1969
1928 - 1959 - 1960 -1962 - 1963 - Jan - May 1964 - June-December 1964 - 1965 - 1966 - 1967 - 1968 -1969 - 1970 - 1974 - 1975 - 1979 - 1980s+
JANUARY 1969: VIVA THREATENS ANDY WARHOL.
Viva sent Warhol a threatening letter from Paris. She had gone there in November 1968 using a roundtrip ticket that Andy had paid for. In the letter Viva threatened: “If you don’t send me money, I’ll work against you as well as I worked for you.” Warhol was disappointed by her behavior and ignored her. (POP295)
JANUARY 17, 1969: COURT DECIDES THAT VALERIE SOLANAS IS FIT TO STAND TRIAL.
Howard Smith, "Scenes," Village Voice, vol. XIV, no. 15, January 23, 1969, p. 8
FEBRUARY 1969: VIVA THREATENS ANDY AGAIN.
This time Viva sent her request for money by telegram. Warhol ignored her again. Viva ended up going to Los Angeles to star in AGNES VARDA’s movie Lions Love. (POP295)
MARCH 1969: VIVA MARRIES MICHEL AUDER.
While Andy Warhol was in the hospital having a “follow-up operation” the Factory received a telegram from Viva saying she had gotten married. She returned to New York with her husband, a French filmmaker named Michel Auder who she had met in Europe and took to Hollywood.
Upon her return, Viva rang Andy and told him she was writing an autobiographical novel called Superstar for Putnam’s that would be an expose of the underground, also telling him that she was taping their conversation for one of the chapters. (POP295)
MARCH 11, 1969: INGRID SUPERSTAR READS HER POETRY AND NEW WARHOL FILM SCREENED?
Ingrid Superstar and Gerard Malanga poetry reading, March 11, 1969 - publicity photos by Paul Morrissey
An event was advertised where Ingrid Superstar and Gerard Malanga would read their poetry at St. Mark's Church In-The Bouwerie. The showing of a "never before seen Andy Warhol film" was promised at the event. Although this event was advertised, it is unclear as to whether it actually took place. (X1)
MARCH 1969: MICKEY RUSKIN MANAGES LEVINE'S AFTER FAILURE OF RUSKIN'S PREVIOUS VENTURE, THE LONGVIEW.
Ruskin had opened his first bar in 1960 - the 10th Street Coffehouse. In 1962 he opened the NINTH CIRCLE which would later become a hangout for gay hustlers and their johns. On December 6, 1965 he opened Max's Kansas City.
The following article from the Village Voice newspaper mentions two later and less successful ventures - The Longview and Levine's:
Village Voice, 20 March 1969, p. 12
1969: CANDY DARLING DOESN'T GET A PART.
Film industry trade papers announced that a movie was going to be made of GORE VIDAL’s Myra Breckinridge. A much publicized search for the role of Myra was launched.
Raquel Welch as Myra Breckinridge on the front cover of inter/VIEW magazine
CANDY DARLING was desperate for the part and made numerous calls/letters to the producer and director. She was extremely disappointed when RAQUEL WELCH got the part instead. (UV133)
Candy Darling:
"They decided Raquel Welch would make a more believable transvestite."(BC84)
MAY 1969: ANDY WARHOL FAILS TO GET A HOLLYWOOD DEAL.
Columbia studios flew Andy, Paul Morrissey and a small entourage that included Jed Johnson to L.A. to discuss the possiblity of making a film with the title, The Truth Game, loosely based on a book by the same name by John Hallowell about the Hollywood scene and stardom.
Articles appeared in Variety and the Village Voice in which Morrissey mentioned the project - they are reproduced here.
According to Popism, the studio ended up rejecting the project for “moral reasons.” (POP297) John Hallowell later played the part of John, the gossip columnist in Andy Warhol's HEAT.
SUMMER 1969: HOLLY GETS A LAST NAME.
HOLLY chose WOODLAWN as her last name while watching an episode of I Love Lucy with SILVER GEORGE, PETER and some other friends while high on speed.
In the TV episode, Lucy was riding on the subway with a loving cup stuck on her head. In the background of the subway was the word Woodlawn as Lucy was supposedly riding the 'Woodlawn' train - a train to the Bronx with it's final destination being the Woodlawn Cemetery.
Holly's friend Peter noticed the sign while watching the episode and screamed it out so that Holly would see it. (HW119)
JUNE 25 - AUGUST 5, 1969: ANDY WARHOL OPENS A PORN CINEMA?
According to Warhol biographer Victor Bockris, Warhol ran a porn cinema at the Fortune Theater for about six weeks, with Gerard Malanga being the manager. (LD325)
But Village Voice ads at the time advertised it as a Malanga presentation, as did Jonas Mekas when he reviewed the films in the Voice. (See: "Andy Warhol's 'Porn Movie-House')
JUNE 27 , 1969: ANDY WARHOL ATTENDS A FUNERAL.
Andy Warhol took ONDINE and CANDY DARLING to the long line for Judy Garland at Frank Campbell’s Funeral Home on 81st and Madison.
Andy Warhol:
“At the end of July I took Ondine and Candy up to the round-the-block line for Judy Garland at Frank Campbell's Funeral Home on 82st and Madison. I wanted to tape-record them as they were waiting to go past the casket... I had it in my head that this would make a great play - Ondine and Candy in a line stretching across the stage with criers and laughers all over the place, and everybody telling each other what’d brought them there... But being with Ondine that day was really strange; it was like being with a normal person. He hadn’t been coming around the Factory much. He had a steady lover now, he said he was totally off speed, and he was sort of settled down, working as a mailman in Brooklyn... For weeks I couldn’t stop thinking about this new nonpersonality of Ondine’s. Talking to him now was like talking to your Aunt Tillie. Sure, it was good he was off drugs (I supposed), and I was glad for him (I supposed), but he was so boring: there was no getting around that. The brilliance was gone.” (POP288)
(Although Popism places this event at the end of July, Judy Garland's memorial service at Frank Campbell's actually took place on June 27, 1969. 22,000 people filed past her coffin.)
JULY 21, 1969: JACKIE CURTIS (ALMOST) MARRIES ERIC EMERSON.
Jackie and Eric planned to stage their "wedding" on the rooftop terrace of an apartment building at 211 E. 11th Street, inviting press and underground stars/artists with a porno producer turned self-ordained priest performing the ceremony.
When Eric didn't show up, Curtis ‘married’ Stanley Sweetheart (who Holly Woodlawn calls 'Stanley Falconspeed' in her autobiography). Stanley was the blonde maitre d’ at Max’s. At the ceremony, HOLLY WOODLAWN, who was a bridesmaid, met JOHN VACARRO, founder of the Playhouse of the Ridiculous and he offered her a role in Jackie’s latest play, 'Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit'. (HW126/MLR)
The fake wedding was covered by the Village Voice in a front-page article 'Twilight of the Tribe' and filmed by the Maysles Brothers. The guests included Larry Ray dancing in a tutu and Melba LaRose who tap danced. Melba was a longtime friend of both Jackie and Candy and had starred in Jackie's first play, 'Glamour, Glory and Gold, the Life and Legend of Nola Noonan, Goddess and Star.' Other guests included Tony Ingrassia, Alice Playten and Ruby Lynn Reiner. (MLR)
According to Victor Bockris, a Jackie Curtis' 'wedding' took place on July 21st at Max's on the opening night of Blue Movie - and the groom was named Stuart Lichtenstein. (LD326)
Jackie staged numerous weddings throughout his life, with the eighth and final one at No. 1 Fifth Avenue in approximately 1978. (MLR)
JULY 21, 1969: ANDY WARHOL'S BLUE MOVIE OPENS.
Blue Movie opened at the New Andy Warhol Garrick Theater.
Variety magazine had reported in its June 18 issue that it was the "first theatrical feature to actually depict intercourse."
On July 30, Variety reported that the film had recovered three hundred percent of its cost in the first week of exhibition.
The cinema was raided on July 31st and the film seized and cinema staff arrested. On September 18, 1969, a three judge panel in the New York Criminal Court ruled the film obscene and the theatre manager was fined $250.
Warhol published the film in book form through Grove Press, in 1970, with explicit stills from the movie and a complete transcription of the dialogue. (FAW36)
AUGUST 1969: VINCENT FREMONT MEETS ANDY WARHOL
Vincent Fremont:
I had met Andy and with my two friends in August 1969 and I ended up doing freelance work for Andy. I wanted to be a filmmaker and Paul let me be a PA on TRASH. I had leave to leave NYC in January of 1970 to deal with getting out of being drafted--my draft board was in Hollywood. It took practically a year to rerturn to NYC which I did December, 1970. Andy asked me to work at his studio full-time in Janaury of 1971. (Email: December 10, 2020)
See January 1971.
AUGUST 21, 1969: SELECTIONS FROM THE THIRTEEN MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN LICENSED TO GERMAN T.V.
Selections from the film were licensed to the Third Programme of West Germany Television for seven years via Vaughan-Rogosin Films, Ltd., London. (AD291)
1969: HOLLY WOODLAWN GETS A BOYFRIEND.
Holly met future boyfriend JOHNNY in an apartment she shared with photographer LEEE CHILDERS and entertainer JAYNE (aka Wayne) COUNTY who would later appear in the London production of Warhol's play, Pork.
Some hippie friends of Leee’s stopped by the apartment on their way home from Woodstock. The group included a fifteen year old boy who Holly noticed sitting on her bed playing his guitar when she returned from a late night at Max’s with friends RITA REDD, ESTELLE and JACKIE CURTIS. When Holly saw Johnny she "swooped in for the kill" and they became lovers. Johnny later accompanied her to the filming of TRASH and ended up playing the role of the young student that Holly injected with drugs (“trust me”). (HW128)
1969: ANDY SAYS BRIGID DOES HIS PAINTINGS.
Warhol told a west coast magazine “something outrageous like"‘I dont even do my own paintings - BRIGID POLK [Berlin] does them for me.’
Joyce Haber repeated his comment in her syndicated newpaper column and the German press started calling the Factory because collectors were “panicking that they might have Polks instead of Warhols.”
Warhol was forced to make a public retraction. (POP249)
Cecil Beaton shoots Andy & Brigid at the Factory (1969) (photo: Fred McDarrah)
1969: HOLLY WOODLAWN (ALMOST) STEALS A CAMERA.
During rehearsals for Jackie Curtis' latest play Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit (in which Holly appeared), Holly became closer friends with JACKIE CURTIS and often accompanied her to the Factory when Jackie needed to ask Andy for money.
At the Factory, Holly met an Italian kid named JEFF working as a gofer for Andy. She also ran into him one night at Max’s after he was fired from the Factory. She saw him on the street a few days later and he asked her to go uptown with him to pick up a camera. Once in the shop, Jeff attempted to charge a two-thousand dollar camera to Warhol, telling the shop clerks that Holly was VIVA. When the clerk said he would need to verify the charge to Andy’s account, they both ran out of the shop. (HW130)
SEPTEMBER 1969: HEAVEN GRAND IN AMBER ORBIT OPENS.
JACKIE CURTIS’ play, Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit opened on 43rd Street in a small funeral-home-turned-theatre. HOLLY WOODLAWN played Cuckoo the Bird Girl, featured as Moon Reindeer Girl in the chorus.
During the run of the play, Holly was interviewed by JOHN HEYES for an underground newspaper and said that she was a Warhol superstar. They ran the story with “shmaltzy Art Nouveau photos” taken by LEE CHILDERS. (HW131)
1969: PAUL MORRISEY CASTS HOLLY WOODLAWN IN TRASH.
Paul cast Holly without ever meeting her, having read the article in which she claimed to be a Warhol superstar. Andy told Paul to be careful after the camera incident, but Paul used her anyway. (HWix)
According to an interview that Holly Woodlawn gave to Patrick Smith, Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey noticed Holly in the chorus of 'A Reindeer Girl' - an Off Broadway play written by JACKIE CURTIS at the Theatre of Ridiculous (Charles Ludlum and John Vacario). Holly: "Well, Andy and Paul Morrissey saw the show, and they asked me to be in Trash. So, I was plucked from the chorus to be in my first movie after my first play." (PS523)
A SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN OCTOBER 1969: PAUL MORRISSEY BEGINS SHOOTING TRASH.
Morrissey started filming TRASH in the basement of his brownstone on 6th Street between First and Second Avenue on the Lower East Side.
JED JOHNSON was the film’s entire crew, functioning as “gofer, gaffer, grip and editor". (HW134) Paul, who was against drugs, wanted Trash to deglamourize drug taking. (POP297) The original title planned for the film was Drug Trash, but it was decided it was too obvious. (BC35)
Although HOLLY WOODLAWN was only supposed to do one scene, the rushes were so good that Paul asked her back to do more. (HW139) Holly was paid the usual fee for acting in a Warhol film - $25.00 a day. When they finished shooting her footage, Holly celebrated by using her final payment of $25.00 on heroin. (HW146)
(According to Victor Bockris, Trash was shot during the first two weeks of December, 1969 (LD328) - however, this contradicts Joe Dallesandro and Holly Woodlawn who both remember the month as October.)
Hollywood actress, Sissy Spacek, unknown at the time, also appeared in Trash although her scene was later cut:
Sissy Spacek:
"I was in Andy's Trash when I was a teenager... "I didn't mind [that the scene was cut], because I really saw myself as a singer. I went under the name Rainbo. I had this single called John Lennon, You Went Too Far This Time, about John and Yoko [Ono] posing nude on their album cover." (NYD)
Trash also featured the Warhol screen debut of another teenager - 16 year old Jane Forth. (LD)
to filmography
NOVEMBER 1969: ANDY WARHOL'S INTERVIEW IS PUBLISHED.
The first issue of Inter/VIEW, A Monthly Film Journal featured a photograph of VIVA naked on the cover with her (also naked) co-stars JAMES RADO and JEROME RAGNI (of Hair fame) from Lions Love, directed by Agnes Varda - "an intellectual film trying to be commercial" (BC6). Warhol star JACKIE CURTIS wrote a love-life advice column in early issues. (BC98)
Andy Warhol would later say that he started a magazine "to give Brigid [Berlin] something to do." (BC6)
c. NOVEMBER 1969: HOLLYWOODLAWN IS CAST IN COCKSTRONG.
Although HOLLY WOODLAWN recalled being cast for Cockstrong (written by Tom Murrin and directed by John Vaccaro) in November 1969 in her autobiography, The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low Life in High Heels
Music for the play was provided by the Silver Apples. Their account of their involvement with Cockstrong can be read here.
Holly Woodlawn:
"In November 1969 John Vaccaro cast me in the chorus of his latest play, Cockstrong. I was thrilled to be on the stage again and managed to get Johnny [Holly's boyfriend] a job as an assistant to the company. I'd rehearse with the company during the afternoons in Vaccaro's loft in the East Village near St. Mark's Place. Once we had wrapped for the day, I'd flutter off to Max's with Johnny in tow for the five o'clock business buffet.
I would sit in the front and order a carafe of white wine or I'd occupy a banquette. I was now Miss Holly Woodlawn, and Miss [Candy] Darling appreciated neither Miss [Jackie] Curtis or myself at this point because she had become a snotty blonde. She had also grown green with envy over my success with Trash, and was rather miffed that I was now a rival...
Well, I might've impressed the impresarios at the Factory, but I wasn't doing so well on the stage. After two weeks in rehearsal for Cockstrong, I was thrown out of the company.
'There are no stars in the Playhouse of the Ridiculous,' proclaimed Vaccaro, shaking from head to toe, inflamed with anger. I had made the mistake of showing up to rehearsal late once too often and Vaccaro exploded into his usual tyrannical tirade, screaming at the top of his lungs, 'I will not put up with psychotic drag queens!' Get out! Get out, I say! Out!'
Later at Max's JACKIE CURTIS congratulated Holly for having been kicked out of the production. According to Holly, Jackie "had been tossed out of the company herself about a year earlier. Not only did Vaccaro toss her out of the company, he tossed her out of her own play!" (HW152-3)
LATE 1969: ANDY WARHOL RENTS HIS SUPERSTARS.
Andy Warhol offered to rent out his superstars, saying “This way, they can take the art home, have a party for it, show it to their friends, take Polaroids of it (which I will sign), make tape-recordings. And after the week is over, they’ll still have anecdotes.” JOE DALLESANDRO costs $4,500 per week. (JOE6)
END 1969: VALERIE SOLANAS THREATENS ANDY WARHOL.
Andy Warhol got a letter from VERA CRUISE who’d been sent to Matteawan for car theft and was “seeing a lot of VALERIE [Solanas]” who was in the same prison.
According to Vera, Valerie Solanas talked about ‘getting Andy Warhol’ when she got out of prison. (POP286)
to 1970 - 1974