All kinds of winter storms coming our way in the next 24 hours

Looking northwest across the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. 2:00 PM. Photo: JH.

February 5, 2010. A cold, partly sunny day in New York. The weatherman has forecast all kinds of winter storms coming our way in the next 24 hours. We shall see, said the blind man.

Yesterday afternoon at 3:30 at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue at 81st, they held a memorial service for David Brown, the film producer and husband of Helen Gurley Brown, who died this past Monday morning at about 3 a.m. David was 93 and had been ailing for the past year or so. The obituaries said that he died of kidney failure.

David was the sort of man who seemed philosophical about the fates although he had a long life of good health and used his time enjoying himself working at his chosen interests and assisting his wife at hers. Yesterday both Richard Zanuck, his longtime production partner, and Frank Bennack, Vice Chairman and President of Hearst Corporation, in their eulogies to David cited the article in Esquire [1], some of which was re-published on the these pages this past Tuesday.


	David and Helen.

Both Bennack and Zanuck ended with David’s conclusion of a success: “to live a long life and die in your sleep.” Done.

Someone asked me afterwards if the memorial was a sad one. On the contrary, it was not. That was partly because of David’s pre-observation: he’d lived a long life and did indeed die in his sleep. However, it was also not a sad one because the remembrances (which included those of his longtime assistant and a longtime family friend of his and Helen’s) were full of funny anecdotes which characterized not only his life but also his personal enjoyment of life. Most of the laughs had something to do with sex.

All the eyes in the room were on his new widow, his beloved Helen, who was enjoying the remembrances as much as the rest of us. What was unique about their marriage was that it seemed integrated entirely into their professional lives. Frank Bennack recalled David once saying that when he went to a premiere by himself, there were no paparazzi looking to photograph him but when he went with Helen, there was a bank of them wanting her picture. David loved that. They were complete partners. Her first best-selling book was his idea. Her transformation of Cosmo from the dying magazine of another era into the biggest selling title in the history of Hearst was also his idea.

Together and separately they were enormously successful in their businesses. Bennack also reported that at home, Helen always arose first in the morning and did her exercises. Then when David got up later, his exercise was weighing himself which he’d report to Helen: “same as yesterday.” Then she’d make him his breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, prune juice and coffee. Then the two would start their day. He’d go to his office and she’d go to hers (Helen always took the bus to and from home – she was famously thrifty and also liked being close to her readership in life).

Frank E. Campbell's funeral home right after the memorial service for David Brown. Steven Spielberg, whose first two major films, Sugarland Express and Jaws were produced by Zanuck-Brown, attended the service.

From his Esquire interview: “Work yourself to death. It’s the only way to live.” Indeed, he was living (and dying) proof. Those of us who knew him were blessed, but millions and millions of others who never knew him, and most of whom didn’t even know his name or who he was, were also blessed to have been graced by his presence for that quick long life.

My friend Jesse Kornbluth reported to me later that on arriving a few minutes late for the start of the service, I’d missed Richard Zanuck’s remarks that David had “appeared” to him the night before last. “I have good news and good news,” he said David had said to him. “the first: I’m okay. The second: I can look right at everyone I love.”

Such reports fascinate. I have never personally experienced such a thing. Although nine years ago when our friend Judy Green (who was also a friend of David and Helen) died late in the night on September 14, 2001, another mutual friend (also a friend of David and Helen) told me that she had been awakened from her sleep in the middle of the night by a cold breeze. At the foot of her bed was Judy who said to her: “Goodbye sweet (friend),” and then the image disappeared.

This past Tuesday night at the Café Carlyle Liz Smith and Elaine Stritch celebrated their birthdays (same day February) in the company of many friends including many of the women who make up the staff and cast of www.wowowow.com [2] (where Liz’s column runs daily).

Pete Peterson, Leslie Stahl, Elaine Stritch, Sheila Nevins, Joni Evans, Liz Smith Joan Ganz Cooney, and Cynthia McFadden

It was quite a night from what I hear (I wasn’t invited/baaawwww). Stritch’s appearance at the Café (which is sold out) was an all-Steve Sondheim program, and Mr. Sondheim was also present to hear her brilliant interpretations of his material.

Liz Smith

Joe Coots and Jessica Zinger

Jada Yuan and Lillian Ross

Frank Rich and Alex Wichel

Michael Feinstein and Liz Smith

Sheila Nevins and Rob Bowan

Stephen Sondheim and Elaine Stritch

Elaine Stritch, Sally Stritch Bolton, and Liz Smith

More photos from Wednesday night’s International Women’s Health Coalition gala where they honored Ted Turner and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu for their support of women’s rights in the world.