Postcards and Cocktails

Twilight Hour Tuesday. Monkeying Around the Elysee

Tennessee Williams was one of the creative cast of characters that frequented the Hotel Elysee in New York City. The hotel was built in the 1920s and hosted such guests as Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando, the pianist, Vladimir Horowitz, and the eccentric actress, Tallulah Bankhead. Known to throw parties at the Elysee, Bankhead hosted one that lasted for several days to celebrate President Harry S. Truman’s victory over Thomas E. Dewey in 1948.

photograph at Hotel Elysee of T. Williams.

On a cold January day, I had the opportunity to stay at the Hotel Elysee. Due to the Covid pandemic the hotel was below capacity, but to my delight I was fortunate enough to be upgraded to the spacious Tennessee Williams Suite. The charming accommodations were ensconced with artifacts relating to the author’s career and highlighted by his many accomplishments.

Tennessee.williams Suite Hotel Elysee

Williams, considered one of the most prominent playwrights of the twentieth-century, penned the classic works, The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), The Rose Tattoo (1951), my own personal favorite, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955). Born in Mississippi in 1911, Williams had family from Tennessee, which eventually provided him with his moniker.

online image Monkey Bar.

Over a course of 15 years Williams made the Hotel Elysee his home away from home. One of the features he may have enjoyed was the Monkey Bar located off the lobby downstairs. The venue came complete with an all-night piano player and an array of murals featuring monkeys cavorting across the walls. The murals were created by caricaturist Charlie Vella in the early 1950s and later added to in 1984 and 1995 by artist Diana Voyentzle. Legend has it that the walls were originally outfitted with mirrors above the banquettes and customers would make “monkey faces”to one another in the reflections. Soon the monkeys flourished about the bar murals, light fixtures, and accessories defining the charm of the cozy, but lively bar.

artifact Hotel Elysee

As with many creative writers Tennessee Williams’ life was filled with both challenges and tragedy. After several failed relationships with women, Williams began to experiment in gay circles. Over his lifetime he established significant and sometimes tumultuous relationships with other men. Tragedy struck when Williams’ sister Rose was hospitalized with schizophrenia. Unfortunately, Rose was subjected to the mid-century practice of lobotomy resulting in her permanent hospitalization. The situation was deeply troubling to Tennessee and he visited her often taking full responsibility for her financial care. Despite his exceptional talent, Williams turned to alcohol and drugs for comfort. On February 25th, 1983, Williams met his demise at the Hotel Elysee on 54th Street in Manhattan, New York.

photo credit A.P. Davis.

I say we toast the man, his life, and his contributions to the literary world with a cocktail named the Monkey Gland. The recipe is a modern day take on an old classic found in Delia Cabe’s book, Storied Bars of New York. The Monkey Bar was closed during the Covid pandemic, but I have inside information that it will open soon and the monkeys will be cavorting once more!

Recipe: 2 oz. gin, 1/4 oz. absinthe, 3/4 oz. orange juice, 1/4 oz. lemon juice, dash of grenadine, dash of orange bitters, shake all with ice and strain into a glass.