Lela Taylor
was my very dear
friend for 47 years.
I met her and her
neighbor friend
Sandra Johnson on
the streets of
Manhattan on July
1st, 1973 and she
insisted on inviting
me home for dinner
right away. I ended
up staying with her
and her two children
almost for a week in
their apartment in
Astoria, Queens. I
absolutely fell in
love with her two
daughters seen below,
Brenda and
Wanda
(also seen here).
Since then I
came back to see
them almost every
year - usually
bringing with me Danish
friends and my own
family (such as my
son in 1986 below) .
Often her family
appeared in my Tv
documentaries just
as Lela's oldest
daughter, Brenda (3rd picture
below) is in
American Pictures.
Lela's joy, fun,
energy, hospitality
and insistence on
cooking gigantic
meals - no matter
what time I showed up day or night -
was absolutely
unforgettable.
She
had a bleeding heart
also caring for many
people in need and
trouble around her.
However, April 2nd
2020 the Corona
epidemic took the
life of Lela -
almost 80
years old.
Other
photo albums:
Lela often took me
to her friends
gatherings in joy
and sorrow. Here you
can see my photos
from:
Robert Yard's
wedding
and
Stephen Williams'
funeral
On
video:
Lela had to be
experienced live.
See
her talk about how
we met at her
Thanksgiving dinner
1991 uncut from
the movie "Jacob
Holdt in America".
And 21 years later
giving Søren Pind -
one of the most
rightwing "law and
order" Danish
politicians -
a lesson on her own
far more hardhitting
aproach to law and
order.
Also see how
Lela opens my movie
American Pictures.
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