D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A house mate Elizabeth Taylor. Considering the length of her film career, she’s worked with many of the greatest film directors (and stars) of the past eight decades. I don’t think there is anyone else living who can make that claim, with the possible exception of Angela Lansbury, who continues to take on new work. I was thinking of Lillian on that Sunday night watching Debbie’s performance in the Liberace film. Debbie was her star child, her talented daughter. The two women often discussed Debbie’s work on specific project. Lillian was a keen advisor when it came to creative work. Watching Debbie, I was thinking how
Lillian would have been very proud of her student/daughter’s achievement in the role of Mrs. Liberace. Truth. Lillian Burns Sidney died in 1998 in her ninety-fifth year. She was a remarkable woman, a great friend, and a great character and loving teacher. There is a series of video interviews with her now on YouTube. They were done when she was in her late 80s or early 90s. The interviewer focused on her career in, and observations of, the American films made in the age of the Studio system. Lillian was one of a kind, an angel to many of us including her Debbi-la, as she referred to her in moments of fond memory.
If you should watch, bear in mind this is a woman who witnessed most of the great stage and film talent of the 20th century, a little girl from Chicago (she pronounced it Chi-caw-go) who became one of the most influential women in the American film industry in its so-called Golden Age. Lillian, our Lillian… Friday, January 20, 2017. Inauguration Day for the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. The day was mild, overcast, and in the high 40s. It was unremarkable. I had to go to lunch at Michael’s, and traffic was on the quiet side for that time of weekday. The barriers are still up on the sidewalks of both
blocks south of 57th Street by Trump Tower. However, the crowds had otherwise subsided from the mob scenes of the last several weeks, waiting for a glimpse of The Man. Evidently people already knew that the President-elect was not at home. Otherwise, the sidewalks were empty. Michael’s was very busy but relatively calm. The bright young women of New York. On a Tuesday night late in the month I went over to the Upper East Side apartment of Sheila and Tom Wolfe for a book party they were hosting for their daughter Alexandra who has just published Valley of the Gods; A Silicon Valley Story (Simon
T W C - D I M E N S I O N H O S T S T H E W O R L D P R E M I E R E O F “ G O L D ” A F T E R PA R T Y AT T H E P L A Z A
Elizabeth Kurpis 36 QUEST
Andrew Saffir and John Varvatos
Ellen and Teddy Schwarzman
Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey
Minnie Mortimer and Stephen Gaghan
Drew Nieporent and Salman Rushdie
Natane Boudreau and Ali Wise
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Bryce Dallas Howard