In a hundred years, it is said Truman Capote’s legendary New York society bash of 1966 will still be unmatched as a pinnacle of glamour. The night so intrigued our guest columnist Shiva “The Count” Singam, he researched it deeply enough to “observe” with his own eyes. Well, almost. This is a rare treat, dear reader; Mr. Singam’s second feature for Voxfrock. His first visited the Magnificent Men of Melbourne and stirred a charming flurry of controversy about modern definitions of style. Voxfrock is thrilled to host “The Count’s” exotic literary style again.
By day, Shiva “The Count” Singam is a highly respected corporate event organiser, by night an arden social observer and reporter.
Once upon a time in a faraway land called New York, a man collected 500 of his closest friends for a party that, even today remains…a night to remember.
The event? The now legendary ‘Black and White Ball’ of 1966. The man: Truman Capote. Author, bon viveur, society snob.
By 1966 Capote was at the height of his popularity and fame. Earlier that year, he had published his non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood. The novel, chronicling the massacre of a Kansas family the Clutters, by two drifters Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, had earned Capote the then enormous fortune of two million dollars.
Capote had finally achieved the financial resources to throw the lavish party he deemed worthy enough of the friends he had cultivated in high society. Rumours abounded that, as early as 1942, he had boasted to his friend, the writer and editor Leo Lerman, that when he became rich he would throw a party for his rich and famous friends.
Capote set about selecting a guest of honour. Among his friends was a stable of beautiful society women including Babe Paley, Lee Radziwill (sister of Jacqueline Kennedy) and Gloria Guiness he called his ‘Swans’. But, unable to choose from this coterie of glamourous women, he decided to honour Washington Post publisher, Katherine Graham, better known as Kay Graham to friends, instead. Graham later mused; “Truman called me up that summer and said, ‘I think you need cheering up. And I am going to give you a ball.’ I was…sort of baffled…I felt a little like Truman was going to give the ball anyway and that I was one of the props.”
Next, Capote set a date; November 28th, the Monday after Thanksgiving, a time; 10 o’clock, and a venue; the Plaza Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
The New York Plaza Hotel’s Grand Ballroom
Inspired by the lavish scene of Royal Ascot costumed and designed by Cecil Beaton for the film My Fair Lady, he chose the theme Black and White. Invitations dictated that masks were ‘de rigueur’. Additionally, ladies were requested to carry a fan. This, Capote thought, would bring a visual unity to his party, akin to that of a grand painting.
The guest list would be his party’s central ‘gimmick‘ and for months, Capote laboured over the list, adding and editing names in a simple black and white book that he carried with him constantly.
The upcoming ball became the talk of New York, as society and the socially ambitious vied for an invitation. Capote dangled the promise of an invitation like a grand prize and shrewdly, even slightly Borgia-esquely, used it as the ultimate instrument of torture. He knew well that for most, the unimaginable notion of not being invited would mean a great loss of face. After all, this party promised to unite the elite of politics, show business and money.
As the guest list finally took shape, Capote quipped nonchalantly; “I’ve made 500 friends and 15,000 enemies.” The invitations, naturally printed by Tiffany and Co, were despatched to the fortunate Chosen Ones. Before the ball however, guests were to attend 16 private dinner parties hosted by Capote’s friends, as a prelude to the ensuing festivities. These friends were drafted rather than asked, in effect, an absolute dictatorial hosting by Capote.
Mr. and Mrs. Gianni Agnelli, of the Fiat automotive fortune
At precisely 10 o’clock on the night of the ball, guests arrived at the Plaza Hotel, to a throng of press and public. They were there to witness the arrivals of the greatest convocation of guests ever assembled. One guest, alarmed by the banks of waiting cameras complained; “I didn’t know it would be like this.” Still, the luminary guests obliged, parading and posing past the flashing cameras.
Guest of honour, Washington Post publisher Kay Graham, with host, Truman Capote.
Capote and Kay Graham stood at the entrance of the ballroom like grand potentates greeting each important, well curated guest in turn. Graham had chosen to wear Halston on the night. A chic white dress intricately beaded in black jet at the high collar and with a matched jet beaded mask. Her hair was coiffed high, a recurring theme among the ladies. Capote glowed proudly in a black tuxedo and mask purchased from thrift store, JC Penney, for the bargain price of 39 cents, a source of much hilarity throughout the night.
Miss Candice Bergen, in white rabbit mask
Guests were escorted to their tables which provided the only colour for the night, draped in red silk. The mood was ebullient and tangible excitement was felt as guests “table hopped”, greeting each other with almost theatrical zeal though most would have secretly felt relief, quietly congratulating themselves for making ‘the cut’.
Miss Lee Radziwill and her host.
New York society, it seemed, had gone to extraordinary sartorial lengths for this one magical night. Great couturiers and hairdressers had been enlisted to ensure those in attendance appeared suitably dressed to be noticed. And, it was highly evident that many a bank vault had been emptied of its valuable contents.
Mia Farrow, then Mrs. Frank Sinatra, arrived wearing a white column dress, long white gloves and a papillon-esque mask. She spent, according to many guests, the entire night staring into her husband, Sinatra’s, eyes.
Mr. Frank Sinatra and Mrs. Sinatra, Mia Farrow
Lauren Bacall, steely empress of style, glided along the dance floor in a white peau d’ange Dior gown. She had chosen to wear diamonds, recently acquired from Harry Winston, to complete her outfit.
Babe Paley floated in the sheerest of white chiffon whilst her friend and rival, Gloria Guinness, appeared in black and white Balenciaga. Guinness complained that the weight of her enormous ruby and diamond Van Cleef necklace was such, that she would have to spend the entire next day in bed to recover. The story so chuffed Capote, he was seen laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Miss Lee Radziwill
Lynda Bird Johnson, “first daughter” of the United States, was accompanied by a dozen or so sombre Secret Service men, all wearing black masks. She declined to name the designer of her black and white checkered dress, retorting that she was there to just have fun. Her evening was spent at a table shared with former “first daughters” Margaret Truman and Alice Roosevelt, trading White House stories. Rose Kennedy, matriarch of the Kennedy clan, looked on, apparently quite bemused.
The hit of the evening, was ingenue Penelope Tree (main picture, above.) Reportedly more naked than dressed, her ensemble of flowing black tunic and form-fitting tights caused quite the stir. Tree caught the attention of everyone, including photographers, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. They conspired to turn her into a cover girl, which is exactly what she became.
The exotic Maharani of Jaipur, Ayesha, a famed beauty who was listed among the most beautiful women in the world for three decades, was the only guest to rebel against the strict black and white dress code. As a Hindu, white and black were considered inauspicious, thus she boldly chose ‘gold’. Her throat glistened magnificently in the dramatic light of the ballroom, clasped in rubies and emeralds the size of pigeon eggs.
New York society interior decorator Bill Baldwin
The most exotic masks were worn by society interior decorator Billy Baldwin and socialite Isabel Eberstadt. He appeared as a golden, curled Unicorn whilst she was adorned by entwined, fanciful black and white swans. Eberstadt’s mask had been created by the multi-talented milliner, writer and photographer, Bill Cunningham.
At precisely 12 o’clock masks were declared “off!” and supper served. The menu consisted of scrambled eggs, sausages, biscuits, pastries, spaghetti and meatballs and chicken hash, a speciality of the Plaza and one of Capote’s favourite dishes. By then, guests were also well fuelled by the 450 bottles of Champagne Taittinger, that had been laid for them.
Mr. Henry Fonda and Mrs. Fonda, Shirlee Mae Adams
The party continued into the night. Just before three in the morning Sinatra, accompanied by Farrow, made a hasty retreat, aided by the Secret Service. Capote and Kay Graham resumed their positions at the entrance, bidding farewell to some guests but for others, the night was just beginning. Gianni Agnelli, of the Fiat fortune and his cronies ventured on for a game of poker. Agnelli’s wife Marella, followed ‘Swans’, Lee, Paley and Guinness to a friend’s apartment to “de-brief.” Others embarked to various nightclubs in search of more merriment.
The host, his duties performed, turned in at his Plaza suite around 4 o’clock, his head, presumably, whirling with memories and images from the night. What a grand social triumph it had all been, he must have thought.
Perhaps Henry Normal‘s poem best captures the event:
The party to which you were not invited
‘…… Was like no party before.
What a party.
What a party.
Everyone was there.
Well, everyone but you.
It was incredible!
THE CHOSEN ONES (A small selection from Capote’s guest list):
Mr. and Mrs. Gianni Agnelli, Mrs. W. Vincent Astor, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Avedon, Miss Tallulah Bankhead, Mr. Cecil Beaton, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Belafonte, Miss Marisa Berenson, Miss Candice Bergen, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Berlin, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Bernstein, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Burton, Prince Carlo Caracciolo, Mr. Noel Coward, Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Davis Jnr., Mr. Oscar de la Renta, Miss Marlene Dietrich, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fonda, Miss Joan Fontaine, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford II, Mr. and Mrs. John Kenneth Galbraith, Miss Greta Garbo, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Goldwyn, Ambassador and Mrs. W. Averell Harriman, Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Hearst Jnr., Miss Elizabeth Hilton, Mr. Horst P. Horst, Maharaja and Maharanee of Jaipur, Miss Lynda Bird Johnson, Senator and Mrs. Edward M. Kennedy, Mrs. John F. Kennedy, Miss Harper Lee, Miss Vivien Leigh, Miss Shirley MacLaine, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Mailer, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Minnelli, Mrs. Stavros Niarchos, Lord and Lady David Ogilvy, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Peck, Prince and Princess Stanislaus Radziwill, Governor and Mrs. Nelson A. Rockefeller, Baroness Cecile de Rothschild, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Schlesinger Jnr., Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sinatra, Mr. Steve Sondheim, Mr. and Mrs. John Steinbeck, Miss Gloria Steinem, Miss Penelope Tree, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, Mrs. T. Reed Vreeland, Mr. William Walton, Mr. Andy Warhol, Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, Mr. Tennessee Williams, Mr. Darryl Zanuck.
Editor: Janice Breen Burns, jbb@voxfrock.com.au
