Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 1991 (3. évfolyam, 19. szám)

1991-05-10 / 19. szám

Susan Jancso AMERICAN Hungarian Journal Ivan Heczey’s Conversation With TONY GORODY We are sitting in the lobby of the plush private clinic, looking out on the blue Pacific, watching the ebb and tide of the waves on the beach. Fortunately Tony is not sick, he just came here for a little rest - healthy diet, lots of fresh air, and physical therapy after shoulder surgery. He doesn’t show the passing of the time: the same impressive presence, the same well-groomed mustache, only perhaps the hair has become a little less abundant since we last met. "You still have so much hair,” he sighs, laughing, adjusting the light sweater as if he were straightening his shirtsleeve under the tuxedo. If there was ever a pianist whose name be­came a legend in the elegant nightclubs of pre-war Budapest, it was Tony Gorody Goitein.- When did you leave Hungary?-In 1947.- Where did you last play in Budapest?-1 believe it was the Anna Bar.- Did you ever have a concert with two pianos?- Not with two, but once we had a concert of four: George Fejér, Tamás Bródy, Lulu Solymossy and I.- Where did you go when you left?- First I had a contract in Swit­zerland. Then in 1951 I became cruise and musical director on a ship. I spent a year on the ship: New York, Havana, Nassau, South America, the Caribbean... Meanwhile, my wife and son were still in Zurich, and I was looking for a good place to settle down. I found Havana very pleasant - this was the beginning of Batista’s rule - so I stayed there for eight years. Then in 19611 went to New York, but I could not get work without a work permit. So I went on to Montreal. I played in the Windsor Hotel for eight months­­you remember?- Of course I remember; that’s where I got to know you. How did you manage to get to New York after all?- With the help of a good friend, George Fejér, I got the work per­mit and I stayed there for 12 years: in the Summit Hotel, at the Sherry Netherland, then the Pierre... In Havana I owned a private club called "Mes Amis," and "my friends" were really the tops. I hope they remember me well in New York too... Susan Jancso starts to speak: "My husband, for one, remem­bers you well from Budapest. After 1945, Julius worked in a music store on Rákóczy Street, Radványi’s, where he got to know you and many other celebrities. He is the publisher of the Ame­rican Hungarian Journal, and when he heard you were in town, he thought it would be nice to have an interview with you - for those who remember. As for those who don’t - I wanted to meet the living legend, so I came here to see you."- Dear Susan, you did the right thing. Be sure to give Julius my regards!- Tell us more about the mesamis!-The what?-1 mean, the "Mes Amis'1. Who were the people frequenting it?- Batista, Nixon, whoever you want. I was very well known from my concerts, private parties, TV appearances, and I also directed some plays (South Pacific, Ok­lahoma). Later I bought the place; one of my partners was the Bacardi who now lives in Monte Carlo. All was well until Castro came in.- So how did you end up in Houston, Texas?- I had a friend there, who was also the director of the best hotel in Houston, and he kept asking me to go there. I had long-term contracts, I couldn’t go. Then one day he showed up again, we had dinner together, he offered me a job in the piano bar, with the best clientele, lots of fringe benefits... I went for she weeks, and I stayed there for 16 years. Every year in July I went back to the Pierre for two months, then I continued at the piano bar of the Warwick Hotel. I had such a good time there, I could hardly wait for the evening when I could start to play. I almost enjoyed it more than the public did, the room would come alive, it had the air of a private birthday party every night...- Don’t you miss New York?-Sometimes. Remember that fantastic show with Teri Fellegi at the Barbizon Plaza, where you were the Master of Ceremonies?-How could I forget? Two con­secutive evenings. You directed it, and it was full of celebrities on and off the stage. Gábor Carelli, Sarolta Ordassy (both singers of the MET) - and in the audience, Albert Szirmay one night, then Jolié Gabor. She came in to con­gratulate us, and invited the who­le company over to her house...-... and she showed us her new piano - it was a beautiful hand­crafted white piano, simply beautiful! She asked me if I would accompany her, if she decided to make an appearance. That Jolié, she was incredible, al­ways thinking ahead - that’s why she stayed young forewer...-1 met her a couple of years ago at a reception Merv Griffin gave at the Makk Studio, to honor Eva Gabor’s portrait just finished by Imre Makk. Everybody who is anybody in Hollywood was there, including Jolié. We exchanged a few words, she remembered one of my books that I had sent her.- How come you never sent me one?-1 will, together with this inter­view. Names pop up in the conversa­tion like bubbles in the cham­pagne -namesofpeoplewe knew, artists, performers in Budapest, New York, Montreal, Los An­geles. Every one of them brings up a story, a memory, a joke. But sometimes the names refuse to be invoked.- You know, I just don’t have a head for names. On the other hand, I always remember peop­le’s favorite tunes. Like this law­yer I was talking to in New York - I had not seen him for years. So This page written by ATA accredited translator SUSAN JANCSO he goes: "I bet you don’t remem­ber me!" And I: "You want to bet? Time On My Hands!’"- It certainly tells a lot about people what their favorite song is, right? - says Susan.-Right. Like one time these two guys came in -1 had no idea who they were-and I said: "This one is ’Rhapsody In Blue’ and the other, 1 know what my problem is, since I got it from you’...’'(he laughs). We take a few pictures together before saying goodbye. There he stands, elegant, smiling, the artist who played the songs of three continents, who sang in Hun­garian, English, French, German, Spanish, and who, all his life, en­joyed playing the piano at least as much as his audience enjoyed lis­tening to him. Vilmos Csernohorsz­­ky in Los Angeles If there is one person in the Los Angeles Hungarian community who always extends a helping hand when it is needed, it’s Frank Czene. His house, or rather, his garden was the scene of a meeting Sunday night with Vilmos Cser­­nohorszky, writer and chief con­tributor of the Guardian (Nem­zetőr) in Munich, who came to Los Angeles for a family visit. We greeted him as an old friend: we heard him speak before, standing under the same tree, when he was here with Tibor Tollas a couple of years ago. First, our visitor offered insights into the political and economic situation of the united Germany. He said both sides were disap­pointed, because they were misled in their expectations. The West Germans resent the econo­mic problems and tax hikes fol­lowing the unification. The East Germans thought they would be able to continue working like they used to (that is, taking it easy) while they would be living at the same high standards the West Germans have achieved over the years with hard work. Now there is a general discontent approach­ing an explosive state. Concerning the other newly formed democracies of East- Central Europe, including Hun­gary, Mr. Csernohorszky said their condition is much worse and recovery would take much more time than after World War II. He pinpointed the cause as moral disintegration and a change in mentality during the 40 years of communism. He sees the solu­tion in a new beginning, with a new constitution, a presidential system, plebistice, and a two­­chamber parliament. We were happy to welcome another guest from Germany, journalist and translator Judith Frank, who just arrived with high recommendations from Tibor Tollas, and presently enjoys the hospitality of Frederick and Magda Hefty. The Medusa Syndrome Kitty Kelley’s new biography of Nancy Reagan, selling at $25. a copy, is quickly becoming a "bestseller." The book is making waves world­wide. Waves of nausea and disgust. Although Nancy Reagan was certainly not the most popular first lady ever, there must be a limit to how much dirt an author can dig up and throw at a public personality without presenting any proof to support her claims. It is hard to express how contemptible Kitty Kelley’s portrait of the former first lady is - according to Insight Magazine. They tried to match the image with an appropriate caricature: the hero Perseus, standing over the headless body of Medusa with his bloody sword, has the authoress’s face, while the severed head of Medusa he is holding up - have you guessed? - has Nancy Reagan’s features. As we remember from mythology, Medusa’s face was so horrifying that anyone looking at her instantly turned to stone. The only way to defeat her was to look at her through a mirror. Kitty Kelley found such a powerfully distor­ting mirror to destroy her victim, it almost makes us want to defend this Medusa. Unlike her husband Ronald Reagan, the most beloved president of modern times, Nancy was an ambiguous figure. According to Kelley, she cared more about her wadrobe than about her children, there was nothing natural about her, and nobody at the White House had anything good to say about her. Writer Claire Kenneth, who contri­butes colorful and invariably exciting articles to our Journal, discus­sed the book in the Hungarian section last week. Concerning the alleged affair with Frank Sinatra, she "can’t imagine what ’Old Blue Eyes’ could see in that old hag with the face of a prune, who had so many facelifts that her face is locked in a permanent expression of surprise." Another disparaging shot at Nancy is that she was a third-rate actress at the time she met Reagan, already too old to ever make it in the movies, so she used the old trick of getting pregnant to get him to the altar. This in itself would have no bearing on her worth as a first lady, since they say Ronald Reagan had been a second-rate actor, and yet he made a first-rate president! None of the allegations -obviously unproven -about Nancy can change that. Yet, the book is so unrelentingly hostile that it makes you wonder... It makes you wonder what happened to the kind of biographies we grew up on: Plutarch’s Lives, Vasary’s Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Arhcitects, Franz Werfel’s Verdi, László Bó­­ka’s, László Passuth’s works, the Hungarian biographies of actors and actresses, painters, poets and statesmen, some of which served as a lifelong source of inspiration for us. Biographies focusing on the good and the noble aspects, guided by heartfelt admiration for the subject, and the desire to set worthy models for the generations to come... Why does the man of this age have such a penchant for the ugly, the nasty, the perverse? There are still stars that shine brightly -why do we see the dark side only? They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Is something wrong with our vision? Aren’t we using the mirror that is supposed to help fight ugliness and horror, to multiply it instead, until it stares back at us from every face? Dr. Szabó Tamás, D.C. Chiropractor Derék, hál ét Ubf^Jdalmak, Zslklindii kJzb*a Ubbn.1, Nyak, váll ét kél fájdalom Lélegzési nehézség. Fejfájás, azédflléft, llosf^Jdolmak, Daganat, merevség. Emésztési zavar, Idegfeszültség, Idegesség. Workmen'« Compensation and Personal Injuries Készséggel állok Ilyen, vagy hasonló problémájú honfitársaim rendelkezésére HOLLYWOOD MEDICAL CENTER 6753 Hollywood Hívd, Sülte: 302, Hollywood, CA 90028 Tel: (213) 464-1656 (213) 404-1635 Közel három évtizede, minden szombat reggel 10 órakor a KTYM 1460 A.M. hullámhosszon felcsendül a szép, színes, változatos magyar zene. MAGYAR SZIVÁRVÁNY RÁDIÓ Vaj dully Ilcla (714) 996-3030 producer - director Rózsa Nándor (818) 7(19-6781 munkatárs DR SZÄCX“OR Swnrfte*. Workman Compensator Immigration Pers„na| injlltJ 8484 Wilsl.ire Blvd. #200 Bűnügyek Beverly llills, CA 90211-3245 Real Estate (213)653-4884 vá,«s 1991. május 10. AMERIKAI Magyar 0

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