Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Carny Night in Vegas with Dave Friedman

First Tura, now DaveRM, you have dear company up there, and I salute you.

"Two Old Warhorses and Porter Hall"
Russ Meyer and I enjoyed an annual dinner in Las Vegas for many years, and it was in August, 1992 that he insisted I join his good friend and old partner in crime Dave Friedman for a magical evening of gigantic steaks, good wine, cigars, ... and then lining up in the parking lot to micturate on the wall of the Rosewood Grill restaurant, before pressing on to the Olympic Gardens for a floorshow and finally drinks at the Riviera Hotel: No Greater Glory.

We corresponded a bit following.  Dave sent me a copy of his tremendous memoir, A Youth In Babylon: Confessions of a Trash Film King, and later a videotape about drive-in/exploitation movie history in which he was heavily featured, Kit Carson's "Sex and Buttered Popcorn."  My life was enriched by Dave Friedman.

How many times in life do you get to crack carny all night with the man who brought you
"ILSA, She-Wolf of the S.S." ?

For me, just once,
and it was glorious.

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