JUDY GARLAND

WARHOL RECOUNTED ONE MEMORY OF HIS FRIEND AND SCREEN IDOL JUDY GARLAND IN THE FOLLOWING WORDS: "'IT WAS THE BEST PARTY OF THE SIXTIES'. THAT'S HOW LESTER PERSKY RATED THE PARTY HE GAVE AT THE FACTORY FOR "THE FIFTY MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE" IN THE SPRING OF '65. 'IT LASTED UNTIL FIVE THE NEXT AFTERNOON. DID ANYONE KEEP A LIST OF WHO WAS THERE?' LESTER WANTED TO KNOW. JUDY GARLAND WAS DEFINITELY THERE. I WATCHED AS FIVE BOYS CARRIED HER OFF INTO THE ELEVATOR ON THEIR SHOULDERS...THE SAME WAY RICH KIDS FASCINATED ME, SHOW BUSINESS KIDS FASCINATED ME EVEN MORE. I MEAN, JUDY GARLAND GREW UP ON THE M.G.M. LOT! TO MEET A PERSON LIKE JUDY WHOSE REAL WAS SO UNREAL WAS A THRILLING THING. SHE COULD TURN EVERYTHING ON AND OFF IN A SECOND; SHE WAS THE GREATEST ACTRESS YOU COULD IMAGINE EVERY SECOND OF HER LIFE...'I PICKED HER UP', LESTER BEGAN, HOLDING HIS DRINK, LOOKING AROUND THE LOFT, TRYING TO SEE WHO WAS THERE. DAVID WHITNEY DANCED BY IN THE ARMS OF RUDOLPH NUREYEV...SUDDENLY I HEARD JUDY SCREAM 'RUDY!' AND SHE STAGGERED FORWARD WITH HER ARMS OUT TOWARDS NUREYEV, WHO YELLED BACK 'JUDY!' AND WALKED TOWARD HER, AND IT WAS STAGGER/STEP/RUDY!/JUDY! BACK AND FORTH UNTIL SHE FELL AROUND HIS NECK SAYING 'YOU FILTHY COMMUNIST! DO YOU KNOW THAT TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THINKS I CAN'T ACT? LET'S GO AND FIND OUT IF HE THINKS YOU CAN DANCE...'" (A. WARHOL & P. HACKETT, POPISM, THE WARHOL 60S, LONDON 1981, PP. 101-103).