 |
| Ernest Hemingway Bust in El Floridita |
This is excerpts of a very interesting
article by Steve Newman about the lunch meeting
bringing Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, Kenneth Tynan and George
Plimpton together. This proved to be an
interesting meeting that seemed to be a great experience for all that were
there.
In April 1959,
Tynan was travelling to Cuba to interview Fidel Castro, who’d recently chased
Batista off the island, and called in to see Tennessee Williams — who was
living in Key West at the time — suggesting the playwright might like to come
along.
“I’ve arranged to
have lunch with Hemingway at the Floridita tomorrow, “said Tynan, “why not join
us? “Hemingway?
You are joking, right? I’ve heard he kicks people like me in the crotch.” “Nonsense. But if he does I’ll kick him
back.” In the end curiosity got the
better of Williams, and the two writers headed off to Cuba.
 |
| Tennessee Wiliams |
Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams, III was born in
Columbus, Mississippi, on March 26, 1911. His first great theatrical hit, The
Glass Menagerie, was staged in 1944. From that moment on he never looked
back as a playwright. By the time of the lunch with Hemingway, Sweet
Bird of Youth had been doing good business on Broadway for a month,
and he was now considered, along with Miller and O’Neill, to be one of
America’s greatest playwrights.
 |
| Kenneth Tynan |
Tynan was a
rising star. Hemingway was on his last
legs with only one more book left in him, and suicide just around the corner. But Williams, who admired Hemingway’s work,
still feared the tall and big chested novelist who greeted him and Tynan with
handshakes and hugs, as they walked into the famous Floridita bar and
restaurant. Hemingway ordered Papa
Doble, The cocktail created just for him by the El Floridita owner, Constantino Ribalaigua Vert, for everyone in the party. They signed a few autographs and then had to
listen to a trio of singers that saluted Hemingway. Hemingway laughed and
hugged the singers, tipping them well, before explaining, to Williams and
Tynan, that the bronze bust of himself on the bar in the corner was always
covered up for Lent. Hemingway then
ordered lunch, lobster with a salad, and white wine.
 |
| George Plimpton |
The group were
then joined by another journalist, and sometime friend of Hemingway’s, George
Plimpton, who spotted that Tennessee looked slightly terrified, and as Plimpton
put it “…Tennessee Williams’ tendencies were noticable and I only saw the great
respect Hemingway had for him.” Williams
then told Hemingway he’d met the bullfighter Ordóñez in Spain, describing him as
“a lovely boy, very friendly, very accessible.” Hemingway said nothing.”
Williams then said, I was introduced to Pauline back in Key West. I was very
sorry to hear of her death. “She died
like everybody else,” said Ernest, “and after that she was dead.” There was something of a pause.
The conversation
moved on to the air crashes Hemingway and Mary had suffered in Africa, with
Hemingway giving detailed descriptions, and how close they came to death, with
Hemingway adding “You can survive on one kidney, but if your liver gives out,
you’re through.” He then made his
goodbyes and said what a pleasure it had been to meet you Tennessee, and can I
say how much I enjoy your work, although I’ve never seen any of your plays I do
enjoy reading them.
