CECIL BROWN
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under local anesthesia, I didn't even have a hospital room reserved,
operated in a little clinic, and, well, he cut it out and I had what they
called a genical masty, which is a swelling that men of my age get
when they, you know, have abused their livers, and it stayed this way
since 1970; it hasn 't changed any. So, he said the pathological report
was not malignant. I have a little scar tissue, that's all.
Int.:
Are you a hypochondriac at all?
Williams:
Oh yes, I've always been a hypochondriac; I wouldn't say it
bothered me much .
Int.:
Do you think about money much now?
Williams:
No. I think I manage my money well. I own property in New
Orleans and Coconut Grove. I could live on that. Insecurity is very
bad when you are old. Like Maggie in
Cat
says, "You can be young
without money, but you can't be old without it. " hahaha! She says,
"Either you got to be young, or older with money! " She's just telling
it like it is!
Int.:
Do you still have to go to backers for money for your plays?
Williams:
Baby, you still have to go to them to get money. Still, there
are some people who are patrons of the arts, people who care very
deeply about theater. The Rockefellers gave me a few hundred
dollars to get started. Of course, my big hits came along when you
could still get movie sales-can't get them anymore. I am waiting for
the big one, you know; to see if the backers will come up with the
money for this production. The play has to be produced soon. When
they know the conditions, they goddam better produce it hahaha!
They all know it's money.
Int.:
It 's money for them?
Williams:
They know it's money. I know it's something else; I don't
need money. I got more money than time.
Int.:
You used to say it the other way around.
Williams:
Yah, I got more money than time and that don 't mean I'm
rich! But they' re going to find out, they're going to find out.
Int.:
(Seeing a picture of a young man leaning in a corner.) "Who is
that? "
Williams:
"Oh," "That's Frank Merlo-if only he had been an actor–
he wasn't an actor but he could stand in a barroom and brawl!"
Tennessee laughed.
That evening the reporter was introduced to the Lady Marie St.
Just, a very attractive, elegant woman, a Russian by birth and
English aristocrat by marriage. Out in the garden, the marble table
