Father's Day Memories

Even on Father's Day--last Sunday--I don't find myself thinking that much about my dad. He did love being the center of attention, which he usually was. It wasn't just that he had jobs--with the performers' unions--that in those days were regarded as "glamor jobs". He had an outgoing personality, enjoyed life and his friends, even his family. He stayed in touch with many of his relatives--and like me, he had many--and he managed to see them because he traveled so much.

I thought of him today because someone was writing in Facebook about Liz Taylor's third husband--the one she didn't divorce: she couldn't because he died in a plane crash. Harold was one of about 15,000 invited to Mike Todd's incredible party at the old Madison Square Garden. This was an evening to celebrate Mike Todd, produced by the great producer and honoree himself. The last event on the evening's program was "Liz Cuts the Cake". 

It was the kind of spectacle that doesn't seem to happen these days, not that there's any reason it should. It was pure ego trip, but in a way, it now stands out as a never-to-be-repeated occasion and sort of charming in retrospect. They gave away all kinds of gifts to attendees but my dad reported that a few "guests" or non-guests helped themselves away from the spotlights. Down near the darker 9th Ave. end of the arena, he said, guys with moving men's straps were hoisting washing machines that were there, I assume, as prizes, and hauling them off with no one taking the trouble to check their credentials as likely would happen today.

I was along for another such night at the old Garden. It was the opening night of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus, also now defunct. The evening was filled with special features not included on the three-times-a-day regular performances. Marilyn Monroe emerged riding an elephant dusted with some kind of pink substance now probably banned. Marlene Dietrich satisfied the dreams of many present when she appeared in red jacket and black leather pants and boots, carrying a large whip as the "ringmistress".

I was introduced to her daughter, Maria Riva, whose  bio of her mom I read when she published it years later. In those days the circus began with the animal acts--usually three huge caged rings featuring lions and tigers and bears--guess they got that idea from The Wizard of Oz. In those days, before the circus performance began, you could wander through the menagerie and side shows down in the Garden basement. If you went down the wrong staircase trying to exit the Garden, you might end up down there and could find yourself facing lions, tigers, and bears--all of whom looked hungry.

We went to benefits together--some in the Garden--where all kinds of performers worked gratis for the charity of the evening. I recall seeing the likes of Nina Simone and Joel Grey (well pre-Cabaret). Harold's work when he ran part of the performers' unions that handled benefits was to make sure that while the stars worked free of charge, non-headline performers were paid regular scale. While his tickets were always Annie Oakleys, his main purpose in attending was to make sure the charity heads or promoters knew that someone was keeping an eye on their management.