Video find: BBC documentary on infamous Chelsea Hotel

Details:

First transmitted in 1981, this documentary programme looks at New York's Chelsea Hotel, a legendary haven for some of the 20th Century's greatest talent, from Mark Twain to Dylan Thomas. 

With appearances from Andy Warhol and William Burroughs, who have dinner in the room where Arthur C Clarke wrote 2001, and Quentin Crisp, who lived in the hotel for more than 35 years.

While BBC's "Arena" was filming the corridors and rooms of the Chelsea Hotel, Howard Brookner was making a separate film about William Burroughs.

After Warhol had eventually agreed to return to the Chelsea Hotel, a room was found and painted especially for the dinner. However the room was too small to accommodate both the "Arena" film crew and the Brookner film crew, who also wanted to film the dinner. "Arena's" cameraman, Mike Southon, had to carefully frame his shots to avoid the Brookner camera crew that were filming him and director Nigel Finch.

The Brookner film crew compromised by hiding their soundman in the cupboard - he was a young Jim Jarmusch.


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