George Gould Strong's Death in Grey Gardens

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:23pm

This question has been bugging me for a while now and I hope that somebody here has the answer to it. In the song Around The World (Grey Gardens) one lyric says something about how she feels bad for the way that George Gould Strong dies and something about suicide. Does anybody have any insight as to what happened to Gould and how he died?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:26pm

Bob Stillman, who played the men in the life of Mae West in Dirty Blonde, plays the one man in the life of Edith Beale, a gay housepet pianist named George Gould Strong. "We knew nothing about him except for what's mentioned in the movie," said Stillman. "Then, recently, some people turned up who are the great nephews of George Gould Strong. Their father, who is the nephew, lives out in East Hampton and is still alive, but he's reluctant to get involved with us or anybody involved doing the movie [a nonmusical "Grey Gardens" feature is in preproduction]. But the great-nephews came to see the show and want to share some of his poetry and diaries. George Gould Strong became a Jehovah's Witness and died of a bleeding ulcers. I asked his relatives, 'Was that brought on by his drinking?' And this guy said, 'I dunno, but it wouldn't be out of character.'"

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/103284.html

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:27pm

I have to actually look for this info. I know I read an article about the show where they stated that Gould didn't kill himself in real life, I can't remember the reason for his death. In the show though, Little Edie does say that he killed himself.

EDIT: BsoBw, beat me to it.

Updated On: 4/7/07 at 05:27 PM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:30pm

If they don't know much about Gould then what does Bob Stillman base his character off of?

[beyondblessed]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:57pm

If they don't know much about Gould then what does Bob Stillman base his character off of?

A human being with a heart.

There are tons of characters based on real people in shows that have little known information about them. And even with the information that can be found, they're actual behavior is still unknown. It's up to the actor to use the human connection, and use what little they may find to creat characters. But don't get me wrong, If you can find a lengthy wikipedia entry, I'm sure that'll help.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 6:41pm

I guess what I am asking is how much of the character of Gould is based in reality and the real Gould?
Updated On: 4/7/07 at 06:41 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 7:00pm

I wonder if lil edie was told it was suicide. what matters is not what really happened but what she believed.

all nonfictional characters (even the ones we know much about) have to be fleshed out. that may or may not create a completely perfect representation of who that person really was, but what's important is the essence of the character.

and in some theories of acting, that's the writer's job. in any case, the actor must play the realities of the character in the production they are in. the queen elizabeth of the pirate queen, elizabeth I, shakespeare in love, and elizabeth are all different and all played truthfully the the elizabeth that was written for them (and as directed).

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 8:55pm

It's been awhile since I've seen the documentary but doesn't Edie say in the documentary the exact same thing said in the song. That he commited suicide in a fleabag motel?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 10:15pm

She might have (It's been awhile since I've seen the first documentary as well), but it's clear that Little Edie resented Gould a lot. In THE BEALES OF GREY GARDENS, she snaps at her mother (I'm paraphrasing) "Oh, so THATS why you wanted me home. To give GOULD a vacation!" Gould might have comitted suicide, but I wouldn't quite take what Little Edie says about him as the gospel truth.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 12:54am

Why did Little Edie resent Gould?

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 1:25am

Doesn't he sort of displace her father?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 1:32am

In the documentary's commentary, Ellen, Muffy and Albert say that Little Edie was always jealous of Big Edie's affection. Big Edie always liked to play Little Edie against people.I am sure this pattern started very early.
I am sure Little Edie viewed Gould as someone who would take her mother's attention off her.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 6:15am

I just watched the doc, and nowhere does it mention Strong's demise. I was looking for it too, as almost all of act 2 is taken verbatim from the doc.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:52am

"Little Edie was always jealous of Big Edie's affection. Big Edie always liked to play Little Edie against people. I am sure this pattern started very early."

I agree SNAFU. Just as in the documentary (and Act II), Little Edie is jealous of her mother's affection/attention towards Jerry. And Big Edie pits them against each other every chance she gets (most notably in the song "Jerry Likes the Way I Do My Corn.")

It's the same pattern with Gould, and others who came to live with them.

There were other men in Big Edie's (real) life besides Gould. In the documentary Little Edie also talks about Tom Logan, a handy man that lived with them for ten years. Same pattern.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:57am

Yeah, they talked a lot about Tom Logan. I couldn't quite figure out if was a freeloader or what. They mentioned he did chores, but at one point they say he showed up penniless and Big Edie was moved to let him stay. I'm surprised it wasn't in the musical.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:04am

(dialogue from the documentary about Tom Logan, between the two Edies:)

and as for Tom Logan;
he drove me crazy in the house.



[ Mrs. Beale ] I loved Tom.
He played the guitar so beautifully.



He sang and was in a rodeo;
and even was in Hollywood.



You'd have to admire
somebody like that.



-She was a pushover.
- He had no place to go.



And then he asked my mother;
he said; 'I've just been fired
from the Sea Spray.



Would you like a maintenance man ?'
Mother took him home.



I didn't want a maintenance man.
I said, 'I'll take you home
for one night.'



- That's the story of Tom Logan.
- That's what I said.



There wasn't a thing
he didn't know how to do.



He could fix anything.



Lights, plumber things.



He knew how to do everything.
Just one of those terribly clever men.



He couldn't do any work. He made good
salads, but he was drunk all the time.



Oh, no. He came up here every morning
at : knocked on my door.



We talked over
the menu for the day.



Including a half a bottle
of rose vin...



or wine or whatever it's called.



Naturally; we couldn't get rid
of him; and I had to stay here.



What I should have done is leave;
and he would have left right away.



All right;you don't believe
in religious compulsion.
It was a religious thing.



- If I had left, he would have left.
- No; I deserve--



- Because the work
would have been too much.
- He didn't want to go.



All alone in the house for Tom.
All I had to do was leave.
I'm so stupid that I--



Well; where would I have been ?
I'd have been all alone in the house.



I think you would have, Mother.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:10am

thanks B12B. They were kind of talking over each other at that moment and I couldn't really get a handle on the situation.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 7:53pm

Did Gould live with them?

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:24pm

Gould did live with them from what I understand. He was gone by the time Tom Logan came into the house.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:28pm

Did Edith have an affair with any of these men? I am assuming that Gould was gay but besides him, Edies suspicion with Jerry had to come from somewhere...

[wiggum2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:36pm

I never got the feeling that Edie's dislike of the other men was more than them taking focus off of HER.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:40pm

But Edie keeps talking about how all Edith wants from Jerry is sex...
Updated On: 4/9/07 at 08:40 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 12:17am

Well it's highly likely Edie had a crush on Jerry. She does flirt with him and try to impress him.

The irony being that Jerry was gay, too.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 5:30pm

Jerry was gay??? I never knew that, I may need to rewatch it now

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/11/07 at 5:34pm

The mention Jeery being gay in this article:


Link