Book Review: Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor

(Bought at Barnes and Noble. Full price. The perfect  big, fat, juicy, movie-star book to read on my ten day cruise of the Mediterranean.) When Roger Lewis says his book contains everything about Taylor and Burton, he means it. We get considerations of how their film roles paralleled their real lives including some really obscure films (such as The Flintstones for Taylor and several early English works for Burton), itemized lists of the personal effects left by their separate estates with the auction prices, a rundown of the TV-movies based on their lives and Benny Hill's parody of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, wherein the British comic played both stars. 

Weighing in at 600 densely-packed pages, Lewis assesses the notorious couple's impact on pop culture and public morals, their bacchanalian extravagant lifestyle, and their movie legacy. He often goes off on tangents, offering pages of details on figures whose paths the Burtons crossed: Andy Warhol, Sophia Loren, even Sylvia Plath. His analysis is pithy and sharp, ever sympathetic to his subjects and harsh to their critics. He sees them as emblems of an era, their explosive union tragic. They did love each other, but their temperaments did not allow them to stay together. A normal, settled marriage where you make compromises in order to live with each other was not for them. Taylor turned out to be the stronger of the two, her career and life continued while Burton spun out of control, succumbing to booze and hard living at 58.

This is far from a conventional movie-star biography. Lewis does not strictly follow chronological order in charting Burton and Taylor's meteoric rise and world-famous romance. He does separate the book into five sections, like the acts of a Shakespearean play: each of the subjects' lives before they met; the chaotic production of Cleopatra when they collided (featuring a day-by-day breakdown of the entire shooting schedule), their explosive two marriages; and their lives after their second and final divorce. 

Lewis inserts himself and his prejudices into his narrative. We learn of his prolonged illness (making him sympathetic to Taylor's many health issues). There is more than a hint of homophobia here as Lewis makes unnecessary, unfunny gags about Taylor's many gay friends (her favorite hairdresser and confidante is labelled "nelly"; Dirk Bogarde is described as a repressed homosexual as opposed to the fiercely straight Burton; Cecil Beaton is supposedly afraid of Taylor's breasts and that's why he didn't want to photograph her). 

Despite its flaws, Erotic Vagrancy (named for the Pope's description of the Burtons' adulterous behavior on the Cleopatra set), is huge banquet of movie gossip and social commentary. Not all the courses are nutritious, but they are wickedly delicious.

Pre-Election Day Outlook: Cautiously Optimistic

It's the day before the 2024 Presidential election and I am mildly hopeful about Harris winning and Trump losing. The polls all indicate a 50-50 race with a few trends such as Iowa favoring Harris slightly. Given Trumpy's criminal convictions, atrocious record on abortion rights and tarriffs, siding with dictators and wanting to be one, cognitive issues and being as old as dirt, I'm astonished that it's still this close. But I think she will win due to recent statements and actions in the past few days which will push the few remaining undecided voters into her camp. Speaker of the House Johnson has said they will get rid of Obamacare and the CHIPs Act if the GOP retains the House. Elon Musk has stated Trump has promised him a top position, managing government budget cuts which will result in crashing the economy. Musk has openly stated there will be a down turn in the economy, but that's OK. It's only short term and everything will work out in the end. Certifiable loon RFK Jr. claims he'll be a Health Czar and you know what that means: no more vaccines or fluoridated water. Didn't Sterling Hayden warn about that in Dr. Strangelove? 

In the past week, I've had run-ins with pro-Trumpers which froze my blood a bit. Last weekend, I unwisely engaged with a vendor here in Jackson Heights. He was an older white guy selling crap outside the supermarket. A young passer-by asked him if he wanted to buy a Harris T-shirt. I know I should have stayed out of it, but I joined in the conversation and the vendor proceeded to go off on racist rant about Trump saving the country from invading hordes of immigrants. I tried to be reasonable, citing statistics that crime was down and that communities benefitted from new people, but there was no way this guy was going to listen to logic or even a differing opinion. He denounced me as a traitor to my race and cited the fact that in 1920, Queens was 90 percent white and now it was only 52 percent or something. Therefore, the white race was being eliminated. "Wow," I said, "You're going to say that in Jackson Heights? You're going to openly admit you're a racist in this diverse neighborhood?" This guy wanted to sell his junk to people he despised and feared? I realized I never should have said anything and backed away.

A few days later, I overheard a similar confrontation and this time I kept my big fat Democratic mouth shut. I was sitting in Herald Square at the public tables and, at the table next to me, two co-workers, one white, one Hispanic, were disagreeing about the race. The white guy was playing the inflation card, saying gas was $4 a gallon (I pay $3.19), prices were all outrageous and Puerto Rico did have a garbage problem, so what's the big deal? The Hispanic guy was just smiling and shaking his head. I wanted to tell the white guy it's a good thing he lives in NY and therefore his vote doesn't count because of the electoral college. But I didn't. 

I don't know if I'll watch the election returns. The tension might destroy me. So maybe an old movie instead.

Cruise to Mediterranean Pt. 4: Naples, Rome (briefly)

Traffic in Naples

Day 9: Naples
Our final port was Naples where we had last been in 2016. On this last trip, we loved the crowded, messy city and took a train to Pompei to examine the ruins left by the eruption of Vesuvius. This time we strolled through the Archeological Museum and then had lunch at Trattoria Del Fernandino restaurant recommended by friends. I had prosciutto and mozzarella salad followed by sea bass. We took a cab from the museum to the restaurant and the traffic was terrible. The cab driver complained about the constant congestion of his city. The lunch was very good. We took a long walk back to the ship and relaxed. Our final night on board consisted of packing, a last round of Team Trivia (and winning a visor), having drinks with the friends we made and eating dinner in the Broad Dining Room. 

Day 10: Disembark in Rome

We got right off the ship and boarded a bus to the Rome airport, an hour outside the city. (We had been to Rome recently, so we decided to just go home rather than linger another few more expensive days.) The flight back was calm and I caught up on more episodes of Elsbeth. Once back in the US, we had to take a cab to Long Island where we had left our car with relatives. That was a mistake. Way too expensive. Next time, we'll take an Uber or Lyft, but we didn't want to have to take a shuttle to the car service meeting area. Short-sighted on our part. 

It was a wonderful trip and Oceania is a great cruise line. Our package included four shore excursions, a drinks package including wine and/or champagne, and four specialty restaurants. Most lines nickel and dime you to death, but almost everything was included with Oceania. The ship wasn't too big so getting on and off at ports wasn't a hassle. No kids, probably because it was during school. So I would recommend Oceania.

At the archeological museum in
Naples

Cruise to Mediterranean, Pt. 3: Corfu, Katakolon, Olympia, Catania

Day 6: Korfu

Eating gelato in Korfu

We had no excursion today, so we took one of those hop-on, hop-off red tour buses at 11 am after a leisurely breakfast (When we had excursions, we'd have to wake up at 6:45 am and order breakfast from room service.) The bus was 22 Euros per person and we figured it would at least give us an overview of the island which is lovely and relaxed. Jerry wanted to go to the Archeological Museum, but after finally finding it near a bus stop at the obligatory old fort, we discovered the Museum was closed that day. Instead, we went shopping in the charming old city with winding, narrow streets like everywhere else we'd been. We had a light lunch and indulged in gelato--cookies and cream and cheese cake flavors combined. In addition to postcard and magnets, we bought belts and a wooden mixing spoon.

Day 7: Katakolon, Olympia
For our last excursion, we got a bus from the port of Katakolon and drove for about 30 mins. to the site of the ancient Olympic games. A lot of ruins. I guess the highlight was standing in the open stadium where the races were held thousands of years ago. We were rushed into the arched entrance by our guide, looked around--it just a wide open field--and then we had had to rush to get back to the bus. It was interesting to see the remains of the temples to Zeus and Hera and the spot where the Olympic torch is lit every four years. 

Helmets at the Archeological Museum
at Olympia 

On the way back to the bus, I squeezed in the site's archeological museum. I had to run through it in order to make it back to the bus on time. There were several fascinating exhibits including hundreds of little clay animals which the ancient Greeks made and placed in the ground in front of the temples as offerings to the gods instead of real animals. 

After the bus ride back to Katakolon, I wandered around the tiny seafront town before reboarding. I found a tiny beach where I dipped my toes in the cool water and got sand in my shoes. I had lunch at a waterfront cafe.

Day 8: Catania, Sicily

There was a huge Norwegian cruise liner parked next to our medium-sized Oceania ship in Catania with a water slide on one side descending several stories. That would be kinda scary. As in Korfu, we took a Hop-on, Hop-Off bus to get to know the city on the coast of Sicily. Unfortunately, we did not get a good view of Mt. Etna, the city's volcano which keeps turning up in crossword puzzles. The clouds obscured the mountain entirely. The narration on the bus did inform us that some believed the volcano was inhabited by the spirit of England's Queen Elizabeth I because she made a deal with the devil for her kingdom and it erupted not long after her death.

St. Agnes in Catania, Sicily

We got off the bus in Bellini Square, saw a statue of the composer with figures from his operas Norma, etc, an ancient ruin, and the church of St. Agnes who was martyred with hot coals. She is beloved of the city because they are constantly under threat of fiery destruction because of the volcano, just as she was.

Lunch was at a Chinese restuarant (not bad). The bathroom door said "Thinking Room." We strolled to Piazza Duomo which was quite lovely and took the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus back to the port. The tourist shops sold trinkets referencing The Godfather since the Corleones were from Sicily.

Cruise to the Mediterranean, Pt. 2: Kotor, Split, Bari, Otsuni

Day 3: Kotor, Montenegro

One of the many cats of
Kotor, Montenegro

I started the day on the outdoor deck of the buffet, sprawled in my chair like that photograph of Faye Dunaway the morning after she won the Oscar for Network (and it should have been Liv Ullman for Face to Face). I was so relaxed because today there would be no excursions, no agenda. I just took the tender into the port of Kotor, Montenegro with no particular plan. Like Dubrovnik, there was a walled fortification enclosing a quaint old town center. I wandered around, bought postcards and refrigerator magnets. There were cats everywhere. I was tempted to go into the Cat Museum for 1 Euro, but it looked cheap even at the ridiculously low admission price, plus the second floor was closed for renovations. It probably would have consisted of kitschy kitty art with felines assuming human activities like shopping or commuting to work. So I went into a church for free and made an Instagram reel with the photos, set to Madonna's Like a Prayer. (I recently discovered how to make reels with musical accompaniment.)

Dinner at Red Ginger was wonderful. I had salmon with scallop ceviche, lobster and avocado salad, and bay Scallop trio with lobster pad thai. Peach tea and fruit salad for dessert. The entertainment was decent with the ship's singers and dancers performing a pop music revue featuring the hits of artists of my generation like The Pointer Sisters, The Bee Gees, Cher, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and Tina Turner. They ended with "River Deep, Mountain High."

Day 4: Split, Croatia

We learned from the on-board lecture that Split was famous as the site of the retirement palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, the only one to step down voluntarily. Most others were assassinated or died of natural causes. Diocletian reigned from 284-305 CE

Game of Thrones, Season 4,
filmed in Split, Croatia

and died in 311. He was considered a great ruler at the time with many public works to this credit, but because he mercilessly persecuted Christians and fed them to the lions in the coliseum, his reputation has stunk through the centuries and we hear very little about him today. Split is also famous as the filming location of several episodes of the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. I'd never watched a single episode, but we signed up for an excursion tour of a castle and the dungeons of Diocletian's palace where several scenes from GOT were filmed. The tour was titled Dungeons and Dragons or something catchy like that. Our guide gave us every detail about the episodes filmed at the castle called Klis. In Split where I later wandered around, there was a Games of Thrones shop and a museum. Now I will have to watch those segments so I can say, "I was there."

Day 5: Bari and Otsuni, Italy

Otsuni, the White Lady

From Bari, Italy, I took an excursion to a town called Otsuni in Brindisi. I had no idea what to expect, except that that brochure called the town "The White Lady." It was an hour's drive from the port and I thought, "I hope I didn't make a mistake." My fears were soon allayed when we walked from the bus to the town and I saw a gorgeous white-walled town with beautiful small squares, churches, and art galleries. Our guide walked us around the beautiful back streets into the town square with its statue devoted to St. Francis of Assisi. One interesting sight was a stylishly attired elegant woman walking her dog and picking up its leavings, never losing her poise or pose.

I had lunch at an open air cafe with fellow passengers and a swarm of flies. The waitress told us the insects were attracted by the wine-processing system which started in October. There was so many hanging around my prosciutto and mozzarella, I finally had to accept their presence and only occasionally swatted them away. 

We drove back along the sea. Right off the bus, I got on the shuttle to Bari and found a little trolley car thing for 15 Euros for a city tour. At first I thought it was a rip-off because we drove around along the seaside embankment and a little ways into the town and then back. But then a guide named Donnatella got off with me and two other ladies from the ship and said she would give us a brief tour of St. Nicholas' basilica. Outside the basilica was a statue of St. Nicholas (the inspiration for Santa Claus and Father Christmas) donated by Vladimir Putin because there is a large Russian population there. Donnatella gave us some info on the church and we went in. I asked her how Italy left about Putin. She diplomatically replied "We are divided." I responded so was America. Then the trolley took us back to the port, so it was worth 15 Euros. 

I decided to walk around a bit since I had time before the ship would leave. I found an artist's studio where she sold magnets made of clam shells for 2 Euros. Lately, I've bought a magnet from every country, city and town I've been to. The refrigerator is getting a bit crowded.

B'way Update: Good Night Sets Dates and Theater, Etc.

George Clooney in the 2005 film of
Good Night and Good Luck.

The spring sprint to the Tonys is almost totally set. The previously announced Good Night and Good Luck, starring and co-written by Oscar winner George Clooney has announced dates and a theater. The play about legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow's battles against McCarthyism in the 1950s will begin previews at the Winter Garden Theater on March 12 with an April 3 opening. The script is based on the 2005 screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov. Clooney will play Murrow in the Broadway version but played a different role in the film. Tony winner David Cromer, currently represented Off-Broadway by The Counter at Roundabout's Laura Pels, directs.

The Winter Garden is an unusual choice for this straight play since it has mostly housed large-scale musicals such as Funny Girl, Mame, Pacific Overtures, Cats and most recently Rocky, The Music Man, and the current tenant Back to the Future which closes on Jan. 5, 2025. The last non-musical to play the Winter Garden was Wolf Hall, the two-evening stage version of Hilary Mandel's expansive novel of Thomas Cromwell and his role in the ill-fated marriage of King Henry VIII to Anne Boelyn.

This announcement means only one previously announced spring Broadway production has yet to find a home or performance dates--the latest revival of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.  

Cruise to the Mediterranean, Part 1: Malta, Dubrovnik

For the second year in a row, we booked a cruise on Oceania to the Mediterranean, visiting many ports we have never been to before (Last year's cruise to Greece and Turkey was so wonderful we booked again on the same line.) We started in Valletta, Malta which we didn't see much of because we were both so exhausted and jet-lagged from the flight from NYC with a stop-over in Rome, we took a long nap in the hotel. There was a cute small beach club just for hotel guests, but we didn't have time to take advantage of it. But we did go to dinner at a local restaurant called Gululu with a lovely waterfront view. I had rabbit and thought of Bugs Bunny. We strolled around. Malta was very nice but we didn't get more than a glimpse of it. The only thing I knew about it was The Maltese Falcon and the fact that Popeye was filmed there. We'll have to go back. 

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Day 1-2: Day at Sea and Dubrovnik, Croatia: We got on board our ship the Marina the next day and headed for our first port Dubrovnik, Croatia. We had a day at sea before reaching Dubrovnik. There was a sumptuous brunch buffet in Grand Dining Room with caviar, lobster tails, chocolates, custards, fruit cups, croissants, and endless other goodies. It was so nice to get away from the madness of our current awful Presidential election, but the insanity intrudes on this serene scene. At a table near us, two couples were discussing Trump and a man stated the truth: he's a convicted felon. A Trump supporter at the next table, shouted "You don't know what you're talking about. That's not the whole story." The first man replied, "I'm talking about this with my friends. Not with you." The irate second gentleman bellowed, "You're talking loud enough for me to hear and I don't have to listen to this" and he stormed off , soon followed by his silent wife. The anti-Trumpers laughed the incident off and continued with their brunch. 

The sumptuous brunch buffet

That night I played Team Trivia with five other passengers and we dubbed ourselves the Can-Am team since two of of players were from Canada. The entertainment that night was a musical revue featuring four singers and seven dancers. It was okay. The cast was talented and the material was familiar. Later in the week, the shows were similarly safe with a comedian and a vocalist alternating with the ship's ensemble. The best show was a revue emphasizing dance with numbers reminiscent of Gene Kelly in An American in Paris and Bob Fosse's bowler hats and white gloves.

Once in Croatia, we booked a tasty wine-tasting excursion out in the countryside followed by a fun boat ride. After the boat ride, we took the shuttle bus from the port to the Dubrovnik town center where discovered the common theme of this cruise: walled cities surrounded a charming "old town." Many of the ports where points of defense for countries constantly at risk for invasion. The region was a shifting map of borders and warring ethnicities--Yugoslavia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, etc. etc. The walls provided protection and the interior towns became quaint tourist attractions. We wandered around the tourist-choked narrow streets and broad squares.

On board ship, the meals were excellent. During the course of the cruise, we dined at the four specialty restaurants--Jacques (French), Red Ginger (Asian Fusion), Toscana (Italian), and Polo Grill (steakhouse). All were first-rate. I think I enjoyed Toscana best where I had seafood linguine and filet mignon with spinach and gorgonzola cheese. The dessert was peaches in brown sugar sauce. 

I like Oceania because they include almost everything upfront as opposed to other cruise lines which nickel and dime you to death. Our package included the four specialty restaurants, four shore excursions, a drinks package for wine and champagne (but not cocktails), and a concierge-level room with a balcony.

Our ship the Marina