"Brown's is my favorite resort."
So said the large cartoon caricature of Jerry Lewis that was fixed upon every Quickway billboard that led city dwellers up to the Mountains.
Can you ask for a better reference?
Hotel owners Charles and Lillian Brown gave themselves top billing, but the couple had no problem with the famed entertainer being the face and voice of their Loch Sheldrake resort.
It was that kind of business and hospitality savvy that helped the Browns turn their 1944 purchase of the Black Apple Inn for $70,000 — adding an additional $100,000 in renovations — into one of the classic jewels of the Catskill resorts.
And why did Lewis tout Brown's? The stories are as varied as the selection of tasty Danishes Brown's served in the dining room.
As Sullivan County historian and author John Conway has told me, Lewis' career as a performer blossomed when he was a 16-year-old at the Ambassador Hotel in Fallsburg, which was managed by Charles and Lillian. When they began Brown's a few years later, Lewis was hired as a tummler, an entertainer who encourages audience participation.
Brown's Hotel apparently also played a part in the break-up of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis before the premier of the duo's flick, "Living It Up."
Who knew?
In Nick Tosches' book, "Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams," Jerry made arrangements for the 1954 world premiere of the film at Brown's — without telling Martin.
"You should have consulted me first," Dean said.
"I'm consulting you now," Lewis replied.
"Actually, Jerry, I really don't care where we hold it," Deam retorted.
And with that, Martin backed out of going to the premiere. They did not speak to each other for the next two months. A year later, the partnership was over for good.
In time, Charles and Lillian would build The Jerry Lewis Theatre Club.
And over the years Lewis would ask people to call his "Aunt Lillian and Uncle Charlie," and donate to the MDA Telethon. The phone number was to Brown's.
Over time, the 473-room hotel became known for its affluent clientele, competing against some of the larger resorts. And Lillian was the hands-on hostess who knew the needs of her guests.
"The way Lillian figured, she didn't have the expense or attraction of a golf course, so the money went to fine food and the biggest names in entertainment," says Arnold Graham, who with Howard Rapp ran one of the top talent agencies in the country.
Along with Lewis, Brown's would feature shows with George Burns, Liberace and Sammy Davis Jr.
And in the summer of 1978, Lillian Brown booked maybe the biggest name in show business: Bob Hope. In what would be his only appearance at a Catskill resort, Graham says Brown's paid Hope $50,000.
"A ton of money. That didn't include extras, like his orchestra, the travel. And it's not as if Brown's charged their guests any more. They also weren't as big as Kutsher's or Concord, so they couldn't have as many outsiders. But Lillian got Hope to keep Brown's on the map," Graham said.
Just 10 years later, Lillian Brown was forced to file for bankruptcy protection. After passing through the hands of several owners it was revamped and opened as a time-share condominium complex.
One of the last matriarchs of the Catskills, Lillian Brown died in 1997 at 93.
She has not been forgotten.
And neither has Jerry's favorite resort.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário