 |
|
|
 |
The
Empire State Building.
10:45 PM. Photo: JH.
|
|
Last
night at Elaine’s from six to eight, they held a memorial
for Tommy Corcoran who passed away from cancer several weeks
ago. Tommy, who was in his early 70s, was a show biz baby. I’m
not sure where and with whom he started his career but for much
of it he was associated with Dean Martin, Carol Burnett,
Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme and lastly and for a long time Joan
Rivers.
Born and bred in Chicago, he lived for a long time in his adult
life in Los Angeles where he worked in production in the entertainment
industry.
He was one of those guys who plays a key role in a major career.
There’s often not a title for it. Producer, maybe. But
more than that, functionary. It requires a variety of talents:
the talent to organize, to execute, to advise, to hand-hold,
and to amuse. Many major stars cannot survive without someone
like Tommy Corcoran. And as a result, the person in this part
is plugged into the community in all kinds of ways. They’re
experts on the ways and means of a life in show business. Want
to know the latest restaurant, ask him. Want to know the scoop
on someone’s marriage or relationship, ask him. Want to
know how to handle a contractual disagreement, ask him.
 |
Joan
Rivers
|
|
He was the man
who kept many aspects of his clients’ lives
running smoothly, protecting them from the elements that plague
a career (unwelcome people, for example). He not only often
provided a social life for these very busy professionals, but
he introduced them to people who would become friends. In the
last years he was Joan’s support system, her sidekick,
her best buddy, her private manager and her anchor. He did everything
in her life including the planning of her daughter Melissa’s
wedding.
You rarely saw Joan when she wasn’t with Tommy and vice
versa. Joan’s an industry. She’s works from dawn
to midnight. Not only was Tommy her support, he kept her from
total isolation. As a result he traveled with her often – to
London to meet the Queen, on the Big Eagle, the yacht which she
charters a couple of times a year, to California and elsewhere
for appearances, and to the dinner party or the charity gala
that she might be attending. You can imagine Tommy’s departure
from this life was a great loss for Joan, one from which she
will be long in recovering.
Tommy was also a good friend to a lot of people – a lot
of people who worked in the business (show) and a lot of society
folk he’d come to know over the years. He had a warm and
friendly personality and was also a wise-cracking sort of guy
who could find the laugh in the harshest of moments. He was famous
among friends for his gossip and well known for keeping a story
interesting no matter the truth to it. He was a great guest,
but according to his friend Pete Hathaway who spoke last night,
always quick to hand out the advice on how things should be done.
And never shy about it.
I met him several years ago with Joan. He always
made an effort to be helpful with people. I was a relatively
new friend. Most
of the crowd last night were longtime friends.
The evening began with cocktails. About 7 Joan called everyone
to order and the Gay Men’s Chorus sang Dietz and
Schwartz’ “That’s
Entertainment,” followed by Jimmy van Heusen
and Johnny Burke’s “Here’s That Rainy Day,” then “When
Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” and finally “Oh Danny Boy.” All
favorites of Tommy and all expressing an aspect of his personality
that everyone was familiar with. There weren’t a lot of
dry eyes in the house by the end of the evening.
Joan didn’t feel up to giving a eulogy but she did say
that she had Tommy cremated and “if anyone wants some of
his ashes,” there were enough to go around. She’d
spread them at her house in Connecticut, and in California and
even in Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove.
And even, she added, “on Betsy Bloomingdale’s
sweater which she wore back to California.” That last remark
would have got the biggest laugh from Tommy. It was a perfect
memorial for
this worldly man, at Elaine’s the center of it all, the
haunt he visited countless times in his life with countless friends,
several dozen of whom congregated last night to celebrate his
memory. |
 |
Mario
Buatta and Liz Smith
|
|
 |
Anita
Tiburzi and James Johnson
|
|
 |
Ann
Rapp and Ames Cushing
|
|
 |
Enid
Nemy and Arlene Dahl
|
|
 |
Chuck
Hollingsworth and Joe Pachetti
|
|
 |
L.
to r.: The Gay Men's Chorus; Pete Hathaway.
|
|
|
 |
Doug
Cramer and Bud Baumis
|
|
 |
Messenger and Tannen
|
|
 |
L.
to r.: Tommy's niece giving a eulogy; Nancy Collins,
Blaine Trump, and Cari Modine; Joan Schnitzer and Randy
Jones.
|
|
|
 |
Barbara
Taylor Bradford
|
|
 |
Elaine
|
|
 |
Cheri Kaufman
|
|
 |
Tommy
with Robert Trump, Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers,
Pete Hathaway, Blaine
Trump, and friends on the Big
Eagle
|
|
 |
Tommy
with one of his best friends
|
|
|
|
 |
L.
to r.: Tommy with Bess Myerson and a friend; Tommy,
Paula Zahn, Joan Rivers, and Prince Charles.
|
|
 |
Steve
Lawrence, Edie Gorme, Tommy and friends
|
|
 |
Tommy
at the Stork Club
|
|
Katie
Zorn transformed Mack Packer's bar and cucina Bolzano's into
a
scene from the Nile for her 2006 Spring/Summer collection.
The show was hosted by Charlotte Ronson, Dani Stahl, and
Zani Gugelmann.
|
|
|
 |
L.
to r.: Loren Wlethroth; Charlotte Ronson, Katie
Zorn, Dani Stahl, and Zani Gugelmann; Jaid Barrymore.
|
|
|
 |
Dani
Stahl and Zani Gugelmann
|
|
 |
Martina
and Fabian Basabe with Zani Gugelmann
|
|
|
 |
 |
L.
to r.: Stacey Bendet; Jeff Goldstein; Julie B. and Meredith
Pronto.
|
|
|
|
|
|
