April 28, 2012 7:45 am
RE-POST July 4, 2012 9:40
Carole Radziwill filming Real Housewives of New York…
After reading about Caroline Kennedy’s aversion to her cousin-by-marriage, Carole Radziwill’s, participation in the New York franchise of Bravo’s “Real Housewives,” it reminded SH of Carole Radziwill’s mother-in-law, Lee Radziwill’s cousin… Big Edie Beale.
Jackie and Lee Bouvier… Grey Gardens on Broadway…
Big Edie and her daughter, Little Edie Beale, were the focus of a much worse scandal which penetrated the Kennedy shield of ‘perfection’ back in 1975 when the Maysle Brothers met and began filming the Beales’ in their East Hampton home, Grey Gardens.
Being a devotee of the Maysle Brothers documentary “Grey Gardens,” SH was anticipating attending the Broadway version of the film, which I did twice, including closing night, July, 2007… SH is a STAUNCH fan of Grey Gardens!
I still have my “Jerry likes my corn” T-shirt and other memorabilia, including the program from the play…
The play was fantastic… and stayed true to the original Maysles’ film.
After the Broadway production, there was also a 2009 HBO film, which starred Drew Barrymore as Little Edie Beale.
Little Edie Beale… a striking resemblance to Jackie Kennedy…
Both the Broadway play and the HBO movie were quite good… both Christine Ebersole and Drew Barrymore captured Little Edie’s unique speech and her specific nuances… HOWEVER, there truly was no need for either the play or the movie. Both the play and the movie simply replicated the original Maysle Brothers 1976 documentary.
The Maysle Brothers documentary is STILL the best.
If you are not familiar with this branch of the Kennedy tree, the Beales’ REALITY is much better than anything you will ever see on any phony baloney “reality” show!
The Beales fell into their situation because of Big Edie’s brother and Jackie/Lee’s father, Jack “BlackJack” Bouvier. When their grandfather died in 1948, he left $65,000 in trust to Edith Beale.
Edie’s brother, Jack Bouvier, was a Wall Street broker and grabbed the trust fund from his sister… and invested Edie’s $65,000 for HIS daughters, Jackie and Lee Bouvier. That money was supposed to take care of Jack’s sister, Edith Bouvier for the rest of her life…
HOWEVER… Edie, whose grandfather intended for her to live independently wealthy, ended up living on $300 a month.
Edie and Little Edie lived in isolation and squalor and survived by selling off jewelry and their art collection. In 1971, the Suffolk County Health Department visited Grey Gardens and found that the home violated EVERY known building regulation.
Only when the Suffolk County Health Department became involved and the Beales were found to be related to Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis did their lives and living conditions become national news. Jackie paid $32,000 to clean the house, install a new furnace and plumbing system, and cart away 1,000 bags of garbage.
NOTE: Grey Gardens was purchased by Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee… they have restored the home to its original beauty…
Grey Gardens available on Amazon… it is fascinating… HERE.
A great piece in NY Magazine about the Beales… HERE.
Grey Gardens synopsis by Marjorie Sweeney:
Grey Gardens is the unbelievable but true story of
Mrs. Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie, the
aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Mother and daughter live in a world of their own
behind the towering privets that surround their
decaying 28-room East Hampton mansion known as
“Grey Gardens,” a place so far gone that the local
authorities once threatened to evict them for violating
building and sanitation codes. The incident made national
headlines — American royalty, living in squalor! For the Beales were nothing short of the upper crust. Mrs. Beale, a.k.a. “Big Edie,” was a born aristocrat, sister of “Black Jack” Bouvier, Jackie O’s father.“Little Edie” was an aspiring
actress of striking beauty who put her New York life on
hold to care for her mother – and never left her side again.
Together they descended into a strange life of dependence
and eccentricity that no one had ever shared until the
Maysles arrived with their camera and tape recorder.The Beales were ready for their close-ups. Little Edie –
a still-attractive woman at 56 — parades about
coquettishly in her trademark improvised turbans
(her wildly original ensembles inspired a 9-page fashion
spread in a 1998 issue of Harper’s Bazaar and a 1999
issue of Italian Vogue), reminisces about her brilliant past,
still hoping that her Big Chance and Big Romance are
just around the corner. Big Edie, trained soprano in her
bohemian days, trills romantic songs of yesteryear in a
slightly wobbly, but still rich voice. The women bicker,
prattle, and flirt like characters out of Tennessee Williams
or Eugene O’Neill. The film is a bittersweet love story,
a record of the powerful and complex relationship
between mother and daughter.
UPDATE: ”njgirl” mentioned that Sarah Hyland, from”Modern Family” played the young Jackie Bouvier in her Broadway debut… photo below. Nice catch, “njgirl”!!!
Here is Sarah’s description from the Grey Gardens program…
Ms Sh , I LOOOOOVED the Gey Gardens documentary. Soooooo…. cant find the words. Interesting doesnt cut it. Loved the crap outa it.
The documentary was on today.
I saw it a while back and was just transfixed by it. Must have rewound my tivo half a dozen times sos that I didnt miss any lil thing. It was mesmerizing.
And the more I think about it, Lady Morgan has some Little Edie vibe going on at times. Sonja might be just play-actin but Little Edie was the real deal. So keep it up Sonja, I love that kinda stuff.
I can see the comparison. Both making the world the way they see it not the way it is.Not to mention the parallels between Big Edie and Sonja both married to wealthy men and divorced without means, living in a big ole house that’s falling apart.Both were party girls in there youth. Someone should keep an eye on her daughter. I hope she’s not Little Sonja!
That would be tragic for sure. I dont think Pappa Morgan is gonna let that happen. Money doesn’t buy sanity but it sure does keep a body occupied. Ifn ya knowd what I mean.
Hells bells that make a mighty fine HW song.
MP: Was obsessed with the documentary… and the play. Just loved Big and Little Edie… they were content/happy/resigned to their own little world. They would have lived proper lives if not for Jackie’s father stealing Big Edie’s money! Jackie should have left a few million in cash for them after she paid to have their house cleaned!! Stingy! TFC!!! SH
MS Sh, Have you seen Wild Blue Yonder? Its a documentary that David Maysel’s daughter made. Very interesting conversations she has with her uncle who refuses to let her have some of her dads footage. Anyways, if you like Grey Gardens then you might want to check that out.
MP: Have not seen and was not aware! Will find and watch! Anything to do with Grey Gardens/Beales, I’ll read and/or watch. It’s fascinating. TFC!! SH
I think you will like it. Its not so much about the Grey Gardens, although she does touch on that a bit. Its more about the brothers and specifically the surviving one sorta being a butthole IMO. Whats neat about it is getting a taste of the men behind the camera , the ones that captured it all and sorta seeing what kind of person is able to capture what they did the way they did. Documetary film making is craft that I respect a great deal. The Maysels also did another one that I thought was fascinating. Salesman.
My sister in law Shelly Young finished a wonderful Documentary on tramp art last year. She actually is an Emmy award winning director. If you like folk art it might be interesting.
It’s called Westbound.
Thank you Cyn I would love to see it. What’s the title?
Westbound
Wow. Looks like sumpin that would be right up my alley.
I can certainly relate to Big & Little Edie Beale. My relatives are living a life of luxury while I live in poverty never knowing where my next bottle of bourbon or box of cigars is coming from. Even my man servant is snotty to me and the valet takes forever to bring the car around. Perhaps I should use this forum on SH to do an expose on my rich relatives, (They made a bundle in advertising) if I don’t get some money from them. What do you say Miss SH? I’m ready to name names, and I’m not kidding.
Miles
Miles: OMG!!! If you EVER spilled what you know about WHO you know, you would be in major trouble!! BUT… you’d make millions, too!! After you took a bath on that house you sold, you need the money! When have you ever had less than $50 million in the bank?? You’re poor now! Spill it!! Those relatives of yours are downright dirty, especially that one sister you got! You better hope she doesn’t buy a house within 50 miles of you! Go ahead, name names!!! TFC!! SH
And I won’t forget that sister, she’s almost like the one I never had, but I digress. When I spill the beans you will have the exclusive!
Miles
MIles Miles Miles
you make me smiles
Cant wait to hear your story
Even if the details are gory
I know you will make it exciting
Your comments are always enticing
So sell you story, make a mint
Hail far, ya gotta pay the rent.
A book advance buys a lot of liquor
But just telling us is sooo much quicker
Just know you are loved here at this site
And we just think you are Dy-no-mite
Love,
Made
Thanks for the great poem. Pretty AND smart…………………I like that in a woman.
I’m going to hold off on the expose’ until I check my powerball tickets.
Miles: MP is a prolific poet!! Hope you win that Powerball this week…the trick is that you have to have the correct numbers! TFC!! SH
Have you considered getting a few interns to replace the snotty valet. If it makes you feel better the only Valet we have in my home is the one you hang your suit coat and car keys on. LOL
I still want a bird cage lamp like little Eddie had in her bed room.
I think that is neat too. Why do I feel like Dina Manzo could make us one?
I loved the movie, it was my first exposure to the Beales. I intend to order the docu ASAP.
I think it was HBO that I watched it today. I’m sure it will be shown again sometime this month.
Always loved grey gardens too never tire of it could watch it over and over
That was really great. I got so into it I lost track of time and looked at clock, two in the AM…Is there a book out about Grey Gardens? I am avid reader and this would be right up my alley for reading…Oh yeah, and Miles would you adopt me? Am great valet,cook and bottle washer…lol..
Wow, must be really nice to have bank the way the Bradlees do/did. Money like that can turn an outhouse into the Taj Mahal.
Some rich people didn’t do their kids any favors by leaving them money. My next door neighbors, large 2 story houses next to each other, built and given to a brother and sister, both married, by their father over 50 yrs ago are proof of that. The paint is peeling, wood rotted away long ago on the garage door, rusty railings, junk piled up in the front yard, weeds, etc. Both houses are literally falling apart, I’ve lived here 20 yrs and it has always been like that. Pure squalid filth. (They ALWAYS find the money to buy a brand new car though.)
In the story of Grey Gardens it’s more than shameful that the insanely rich relatives would stand by and ignore the situation.
SH, THANK YOU!! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the videos! I’m fascinated /obsessed by Grey Gardens so I watched all the videos in the link you provided. Wow! How the hell did Jackie O live with herself after doing so little for these women? What kind of husband, sons, brothers, relatives allow this to happen? It’s one of the saddest stories I’ve ever read. How they survived on $300.00 a month is unbelievable.
Little Edie was a beautiful girl. She never lost her sense of style did she? Was she really schitzophrenic? She was such an amazing woman and lived in a world we can’t even imagine.Talk about making the best of a bad situation! The clothing she put together was so creative! Did she eventually lose all of her hair? She had beautiful hair as a child and young woman.
In the HBO movie, Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore did such amazing acting that at times I thought we were watching the actual documentary. Both women were incredible!I so wish I’d seen this on Broadway.It must have been wonderful!
SH, thanks a lot for starting my obsession again by teasing us with this today. Now I’m off to see what else I can find.
Carole seems to have a live and let live attitude which I find refreshing. As far as yum ya know, ya know, inlaw cousin, that can’t speak a cohesive sentence without script, Carole probably thinks “go scratch.”
Somewhere I have a spread I ripped out of some shelter magazine of grey gardens today and all the wonderful renovations the Bradley’s did including keeping as much of its furniture and quirks as possible. Sorry I can’t remember more…
Amazing! These are totally fascinating women to watch. Thank you for posting this! FYI, the original 70′s documentary is on YouTube and the 2006 “The Beales of Grey Gardens” is on hulu. Jerry Torre also has his own website, I haven’t really checked it out yet. Just when I thought I was on “housewife” obsession overload, I’ve found a new obsession that kinda-sorta ties in. Thanks SH!