Fats Waller, Continued
It's not over.
Al Pacino, playing a character based on the real life individual John Wojtowicz who was said to resemble Pacino, in the 1975 film DOG DAY AFTERNOON, directed by Sydney Lumet and written by Frank Pierson. The film also stars John Cazale, Chris Sarandon and Charles Durning.
Such an outpouring of conflicting messages -- everything from outrage to condolence -- necessitated this further post with the breaking news received over the wires last night:
Julius' is still open.
Here the eye-witness reports, and related observations:
"My dear, I left work a little early for an appointment in the West Village, afterward stopped by the divine Bigelow's Pharmacy to purchase precious emollients -- NOT the Rumanian product Bruce Benderson talks about in his book which you can only get over there and which is prohibited here because of a very very high arsenic content (I use it sparingly, as you can understand). Anyway, then I veered over to 10th St. to have a look. The door [to Julius'] is wide open, decrepit red-faced queens and pimply youths being served cocktails by shifty-looking bartenders. It gives one a feeling of well-being and relief as we do not need to contact _____ to stage a benefit. Sarah Jessica, Graydon and the nanny brigade are no doubt disgusted and plotting some new assault, but for tonight at least, God is still with us."
"Doll, she's OPEN -- and tell Gawker the place is no dirtier than Marie's Crisis. What amazes me is when you think they seized her in the morning, and she's back up running by Happy Hour, even though she owed back taxes obvs and she could come up with the cash that fast? It's a MIRACLE!"
"You know, don't you, that Fats Waller did write the lyrics and music to 'The Joint is Jumpin'? And that Arthur Bell was founding member of the GAA which evolved from the Mattachine group which staged the 'sip-in' at Julius'? When they ordered drinks, you know, they said to the bartender, 'We are homosexuals and wish to be served,' and when the bartender said, 'Well in that case, I can't serve you,' one of them leaned over and clutched his arm and said, 'Oh Bless You for saying that, darling.' Mattachine promised to pay all the legal expenses for Julius' but the case never went to court as the City Council dropped the offending prohibition against serving alcohol to homosexuals without a fight. They must have been told by their lawyers they'd never win the case. I felt you were a little skimpy about this part of the history in your post. As for your remarks on John Wojtowicz who lived near Julius' in the early 70s, you know, don't you, he worked for the Mafia owner of Christopher's End, and it was NOT Arthur Bell who said he looked like Al Pacino, it was Life Magazine in the September 1972 issue in the article, 'The Boys in the Bank,' which was something of a mean and tacky piece, as you can probably guess from the title."
"I hate to break this to you, but the Ninth Circle is an Italian restaurant now, darling. Everything you remember of the Village has vanished. There's a nanny for every 3 people down there now. I'll try to shield you from it next time you visit."
"I used to go to Julius' for their burgers and bloody mary's. Thanks for totally bumming me out."
"The best grafitti was at the Ninth Circle -- 'VAT 69 is NOT the Pope's telephone number.' Everything at the International Stud was boring -- 'Beam Me Up Scotty" or quotations from 'Dancer from the Dance.'"
"Larry Craig has Restless Leg Syndrome. It's all been a terrible misunderstanding."
Al Pacino, playing a character based on the real life individual John Wojtowicz who was said to resemble Pacino, in the 1975 film DOG DAY AFTERNOON, directed by Sydney Lumet and written by Frank Pierson. The film also stars John Cazale, Chris Sarandon and Charles Durning.Such an outpouring of conflicting messages -- everything from outrage to condolence -- necessitated this further post with the breaking news received over the wires last night:
Julius' is still open.
Here the eye-witness reports, and related observations:
"My dear, I left work a little early for an appointment in the West Village, afterward stopped by the divine Bigelow's Pharmacy to purchase precious emollients -- NOT the Rumanian product Bruce Benderson talks about in his book which you can only get over there and which is prohibited here because of a very very high arsenic content (I use it sparingly, as you can understand). Anyway, then I veered over to 10th St. to have a look. The door [to Julius'] is wide open, decrepit red-faced queens and pimply youths being served cocktails by shifty-looking bartenders. It gives one a feeling of well-being and relief as we do not need to contact _____ to stage a benefit. Sarah Jessica, Graydon and the nanny brigade are no doubt disgusted and plotting some new assault, but for tonight at least, God is still with us."
"Doll, she's OPEN -- and tell Gawker the place is no dirtier than Marie's Crisis. What amazes me is when you think they seized her in the morning, and she's back up running by Happy Hour, even though she owed back taxes obvs and she could come up with the cash that fast? It's a MIRACLE!"
"You know, don't you, that Fats Waller did write the lyrics and music to 'The Joint is Jumpin'? And that Arthur Bell was founding member of the GAA which evolved from the Mattachine group which staged the 'sip-in' at Julius'? When they ordered drinks, you know, they said to the bartender, 'We are homosexuals and wish to be served,' and when the bartender said, 'Well in that case, I can't serve you,' one of them leaned over and clutched his arm and said, 'Oh Bless You for saying that, darling.' Mattachine promised to pay all the legal expenses for Julius' but the case never went to court as the City Council dropped the offending prohibition against serving alcohol to homosexuals without a fight. They must have been told by their lawyers they'd never win the case. I felt you were a little skimpy about this part of the history in your post. As for your remarks on John Wojtowicz who lived near Julius' in the early 70s, you know, don't you, he worked for the Mafia owner of Christopher's End, and it was NOT Arthur Bell who said he looked like Al Pacino, it was Life Magazine in the September 1972 issue in the article, 'The Boys in the Bank,' which was something of a mean and tacky piece, as you can probably guess from the title."
"I hate to break this to you, but the Ninth Circle is an Italian restaurant now, darling. Everything you remember of the Village has vanished. There's a nanny for every 3 people down there now. I'll try to shield you from it next time you visit."
"I used to go to Julius' for their burgers and bloody mary's. Thanks for totally bumming me out."
"The best grafitti was at the Ninth Circle -- 'VAT 69 is NOT the Pope's telephone number.' Everything at the International Stud was boring -- 'Beam Me Up Scotty" or quotations from 'Dancer from the Dance.'"
"Larry Craig has Restless Leg Syndrome. It's all been a terrible misunderstanding."
I went to Julius' exactly once, maybe five years ago, in my quest to visit each of the city's gay bars. It was the dirtiest, grungiest bar I'd ever seen, the place to go if you thought hot dog vendors were too refined.
Gawker's right: even Jeffrey Dahmer would have wiped off their beer bottles.
[1904 replies: Worse than the Spotlight? I must confess, I trust the Gawker set to know about these things.
Well, at least for the Labor Day weekend, there'll still be a place to go for those boys who don't get invited to the Hamptons or the Pines and for the older set who love them and don't mind a little taste of danger or a lack of hygiene. Bless their hearts.]
Okay, now you've got me feeling nostalgic. The Outcast, in Hollywood, was the dirty, scary gay bar for my formative years, the Ellis Island for my flight from suburbia. I think it's gone now, but being built entirely of black cardboard and bailing wire it wasn't meant to last too long.
George, you mean the Spotlight at Cahuenga and Yucca? I never got up the nerve to go there. And I've been to every place on Hyperion that ever bought a red lightbulb.
[George replies: That's the one, and it's not a bar for the faint of heart. We're talking hardcore wet-brain liver-distended-like-a-child-sized-tumor SERIOUS drinking. I've never been brave enough to go in, but I've heard stories. The next stop after the Spotlight is the Midnight Mission or Skid Row downtown. By comparison, of course, Julius' is quite tame.]