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Home › Entertainment

The Etceterist | 04/17/2009 12:25 pm

Were Jacqueline Onassis and Lee Radziwill Embarrassed by 'Grey Gardens' back in the day? Lee Says 'Never'

By Billy Norwich
© AP
"You couldn’t possibly be ashamed of them; you celebrated them," Lee Radziwill told me of her eccentric relatives, Big and Little Edie Beale. "I am very proud of the Beales … I am very happy the Beales have gone into the history books because they should be remembered. They were charming eccentrics with marvelous imaginations, and there is so little room these days for wonderful people like that."

Several weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a private screening of "Grey Gardens," starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange and airing on HBO Saturday night. The screening, at HBO’s headquarters in New York, was organized for Radziwill, niece and cousin of "Big" and "Little" Edie Beale.

It was an auspicious afternoon. Lee’s beloved son, Anthony Radziwill, was the Emmy Award-winning vice president for documentaries at HBO before his death in 1999 and, in 1973, it was Lee who had encouraged the Beales to let the Maysles brothers film them in their decaying, raccoon-and-cat-packed 28-room "cottage" in East Hampton.

To read more about Lee Radziwill commenting for the first time on "Grey Gardens" and the Beales, click here.
Read more about: Big Edie, Billy Norwich, Drew Barrymore, Edie Beale, Entertainment, Grey Gardens, HBO, Jackie Onassis, Jessica Lange, Lee Radziwill, Little Edie, News, The Etceterist

33 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Barbara Taylor

Thank you for the background.  When watching the documentary I wondered what the family thought.   Interesting to know Lee Radziwill encouraged the filming.

It’s a fascinating film to watch. 

By Barbara Taylor on 04/17/2009 12:57 pm
kathy mclaughlin
Lee did not exactly ‘encourage’ the filming, at first it was to be a film about the Bouviers…….

The Maysles began shooting right away. ”People were resistant to talk about ‘Black Jack’ Bouvier in any frank way except for Big and Little Edie.”  They shot for two weeks, cut 90 minutes, and screened it for Ms. Radziwill, who ”was appalled and took away the negative.”     She ended the project amiably.”I think she was overwhelmed by Edie. Big Edie considered it a coup: ‘A Beale upstaged a Bouvier.’ ”     ”When we saw the original dailies and saw such rich material in the mother-daughter relationship. we realized that a phenomenal film could be made.”  

The Maysles then approached the two Edies later  to make the film,  Lee had nothing to do with it from what I have read.

By kathy mclaughlin on 05/23/2009 10:41 am
Belinda Joy
What I found most fascinating about the original documentary was the look inside the life of the Hamptons. It is a world that people like myself from the Midwest, or those from other parts of the country may have heard of but don’t really understand the draw. I don’t get the awe that East Coast people feel about the Hamptons. Yet the mansion they lived in and the surrounding mansions give an impression that it is indeed a special place to live.
By Belinda Joy on 04/17/2009 1:06 pm
starry Nite

Belinda,  I couldn’t wait to see what all the hullabaloo was about with the Hamptons.   I visited about 10 years ago and coming from the west coast I wonder what people think about Beverly Hills. 

I noitice you are not on the hot button boards.  I miss you overthere.   Didn’t you move recently?

By starry Nite on 04/17/2009 5:54 pm
Beth Cornell
Me too. 
By Beth Cornell on 04/17/2009 1:07 pm
elaine s
What Lee Radziwill says doesn’t make sense.  Why did she and other rich relatives let the Beales live in abject poverty?  There is no excuse for that.  They could be eccentric without being destitute. 
By elaine s on 04/17/2009 2:15 pm
Barbara B
Maybe they would not accept the help that was offered.  I willbe interested in watching the story
By Barbara B on 04/17/2009 3:21 pm
elaine s

If you or I had relatives we knew were living with holes in their roof racoons had made, and had cat feces encrusted on all the floors, we would assume money was a problem and if the relatives wouldn’t accept money, we would order maintenance service and groceries on an ongoing basis, having the bills delivered to us.  We would make sure the utilities were not cut off, again with direct billing to us.  I expect the Beales rich relatives had nothing to do with them, or so very little that they were not aware how bad things had gotten.  Whe Jackie did intervene and got the place cleaned up, wasn’t it just a one time thing?  Mental health issues were involved.  Mere eccentricity doesn’t explain how pitifully these women were living.  Is it merely eccentric to live in filth with hundreds of empty cat food cans?  Is it merely eccentric not to have medical care for alopecia?  And psychological care?  I’m sorry, but Lee Radziwill is glossing over this story and it makes me really mad. 

By elaine s on 04/17/2009 3:32 pm
kathy mclaughlin
you said it better than I did, I absolutely agree with you.    Lee Radziwil’s attitude is disgusting, apparently she was in Montauk just down the road during the worst of the situation.    Also, Big Edie’s sons were no better.   I cannot even fathom having a parent/Aunt living in that situation and not stepping in to get them help.    The only reason Jackie O did anything was because she was married to a billionaire and was forced to do something because of the bad press.     In the April 2009 Voge article,  Lee says that they led a ‘fantasy life’,   they should all be brought up on charges of elder abuse!!     With that said I thought Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore were amazing in the HBO film. 
By kathy mclaughlin on 05/23/2009 10:22 am
nanchan u
Who cares?  Can we get off this non-topic already?
By nanchan u on 04/17/2009 5:08 pm
Kathy Henry
If you cannot say anything nice, keep your trap shut.
By Kathy Henry on 04/21/2009 10:19 am
nanchan u
This was a topic for five days running.  I’m sorry if I offended you.  However, my request is to the WOW staff to change the topic.  Five days is about three too long.
By nanchan u on 04/21/2009 10:33 am
Mugsy Peabody
let’s see, you mean like your remark, Kathy?
By Mugsy Peabody on 04/22/2009 10:40 pm
~ ~~

Lee is such a doll. Jackie/Ari did help the Beales. There are plenty of people with money who live eccentrically and relatives aren’t going to change them.

Can’t wait to see the HBO movie this Sunday. 

By ~ ~~ on 04/17/2009 5:09 pm
starry Nite
You are so right about people with money who live life in what appears to be proverty.   I will be watching the tv special.
By starry Nite on 04/17/2009 5:51 pm
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