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32 PRIVACY,PLEASE THE CARLYLE. THE MOVIE. I t's one of those extraordinary places where, for more than 87 years, members of the world's most rare-air circles collide: masters of the universe, high- society swells, artists, journalists, Hollywood celebs, Broadway divas, politicians, fashion elite, sports stars. All flock to The Carlyle hotel, NYC's Madison Avenue icon, for its elegance and stature — and for its famous policy of utmost discretion. In other words, says Tommy (one of the hotel's beloved b a r t e n d e r s ) , " W h a t e v e r happens here, stays here." This month, T h e C a r l y l e opens its storied doors to a few of those high- profile hush- hush moments w i t h a n e w documentary feature film, Always at The Carlyle. The producer is Jennifer Cooke, longtime communications director for The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (the international hospitality group has owned/operated the hotel since 2001); the director is Matthew Miele of Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's fame. The film is a delicious taste of life on the inside, with interviews and anecdotes from an utterly A-List bunch — Sofia Coppola, Naomi Campbell, George Clooney, Vera Wang, Wes Anderson, and more. Even our own Dallas-based luxury travel consultant, Jim Strong, has a cameo. The mix of whispered stories is the stuff of legend, the kind of thing that would make Page Six go wild. Such as: Anjelica Huston frequented the hotel when she was bunking up with Jack Nicholson in the 1970s. "I guess it must have been where he always stayed," she says in the film. The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William call The Carlyle home when on stateside visits. According to Monsignor James, a former waiter interviewed in the film, Paul Newman always made his own salad dressing when dining at The Carlyle. Thus, his mass-market Newman's Own was born inside those chic five-star walls. Of course, former Vanity Fair editor — and longtime gent about town — Graydon Carter has his tales of The Carlyle: On a visit to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Carter found him in a guestroom with a bottle of scotch, a bowl of cereal, and a bowl of cocaine. It was rumored that Marilyn Monroe would enter the hotel through a secret tunnel; former president John F. Kennedy was commonly spotted coming and going, through the front door. And while many might wish the hotel's walls could talk, we would be content simply picking its elevator's brain. It was at The Carlyle, that Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs all happened to ride the elevator together — a most famous moment of glamorous happenstance that will surely never be paralleled. Perhaps Anthony Bourdain sums it up best when he says: "How much longer can this exist! It's completely awesome and frankly nuts! Always at The Carlyle opens in New York and Los Angeles Friday, May 11, with its Texas debut to be announced. Until then, we'll dream of moody evenings sipping martinis in a corner booth at Bemelmans. SUMMER FILMS Clockwise from top left: President John F. Kennedy at The Carlyle, 1963; George Clooney at Bemelmans Bar in Always at The Carlyle; Jackie Kennedy at The Carlyle, 1962; Anjelica Huston and Jack Nicholson at The Carlyle, 1983. THE CARLYLE, IN ALL ITS STORIED MANHATTAN GLORY, MAKES ITS SILVER-SCREEN DEBUT THIS MONTH. THE FILM'S CHARMING TITLE, ALWAYS AT THE CARLYLE, IS APT. FOR AS WE WELL KNOW, THE MOST RIVETING MOMENTS OF ELEGANCE, HISTORY, ROMANCE, AND SCANDAL ALWAYS TRACE BACK TO THE CARLYLE. B Y C H R I S T I N A G E Y E R