REALEDIE3

I have viewed the documentary dozens of times, and each time there is some nuance that I discover for the first time. The one thing that I try to get across to people is that Edie was a great "actor" ! Edie was always telling stories. Mostly about events and encounters that she's had over the years. She often acted them out, changing her voice for the different characters of the story. She was the BEST story teller, and as I've mentioned before, very dramatic ! She would have me in stitches so much of the time. Her wit and timing was wonderful. I never however, saw her get as emotionally worked up as she did in several scenes in the movie. Edie was almost never the "character" that she was in the film, and that's exactly what she was in the film. A character. A role she created for herself, where by she combined the actual Edie, some former Edie, and the Edie she envisioned herself to be. I much enjoyed Walter Newkirk's CD, "Little Edie Live". Her conversation with him reminded me so much of the many conversations I had with her. A bit out there, but basically pretty normal. It presents a nice balance between the Edie from the Documentary and the much more casual Edie that she really was. It is a "must have" for anyone who really wants to get to know the Beales. People can say that the Maysels were just letting the cameras roll while the two Edies led their normal lives, but I think nothing could be further from the truth. Edie thought a lot about what went into that movie, but had no hand in the editing whatsoever. Other than the fact that she wished that they had included more singing and dancing, Edie was quite happy with the final outcome, and spoke fondly of the Mayseles. She told me that the Maysels really didn't give them too much direction. They just let them do as they pleased. Al Mayseles has told me pretty much the same thing. I'm not quite sure why, but the topic of the film rarely came up. I can't speak for Mrs Beale, as I never met her, but she always seemed very much herself in the documentary.

Edie loved fashion, but she didn't run around town, or even the house for that matter in the outfits she "modeled" in documentary. They were costumes, and she attempted to make them as outgragous as possible. There are many clues in the documentary that let the viewer know that she was experimenting with different looks. In real life, she usually "dressed down". Slacks, a pullover, or a sweater, and of course a scarf. One day in early June on a very hot day we went out to eat in East Hampton. "My God, it's so warm out and I'm wearing a wool sweater, I'm always freezing". Edie also had a favorite light tan trench coat that she wore a good deal of the time. In most of the pictures I've taken of Edie, she looks as normal as can be. I often say she looks like she's ready to pick up the kids at soccer practice !

Click EDIE ON EBAY for some cool "Edie" items on Ebay.

In contrast to the condition of Grey Gardens during the filming, the summer I made my trips to Grey Gardens, the house was always extremely neat. Not too much furniture, and not really much junk around either. The porch was swept frequently, as I never even saw so much as a leaf laying around. The interior stairs and floors were also free of clutter, dust or dirt. As I look back at the pictures I took that summer, the entire interior looks neat and clean. The outside was another story ! No dirt, no garbage, but the vegetation grew wild. Edie once told me that as fast as she would have it chopped down, it would grow back. I do find that a bit hard to believe, as the actual vines didn't appear to have ever been removed from the side of the house. I am always asked about the smell in the house. For the life of me, and I don't know why, but I have no memory of any outrageous smell.

An adjective that I absolutely hate when referring to Edie is "reclusive". She was far from it. At least after her mother died anyway. Edie loved to go out to eat, loved to go to clubs, and loved to be around people. Once when Edie lived in Manhattan, we had a date to go out dancing at a Brazilian club. Just the two of us. Edie "adored" Brazilian music. I told a few friends at college my plans and they immediately wanted to join us. I called Edie first just to make sure it was OK. It was MORE than OK. Myself and three friends piled into my Gremlin and picked Edie up at her apartment. Five people in a Gremlin ! Well Edie and I had plenty of room in the front, but it was quite the squeeze in the back seat. She had us hysterical, all the while apologizing for "taking up so much space". (more on Edie's love affair with my blue Gremlin at some point soon ! ) Once at the club, she took turns dancing with all of us. She loved to dance, and she was actually pretty good. My college friends fell immediately in love with her, and she with them. She made it a point to ask each of them about their studies. She was more than twice our age, but her energy level put us all to shame. She was dressed to the nines from head to toe and gloves to match. One of my friends, Renata Concina, had (and still has) long beautiful black hair. Edie LOVED it, and couldn't stop talking about it all evening. Following the hours of dancing, we went out to eat, where she entertained us for close to an hour. She loved having an "audience" . Edie was born to entertain ! Our evening ended in the wee hours of the morning, and it was one of the fondest memories I have of her. I got a wonderful note from Edie thanking me for such a wonderful evening.

Over the past 6 months or so, I have been listening to all this material, now transferred to CD, and transcribing them to print. So as to not ramble on and on, I have decided on the following format. Located below are "TOPICS" that Edie and I have talked about over the years. Hopefully, this format will make it easy for the reader. So, just click a topic below. Much of this page is "under construction", so we hope you can all be patient. This is a lot of work !!

EDIE ON JACKIE & THE KENNEDYS

EDIE ON MUSIC AND DANCE

EDIE ON POLITICS AND EAST HAMPTON