Looming Sept. 11 brings World Trade Center memories. Now over seeing the University of Paris renovation logistics is Jean-Louis Blon deau. Blondeau, who was in 2009’s Best Documentary Oscar-winning “Man on Wire,” planned and rigged Philippe Petit‘s famous 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers.
“Took six months preparation,” he told me. “Access to the North Tower to start assessing how to work this tightrope took a forged ID card. Eventually, on the north roof, using archery skills, I managed to get it across to the South Tower.
“Van driver Jean Pierre Dousseau carried 400 pounds of gear that nobody noticed. Using false papers, wearing elegant suits like confident architects, carrying blueprints, briefcases, we pretended we’re delivering equipment. Inside was our stuff.
“Solid iron wire three-fourths of an inch thick. Our faked delivery allowed entry to the South Tower elevator. Yes, we were scared of being caught. Afraid for the police. But the biggest scare was not to do it. I knew Philippe for years from when he started to walk a wire. I had him rehearse one month. He’d never before walked such a high place. Every high-wire walker would dream of such experience, but who could do it?
“It was exciting. Nothing can tarnish my beautiful memories. The audacity, the extraordinary adventure, what made it possible and the unforgivable joy in succeeding.
“The night of the coup we did no rehearsing. I had to piece wire for seven hours. An accomplice gave up right away saying, ‘Impossible. We can’t do it.’ And left me alone. For a few seconds, we thought it might never happen.
“Into the building 4 p.m., we hid in place until dark. I had to climb 22 floors and reached the roof at 10. No safety net. I knew Philippe wasn’t scared of the trick. But so many mistakes. He didn’t secure the wire and found it too heavy to send to me. We got set around midnight and worked until 7 a.m.”
The Philippe Petit/Jean Louis Blondeau relationship has not remained as taut as the wire. They are no longer friends.
NORMAN Lear attended Saturday’s matinee and Pacino Sunday’s matinee of “Manipulation” by Mexico’s Victoria Calderon, who lives in Monaco. Both loved it . . . Off-Broadway musical “Jurassic Parq” (that’s the spelling) opens October starring 23-year-old Yale grad Marshall Pailet . . . Eric Clapton‘s really big big yacht, which he rents out, taking the family on a really big, big sail.
KATHY Griffin trying to get over breaking up with her road manager boyfriend . . . Tony Blair‘s burp: “Each side tells me the Middle East wants peace, but the other side doesn’t want peace.” . . . I hear Tiger Woods‘ latest golf partner girlfriend told him: “I don’t feel like playing today. I have a migraine.” . . . Pregnant Jenna Fischer from “The Office” using something called the Rodial Stretch MX. What that is, I don’t know. I’m just reporting.
ED Asner and son Matthew both have autistic children. They’ve begun Save Special Education, a grass-roots op whose 3,000 members trust “unification will effectuate change and policy” for those in need . . . Emma Watson whining about dating woes. Saying being famous is being loverless . . . Anyone but me know 1665’s first Brit Colonial governor of NY organized our first horse race? The track was in Hempstead Plains.
EN ROUTE back to the can, publisher Conrad Black at Café Boulud, which sure beats jail food. Nearby Martha Stewart asked, “I’m on TV in the morning. If I drink, will my eyes get puffy?” Told “No,” she inhaled wine . . . Burbling she wants “to keep her private life private,” Kim Kardashian‘s now plopping fiancé Kris Humphries onto her reality show . . . Jonas Brothers kid Nick, 18, dating Australian older pop singer Delta Goodrem, 26.
YAHOO staffers sniffing boss Carol Bartz is not exiting. Not job-hunting. OK. How about job-discussing? . . . New “Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY and the Lost Story of 1970,” a title longer than the book, shovels Paul McCartney dirt. Like tension over that bombshell he’s going solo. Like using an alias so nobody’d know he’s recording alone. Like Dec. 31, 1970, socking fellow Beatles with legal writs.
READER Marvin Rogoff spotted this T- shirt on the Queens/Nassau border: “I don’t need Google. I have my wife.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.