.........but she was my friend.
Tilda had a secret….a deep, dark secret.
Tilda was not her real name…she wouldn’t tell anyone her real name….not even me.
I suspect it had something to do with her family, perhaps something extraordinary that she was trying to get out from under, or something shameful from which she was hiding. I may never know…..If she does confide in me though, I’ll never breathe a word…..
Tilda left her name behind and married a very wealthy man, from a moneyed East Coast family….she adopted his last name….after all, “you don’t need to look back if you never plan to go that way”, she used to say. His family had made their fortune in fashion.
His family frequented Grossingers, a popular resort in the Catskills, and they invited Archer and myself to join them there one summer.
My first view of the property was of the enormous pool, with diving platforms and waterfalls. In the evenings the “water ballet” beauties would perform, with light shows and symphonic music. An enormous mirror allowed us to view their water dances from above, swirling in and out of geometric shapes and splashing and flashing colors…..with all the floral swim caps it often looked like giant flowers being blown in the wind, dancing and swaying with butterflies….doing a sort of “pollinating dance”, Alan used to say.
In the nearly 400-seat dining room, we enjoyed prime rib with potatoes and spinach. We also had shrimp cocktail, the appetizer of the day (I think you call them “apps” these days). Anyone who was “anyone” ate shrimp cocktail….I once saw Marilyn posing for the photogs while eating shrimp! Of course then Eva, Jayne, and the rest had to follow suit and voila! Everyone is eating shrimp cocktail, in champagne glasses, of course! And, yes we did have the bubbly on occasion, but we generally spent the evenings drinking bikini martinis, gimlets, and the occasional Singapore
There was a lineup of comedians at the nightclub, some of the better known headliners were Henny Youngman and Milton Berle, preceeded by many young “start-ups” who spent much of their time serving us our dinner, but just to be among the “big stars” was well worth the “waiting”.
Tilda and I tittered and chatted well into many nights while the men smoked cigars and shared tales of big game safaris and Paris burlesque…maybe someday Tilda will share her secret…..Astoria
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By the by, I watched Eddie Fisher marry Debbie Reynolds at
Grossinger’s, as shared in Joel Siegel’s you tube video showing “those were the
days”…..
By the by, for more on my favorite 1950’s cocktails,
By the by, fabulous for cocktails:
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| Chantelle https://www.etsy.com/listing/97674719/ gold-brocade-cocktail-jacket-with-art |
By the by, wonderful for shopping:
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| Marilyn https://www.etsy.com/listing/100439789/ chameleon-colored-nubby-wool-swing A tribute to Tilda
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By the by, for the hottest stars of the 1950’s,
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-sex-symbols-of-the-50s-60s.php
By the by, Tilda’s friend, Babette, organized this 1950’s swimwear fashion show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vclZeEM0zEk
And for my favorite, you can’t talk water art without going to
By the by, to go to the beginning and catch up on Astoria's adventures go to,
