Chapter 9
Thursday, February 9, 1978 Bob called in the morning and said that Suzie Frankfurt was becoming a Roman Catholic and that she was getting baptized this morning and that we should go up to the church (cab to 83rd and Park $3). It only took a minute, Suzie got baptized and her hair got wet, and we went back to her house for coffee.
Cabbed down to Union Square ($3). Anselmino was calling from Italy all day, screaming hysterically about forgeries of my paintings that he was being offered. And my nephew was there all day writing letters and making phone calls. I worked until about 7:00.
Friday, February 10, 1978 Anselmino called to say, "They weren't forgeries after all-they were stolen from me and cut down to a smaller size." He must have just sold them for c.o.ke once and forgot.
My nephew was at the office again all day making phone calls. He had a friend with him and Brigid said that he'd been making martinis (laughs) (laughs) the new way with gin, scotch, and vermouth. He told me he's staying with someone and there's five people in one room and I guess he's sleeping on the floor. I wanted to keep working late, so I told him it would be easier if he left with Vincent when Vincent locked the door. I think he got mad at me because he left without finis.h.i.+ng his martini. the new way with gin, scotch, and vermouth. He told me he's staying with someone and there's five people in one room and I guess he's sleeping on the floor. I wanted to keep working late, so I told him it would be easier if he left with Vincent when Vincent locked the door. I think he got mad at me because he left without finis.h.i.+ng his martini.
Sat.u.r.day, February 11, 1978
Okay, the fire.
I got up in the morning and I thought I smelled a wood-burning fireplace. I went upstairs and there was no fireplace going and I still smelled burning so I went up to the room on the fourth floor where two kids have been working, restoring furniture for Jed's decorating business. I opened the door. There was a dropcloth all over the room with a big burned hole about ten inches across in it, and underneath the hole was a quarter-inch hole in the floorboards. I started to shake. My biggest fear had happened. There were open cans of turpentine around, the windows were closed, and the heat was on. I just don't know what started it, and I just don't know what stopped it. It must have happened while I was asleep because I didn't smell anything when I came in. Do you think...? I mean, it was like The Exorcist The Exorcist. Should I put a cross up there? I'm going to have a cross blessed and put it up there. Because in the same room once the whole ceiling had a flood on one wall, and now this. And then I was thinking that I was mean to my nephew the priest and that was bothering me. And when I looked at where the fire had been, right in the center of the room, it was like to show what would happen... I was absolutely shaking. The dropcloth had vein lines going out from the hole, and the floor underneath had vein lines. It was so weird.
Then I spent the whole morning cleaning up. I called Judith Hollander for the phone number of the boys who were "restoring." I called them up and screamed at them to come and get their junk out of there fast, and when they came I wouldn't talk to them, I was so angry.
I was so exhausted from this ordeal in the morning with the fire that after work I just went home and drank some wine so that I'd be able to sleep and not think about the possessed room upstairs. Remember when Tom Tryon used to live across the street and I would watch him in his window writing? Now I'm living a nightmare like one of his stories.
Tuesday, February 14, 1978 I couldn't believe how many people were out celebrating Valentine's Day this year. It was really really a celebration, a big holiday. Paulette picked me up to go over to the "I Love New York" party at Tavern on the Green. Bella Abzug came in. Today was the election to see if she could win the seat Mayor Koch vacated. She's running against Bill Green. a celebration, a big holiday. Paulette picked me up to go over to the "I Love New York" party at Tavern on the Green. Bella Abzug came in. Today was the election to see if she could win the seat Mayor Koch vacated. She's running against Bill Green.
A lady who works for the governor came over and wanted to meet me, she said she read my Philosophy Philosophy book and that it's her favorite book, it's her bible. She asked provocative questions about should kids at thirteen see p.o.r.nography and what about Roman Polanski, and Stan Dragoti who was there said that he used to live next door to Roman in Hollywood and that Roman actually did date eleven-year-olds. We concluded that Roman is now trying to relive his childhood. He's is now in Paris where he can't be extradited back. There were a lot of empty s.p.a.ces at our table. Stan Dragoti is married to Cheryl Tiegs the model. He made it sound like they were really together, and I had to catch myself every time I started to say something about Vitas, because his wife Cheryl and Vitas are the hot couple lately around town, but I didn't slip. book and that it's her favorite book, it's her bible. She asked provocative questions about should kids at thirteen see p.o.r.nography and what about Roman Polanski, and Stan Dragoti who was there said that he used to live next door to Roman in Hollywood and that Roman actually did date eleven-year-olds. We concluded that Roman is now trying to relive his childhood. He's is now in Paris where he can't be extradited back. There were a lot of empty s.p.a.ces at our table. Stan Dragoti is married to Cheryl Tiegs the model. He made it sound like they were really together, and I had to catch myself every time I started to say something about Vitas, because his wife Cheryl and Vitas are the hot couple lately around town, but I didn't slip.
Picked up Catherine to go over to Vitas's Valentine's party at Le Club. Catherine had her boots on (cab $3). Peter Beard and Tom Sullivan arrived. Tom and Catherine have a pact that each of them can go anywhere and do anything with others, and so he was with a ravingly beautiful sixteen-year-old model and she was (laughs) (laughs) with me. with me.
Jerry Hall was there and she said that she was looking for a house for Mick and that she and he were going to live in together for six months. I think I told that later to a reporter but I don't care. n.o.body likes Jerry Hall, they think she's plastic. But I like her. She's so cute.
We went over to Studio 54 and just everyone was there.
Wednesday, February 15, 1978 Hung over, couldn't get out of bed.
The Joan Crawford pre-auction exhibit was on from 9-12:00 at the Plaza Galleries-the second one.
When we got there, they were taking the show down, getting ready for the auction the next day. The girl at the gallery was wearing one of Joan's sweaters. Everything was for sale-there was lawyers' letters and a collection of schoolteacher letters, all the things she'd saved. I really ought to auction off some of my time capsule boxes [see Introduction] [see Introduction], that would be a good thing to do in an art gallery. But I would try to make every box a little interesting. I'd throw in one of my dresses, or an old s.h.i.+rt, a pair of underwear-something great in each one. The Negro guys there were rotten to us, screaming not to touch things, and we left. And Bella Abzug lost to Bill Green.
We had to go up to Denise Bouche's for her party for the chairman of the Guggenheim Museum, her cousin Peter Lawson-Johnston, who's a Guggenheim (drinks $20). Bill Copley was there, he was drunk and fun. When he did that play a few months ago he hired a wh.o.r.e to be in it, and then he kept her on after the play, at $200 a week, to live in his house on 89th Street. And now she's taken it over. He once told me he originally furnished his place so that no woman would ever want to live there-that he wanted to make it like a bar-he left his ex-wife in their old apartment on Central Park West. But then the kind of girl he found is the kind of girl who would like to be in a place that looks like a bar-that's where a hooker would feel comfortable, so he picked the right girl. He said he's starting to be nervous about her being there, though. She's taking over and buying him funny presents and things. But he thinks it's interesting, but now he's not so sure about it. I told him I wanted to tape them fighting, and I wanted to start this weekend, but I have to go to Dallas. They don't fight in public, but he'll do it for art.
Picked up Diana Vreeland and went to Doubles (cab $2). I talked to Norman Mailer and his schoolteacher redheaded new girlfriend from Arkansas. I was at table 9 with Diana and Lee Radziwill and Peter Tufo, and one of the Toni twins. Bob was next to Gloria Swanson! She has really grey hair. I told her, "You look so beautiful." She said, "Say it again." I said, "You look so beautiful." Mrs. Vreeland was fighting with Peter Tufo. Then she started screaming and belting me, and she really hurts! hurts! And she does the same thing to Fred. She screamed at me, "You should know better than to OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" I just didn't know what to do. She beats you to a pulp. She said that she just couldn't stand to be around old people, including herself. And she does the same thing to Fred. She screamed at me, "You should know better than to OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" I just didn't know what to do. She beats you to a pulp. She said that she just couldn't stand to be around old people, including herself.
Friday, February 17, 1978 Liza came to the office to have her portrait done. She was a little nervous to begin with, and then Chris Makos went over and showed her a picture of his c.o.c.k that I'd taken, and that made her more nervous, but she was wearing the right makeup and all the pictures came out good.
John Lennon came by and that was exciting. He's lost weight. Rupert's working on some art thing with him. And he was sweet. He'd refused Catherine the autograph in the restaurant the other week, but Paul McCartney's picture was in the paper the other day, and when she asked him again he drew a mustache on Paul and signed it.
Meanwhile Catherine had invited two boys she met in the men's room at Studio 54 to lunch, brothers from Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C., who have a rock band called Star, they're staying at Bob Feiden of Arista Records' house. And they were whispering to each other saying, "Can you believe this? Liza Minnelli, John Lennon-she calls this work?" work?"
Victor arrived and started screaming at some girl, calling her cheap and a wh.o.r.e and oh-just-all I can think of is someday he's going to get mad at me and it's going to get crazy.
Monday, February 20, 1978 Monique Van Vooren was having a sit-down dinner at Premiere at 9:30 and I'd said yes, I forgot that Tom Sullivan had tickets for wrestling because he'd met Dusty Rhodes the wrestler at an airport and they'd become friends. Then Fred called and said Camilla McGrath was having a c.o.c.ktail party for someone, but I can't remember who.
Catherine picked me up at 7:00 and we went over to Camilla's and it was very exciting there, a whole crowd of people. The Johansen boy, David Doll, was there, he looked unhappy, I guess it's still from Cyrinda Foxe leaving him for the Aerosmith guy. And I met Stephen Graham, the Was.h.i.+ngton Post Was.h.i.+ngton Post kid, and he was nutty, he was with Jane Wenner, who'd broken her leg skiing. kid, and he was nutty, he was with Jane Wenner, who'd broken her leg skiing.
Tom picked us up there at 8:30 and we went over to the Garden and there were like 26,000 people there! I thought wrestling was a dead sport, I didn't know so many people went to it. Dusty Rhodes was wrestling a j.a.panese guy. They all wear sequins, all of them. I guess they got their style from Gorgeous George, he really influenced them. And they strip on stage. Catherine went to take pictures, but the fight was over in eight minutes. And now they're getting good-looking wrestlers. Dusty Rhodes said he'd be right out, but he didn't come out until about twenty minutes. He wore lots of jewelry, gold things, and he had dark gla.s.ses on but when he took them off it looked like he still had them on, he had huge dark rings around his eyes, and he had lots of bruises all over. We took him with us to Monique's dinner (wrestling tickets $16).
Then we went to the Lone Star and then they wanted to go dancing. Up to Hurrah's. Dusty was a little apprehensive when he saw all the fairies and he asked for a girl. The owner got a girl from someplace behind us and fixed him up with her. Then after Hurrah's we dropped Dusty and the girl at the Sheraton, and Catherine and Tom picked up hamburgers at the Bra.s.serie and went to the Westbury. They dropped me off.
Tuesday, February 21, 1978 I went down to the office (cab $3.25).
Brigid was training the new employee, Robyn Geddes, a kid I met at Studio 54. She told him, "The thing is, when you're at home, you let the phone ring twice, and then you answer. But here, you get it on half a ring. There's only one thing that Andy expects and that's that you get five calls a minute, if it comes to that." She was making it all up. He asked her if McDonald's delivered. He said he was getting his master's at the New School and Brigid said, "Oh, so you're going to school and this is part-time? Are you a volunteer or will we be paying you?" He said he didn't know. His mother is the head of the New York Cancer Society chapter. She married Amory and they live at the River House.
Thursday, February 23, 1978 Went to Regine's. Andrea Marcovicci was there. And Tom Sullivan. Someone was saying that Andrea Marcovicci looked like Margaret Trudeau and I was saying oh yeah, and then I turned around and there was Margaret Trudeau, I didn't know she was there, and Tom said, "I thought you knew." And Tom was sad because he couldn't be with Margaret, she was staying in the background so she wouldn't be photographed with him because she's still married. But then this photographer guy who was there with a foreign accent said to Tom that he saw him f.u.c.king Margaret in the balcony at Studio 54 the other night, and the reason he saw them was that he was up there f.u.c.king a girl, himself. And finally Margaret came and she talked to me so she could be near Tom, and the photographers took pictures. And Catherine was unhappy because Tom was in love with Margaret.
Friday, February 24, 1978 Robyn, the new kid, said he was going out to his parents' place in Tuxedo Park to be a butler for $10 an hour for three hours this weekend, but that he got an advance so he could go dancing at Studio 54. He was reading the sc.r.a.pbook and when he got to '68 he couldn't believe it-he said to me, "Somebody shot shot you?" you?"
Roy Cohn's birthday party was at Studio 54 behind the curtain. We missed the good heavy Democrats, they'd already gone, like Carmine DeSapio. There was a big birthday cake for Roy, and Margaret thought it was a cus.h.i.+on and sat on it, but she got up quickly and n.o.body seemed to notice. The cake was about 3' X 4'. With a face like a 1920 cheap pillow, you know, like they had then for the World's Fair. It was in the paper that the party was costing Stevie $150,000, but I don't see how it could have, they were charging people to get in just like always.
Sat.u.r.day, February 25, 1978 Catherine called and said that Tom would pick me up in his car but I said I'd rather walk, it was just to Diana Vreeland's dinner for Cecil Beaton. When we got there Peter Beard was there in black tie, he said he'd had to rent it for Friday so he figured why not keep it for the weekend. Carole Bouquet was with him, she's leaving for Paris in a week. Then Fred arrived with Cecil Beaton. Cecil had been staying with Sam Green but that got too hard so he moved to the Pierre, he was leaving town in the morning. He can hardly walk, he's paralyzed on one side. He'd taken photographs of Carole and signed them for Peter with his left hand, which is great, that's the hand he draws with now. He doesn't talk much, he just said things like "Oh my" and "Yes." And I guess Diana looking at him was afraid something like that would happen to her because she overreacted in the other direction, she was running and jumping and dancing and humming and pus.h.i.+ng forward with her tight body and her beautiful clothes.
And Consuelo Crespi whose daughter Pilar is married to a Colombian, Echavarria, was also at Diana's. Tom knew all about Colombia, so I just don't know about him. He said that Pilar's husband was the biggest smuggler in Colombia, but what does that mean he smuggles? For sure, cocaine? Or money? Echavarria
The front page of the Post Post announced Liza's separation from Jack Haley, Jr. announced Liza's separation from Jack Haley, Jr.
Sunday, February 26, 1978 Went to church, then cabbed to work ($4) to meet Rupert. Worked there all afternoon and took phone calls. Then went home at 7:00.
Tuesday, February 28, 1978 Catherine went to Halston's to pick up her dress, but later she made me call him to say that she'd wanted one slinkier, and he's going to do it. He thinks I'm paying for it, I guess, but I'm not, Tom Sullivan is.
Cabbed ($4) to the office and arrived for the lunch for Sam Spiegel. Sam was charming-he was talking about Carole Bouquet and it turns out that her pa.s.sport or papers expired. When he sees a pretty face he'll do anything, and he called a friend in Immigration.
All afternoon Catherine and Bob were getting the party list together for that night's dinner at Reginette for Margaret Trudeau. Catherine was trying to get O.J. Simpson, but he'd left town.
At 9:00 Catherine, Tom Sullivan, and Margaret picked me up to go to Regine's (cab $3.50). When we got there we were so early the photographers hadn't even gotten there yet. Margaret was just sitting at the bar, and if any photographer had come in he would have gotten great pictures, but they weren't there.
Studio 54 is making Regine desperate.
Margaret told me how much she loved Tom. And she said that she didn't like Tony Portago, she didn't like his line. And then she told me Tom's line and it sounded exactly the same. Tom's lines were: "I want to thank Pierre Trudeau for making you such a fascinating woman," and "Good night, Mrs. Trudeau." And Tony, she said, had said, "Margaret Trudeau, can I dance with you?" And that that one she didn't like. So one she didn't like. So (laughs) (laughs) I don't know. And she said that when she was up in Canada this weekend the prime minister, who's still her husband, said that her interview in I don't know. And she said that when she was up in Canada this weekend the prime minister, who's still her husband, said that her interview in Interview Interview was the best she's ever done. was the best she's ever done.
Monday, March 6, 1978 Jamie Wyeth called and invited me to dinner at "21."
Picked up Catherine and went. We had a really great time gossiping about Jamie's trip to Europe with Bo Polk and Nureyev. Andrew Stein was at the next table with his girlfriend. Catherine ordered Guinness and champagne-a black velvet. Ossie Clark came by. Tom Sullivan arrived just up from Florida where he'd gone with Margaret Trudeau. She was outside in the limo.
When we got to Studio 54, I thought it was just going to be about fifteen or twenty people for Liz Taylor's party, but it was more like 2,000, so if Halston was paying, it cost a fortune. It was a good work night for me, because I saw Mrs. Kaiser-Aly-and she said her face would be okay next week to have her picture taken, and we talked about the Joan Crawford sale.
Liz looked like a-bellyb.u.t.ton. Like a fat little Kewpie doll. John Warner said h.e.l.lo to me. Rod Gilbert was with the cutest new hockey player, a blond, who Catherine fell in love with the other night, and she says she's going to try to get him but she doesn't think she's going to be able to, but she's going to try. He was with a girl with big t.i.ts. And Margaret and Tom didn't get much fanfare from the photographers, I guess they're an old couple by now. And Bianca paid no attention to me at all, but then she wanted me to dance with her so that it would be the new kind of picture for the photographers. She was wearing black and white, that's the current Halston thing, but she just really doesn't look good in his clothes. And Bianca kept telling me to call Chris Wilding over, and then when he came, she would act like she hadn't had a thing to do with it, so he'd look at me and say, "Yes?"-like "What did you want?"-and I didn't have a thing to say, and Bianca would act disinterested, and it was just so dumb.
Truman Capote was there and he and Bob were dancing all night and the photographers were taking pictures. Truman looks so thin. Diana Vreeland was there, and people were being brought over to Liz-she was the queen. I met a quarterback.
Bob was watching Bianca take poppers and he said to Diana Vreeland, "It really becomes more like pagan Rome every day," and she said, "I should hope hope so-isn't that what we're after?" so-isn't that what we're after?"
The decorations were fabulous, vases as big as people, filled with flowers, and they did a tribute to Liz with pictures on the wall.
And Monique was there, and we reminisced about the time I met Liz for the first time in Rome around the time we were there making Frankenstein Frankenstein and and Dracula Dracula.
Tuesday, March 7, 1978 The front page of the Post Post said that Aly Kaiser was robbed of her jewels last night after she went home from the Liz Taylor party. I'm so glad I didn't talk jewelry with her like I was going to, or I'd be a suspect. But she only has the best, the simplest and the best. It said the necklace was $500,000. What I liked best in the article was that they called her "a divorcee." I haven't seen that word in years. I wonder if maybe she was picking the guy up-I wouldn't be surprised. Like that night when we all went to her house and the two Negro kids were with us-Esther Phillips and the guy she was with-she didn't just have them because they were with said that Aly Kaiser was robbed of her jewels last night after she went home from the Liz Taylor party. I'm so glad I didn't talk jewelry with her like I was going to, or I'd be a suspect. But she only has the best, the simplest and the best. It said the necklace was $500,000. What I liked best in the article was that they called her "a divorcee." I haven't seen that word in years. I wonder if maybe she was picking the guy up-I wouldn't be surprised. Like that night when we all went to her house and the two Negro kids were with us-Esther Phillips and the guy she was with-she didn't just have them because they were with us us, I think she had us because we were with them them. But Paulette has to be careful-she's next, because rubies are much more in demand now than diamonds.
I want to invent a new kind of fast food, and I was thinking, what about a waffle thing that had the food on one side and the drink on the other-like ham and c.o.ke? You could eat and drink at the same time.
Friday, March 10, 1978 Stayed uptown in the morning because I was going to interview Kirk Douglas at Quo Vadis for lunch. Nicky Haslam was there with Sybil Burton Christopher, but I didn't recognize her because she has a different-color hair now. Kirk Douglas looked good. He was charming, so adorable. Lally Weymouth came over and she was Kirk's best friend and he was stroking her in the lobby. Bobby Zarem surprised us and forked up for the lunch. Kirk said he wanted to go to Studio 54 that night and asked if we'd call and leave his name at the door. For the interview Kirk talked about how Hollywood had at first wanted to putty up his dimple.
After work dropped off Catherine (cab $4) and changed, then we went all the way down to the Bottom Line (cab $5) to see Lou Reed's act. There was a line around the block, but then inside it wasn't crowded, it was nice. Ronnie and Gigi and Clive Davis and Bob Feiden were there, and they wanted to confiscate Catherine's tape recorder at the door, but she only gave them the batteries. A girl was on before Lou, and then he was late coming out, but then he did and I was (laughs) proud (laughs) proud of him. For once, finally, he's himself, he's not copying anybody. Finally he's got his own style. Now everything he does works, he dances better. Because when John Cale and Lou were the Velvets, they really had a style, but when Lou went solo he got bad and was copying people like Mick Jagger. But last night he did his song "I Want to Be Black"-which never was good before but now it is. of him. For once, finally, he's himself, he's not copying anybody. Finally he's got his own style. Now everything he does works, he dances better. Because when John Cale and Lou were the Velvets, they really had a style, but when Lou went solo he got bad and was copying people like Mick Jagger. But last night he did his song "I Want to Be Black"-which never was good before but now it is.
Sat.u.r.day, March 11, 1978 I had a lot of dates but I decided to stay home and dye my eyebrows.
Sunday, March 12, 1978 Got up and went to church.
Liza's birthday party was at Halston's spread in the Olympic Tower. Catherine was wearing her new Halston, a tight white one, and she looked really good with her hair up. The party wasn't that great. It was missing people. Muhammad Ali never showed up and Liz Taylor didn't either. But Carol Channing popped around the corner with Eartha Kitt who she said was dying to meet me, but then we didn't have anything to say to each other. Melba Moore was there. It was a nice party, though, a live band. Jane Holzer and Bob Denison was there, and a couple of hustlers from Studio 54 who weren't in black tie, they were in white jumpsuits. Liza was wearing a gold Halston, and she got upset when Dr. Giller pulled down on it because she'd just been in the bathroom to fix it to stay up. It was a funny dress, open from the crotch down to the floor in a V. And the Halston crowd has a new accent, they're now all talking in a tongue-tied lisp. It's the new thing. And they all say [imitates] [imitates] "p.u.s.s.ycat." I met David Mahoney who runs Norton Simon that bought Halston, and Martha Graham took me into a corner and said she'd like to have tea with me. All the pretty girls were in Halstons. "p.u.s.s.ycat." I met David Mahoney who runs Norton Simon that bought Halston, and Martha Graham took me into a corner and said she'd like to have tea with me. All the pretty girls were in Halstons.
Diana Vreeland was there and Truman Capote with Bob MacBride. He's the person that was with Truman even back when I did the Rolling Stone Rolling Stone interview with him in 1973. He looks even weirder than ever, there was always something strange about him. But Truman told me that he couldn't go for the young ones, meaning that it had to be this type. Bob MacBride is still taking notes-even when I first met him with Truman he was taking notes, but I don't know what for. He still has the wife and six kids. He's lost a lot of weight. Actually, he's lost everything-he looks strange. interview with him in 1973. He looks even weirder than ever, there was always something strange about him. But Truman told me that he couldn't go for the young ones, meaning that it had to be this type. Bob MacBride is still taking notes-even when I first met him with Truman he was taking notes, but I don't know what for. He still has the wife and six kids. He's lost a lot of weight. Actually, he's lost everything-he looks strange.
Al Pacino was there and he looked handsome-we've heard through the grapevine that he might be interested in renting Montauk, so we'll see about that. De Niro was there, he looked fat, and Scorsese was with them.
Ken Harrison the p.o.r.no star was at my table. Bianca and Stevie brought out a big birthday cake and Liza started singing "New York, New York" but then Sterling St. Jacques went over and joined her singing and (laughs) (laughs) she got upset and moved over to another microphone and sang some more. And then I asked Marty Scorsese if he'd ever met Margaret Trudeau and he said no, and so I went and got her, I was pus.h.i.+ng her as an actress. Marty told me Julia sends her love. I told him they should get back together and he said he couldn't, that they were just friends now. He's so short. G.o.d. Halston was kissing Liza and Bianca was lost somewhere with Federico De Laurentiis, and the photographers were photographing and it looked unreal, like a big movie scene. she got upset and moved over to another microphone and sang some more. And then I asked Marty Scorsese if he'd ever met Margaret Trudeau and he said no, and so I went and got her, I was pus.h.i.+ng her as an actress. Marty told me Julia sends her love. I told him they should get back together and he said he couldn't, that they were just friends now. He's so short. G.o.d. Halston was kissing Liza and Bianca was lost somewhere with Federico De Laurentiis, and the photographers were photographing and it looked unreal, like a big movie scene.
Monday, March 13, 1978 The Post Post had a picture of Halston and Liza and Ken Harrison. But all I could look at was the way Ken Harrison was holding his gla.s.s. Because I have nude pictures of him with Victor. And Fred said what was wrong with Halston's party was that it looked like the funny restaurant that you walk into when you're out of town in some city, and you find it on top of a building-that's what Halston's office place looks like, all the mirrors. I spent most of the party out in the hallway because I couldn't find Catherine. Someday somebody is going to walk smack into a mirror there. The mirrors are what made the party seem so full. had a picture of Halston and Liza and Ken Harrison. But all I could look at was the way Ken Harrison was holding his gla.s.s. Because I have nude pictures of him with Victor. And Fred said what was wrong with Halston's party was that it looked like the funny restaurant that you walk into when you're out of town in some city, and you find it on top of a building-that's what Halston's office place looks like, all the mirrors. I spent most of the party out in the hallway because I couldn't find Catherine. Someday somebody is going to walk smack into a mirror there. The mirrors are what made the party seem so full.
Cabbed down to Chembank ($4) and then walked over to the office where Mr. and Mrs. Carimati were coming for lunch. Bob is staying longer at the office these days because Kevin's out of the picture now, so I dropped him and Catherine off (cab $3.50). Then Charlotte Ford called me and invited me to a party for her book at some restaurant on 58th and Third, and that sounded like work so I invited Bob. The party was at 7:00 but we didn't get there until 8:00 (cab $2.50). Charlotte said that it wasn't actually for her whole book, just for the part of it that had just come out in the Ladies' Home Journal Ladies' Home Journal. And then a lady came over and said "I'm Mrs. Hershey, and I used to work at McCall's McCall's, I remember you and your drawings." And I asked her what she was doing now and she said, "Listen, I'm giving giving this party, I'm the editor-in-chief of this party, I'm the editor-in-chief of Ladies' Home Journal." Ladies' Home Journal." The party was a lot of squares you never see around. It was black tie and Bob and I were in black tie, but Tom Armstrong wasn't, and I'm noticing that a lot of people don't come in black tie when it says to, so I'm giving that a lot of thought. The party was a lot of squares you never see around. It was black tie and Bob and I were in black tie, but Tom Armstrong wasn't, and I'm noticing that a lot of people don't come in black tie when it says to, so I'm giving that a lot of thought.
I turned around and there was a beautiful beautiful lady near me, and it turned out to be Rocky Converse, and Bob was next to her husband. We had a really really good time, I talked to her and Bob talked to her husband. She was married to Gary Cooper and she's the mother of Maria Cooper Janis. She said she doesn't believe in the mystic ESP stuff that her daughter does, though. She said her husband's had three heart attacks, but that he's still the best plastic surgeon in town, and that he was going to die with his boots on. She said that Pat Buckley told her she should wear her hair pulled back and she pulled it back and she looked beautiful. It was like looking at Joan Crawford.
Wednesday, March 15, 1978 Cabbed down to University Place to look around ($3.50). Walked over to the office, arrived at the same time Rocky Converse did.
Lunch at the office was for her and some other chic people, and Gigi saw Bob being nice to this older woman, so she decided to pitch in and help out, thinking that it was someone we were hustling to get their portrait done. She was giving her all this attention and special treatment and finally Bob said, "What are you doing? doing? This is my This is my mother." mother." It was so funny. It was so funny.
Thursday, March 16, 1978 I forgot to say something that Aly Kaiser was telling me when I saw her at the Joan Crawford auction-that Joan Crawford was madly in love with her, and that she had mash letters from Joan to prove it. I've never heard that about Joan and it's hard to believe, but I didn't want to say that, because she said, "I'll show you the love letters, you can see for yourself." So I just-maybe she doesn't know the difference between lesbian and... Oh, I don't know. It's good gossip, that's all.
Friday, March 17, 1978 The St. Patrick's Day parade was starting up so the traffic was bad. Everybody was wearing green and staggering and it was like seeing the old days of New York when everybody used to be drunk all the time instead of on drugs, swaying down the street.
And have I said in the Diary yet that we didn't get a deal for our TV show? The project Vincent was trying to get a deal for. They didn't think I was big enough for Middle America. ABC turned it down.
Sunday, March 19, 1978 Palm Sunday. I went to church, but some lady had gone around and taken all the palms. Walked down to Laurent on 56th Street for lunch. Chris Makos was just in a leather jacket and his boyfriend didn't have a tie, and it looked like a good restaurant, but they were prepared for Dali's crowd so they didn't care.
Ultra Violet was sitting next to Dali and she did something great-she wore the exact same outfit as the day we met her in the sixties-a pink Chanel miniskirt suit with the same boots and her hair the same way. And she had a bracelet that was a Brillo pad, she said that after she was done using it as jewelry she would clean her pot with it. And she had another bracelet made out of eight inches of the corrugated cardboard that they wrap bottles in, sprayed gold, and glued together. It looked great. I guess Ultra is creative in a way. She said I told her the last time I saw her that she should start a new look-"Park Avenue Punk"-and she said that's what gave her the idea to do "Christian Punk"-and now she sings the Lord's Prayer and puts in the word "a.s.shole" which I think is disgusting. She's going to do her act at the Riverboat, and I told her she should start at CBGB. I'd brought two copies of the Dali book so Dali could sign them and it turned out that one of them had already been signed "To Fred" so Dali re-signed it to me. Dali is so full of ideas, and he's ahead in some things, but then he's behind in others. It's odd. He was telling me about a book that's just been written in Paris about a brother and sister who were so in love that the brother (laughs) (laughs) ate her s.h.i.+t. He said that my idea of p.i.s.s-painting was old-fas.h.i.+oned because it'd been in the movie ate her s.h.i.+t. He said that my idea of p.i.s.s-painting was old-fas.h.i.+oned because it'd been in the movie Teorema Teorema which which (laughs) (laughs) is true, it was. I knew that. And then he said something great-he said that the punks are the "s.h.i.+t Children," because they're descendents of the beatniks and the hippies, and he's right. Isn't that great? The s.h.i.+t Children. He is true, it was. I knew that. And then he said something great-he said that the punks are the "s.h.i.+t Children," because they're descendents of the beatniks and the hippies, and he's right. Isn't that great? The s.h.i.+t Children. He is is smart. Dali told me that he was looking for "beautiful freaks" and I told him smart. Dali told me that he was looking for "beautiful freaks" and I told him (laughs) (laughs) I'd send him Walter Steding. Walter was performing on his "magic violin" later that night at Max's. And Dali was really sweet, he'd brought a plastic bag full of his used-up palettes as a I'd send him Walter Steding. Walter was performing on his "magic violin" later that night at Max's. And Dali was really sweet, he'd brought a plastic bag full of his used-up palettes as a (laughs) (laughs) present to me. present to me.
And I've got to get some holy water for the house. I forgot. They give it to you free in the church lobby.
Tuesday, March 21, 1978 Bob was working on Truman to host the party that Interview Interview is giving for Polaroid on the night of the Academy Awards at Studio 54-Truman said he'd only do it if he didn't have to do any work, if Polaroid would give him a movie camera and if he didn't have any "old bags like Gloria Swanson there, trading off my name." He said, "Get me Candy Bergen!" is giving for Polaroid on the night of the Academy Awards at Studio 54-Truman said he'd only do it if he didn't have to do any work, if Polaroid would give him a movie camera and if he didn't have any "old bags like Gloria Swanson there, trading off my name." He said, "Get me Candy Bergen!"
And Bob showed me a review that Fran Lebowitz's book got in The New York Times The New York Times by John Leonard, and I can't understand it. Is her writing funny? Some girl we know gave her a long rave in the Sunday by John Leonard, and I can't understand it. Is her writing funny? Some girl we know gave her a long rave in the Sunday Times Times, and now John Leonard and I mean, her stuff-all the put-downs and complaining-it's just not my sense of humor. I don't know what's the point. So Bob wanted to prove that other people don't feel like I do about it, that she's an a.s.set to Interview Interview.
Thursday, March 23, 1978 Yesterday I watched the Flying Wallenda on the news fall from the highwire and get killed. You saw it all-he was walking, and he got to the middle, and a wind came from Miami, and-he was just-he fell, and then the cameras went close in, they showed him lying there.
The BMW company wants me to paint the outside of a car-Stella's done it and Lichtenstein.
Sunday, March 26, 1978 Easter Sunday. It was raining really hard, cold and windy. I didn't watch the Easter parade because there wasn't any. But television is smart, they showed Easter parades in England, where the people were doing what people are supposed to do-walk around in their hats.
Went to church. I took a peanut jar with me to get holy water and I spent a couple of hours doing that. You go in and you press a b.u.t.ton and holy water comes out and you fill up your jar and take it home. It took another couple of hours to put it all over the house.
And Nelson called me from L.A. He said that he'd been in the hospital because on St. Patrick's Day he and Bobby De Niro started eating a five-pound cheddar cheese with Jack Daniel's and day by day that's all Nelson was eating until finally he had pains and he went to the hospital and they said that the cheese had turned to rock and they gave him a laxative to break it up. He wanted to find out when we were coming out there. In May, I guess.
Thursday, March 30, 1978 Did I tell about Jay Johnson's cat dying? He picked her up and she was just-dead. This was Harriet, the kitten Jane Holzer gave Jade Jagger for Christmas. Jay felt so bad.
Friday, March 31, 1978-New York-Houston To Houston for a show of my Athletes portraits at Frederika Hunter and Ian Glennie's gallery.
The gallery was big and beautiful, in an old compound, and Ian had designed its s.p.a.ce.
Monday, April 3, 1978-New York Tom Sullivan came by with Margaret Trudeau in a red dress and we picked up Catherine and then we went to Studio 54 for the Academy Awards party that Polaroid was giving, that Truman Capote and I were the hosts of.
I'm never going to let my name be put on a party again because all it does is get you in trouble with the people you forget to invite or who don't get in for some reason. The invitations got all screwed up. I mean, a hand-delivered invitation from me to myself arrived at the office in the afternoon.
We went upstairs and found Truman sitting on the landing on the couch and we went to see Mick and Jerry and Diana Vreeland with George Trow and Margaret and Tom.
Danny Fields was next to me and he had a great idea for a movie like Sat.u.r.day Night Fever Sat.u.r.day Night Fever, about a boy who's straight but wants to be the best f.a.ggot in town because he sees all the f.a.gs having such a good time and he thinks it would be more fun. It's the Ronnie Cutrone story.
I hated the Awards, I hated the whole thing. I hated every nominee and I hated everything that won. I must be really out of it. But n.o.body good like John Travolta won. I mean, Richard Dreyfuss? I mean, if he's a s.e.x symbol, I don't know what the world is coming to. And there was Vanessa Redgrave doing her same stupid Communist routine up on stage that she did for us at 860 once. And I can't stand Woody Allen movies. I guess that says something. I ran into Jim Andrews of Polaroid. Yul Brynner was there, and Eric Clapton, and I kept looking for Doc c.o.x but I didn't see him. Bob came and told us that all the people who counted were down in the bas.e.m.e.nt-Halston and Apollonia and Tom Sullivan and Margaret and Barbara Allen with Ryan O'Neal who's in town shooting Oliver's Story Oliver's Story with Candice Bergen. I introduced Ryan and Margaret, and she seemed interested. I told her that with Candice Bergen. I introduced Ryan and Margaret, and she seemed interested. I told her that Paris Match Paris Match wanted her to do photos for them, to work for them, but she said she didn't like wanted her to do photos for them, to work for them, but she said she didn't like Paris Match Paris Match, that it was (laughs) (laughs) too gossipy. too gossipy.
Bob thinks that Stevie threw away the list of old people we gave him to invite, because Aileen Mehle-"Suzy"-and Ahmet and Mica had been cold to him and he found out they hadn't gotten their invitations. And after this party with everybody mad at us, we've hit rock bottom.
Halston might want to rent Montauk.
And let's see, who else was there? Sylvia Miles, Earl Wilson, Mariel Hemingway, Brooke s.h.i.+elds and her mother, Maxime, Lily Auchincloss, Geraldine Smith and Liz Derringer, David Johansen, PH, Steve Paul, Tinkerbelle, Glenn O'Brien and his girlfriend Cheryl, Charles Rydell, Clarisse Rivers, Roz Cole, Steve Aronson, Chris Makos, Robert Hayes, Earl McGrath, Richard Bernstein, Andrew Wylie, Peter and Sandy Brant, Joe Allen and his girlfriend, Jed, Jay, Ed Walsh, Gael Malkenson, Jackie Rogers and Peter Marino and Eduardo Agnelli.
Tuesday, April 4, 1978 Louis Malle called and asked if I was coming to the screening of his movie, Pretty Baby Pretty Baby.
There was only one mention in the papers about the party, in Earl Wilson's column. And it didn't even mention Polaroid. I think all those Polaroid guys are going to get fired there for spending $30,000 on a party like that. And Interview Interview will probably lose all their ads. Swifty Lazar's Oscar party got all the big mentions. Bob should have made sure Liz Smith was invited, and Rex Reed. And now that I'm thinking about it, I bet the reason all the society people didn't show up was because it was given by Truman! They're probably all mad still at him. will probably lose all their ads. Swifty Lazar's Oscar party got all the big mentions. Bob should have made sure Liz Smith was invited, and Rex Reed. And now that I'm thinking about it, I bet the reason all the society people didn't show up was because it was given by Truman! They're probably all mad still at him.
I went home and glued and Barbara Allen called and said she didn't have anyone to go to the screening of Louis Malle's movie, Pretty Baby Pretty Baby, with, so she picked me up at 7:45. We cabbed to the Paramount building in Columbus Circle ($2.50). The screening was a lot of well-to-do famous people. Frank Yablans thanked me for all the nice things he heard I'd said about his movie, The Other Side of Midnight The Other Side of Midnight, but I was only kidding. Brooke s.h.i.+elds was there and Mariel Hemingway. Barbara met Baryshnikov and had him sit next to her and she dropped me for him. She asked me, "What're you doing later?" And when I said going home, she said (laughs) (laughs), "Great."
It was a cute idea for a movie, but nothing comes off-like they had pickets picketing against the sin in New Orleans, but nothing happened because of it. Afterwards a friend of Louis Malle's came up and said that Louis really wanted to know what I thought and I said it was "wonderful," "interesting," "strange." Then we had an exciting elevator ride down because it was Baryshnikov, Barbara, Milos Forman, Frank Yablans, Diane Von Furstenberg. And Milos was peeking under Baryshnikov's jacket-"looking for the little girl." And Baryshnikov has such a great body but his hair is so funny. He wears it puffy, one of those bubble hairdos. He should get a haircut that makes him look more masculine with his good Russian face.
Wednesday, April 5, 1978 Victor came by and p.i.s.sed on some drawings for me. Gave Ronnie money ($2) for papers at the newsstand to check if the Polaroid party was ever covered. Actually, everyone was calling to say it was a great party.
Thursday, April 6, 1978 Marguerite Littman and her husband Mark who's the queen of England's lawyer came to lunch. Doc c.o.x brought them in his Rolls Royce. Then Billy Kluver, and Julie Martin and Lucy Jarvis came up. They brought a Negro guy named Chris who they want to back a musical of my life (coffee $.76, $1.89). Fred had invited Regine and Diana Vreeland had had a lunch date with Regine, so she came along, too. Diana didn't know who Doc c.o.x was, so she thought he he was the one to be nice to, so was the one to be nice to, so (laughs) (laughs) she missed the point. She kept asking Regine, "Tell me, she missed the point. She kept asking Regine, "Tell me, why why am I being nice to this man?" am I being nice to this man?"
Billy Kluver had told me that Chris was a "scientist," but it didn't seem like it. He was fascinating. He started at seventeen, whatever he does. He told me about owning beachfront property in California. He said he had a coffee business in Brazil, but I don't know, it sounded like smuggling. I mean, a couple of good cocaine loads and you've made a few million. He looks so young, and anything you mention, he's "thinking of buying it." He said he wanted to buy Radio City Music Hall and turn it into the world's largest discotheque. That would be such a great idea. New York needs the world's biggest discotheque.
Then Tom Sullivan arrived and this Chris made Tom seem like peanuts. Then Gianni Agnelli came in and Chris said he was thinking of buying Fiat, so I went over to where Gianni was talking to Regine and Diana and said that I had a buyer for Fiat and his ears perked up. The two of them went over into a corner, but then (laughs) (laughs) Gianni left really fast. Gianni left really fast.