JERRY AND CHRISTINE EBERSOLE

One of the most positive and rewarding aspects of creating this web site, has been the truly wonderful people we have met. Christine Ebersole, a sweet, and gracious lady, Al Maysles,a warm, talented, and receptive gentleman, and most recently, Jerry Torre, The Marble Faun. (Edie's "sobri-quet" for Jerry) It is no wonder that the Beales loved this guy so much ! Lee & Robb have recently gotten acquainted with him and we can tell all the fans first hand, he is quite special. For those who don't know who Jerry is, he was one of only 4 other people to appear in the original Grey Gardens Documentary, other than the two Edies. He had cameo appearances as the Beale's handyman, but more importantly was their close and trusted friend. His presence in the film was deemed so important by the writers of the musical version, that there was an entire song, "Jerry Likes The Way I Do My Corn". written into the production. Although Jerry has had little financial compensation, he continues to share his experiences with the fans, writers, producers, and now with our MyGreyGardens family. In many respects, he has been closer to the Grey Gardens story than anyone else. We are privileged to have him on board, not only as a reliable source of information, but as a kindred spirit in many ways. Please check the site frequently, as we will be adding more not only about Jerry's experiences with the Beales, but about his own life, which is quite exciting outside of Grey Gardens. Part one of the inverview with Jerry comes from hours of conversations about his experiences with the Beales, Grey Gardens, The Musical, The Maysles Brothers, and on and on. One thing that both of the Edies, Robb, Lee, and Jerry have in common, We're all talkers. The latter of those three, can get totally sidetracked, and go off topic for a half hour till one finally says, "what were we talking about ? " The three of us feel very comfortable talking with each other, and I think that's why some of the stories we'll be covering now and in the months to come will be very interesting and insightful. Hopefully we will add to the interviews frequently. We're not going to start at the beginning and work forward. Much of the information most people want to know regards certain topics, so we will rather randomly cover some of those topics. Jerry has some very cool T-shirts, mugs, etc you should check out ! Just click this link: MARBLE FAUN

THE MARBLE FAUN

An interview with Jerry Torre, by Robb Brawn & Lee Arboreen (part 1) JT=JERRY TORRE LA=LEE ARBOREEN RB=ROBB BRAWN LA: Ok Jerry, before we get to all the historical and serious stuff, I'm sure everyone really wants to know this one: Did you really like the way Mrs Beale did her corn? NOTE: based on the line from the movie and a song from the Musical "Jerry Likes The Way I Do My Corn." JT: No, I didn't. I was being polite. I really had a hard time accepting anything to eat cooked in that pot. That wasn't even a hot pot, but a Sterno stove that you light... you know, like the ones that keep food warm...I had requested that she alert me whenever she was going to cook. I was concerned she would catch the bed on fire. LA: What did they eat ? Did they eat well ? JT: No, they didn't eat well, Lots of Sarah Lee cakes, sometimes they'd heat up a can of soup, or eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. LA: What about heat ? Hot water ?. JT: What heat there was got lost through all the holes and cracks in the walls. RB: Jerry, when I watch the documentary, there's a few scenes where Edie isn't talking about you in the nicest way. She even goes to include you in "those awful people. How did you react to that one. I mean, didn't Edie know you'd end up seeing that ? JT: I was hurt. I didn't see any footage until the film was finished. I did tell her that I was suprised at her reaction. She totally ignored what I said and asked "how do you like the color of my outfit " . When I asked Mrs Beale about the comments she just said "she's an immature child". RB: Is there a favorite cat story ? JT: Lots of cat stories ! I use to go fishing on Gardiner's Bay for Bunker fish and always bring some home for the cats. I'd go up to the boys room (Edie's brother's), where there was this desk in the center of the room. I'd put a foot stool on the desk, and about 60 cats would descend from the whole in the ceiling ! RB: Did either of the Edies ever go out ? JT: Mrs Beale, No. Edie went to church about once a month. She wore a tan trench coat, scarf, and high heels. She blended right in with the crowd. LOTS MORE TO COME FROM JERRY IN THE WEEKS TO COME !