by Andy Warhol
Checked in at the Savoy and Martha arrived with Ron Protas, they were coming in from Denmark. Ron is Martha’s right-hand lady. So Martha and I stood there talking, it was fun, she was very tired. Learned Dr. Giller had checked in, tried to get him, but he was out. Liza and Halston hadn’t arrived yet, they were coming in on the Concorde (tip to porter $5, room service $5). Read the Martha Mitchell book, slept an hour.
The rooms at the Savoy were small and dinky, on the courtyard, but not really a courtyard. Small. So expensive. Then Nick Scott, the good-looking rich English kid who was the butler of Bianca during the period when he thought he’d lost all his money, invited us to have dinner with him and his wife at the Savoy Grill—he’s in the bucks again. Sabrina Guinness was at dinner, and she’s been going out with Prince Charles a lot, and we think she fucked him. Fred met Halston in the lobby so he told him I would call him as soon as I could.
We had a really good dinner, the Grill was great, and Sabrina and I went up to Halston’s room and I started taping Liza for her Interview interview. Steve Rubell was there with Randy and they had a bedroom and a sitting room, and Halston had an adjoining bedroom with Victor Hugo, and the next room was Dr. Giller. He had the prettiest room—it was purple and white overlooking the river, and it was fun to see everybody in a new place. Steve wanted to go discoing, he was carrying his portable radio around, turning it up and down. Victor was changing his clothes, putting on different outfits. Bianca was in another room with Peter Sparling, the dancer with Martha Graham.
Saturday, July 21, 1979—London
Got up early and checked in with the Halston crowd. Halston had a car and he decided to take us out sightseeing. Went to a couple of shirt stores with him. Then we wandered around, bought some film and tapes ($60). Then came back to the hotel and Fred wanted to go to the King’s Road and I wanted to take Victor, but Halston didn’t want to go with Fred.
We all went to Mr. Chow’s for dinner. It was terrible food. Then we decided to do the discos. Halston was the most fun person on the trip. He would call up every place and say, “Hello, this is Steve Rubell, the owner of Studio 54. Can I get in free?” He was just camping the whole time—the tour guide. Bianca had to wear all her Halstons while he was in London, and she was unhappy because Mick had called her and had a fight about Jade. He said he can have more children and she can’t, and she got insulted and said she could. They do use Jade as a prop, and they make each other really unhappy. He wanted Jade to come over for his birthday, but Bianca didn’t want to let her, she said it was bad publicity with the Pallenberg boyfriend’s suicide.
Then we went to Tramps, stayed about half an hour, it was fun. Went to the Embassy. And at all the discos Steve takes on the role of being the host. The first thing he asks is: “Would you like to have a vodka?” They wanted to go to more places but it was about 4:30 so we decided to get home.
Sunday, July 22, 1979—London
The night before I’d talked to Catherine Guinness on the phone and she invited us out to her mother and stepfather’s place in Essex—Kelvedon, a huge estate. Catherine really is on Easy Street. It was so beautiful. Drue Heinz and her husband were there. And Guy Nevill’s parents. About thirty-five people for lunch. Then Halston, Steve, Victor, and Randy. Catherine’s stepfather, Paul Channon, he’s a minister in Mrs. Thatcher’s government. He’s a Guinness, too, but an even richer Guinness than Catherine’s father. I sat next to Catherine’s mother, Ingrid, and Halston sat on her other side, and Victor sat nearby. Really fun, lots of wine, got really drunk. Halston had to get back to London to Martha’s rehearsals. Victor went back, too. Catherine gave me a tour. Beautiful. Steve played tennis and he plays really good.
After you see how rich Catherine is, it seems so silly that she should ever have had a dump in New York and worked at a regular job. It was wonderful, they showed us a good time, people were all so friendly. Lost my contact lens and Catherine helped me find it. It was lying on the sink, I was putting it in and it fell.
Monday, July 23, 1979—London
Went to some punk stores with Victor and Catherine, one was called Seditionaries. We got shirts that were made out of Nazi symbols and that you could tie yourself together with, And a T-shirt of two cocks pissing on Marilyn Monroe’s photograph, saying the word “Piss.” Catherine knew a little Italian restaurant where her family goes on Sunday. Nice Italian lunch ($100), and after that we got some flowers for Catherine’s mother ($20) and Catherine took us to see her stepfather’s mansion on Cheyne Walk. Whistler lived there once.
Victor and I went back to the hotel (cab $7). It was Martha Graham’s opening at Covent Garden. We all got ready and met in Halston’s room—John Bowes-Lyon, Dr. Giller, me, Randy, Steve, Victor—Fred went off with his date, Sabrina Guinness. Liza went on before us. We all had front-row-balcony seats.
They did three numbers and then Liza came on with “The Owl and the Pussycat.” Then Martha gave a long speech, about half an hour. They were all wearing beautiful Halstons. Lynn Wyatt was next to Fred, then moved up next to John Bowes-Lyon.
Then backstage, hello to Liza and Martha, and then a little cocktail party in the bar part of Covent Garden. Covent Garden was very beautiful, it looked like the old Met. Then drinks, and then we all walked to the Savoy—Halston was giving a private party. We were upstairs and we didn’t know the party was upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs party had Princess Margaret and Halston, Liza, and everybody, and when we finally realized we were missing it, we went downstairs. Halston was nervous but his party was terrific, had the best time.
Victor wanted me to meet Princess Margaret, and I didn’t but I got two pictures. Victor got two photos of Princess Margaret and Roddy Llewellyn. They didn’t want to be seen together and they wanted to take his film away, but then Fred said not to, that Victor was with Halston.
Left the party about 4:00, went to Liza’s room. She was wearing a really beautiful see-through fabric dress with her hair brushed back like her mother used to wear it—that’s the way she wears it in “The Owl and the Pussycat.” It was a wig but I couldn’t tell.
Then Halston and I left Liza’s room and we began taking everybody’s shoes from in front of their doors and moving them to other places. The funniest thing I ever did. Then to bed and read a little bit more of the Martha Mitchell book.
Wednesday, July 25, 1979—London
Halston called and said he wanted to go to an awful lady’s shop to see the jewelry. He’s very grand, I was sure he was going to buy $50,000 worth of the jewelry but he was just playing. Victor was putting the jewelry in his mouth and in his ass and I was photographing it. He lay down on the floor and when he saw an electric surveillance eye looking down at him, he asked what “that ruby up in the sky” was. Halston asked for a discount and when they only offered him 5 percent he was shocked. They probably had the place bugged and listened to everything we said when they were out of the room.
Thursday, July 26, 1979—London—Paris
Got up early—had to pack, had to get everyone together. Halston was the leader and Steve just didn’t know who to tip, he was just bad at it, being so ungenerous—he really is a cheapo. He knows exactly how much things are worth, he just doesn’t want to give it—he wants to keep it, I think. I just can’t understand that. After Halston paid his bill he screamed, telling the guy how dirty and unbeautiful and how did they really think a hotel could go on like this with service so bad. I asked him how could he do that and he said, “You’ve got to do that, you’ve got to always keep them on their toes and pretend you’re rich, really really rich.” He kept screaming at the place, and nobody wanted to give any tips. We snuck out because we’re never going to stay there again, a dump. I mean, it was $2,600 for two people in two dumb rooms without even ordering up anything.
We got to the airport in time, the Savoy had a nice man waiting there to check you in. I gave him $15.
Got on the plane, very easy. Then we arrived in Paris, forty minutes away. Victor forgot to get his vi
sa, so he was stuck at customs. We waited for him. Steve said, “Isn’t that Jerry Hall?” She was just coming in from Houston from the John Travolta movie. It’s Mick’s birthday in a few days and she was going to take him to some chic restaurant. Finally Victor got out of customs. Limo waiting there for us (baggage $5). Hotel Plaza-Athénée. Weather beautiful. Very beautiful best suite. The only thing Halston wanted to do in Paris was get his dog a piece of Vuitton. Luggage for Linda.
Victor fought with driver. He screamed and jumped out and said he’d never see us again.
Halston was fun buying shoes at Hermès, he said he never shops, which he doesn’t—he really doesn’t have time.
Limoed to Club Sept. Victor called me there and said he’d calmed down, said he’d come in a costume, but he came normal.
Then limoed to the Palace. Halston had called ahead and said, “Mr. Steve Rubell of Studio 54 will be coming by your club tonight—of course you’ll want to let him and his party in free.” I got the driver in with us because I felt bad for him because of Victor’s fight. Victor got one of the waiters to loan him his outfit and so Victor went around taking everyone’s orders.
Friday, July 27, 1979—Paris—New York
I’d just gone to bed at 6:00 but at 7:30 Halston was knocking on my door. He hates being away from New York and he wanted to get back, but it was a horror trip getting up. And the hotel was just so beautiful, it had the geraniums in the window and red awnings. And Steve didn’t want to get up and go, either, but after a half-hour of coaxing he did get up. We had to sit and eat breakfast but it was torture. Victor had his own room upstairs that he’d gotten after having an agitation, and he was cranky.
Halston really enjoys screaming. When he’s paying he gets so grand and yells and tells everybody off about how rotten the service is for what he’s paying, and when he pays the bill he makes you feel—well, he’s like me, only worse. He tells you how he has to go back to New York to slave so hard so he can make money so you can go on spending it all, and oh, God!—he makes you feel so funny about it. But then it is just incredible what hotels cost now.
Finally Victor and everybody was in the car and we got to the Concorde on time, and Steve wasn’t tipping the driver who hadn’t even slept, he’d been out with us all night, so I gave him a fifty.
As soon as we got on the plane everyone fell asleep. The stewardess woke Halston up and he screamed at her that she better not wake him up again.
I wanted to get the Concorde silverware, and I wanted to wake Victor up and ask him to ask for food so I could get more settings—I’m working up to a twelve-piece setting—but I didn’t wake him up so I only got one set. It was an easy flight. Then we went through customs and the customs guy used to be a cabdriver who had me in his cab once, so he sailed me right through. Got home and went to the office. Cab fares had gone up ($4).
It was a hot day and when I got to the office nobody was doing a thing. Brigid was waiting for the cake lady from New Jersey to deliver a cake for her mother’s birthday, she was taking it out to the country for her later on.
David Whitney called and said I had to get some of the portraits to Paris, and I called Fred but I couldn’t get him. Worked till about 7:30 with Rupert. Read my mail.
Sunday, July 29, 1979
Do you know what Jean Stein did? She called up my family in Pennsylvania and wanted to go down there and interview them for her book on Edie—she told them she was doing “a book on the sixties.” What nerve!
And I talked to Henry Post. His leg’s still in a cast, but the car insurance company got him a nurse to type for him, that’s what they do. We talked about John Berendt getting fired from New York—Henry said he knew it was coming because they hired a girl three weeks before they fired him. Henry says there’s a list of people who bought drugs at Studio 54, that that’s what the prosecution is following.
Curley called and wanted to go to dinner but I was too tired and exhausted, still.
Monday, July 30, 1979
Got up early and watched the Today Show. It was so great, so good to see good American TV again. Then I walked around passing out Interviews, and that was great to do again, too. I walked around midtown and then up toward the Pierre Hotel where the North American Watch Company was having Ronald Reagan speak at lunch. I was meeting Vincent there. I thought I was early so I stopped in Tiffany’s. I thought they’d have cocktails for an hour first and then start about 1:00, but it turned out they got right to it, so when I arrived at 12:5 5 Vincent was pacing and we went in. Barbara Sullivan from the watch company was sweet, she introduced me to Ronald Reagan as “Andy Warhol, the artist.” But the photographers were behind us, so they didn’t get any pictures. Right next to Ronald Reagan was Harry Platt, the president of Tiffany’s, and so I told him that the reason I was late was because I was shopping at Tiffany’s. And he loved that. I was on a diet, so I just had steaks. Art Buchwald gave a speech, and he’s really funny, he should be on TV. And then Ronald Reagan gave a speech and the Republicans are going to play it cool and let the Democrats fight it out among themselves and then Teddy Kennedy will probably take over. Ronald Reagan looks absolutely great if he’s sixty-nine. He called Governor Jerry Brown “flaky.” What does “flaky” mean? Then they whisked him off the stage and he didn’t mingle, and I think that’s terrible.
I worked till about 7:30 and then dropped Rupert ($4). I called Barbara Allen and asked if she wanted to be my date, and she said she was free. So at 8:30 we cabbed to Le Club ($4). When we walked in, Vitas wasn’t so thrilled, he’s been cold since the article on him in Interview came out because of the picture of him with no shirt with his arms around a guy.
Barbara was wearing somebody’s pajamas, but it looked good. She’s moving to California, she said. She showed me a necklace from Cartier that Bill Paley gave her, a gold one, and she says all these guys like Gianni Agnelli and Bill Paley are in love with her.
Oh, and there are so many Arabs in London. If only we could get Arab portraits to do. They haven’t really come to America yet, but they’re all over England. And they’re filthy rich—if only we could get started on that.
Tuesday, July 31, 1979
Ron Feldman added Harry Guggenheim’s name to the list of Famous Jews he wants painted for the series. We discussed doing Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin, but we didn’t know if Chaplin really was Jewish.
I went home and then walked over to meet John Fairchild, Jr. at Le Relais. Ralph Lauren was there.
John’s got an older girlfriend now. So does Robyn Geddes. Forty-year-olds who boss them around (dinner $190).
Wednesday, August 1, 1979
John Reinhold gave me a platinum loupe for an early birthday present. But I couldn’t tell him it had the wrong date inscribed—instead of 8-6-79 it said 8-5. Last year he did the right date.
Thursday, August 2, 1979
I sent Rupert to UPI to look for photos for the Famous Jews series.
At home I started watching Brief Encounter and at first I thought it was really good, but then I started thinking what a stupid story about a lady who would give herself a problem when she had a happy marriage, and it was just dumb and I hated it. And then Lisa Rance called and asked if I’d watched it and wasn’t it beautiful so I told her off and hung up on her.
Saturday, August 4, 1979
Picked up Rupert down at his place on White Street. Rupert’s trying to buy the building his loft is in. Actually it’s two buildings—the one he’s in and the one next to it. I guess Rupert has plenty of money or he wouldn’t be thinking about buying buildings. His mother’s from Palm Beach, but she just looks like a mother. When Rupert went in drag to a party once, he looked just like his mother. Rupert Jason Smith.
I went out and got cheese and candy for my birthday on Monday and then went back upstairs and worked with Rupert for about four hours. Then we cabbed down to Christopher Street ($2) and wandered around there seeing what’s new.
Monday, August 6, 1979
My birthday.
When I got to the office I cut the cake right away, so that I wouldn’t have to do it in front of everybody. It tasted awful. Brigid ordered it from the woman in New Jersey. I told her to be sure it was a wedding cake. It was three tiers. In the end, though, it really wasn’t big enough. People came in and out all day and ate the cake. I usually ignore my birthday and order everyone not to mention it, but this year I was in a party mood and didn’t want to fight it. I actually arranged the party myself and invited people over.
Jackie Curtis called me on the phone and Mary Woronov. Suzie Frankfurt came down and de Antonio came by, he looked a little skinnier.
Honey Berlin called and every time she finds out I’m a Leo she’s surprised. Madeline Netter came by and was sweet and fun and then volunteered to help clean up and then we went over to 65 Irving. Fabrizzi gave us free birthday drinks. And then we cabbed to Brooklyn ($5) and had a steak dinner under the Williamsburg Bridge at Peter Luger’s. Got home early.
Tuesday, August 7, 1979
Worked until 7:30. Halston was giving me a birthday party. He knew my birthday was the day before but I guess he just didn’t want to have to do it on a Monday. It was nice, just for the kids from the office. Truman was there and D.D. Ryan told him that she liked the Siamese Twins interview he did with himself seven or eight years ago that was just like the one he did in this month’s Interview, and he got very embarrassed and at first he denied he’d ever done one like it but then later he admitted that he had.
