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On the Street Where You Live
Feb. 4th, 2006 07:44 pmOkay so tomorrow is Dante's birthday and again, I didn't get a card in the mail on time. I haven't even mailed his book yet either. He's recovering from surgery so I'm sending him my copy of Harold Clurman's "All People Are Famous". It's got a small blurb about Richard Basehart and how the director came to meet him at Fellini's. This was back in the 50's of course, when Richard and Valentina were still married and living in Rome.
Speaking of Rome, I really miss Jack. I do hope I can get to Rome this year to see him. He still calls us his angels sent my his dad to watch over him. I wish I could live up to that but I'm no angel. Still, Jack does need someone to watch over him. Hard to believe he's 54 now. When we first met him in Milan, he wasn't yet 50. He's such a gracious man, always taking care of us like we were family. And man, the food we've enjoyed because of him! If we go to Rome, I still have to get to La Tavernetta da Elio in Milan. The food there is fabulous. And FWIW, the name of this journal is the name of the street in Milan where Jack lives when he's there.
Jack has since moved but his mother still lives on the street though so that's where he stays when he's in Milan. The house he lived in was amazing. First house I've ever been in that had an elevator. We took it a couple of times to get from the living room to the dining room for dinner. I have great memories of that house. It was the first place we met Jack. I remember going up the marble staircase and seeing the pics of him with Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and thinking at first it was his dad. Jack looks so much like Richard--except for being about a foot taller--and he sounds like him too. He's even got Richard's dry laugh. There was this beautiful ceramic fireplace in the middle of the room and on the grand piano, there were all these pictures of Jack and Valentina. Some with the Pope, President Reagan and various actors and conductors. Jack told us stories about his dad and a few of his drunken escapades. The man did like the ladies and the alcohol--probably together. Jack told us some hilarious stories about filming "Il Bidone" too. The funniest Jack story though has to be when he sent my friend and I, neither of us even remotely fluent in Italian, to this one restaurant with a note that basically said, in Italian, give these two anything they want to eat and put it on my tab. It was the best meal I have ever eaten and damned if I can't recall the name of the place. Ah, good times...
Speaking of Rome, I really miss Jack. I do hope I can get to Rome this year to see him. He still calls us his angels sent my his dad to watch over him. I wish I could live up to that but I'm no angel. Still, Jack does need someone to watch over him. Hard to believe he's 54 now. When we first met him in Milan, he wasn't yet 50. He's such a gracious man, always taking care of us like we were family. And man, the food we've enjoyed because of him! If we go to Rome, I still have to get to La Tavernetta da Elio in Milan. The food there is fabulous. And FWIW, the name of this journal is the name of the street in Milan where Jack lives when he's there.
Jack has since moved but his mother still lives on the street though so that's where he stays when he's in Milan. The house he lived in was amazing. First house I've ever been in that had an elevator. We took it a couple of times to get from the living room to the dining room for dinner. I have great memories of that house. It was the first place we met Jack. I remember going up the marble staircase and seeing the pics of him with Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and thinking at first it was his dad. Jack looks so much like Richard--except for being about a foot taller--and he sounds like him too. He's even got Richard's dry laugh. There was this beautiful ceramic fireplace in the middle of the room and on the grand piano, there were all these pictures of Jack and Valentina. Some with the Pope, President Reagan and various actors and conductors. Jack told us stories about his dad and a few of his drunken escapades. The man did like the ladies and the alcohol--probably together. Jack told us some hilarious stories about filming "Il Bidone" too. The funniest Jack story though has to be when he sent my friend and I, neither of us even remotely fluent in Italian, to this one restaurant with a note that basically said, in Italian, give these two anything they want to eat and put it on my tab. It was the best meal I have ever eaten and damned if I can't recall the name of the place. Ah, good times...
