Welcome back friends to my blog regarding the band called Without
a Net.
Once of the more interesting places that Without a Net is playing this summer is for a private party at Longue Vue farm in Croton on Hudson. This is a beautiful mountain top location with sweeping river views, and a great place for a party. I can say with some certainty that this properly was the site of some spectacular parties in the past, read on for details.
First and foremost is that the properly was once owned by the first great star of the motion picture industry Gloria Swanson. Swanson was glamorous, colorful and the object of much public attention. Legendary film director Cecil B. De Mille, with whom she had a long association said of Gloria “When you put them all together, and add them up, Gloria Swanson comes out the movie star of all movie stars. She had something none of the rest of them had.”
Swanson had a long career beginning in the silent film era. She was best known for her role in the 1950’s film Sunset Boulevard where she played Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star whose attempts to resurrect her career dim when she becomes delusional. She later had a series of TV appearances including appears on the Carol Burnette show, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even appeared in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. Her final film appearance was in 1975 when she played herself in the film Airport 75.
Swanson had a colorful personal life and was married no fewer than 6 times. Her association with the property was about the time of her 3rd marriage to a French Nobleman named Henri Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye whom she met while making a film in France. She was the first American actress to marry French nobility which became an international sensation. Her husband the Marquis, while a grandson of famous Hennessy Cognac family, was not wealthy and had to work for a living. She purchased the properly in 1925 when the main house was built in the French Normandy style.
During that time Swanson’s films were financed by Joseph P Kennedy, father of the late president John F Kennedy. Joe Kennedy was a businessman and investor who later went on to become the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and US Ambassador to the UK.
From about 1925 to 1928 Swanson had a not-so-secret affair with Kennedy who built “The Castle”, a guest house which is the building that you can see from the road. During that time the Marquis worked for Kennedy and was given long assignments in France apparently to keep him out of the way. Kennedy was rumored to be involved in the importation and sale of liquor during Prohibition times. “The Castle” was purported to be a speakeasy, and there is ample evidence since it sports a large garage with a loading dock and a large locking safe.
Swanson had to sell the property in 1927 due to financial difficulties and details of the property since then have been scarce. It is also unclear who named the property Longue Vue Farm, but I suppose it is due to the Marquis since Longue is the French word for long. And the property clearly has long sweeping views to the south and on a clear day you see the Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline.
As for the party, the band is playing an all Grateful Dead show at the request of the host. If you
didn’t make the guest list, not to worry. You can join your humble blog author and the rest of the Without a Net fans when the band appears under the tent at Tenampa Mexican Restaurant in Croton on Saturday July 18th, 2015.
See you there.
Once of the more interesting places that Without a Net is playing this summer is for a private party at Longue Vue farm in Croton on Hudson. This is a beautiful mountain top location with sweeping river views, and a great place for a party. I can say with some certainty that this properly was the site of some spectacular parties in the past, read on for details.
First and foremost is that the properly was once owned by the first great star of the motion picture industry Gloria Swanson. Swanson was glamorous, colorful and the object of much public attention. Legendary film director Cecil B. De Mille, with whom she had a long association said of Gloria “When you put them all together, and add them up, Gloria Swanson comes out the movie star of all movie stars. She had something none of the rest of them had.”
Swanson had a long career beginning in the silent film era. She was best known for her role in the 1950’s film Sunset Boulevard where she played Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star whose attempts to resurrect her career dim when she becomes delusional. She later had a series of TV appearances including appears on the Carol Burnette show, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even appeared in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. Her final film appearance was in 1975 when she played herself in the film Airport 75.
Swanson had a colorful personal life and was married no fewer than 6 times. Her association with the property was about the time of her 3rd marriage to a French Nobleman named Henri Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye whom she met while making a film in France. She was the first American actress to marry French nobility which became an international sensation. Her husband the Marquis, while a grandson of famous Hennessy Cognac family, was not wealthy and had to work for a living. She purchased the properly in 1925 when the main house was built in the French Normandy style.
During that time Swanson’s films were financed by Joseph P Kennedy, father of the late president John F Kennedy. Joe Kennedy was a businessman and investor who later went on to become the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and US Ambassador to the UK.From about 1925 to 1928 Swanson had a not-so-secret affair with Kennedy who built “The Castle”, a guest house which is the building that you can see from the road. During that time the Marquis worked for Kennedy and was given long assignments in France apparently to keep him out of the way. Kennedy was rumored to be involved in the importation and sale of liquor during Prohibition times. “The Castle” was purported to be a speakeasy, and there is ample evidence since it sports a large garage with a loading dock and a large locking safe.
Swanson had to sell the property in 1927 due to financial difficulties and details of the property since then have been scarce. It is also unclear who named the property Longue Vue Farm, but I suppose it is due to the Marquis since Longue is the French word for long. And the property clearly has long sweeping views to the south and on a clear day you see the Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline.
As for the party, the band is playing an all Grateful Dead show at the request of the host. If you didn’t make the guest list, not to worry. You can join your humble blog author and the rest of the Without a Net fans when the band appears under the tent at Tenampa Mexican Restaurant in Croton on Saturday July 18th, 2015.
See you there.
