The Ludmila Confessions

The Jubilee was not as successful as we would have liked. Jerry Lee Lewis arrived with five trailer trucks and all his menagerie, and they kept him so high that he could fly and no one was allowed to talk to him, not even us. Well, his performances were not fantastic, maybe his years were already catching up with him. David Carradine did his folk singing gig, and one other artist performed, but some of them did not show up at all.

Jeff Cooper “Kaliman” and Ludmila

Per usual, after the Jubilee there was a party at the Millmans. Arturo Hanzel my dearest friend, David Carradine, Jim Maddox and the two Israeli brothers, and many more guests arrived. Everybody had a blast. There was champagne, whiskey, rum, gin was all going around like water, with a platter of cocaine, pot, quaaludes and LSD. God knows what else. I certainly don’t remember much of anything, but I assume I had fun.

When the buzz wore off that meant it was time to go to another party. Jose #3 was working with a very famous singer– a short black and Jewish fellow who was blind in one eye, a member of the rat pack– of course I remember his name, it was Sammy Davis Jr.! Well there was lots of cocaine at his party house, and good drinks, so there we went. Liza Minnelli was there and many other stars. They will all will be in the book– this is just a teaser!

Ludmila holding fish

As we were all having fun, one of my Mexican fighting cocks was lose and would not leave any body alone, attacking everybody and wanting to fight very bravely. The people were going crazy, so finally we caught him and put him in a cage. He was a beautiful bird with gold and red,  and black under his chest, just so spicy and proud like a Mexican bullfighter.

Arturo Hanzel (related to the Morgan Bank) invited me and Jack’s mom Ruth to go to Mexico for a long vacation. His wife Mary was my hostess, introducing me to all her friends including Buck Rogers, who impressed me immediately. He was handsome, well mannered, relaxed, educated, and witty.  After going with Mary and Mrs. Lavender to operas and ballets we went to the discos. Mary said, “Let’s go to Acapulco!” So we all went to Acapulco, and had an incredible time. Even Jack’s mother came with me so she could enjoy Mexico.

Arturo Hanzel and daughters of Buck Rogers

We arrived in Acapulco to stay at Ron Lavender’s house. At that time he was just beginning to grow his real estate business; later he became a huge success. Charles Rogers, whose friends called him Buck, fell for me immediately, as soon as we were introduced that evening during the cocktail hour. Ron had a typical Mexican home; with an open bright living room. It was a small house in comparison to his famous rich friends, a modest bar followed by a little patio with palm trees, and at the end a small pool with a very Mexican fountain decorated in gorgeous tiles. It was a charming place, cozy everywhere you looked. There was fabulous Mexican artwork in the upstairs second floor and the guest rooms. It was a magical time, everything was new and beautiful, different from Hollywood or anything we had seen before, even different from Spain. That night my husband carried me out over his shoulder shouting to me that I had had enough!  I thought maybe he had enough but not me! The great part is that I did not get mad at that,  actually in a strange way I liked it, I felt protected and cared for.

There in Mexico I was free, so I had to get rid of Ruth, then I could really do whatever I want. We disappeared all night to the bars, without Ruth. We all went, Mary ,Buck, Ron, Ana and her husband Rudy, after dinner to a bordello to see how it was. We laughed, joked, and drank champagne while watching the parade of men going and coming. I was even invited to see one of the private rooms, where the prostitute conducts her business. I think I asked the girl if it ever repulsed her, a man that was not appealing? She said, “I just close my eyes and think of Errol Flynn.”

After Ruth left, Buck took me to every society party, to the Yacht Club in Acapulco, and we went to Merle Oberon’s, the gorgeous actress’ house, and other celebrities– including the beach house of Señor Cantinflas himself.

The next day Arturo Hanzel arrived, after he finished La Novela he was filming in Mexico City, with Jeff Cooper, the Canadian actor who played the Mexican hero “Kaliman”. Then we all went across the jungle in Jeeps and then took a boat to a clean beautiful beach. The workers and fishermen prepared a feast on a long wooden table in the sand by the old palapa, with fishing nets hanging around and hammocks between the palm trees. We ate all kinds of seafood, and drank more tequila. We went to lie down in the warm soft golden sand. At sunset, we returned back on a sailboat to Acapulco bay.