does a beautiful job on them. The colors are so glamorous, but it looks like no one will ever see them on me-things aren't progressing with Jon. We just work on scripts and that's it.
And as I was getting out of the cab, I tripped over myself because my bag full of makeup was so heavy and at first I felt like a little kid, but then after I thought about it I felt like an old man. And I sc.r.a.ped myself and I was bleeding, but n.o.body saw me except the cabdriver and I pretended it was nothing and skipped home.
Jon picked me up and we cabbed ($4) to 1600 Broadway to a screening of Four Friends Four Friends, which is about these kids in the sixties with a lot of plot and subplots and it goes into hippie psychedelic times. It was like all those bad movies that came out in '68 and '69. I thought it was as bad as Honky Tonk Freeway Honky Tonk Freeway but Jon got really emotional-he was crying all through the movie. So I dropped him off at 10:30. but Jon got really emotional-he was crying all through the movie. So I dropped him off at 10:30.
Watched a Chuck Norris kung-fu movie on TV. He's not good-looking but he's really s.e.xy.
Thursday, December 24, 1981 Steve Rubell wanted me to go to C.Z. Guest's Christmas thing in Old Westbury, but that would have meant an hour drive out there and an hour back. I didn't want to do anything difficult because I was so afraid I was getting sick. I could feel it in my throat. Jon called from Ma.s.sachusetts and wanted to know what s.h.i.+rt size I wore. I was the only one home, so he had to ask me. He said he'd call Halston's at 10:00.
Got home and was too tired, had some brandy and got drunk by the time I was supposed to go out. The dogs were with Jed, away for the holidays. Walked over to Halston's. Victor had called and given me the list of people who were going to be there, about twenty names, and I'd made up some packages to give them-snot rags with dollar signs. And a piece of sculpture.
Liza was there, though, and Victor hadn't said she would be and I didn't have anything for her, so I said I'd give her a Martha, and she was thrilled, she threw up her arms. Liza'd been to Harlem all day to visit the sick kids in the hospital. And that's the best thing to do. Jane Holzer and I said we'd do it next year. Liza's here seeing her father, he's dying of heart problems. Pat Cleveland was there, just over hepat.i.tis, and she kissed everybody and my resistance is so low I think I'll get it. Jane told me finally that she's madly in love with Ian Schrager and I said I didn't want to hear it because I'd only tell her negative things and then she'd only report them to him who I do really like. I told her that she should just get his business sense from him and that's it.
She'd had gold dimes made up, had them cast, and she gave one to me. She had them made up for Ian because he always puts dimes in his mouth for phone calls. It's such a clever gift.
At 3:00 Jane dropped me off and I took aspirin and packed and took a sleeping pill.
Sunday, December 27, 1981-Denver-Aspen, Colorado In Denver we got two cute pilots in a jet, they had suits on, and we had cold lobster and drinks and the ride was fun and beautiful and the snow was very beautiful, and then as we were about to land in Grand Junction they said they had good news, that the storm had stopped and we could be the first plane to be able to land in Aspen ($100 X 2 = $200). The rented house was just beautiful, clean and with a picture window on the mountains. Jane Holzer called and she's not coming until after New Year's.
My cold was starting up again, it had completely gone away the day before. But at least I wasn't having an alt.i.tude problem. I was taking antihistamines and Aspergum and cough medicine. Peter made us mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. We watched Shampoo Shampoo on TV, then went to bed. on TV, then went to bed.
Tuesday, December 29, 1981-Aspen Got up early, and by then I did have an alt.i.tude problem. Dropped Peter and Jon on the slopes, went with Christopher to get groceries, spent a couple of hours in town. Met all these people who were surprised seeing me and I didn't recognize them in their ski clothes. Tatum O'Neal came over and she looked so cute and beautiful in her white ski suit.
And then it was such a pretty day, the sun was out and it was cold for Aspen but it was the best snow they've ever had.
We went to Angelo's Restaurant for dinner and Sonny Bono came over and said he was getting married on New Year's Eve to his girlfriend Susie and he invited me to his wedding party at Cathy Lee Crosby's, and also he was having a shower later that night for Susie at Andre's, which is the only disco in town.
When we got to Andre's Cathy Lee didn't know who I was at first. It was like trying to get into Studio 54, and I just don't think any of those things are worth it. So I just said to Chris, "I just can't stand it, let's get out of here."
Wednesday, December 30, 1981-Aspen Chris and I decided to have just simple baby instructors on the baby slope so that we could work our way up. We had a private instructor from 1:30 to 3:30 and the course was called "Powder Pandas" and it was on b.u.t.termilk. We did about two hours of zigzagging and going up the handrail and you just sort of sit on the thing and go up the whole hill, and it was really fun. It was easy, all two-year-olds skiing with me, and if you start when you're two you can really go with the waves and relax and become a good skier, but I was so tense. I fell three times. But it was fun, the idea of falling was more fun than skiing because you fall right in the snow and it's really fun. Saw Caroline Kennedy with the Schlossberg boy. They're madly in love and they were going off to parties.
Thursday, December 31, 1981-Aspen We went to Sonny's wedding. We finally found the beautiful church and we had to stand, the ceremony was already on, and they were singing beautiful songs, and the preacher finally came on and said, "I p.r.o.nounce you, Sonny and Cherie"-he said "Cherie" instead of "Susie"-and the whole audience gasped and she said, "My name isn't Cher-ie, it's Susie," and the preacher got very upset, he said that he just knew he was going to do that, and then he said a million times, "Sonny and Susie, Sonny and Susie" till the end of the ceremony. They had lighted candles and Chast.i.ty was the flower girl, she was kind of tall. And it was really beautiful, it was snowing outside and everybody had candles and Susie was all in white and Sonny was crying. We were invited to Cathy Lee Crosby's party for Sonny. But we went off to one of the halls where Jimmy Buffett and his wife were hosting a New Year's Eve party.
We found a corner where Lisa Taylor was and I made a faux pas faux pas and asked her about John McEnroe and she said she just broke up with him and she was drowning herself in drink. She was drinking tequila and c.o.ke in a shot gla.s.s, she said it goes right to your head and you get drunk really fast. And then I said h.e.l.lo to Jack Nicholson and Anjelica. And in yesterday's paper Margaret Trudeau talked about her affair with Jack, and her new book is out where she talks about her cowboy Tom Sullivan and she doesn't even say that he died. and asked her about John McEnroe and she said she just broke up with him and she was drowning herself in drink. She was drinking tequila and c.o.ke in a shot gla.s.s, she said it goes right to your head and you get drunk really fast. And then I said h.e.l.lo to Jack Nicholson and Anjelica. And in yesterday's paper Margaret Trudeau talked about her affair with Jack, and her new book is out where she talks about her cowboy Tom Sullivan and she doesn't even say that he died.
Cathy Lee Crosby's party was starting at 11:30 but I didn't want to be in anybody's house at the twelve o'clock thing, so while we were walking we just decided to stay in the square, we let all the other people go ahead and we just stood in the square because it was like a small version of Times Square. It was all the Aspen kids all drunk, sort of drooling and falling and blowing horns and stuff like that in the middle of town, and it was sort of cute, it looked like La Boheme La Boheme, it looked more fake than the real thing.
Friday, January 1, 1982-Aspen Decided to go to the hospital to see if my arm was broken from when I'd fallen the day before. Went to the emergency room, they were really nice there. One girl was really fun, out of Pittsburgh or my grade school or something and then while we were there I got X-rayed and while we were waiting for the X-rays they put you in these little cubicles made of bedspreads and then they wheeled a man in who said, "Am I in heaven?" and he said he couldn't feel anything below his neck, and they all got scared and they wheeled him under the X-ray machine. And there were all these kids with bones coming out of their legs and it scared me so much.
And then it was four o'clock and Jon had to meet someone named Dawn Steel from Paramount Pictures at the United City Bank.
Went to Barbi Benton's for dinner and Zev Bufman, the Little Foxes Little Foxes producer, was there. And Mrs. Bufman, who I could see would never let him have an affair with Elizabeth Taylor. Barbi gave us a tour of the house and it's sort of like the Watts Tower, all built by hand-the architect would go to the stream and get the marble to build the steps. It was sort of nice, but not with the things that Barbi put up. producer, was there. And Mrs. Bufman, who I could see would never let him have an affair with Elizabeth Taylor. Barbi gave us a tour of the house and it's sort of like the Watts Tower, all built by hand-the architect would go to the stream and get the marble to build the steps. It was sort of nice, but not with the things that Barbi put up.
Monday, January 4, 1982-Aspen-New York Got back, called the office, I was going to go downtown to work but it was already 5:30. Vincent was going to his Lamaze cla.s.s. Stayed in and unpacked.
I dropped a ring in the sink and it stuck there. Picked up Jon and went to Halston's. It was only Steve Rubell and Victor, and Halston said that two days ago he bought 100 acres in Montauk with Lauren Hutton. So now there won't be condominiums between d.i.c.k Cavett's place and ours. And Bianca wants to rent Montauk while Halston builds. My arm was still hurting.
Tuesday, January 5, 1982
Got up early, still felt like Aspen. Sort of dizzy and floating as if I was on an LSD trip, which I've never been. My lungs are still funny from being shot, I guess.
Got a lot of invitations to dinner. Talked to Jon and he thought we should work on scripts.
He came over and we worked and he left at 9:30. Watched TV, and my arm was really aching and that's when I took an aspirin and the last news on TV was that Hans Conried just died.
Wednesday, January 6, 1982 Heiner Friedrich was having a tea party at his place on 82nd Street. You were supposed to take your shoes off but I didn't and I should have. And the driver who drove us was the best driver I've ever had, named Manny, he was sort of black. Fred told me I couldn't say anything to Heiner about loaning us money for the building. But Heiner's having another party next week and then I will. Because he's taking John Chamberlain's loft and making a museum for him there, and I think why doesn't he rent the Madison Avenue part of our new building and have the museum for me there? I would ask him but people only want to do things if they think of it themselves, so I'll just hint and hint. I did suggest that he open a bar in the building and he said no, no, that Moslems don't drink-he and Philippa are Moslems now that they're Whirling Dervishes.
Sat.u.r.day, January 9, 1982 Another big opening of mine-a double-Dollar Signs at the Castelli on Greene Street and Reversals at the Castelli on West Broadway.
Bob Rauschenberg was at the opening and Joseph Beuys and Hans Namuth and it was like a busy sixties day. And I forget how attractive artists are. They really are attractive.
The stairs were the best place to stand to see people and sign things. Then went over to the Greene Street thing, and the heavyweights were there. Rosenquist didn't know what to say so he told me he loved the photograph of me.
Sunday, January 10, 1982 Not one phone call. That's what happens after being a big star the night before, not one person called all morning. Finally at 12:45 the phone rang, it was my brother. Brigid called and she said that she'd gone to the Chelsea to see Viva who'd just had her baby.
Called Jon and n.o.body answered. Jane Holzer called and said she was in Was.h.i.+ngton with the guy who wrote Shampoo Shampoo and and Chinatown Chinatown, Robert Towne. His new movie, Personal Best Personal Best, is about to come out, it's about d.y.k.e athletes. They were coming up to New York later and she wanted to have dinner. And she said, "Bring your tape because he's so fascinating, so fascinating." I don't know what she was trying to do.
At 10:20 I went to Elaine's (cab $4) and Elaine's fat fat again! So fat. After all she went through getting thin. Jane was already there with Robert Towne and they had the good table. For the first three hours I hated him. In fact I may still hate him, I'm not sure. He was just that California way. All those words that I hate like "a.s.shole" and "bimbo." "Bimbo" drives me up a wall. He didn't want to tape, he said, because he's been working so hard on "my baby," but he said, "If again! So fat. After all she went through getting thin. Jane was already there with Robert Towne and they had the good table. For the first three hours I hated him. In fact I may still hate him, I'm not sure. He was just that California way. All those words that I hate like "a.s.shole" and "bimbo." "Bimbo" drives me up a wall. He didn't want to tape, he said, because he's been working so hard on "my baby," but he said, "If you you want me to, Jane, I'll do it." want me to, Jane, I'll do it."
His wife Julie was there and she gave up acting for real estate. She's good-looking but just almost at the stage where he'll trade her in. Just almost over the hill. And we were there the whole time and Jane didn't even tell me until she dropped me off that this was John Payne's
Robert Towne talked about "Warren" a lot so I said I'd just seen "Jack" in Aspen. Oh and in the beginning he quoted my line to me about "in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes," only he said "ten minutes" and then it was funny because Mark Rydell the director came over fifteen minutes later and quoted me the same line and he said fifteen minutes and then he and Robert Towne argued over the time and I had to agree with Towne because I was with him. But what does this mean, that they both quoted it? So then I asked him if he'd like to buy the quote for a t.i.tle and he said (laughs) (laughs), "No, I like one-word t.i.tles best." So then I told him I'd sell him the t.i.tle "THE" that Tennessee Williams once sold me. He laughed. I thought Jane was paying for dinner but then he did and I was embarra.s.sed. He had a limo and we dropped him at the Carlyle and then Jane dropped me and she told me that she had had an affair with him before he married Julie.
Friday, January 15, 1982 Got a call from Jon and he was coming in from Los Angeles and we were going to the preview at Radio City of the new Coppola movie. But then his plane was really late and he didn't make it.
The movie, One from the Heart One from the Heart, was boring, stinkeroo, and Frederic Forrest is one of my favorite actors and he'd gained about twenty pounds for the role. It was pretty, but looks aren't enough, it's not going to make it.
And I was putting the movie down afterward but then I saw the press coming at me, People People magazine and magazine and Time Time, and so I changed my tune and told them how much I loved it.
Sat.u.r.day, January 30, 1982 Jon picked me up and we cabbed to Sheridan Square to see Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy (tickets $3 5, cab $7). It was at the Sheridan Square place and the theater was one of those firetraps, and it was embarra.s.sing because there were nothing but boys going in, and so we went around the block and then when a couple of girls went up to the box office, we stood near them. The play was four hours long but it was really funny, it had funny lines and everybody loved it, everybody laughed. Like the drag queen said, "I've had so many names-Kitty Litter, Beef a la Mode...."
And when the play was over the usher said that Harvey Fierstein wanted to see me. I'd always had it in the back of my head that somehow he was somebody we knew vaguely, but I couldn't remember, and then I met him and he said, "Don't you remember me? I was that 500-pound boy who was in your play, Pork Pork, and look at what I have here-a hit play!" And he's great, his voice got so low. He's appealing and really talented-he wrote and directed it and acts in it. I told him I'd try to get Interview Interview to do a story on him because he's new talent. to do a story on him because he's new talent.
Dropped Jon (magazines and newspapers $10, cab $6). Got to bed around 1:00.
Monday, February 1, 1982 After three weeks of planning our lunch with Mayor Koch it was finally going to happen today, then his father died, but they said he wants to reschedule. And James Brady on Page Six was so mean, because he reported that Mayor Koch had asked for all thirteen episodes of Brideshead Revisited Brideshead Revisited on tape, to imply that that must mean he has a "problem," but it was mean to put it in the paper when his father just died. on tape, to imply that that must mean he has a "problem," but it was mean to put it in the paper when his father just died.
So since our lunch was cancelled, I went down to Odeon where Leo's workers were having a surprise party lunch for him. The ride took an hour ($10).
It was just star-studded. There was a different artist at every table-Jasper Johns at one table, Robert Rauschenberg at another one, Dan Flavin at another, Artschwager at another, Richard Serra. I sat at a table with James Mayor and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Lewis and I went over and said, "This is the table I want to sit at because everybody here owes me money." So Mrs. Lewis gave me a dime.
I gave Leo underwear and a snot rag with dollar signs and he loved it, no one else brought presents. And his wife Toiny was there and I had copies of Interview Interview with me and people told me to put it away because it had the interview that showed Leo's girlfriend Laura de Coppet and she and Leo were still having an affair and people told me it'd caused a big fight-that Leo was supposed to go to Rome and Toiny saw the interview and got so mad she tore up his ticket and he had to stay in town an extra day. It was the biggest fight ever, they said. with me and people told me to put it away because it had the interview that showed Leo's girlfriend Laura de Coppet and she and Leo were still having an affair and people told me it'd caused a big fight-that Leo was supposed to go to Rome and Toiny saw the interview and got so mad she tore up his ticket and he had to stay in town an extra day. It was the biggest fight ever, they said.
Hans Namuth took every artist to the bathroom to take pictures and I decided to be a camp and I cuddled and felt up Rauschenberg and found out he has a bad body.
Wednesday, February 3, 1982 Talked to Stuart Pivar on the phone and we decided to do something together. So I went over to his place on West 67th and it was strange going into that building because Jed lives there. And then we decided to walk over to the auto show at the Coliseum (tickets $15). The DeLorean cars were the cutest with the doors that open the other way. They were $40,000 and now they're $20,000.
Then Stuart dropped me at the office and I worked for a couple of hours on Crosses and Valentines. Did that until 7:00. I was supposed to go out with Jon but he had to work on his new loft that he just got. Chris called and he and Peter were going to go to the reopening of Danceteria, which is now going to be where Interferon was, but I decided not to.
Thursday, February 4, 1982 The Du Pont twins sent me an invitation to the opening of a new restaurant called Jeanie's in the old Tudor Hotel, and it was a Nikki Haskell event (cab $4). Cornelia Guest came but I guess she's been reading her newspaper clippings so she only stayed a minute. The food was good and I ordered a lot. And the steak arrived and Chris had his wrapped up and ready to take home for breakfast before it was even served, practically, and they wanted to know what was wrong.
And there was a party for Pia Zadora that Frank Sinatra was even coming in for at Hisae that we could have gone to but Bob wouldn't put her on the cover, and she would have been just great to have on the cover, I just love her. It's like if Andrea "Whips" Feldman had been not crazy and had a better nose. Pia's like all those tiny girls we knew who always grabbed the spotlight.
Friday, February 5, 1982 Was picked up by Jon to go to see Venom Venom, on Broadway and 46th Street (cab $5, tickets $10). Jon checked how it was doing with the manager, it was a Paramount movie. It was about 60 percent filled.
Well, it was the audience that was really the horror show. In front of us was like a family, a mother and then I think a couple of daughters with their boyfriends, and they were eating and kissing and feeling up, and it was so strange, so crude.
Then Puerto Ricans came in back of us and their feet were up and they were smoking joints and there were all these big black bruisers lurking everywhere.
Then when we left the theater I was nervous because we were on the street where somebody's been throwing rocks off buildings and killing people. We went to Studio 54 where Liz Smith and a Lumet girl were having a birthday party called I think "15 & 50." I saw Sean McKeon outside and I asked if he wanted to get in and he said yes, and so I got him in, and I introduced him to Jon (hatcheck $2).
Sat.u.r.day, February 6, 1982 I went to Jan Cowles's place at 810 Fifth Avenue where she was having a birthday party for her son Charlie. Gave Charlie a Dollar Sign painting and Leo was there. Joe MacDonald was there, but I didn't want to be near him and talk to him because he just had gay cancer. I talked to his brother's wife.
At 11:00 cabbed to La Coupole ($5). Diana Ross was there with Patrice Calmette and Iman and Bianca and Barry Diller and Steve Rubell. They were just finis.h.i.+ng dinner. I tried to make Barry Diller laugh because he never does and everybody says it's impossible, I asked him to dance but he didn't even crack a smile, so then I gave up and just told him that I loved his movie Venom Venom. Then he laughed.
Then Calvin Klein invited us to see his new apartment on 66th and Central Park West (cab $6). Diana Ross went in a limo. The place is beautiful, a duplex, with a gym and modernized windows and he did it himself, all white and he has a stairway like Halston's, wooden with no banister, and it looks like a work of art and it's very scary. And everything's in order and he collects the same things I do. Stieglitz's pictures of Georgia O'Keeffe. And Indian rugs and blonde tortoisesh.e.l.l.
Monday, February 8, 1982 It was such a beautiful day that I decided I wanted to stay out until the sun went down, it was so warm and sunny.
On TV was a movie The Day the Bubble Burst The Day the Bubble Burst about the big crash of the stock market in 1929 and Jon asked me if I was around for it. I said no. about the big crash of the stock market in 1929 and Jon asked me if I was around for it. I said no.
Thursday, February 11, 1982 The Oscar nominations came out. And Faye didn't get nominated for Mommie Dearest Mommie Dearest. If that that isn't acting... isn't acting...
Sunday, February 14, 1982 Brigid's in the hospital seeing about having her gallbladder out.
Marisa was having her wedding to Richard Golub at Halston's office place and she looked great in a pink tulle Halston sleeveless, and you see how beautiful the dresses can really look when they're on somebody like that. They talked and laughed during the ceremony, that was sort of good, the bride and groom. But he's just another guy looking for a beautiful girl to get him into the papers.
Cabbed back to pick up Chris to see Quest for Fire Quest for Fire. And Rae Dawn Chong was in it, the girl who was going with Owen Bayless who used to work for Interview Interview. She was naked in the movie, her role was that she teaches mankind how to f.u.c.k in the normal position instead of doing it from behind. The audience loved it. It was different. There was no dialogue.
Monday, February 15, 1982 Brigid said she was going to be operated on on Wednesday.
Walked to Columbus Avenue through the park with Jon and there was a group of five big bruisers hanging around and when Jon runs he dances and runs up telephone poles and swings on trees and he has his earphones on so he didn't hear it but this group applauded.
Wednesday, February 17, 1982 Brigid's now going to be operated on on Friday morning at Roosevelt Hospital. She said Lee Strasberg just died there and that Joanne Woodward's having a foot operation there.
Sat.u.r.day, February 20, 1982 Got up early and had to meet Rupert. Brigid called and said she was walking around. She said it was hard having the operation but she was glad it was over now.
And Matt Dillon was having a birthday party, his eighteenth, at Studio 54. And that boy, Baird Jones, whose father runs People People, was having all rich preppies from Harvard and Columbia at a party at the Savoy. He's turning into Elsa Maxwell, giving parties at a different place every week, having all the rich young preppies there. But Fred had a dinner I had to go to at his place.
Sunday, February 21, 1982 Got up early, went to church.
Vincent called and said Sh.e.l.ly had an 8.2-pound baby girl and that the birth was really easy and they named her Austin.
Monday, February 22, 1982 Got up early and went to exercise cla.s.s. Brigid didn't call but I knew that she was okay because she checked in with the office. The Mayor Koch lunch was still on for the next day at the office-I was surprised, because he just announced he would run for governor, and I thought he'd break the lunch date.
Jane Fonda called and I tried to call her back but didn't get her so I wondered all day what that was about. Then later Kate Jackson called and it was fun to get these movie star calls. She said she was just calling to say h.e.l.lo, and I told her I'd loved her movie, Making Love Making Love. And Chen from Liz Taylor's office called to invite me to Liz's fiftieth birthday party in London on Sat.u.r.day but I think we'll be in Belgium, it's supposed to be a smasheroo.
Tuesday, February 23, 1982 This was the day Mayor Koch was coming to lunch and Vincent was all excited, and I kept saying he was going to cancel but he still hadn't, and then at 11:00 he called and cancelled. Vincent was really disappointed and now I think Koch is awful. He could have come just for five minutes. I mean, now I'm not going to vote for him. I know know I don't vote, but so what, I mean, he's still awful. And they were showing on the news the clips of him in the past saying that he would never run for governor, so he just changed his tune and that means he's just like everybody else, he blows with the wind. I don't vote, but so what, I mean, he's still awful. And they were showing on the news the clips of him in the past saying that he would never run for governor, so he just changed his tune and that means he's just like everybody else, he blows with the wind.
Jane Fonda called again. She wants a free portrait of herself so she can make posters from it to sell to raise money for her husband Tom Hayden's election campaign. Fred can't decide if I should do it.
Wednesday, February 24, 1982 Victor called and said he wanted to see Victor/Victoria Victor/Victoria-he thinks it's about him. He said Halston would have dinner afterward just for the three of us.
Tuesday, March 2, 1982-Berlin We went over to where Fa.s.sbinder was filming this movie called Querelle Querelle by Genet. Brad Davis is the star of it. I got my picture taken with Brad and I got his autograph on an ashtray for Jon. Met Fa.s.sbinder and he was wearing outrageous clothes, the leopard-skin jodhpurs, and one of the guys standing there said he thought Fa.s.sbinder had dressed up like that just for me because he usually wears just plain black leather. He looked like a circus trainer. And Brad Davis looks so strange, so delicate-looking. Much better than he did on the cover of by Genet. Brad Davis is the star of it. I got my picture taken with Brad and I got his autograph on an ashtray for Jon. Met Fa.s.sbinder and he was wearing outrageous clothes, the leopard-skin jodhpurs, and one of the guys standing there said he thought Fa.s.sbinder had dressed up like that just for me because he usually wears just plain black leather. He looked like a circus trainer. And Brad Davis looks so strange, so delicate-looking. Much better than he did on the cover of Interview Interview.
Sat.u.r.day, March 6, 1982-Paris At 6:30 I had an opening at the Daniel Templon Gallery which I didn't know I was having but since I was in town I had to go to it. We got there and it wasn't so bad. It was the Dollar Signs and they looked pretty good. We ran into Sao Schlumberger there, and she didn't know I'd be in town. She offered us a ride back to the hotel. She was cute, wearing leather and foxtails. And then we invited lots of models to a party Lord Jermyn was giving for me-he said said it was a party for me but I think it was just a good excuse. That was at 9:00. We picked up Chris and walked over. it was a party for me but I think it was just a good excuse. That was at 9:00. We picked up Chris and walked over.
Johnny Pigozzi told me that John Belus.h.i.+ died from an overdose.
Then the models said they had another party to take us to and Eric de Rothschild said he wanted to come with us and that he had "a limo" outside, but it turned out he just had a Volkswagen, and so about eight of us had to fit into it. And we got to the party and it was really great, all these beautiful models, one better than the other. Dancing to beautiful tunes, American, smoking joints and cooking frankfurters with the windows open. Then the police came and we got scared, everybody had to throw their dope away. It was about 2:00 and we had to think about getting back and packing for our trip back to New York.
Chris and I left and cabbed back to Fred's apartment ($10).
Monday, March 8, 1982-New York Victor gave me a call and said that he'd been with some Amsterdam boys and that everybody's afraid of getting the gay cancer so now they f.u.c.k with their big toe. Now it's (laughs) (laughs) whoever has the biggest toe. He said, "It's wild." whoever has the biggest toe. He said, "It's wild."
Sat.u.r.day, March 13, 1982 Got up early to meet Jon. It started raining but it was warm. Decided we'd go to the Met to see what the new Rockefeller Primitive Collection looked like (cab $4, admission $7). Liz Holtzman was going in to see it, too, and she was nice and charming, she came over to say h.e.l.lo. There were a lot of photographs of the Michael Rockefeller boy who got eaten and a boy and a girl were looking at one of them and I heard them say, "He looks like a hippie." The collection was great, it's mostly African but some American Indian and some Mexican and some South American and the installation was terrific. Walked down from 83rd Street to 44th Street and stopped at Barnes and n.o.ble for reference books and some books that'll help with Interview Interview, about Dorothy Kilgallen. Bob Bach was a good friend of hers. I just ran into him recently. He's the one who gave me the job as the hand drawing on the weather map for about a week once on CBS, during the Will Rogers, Jr. show in the fifties.
Monday, March 15, 1982 I got a letter from Billy Name and he wants me to give his photographs from the original Factory on 47th Street to Jean Stein for her Edie book, and I just hate her, I don't want him to.
And Brigid was back at work and it was wonderful, she was radiant and G.o.d, she really has a beautiful gallbladder scar, you can hardly see the staple marks. We sat at the conference table for an hour and she told me everything about the gallbladder attack and operation.
Tuesday, March 16, 1982 Paul Morrissey came down and he said that Jean Stein called him and read him something that Rene Ricard had said about him in her Edie Edie book, and he told her that if she printed it he'd sue her, and she said she was going to print it anyway. And Fred said I should be generous and find Billy's pictures and give them to Jean, but I said, "You know, Fred, I really don't mind spending all the time it would take to find the pictures, but I hear that Jean has some rotten things about me in her book and so I just don't want to." And he said, "Well if you feel that way, why don't you just call her up yourself and tell her that." And so I told him book, and he told her that if she printed it he'd sue her, and she said she was going to print it anyway. And Fred said I should be generous and find Billy's pictures and give them to Jean, but I said, "You know, Fred, I really don't mind spending all the time it would take to find the pictures, but I hear that Jean has some rotten things about me in her book and so I just don't want to." And he said, "Well if you feel that way, why don't you just call her up yourself and tell her that." And so I told him he he should, but then I did, I called her and said, "You know, Jean, it'd take me a couple of afternoons to find the pictures and I would do it, but I hear that you put me down in your book." And she said, "Oh well-well- well-I-I-it's tape recorded, it's taped should, but then I did, I called her and said, "You know, Jean, it'd take me a couple of afternoons to find the pictures and I would do it, but I hear that you put me down in your book." And she said, "Oh well-well- well-I-I-it's tape recorded, it's taped interviews." interviews." And I said, "Oh so then other people put me down." And she goes, "Well I-I-didn't-I didn't really say that." "Well then can you send me a galley?" "Oh but all the galleys, I've given them all out." "Well, Jean, there's always a Xerox machine." "Well, I-I-but Billy wrote you that wonderful letter." "Yes, Billy wrote me that wonderful letter." And I said, "Oh so then other people put me down." And she goes, "Well I-I-didn't-I didn't really say that." "Well then can you send me a galley?" "Oh but all the galleys, I've given them all out." "Well, Jean, there's always a Xerox machine." "Well, I-I-but Billy wrote you that wonderful letter." "Yes, Billy wrote me that wonderful letter."
I mean she's just that tough type of girl-it's like Brooke Hayward. They're just-Suzie Frankfurts. You know? They're the same type. They pretend to be so femme femme and they're these tough -things. You know? And the point is, none of the stuff she has in the book would bother me, I'm sure, because I'm sure I'd think it's fascinating. But the one thing that bothers me is that she calls me a "social climber." Isabel Eberstadt let that slip out to me-and that's-that's just not true. Meeting rich kids wasn't anything to me, and being invited to her stupid parties. It bothers me because it's not true! The other things, I'm sure they'll be fascinating, whether they're true or not, but the "social climbing" thing just isn't true. Oh but and they're these tough -things. You know? And the point is, none of the stuff she has in the book would bother me, I'm sure, because I'm sure I'd think it's fascinating. But the one thing that bothers me is that she calls me a "social climber." Isabel Eberstadt let that slip out to me-and that's-that's just not true. Meeting rich kids wasn't anything to me, and being invited to her stupid parties. It bothers me because it's not true! The other things, I'm sure they'll be fascinating, whether they're true or not, but the "social climbing" thing just isn't true. Oh but why why does it bother me so much? I don't does it bother me so much? I don't know know why, it just does, I don't know.... why, it just does, I don't know....
Oh and Paul said he saw Ondine and that he's still traveling around the country with a 16mm print of Chelsea Girls Chelsea Girls, showing it and giving lectures. What is Ondine going to do when that print just disintegrates? Or if it gets lost? Now that's that's a play. And he's teaching rich kids acting at some school like Buckley so there'll be this whole group of kids who'll a play. And he's teaching rich kids acting at some school like Buckley so there'll be this whole group of kids who'll (laughs) (laughs) act like Ondine. Oh and I can just see it if Billy Name comes to New York. Oh he won't, he's too shy, he won't want us to see him fat. Oh but if he does-I can just see it-he'll come on the bus with a YMCA satchel. And Tom Baker's doing the same thing, he's traveling around with a print of I, act like Ondine. Oh and I can just see it if Billy Name comes to New York. Oh he won't, he's too shy, he won't want us to see him fat. Oh but if he does-I can just see it-he'll come on the bus with a YMCA satchel. And Tom Baker's doing the same thing, he's traveling around with a print of I, a Man a Man.
And of course the big news of the day was that Claus von Bulow was found guilty in Rhode Island. I guess he'll appeal the verdict.
Wednesday, March 17, 1982 I was picked up by Jon at 8 P.M P.M. and we went to Diane Von Furstenberg's, she was having a no-reason party but I think maybe it was for a rich Indonesian. Bob was coming after dinner because he was going to a dinner the Hales were giving for the attorney general.
Barbara Allen arrived, she said she was dropped off by Bill Paley and she broke down after I kidded her about Peter Duchin and she told me she was thinking of going back to Joe Allen. Because she was just fired by Valentino. I didn't know that. She said she was hurt, and they owed her money, and she didn't know why they fired her. And I asked her about Peter Duchin and she said he was okay but that he'd been married for seventeen years so he already had his habits. She said she was tired of having flings, that she thought it might be time to buckle down and become a hostess. She said that she could really make all the other girls jealous with the entertaining she could do. There was Italian food and South American drinks which I had and they were so strong.
Thursday, March 18, 1982 I read that Jean Stein's book Edie Edie got six figures from the Book-of-the-Month Club, and I got an idea what to do about Billy Name and his pictures-I think that if the book becomes big and Edie becomes a cult again, it would be better for Billy to publish his own portfolio of Edie pictures, he could make more doing it that way. I've got to write him a letter to tell him that because I just don't want to give the pictures to Jean. I mean, there's probably not even anything got six figures from the Book-of-the-Month Club, and I got an idea what to do about Billy Name and his pictures-I think that if the book becomes big and Edie becomes a cult again, it would be better for Billy to publish his own portfolio of Edie pictures, he could make more doing it that way. I've got to write him a letter to tell him that because I just don't want to give the pictures to Jean. I mean, there's probably not even anything really really bad about me in the book, but still I just don't want to. bad about me in the book, but still I just don't want to.
It was a sunny cold day. Cabbed to the Mayflower Hotel ($6) to interview Cher. She has a glamorous penthouse, like a two-story house on top, and she wanted to do it in the bedroom. Her bed overlooks Central Park. It was the fourth day she couldn't eat, she couldn't even swallow a vitamin pill, and she was taking medicine for her throat and it made her face break out and swell up and so she just drinks thick rich malteds so her weight doesn't go down too much.
She was great, she just said everything. She said she has two boyfriends now, it just happened in one week, and she's so happy because they're real men, and I brought up Ron Duguay, that we'd heard she'd been seeing him and she said yes but that he was too interested in himself, he wasn't for her. She talked about anything except her father, she said that was a "No."
And Cher said that when they called and told her she had the second lead after Meryl Streep in the Karen Silkwood story she said she cried for five hours because everything she'd done up to now has been s.h.i.+t, except for the Come Back to the Five and Dime Come Back to the Five and Dime play, and she's so happy. play, and she's so happy.
Dropped Bob ($3.50) then was picked up by Jon and went to Ahmet Ertegun's house. Bob said it was just for "sandwiches" but the stupid butler, he should have taken us upstairs, but he led us right in and everybody was sitting down at dinner, and Mica and Ahmet had to get up.
Then we went to the Bottom Line in a bus to see Ahmet's new act, Laura Branigan, who was absolutely great.