You might never have heard of Vincent P. Falk, but if you've been a visitor to Chicago you may well have seen him. He has performed for the patrons on every single tour boat cruising the Chicago River. And he is known to every viewer of the NBC/5 morning news, and the ABC/7 afternoon news. He's the smiling middle-aged man with a limitless variety of spectacular suits. He stands on the Michigan or State street bridges, showing off his latest stupefying suit. He flashes the flamboyant lining, takes it off, spins it in great circles above his head, and then does his "spin move," pivoting first left, then right, while whirling the coat in the air. Then he puts it on again and waves to the tourists on the boat, by now passing under the bridge, always wearing a suit for the occasion: Shimmering black for Kwanzaa, red for Christmas, neon green for St. Patrick's Day so blinding Mayor Daley wouldn't have the nerve to wear it.
For ABC/7, he stands outside the big windows of the news studio, which open onto State Street. You can't miss him. For NBC/5, he's worked his way up to regular Friday morning appearances. The station's news studio overlooks Pioneer Court Plaza, and when the anchors go outside to chat with people, there's Vincent. He's agreed to appear exclusively on the Channel 5 early news, where I have never seen him, because his usual spin on Fridays is just before the 6 a.m. sign-on of the Today show.
He also does radio; WGN talker John Williams, interviewed in the film, does his show in a Tribune Tower studio with a window on Michigan Av. "I make it a point to not interact with people who try to get my attention," he says, "but Vincent..." It's possible Vincent's eyesight is so bad he can't even see Williams behind behind tinted glass in the daytime, but he knows the studio is there, just as he seems to know a lot of other things.
He's well-informed on the personnel of the TV news operations, for example, recently writing me: "For months, Channel 7 has been cutting me out of the crowd shots. But, recently, I've been getting in the shots on weekends. This is when Michael Wall is usually the director. But I'm still being cut out of the shots all the time on weekdays, when Jef Kos is usually the director." How many viewers with 20/20 vision know those names?
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You might be forgiven for suspecting that Vincent is a few doughnuts short of a dozen. I know I did. Then I saw a remarkable new documentary by Jennifer Burns named "Vincent: A Life in Color," which unfolds into the mystery of a human personality. His life is one that Oliver Sachs, the poet of strange lives, might find fascinating. Considering that Vincent has been showing up for years and performing his "show" with flamboyant new suits, would it surprise you to learn that he is a college graduate? A computer programmer? A former deejay in gay North Side discos? Owns his own condo in Marina City? Buys his own suits? Legally blind?All of these things are true. I can easily believe he buys his own suits. What I can hardly believe is that they are sold. We accompany him on a visit to his customary clothing store, which perhaps caters otherwise to members of the world's second oldest profession. Surely he's their best customer; I don't recall ever seeing the same suit twice in the film.
Jennifer Burns, who both produced and directed the film, says that like most Chicagoans, she'd seen Vincent and his colorful suits around for years. How could she not? Then one day she was looking out her office window, watching him performing for a tour boat, "and I was struck by the look of sheer joy I saw on his face. I thought to myself, whatever else you have to say about this guy, he has figured out what makes him happy and he does it, regardless of what anyone else thinks." She approached him, and he agreed to be the subject of a film--not surprising, since his pastime is drawing attention to himself. The subtext of the film is how differently life could have turned out for Vincent.
What Burns discovered was not quite the story we might have expected. Vincent, whose surname comes from one of his foster families, was an orphan abandoned by his mother, and raised at St. Joseph's Home for the Friendless. He was already blind in one eye, and glaucoma was dimming the sight in his other. After eight years he was placed in a foster home with Clarence and Mary Falk, who he considers his father and mother; he has had a star named after her. In the documentary, Sister Bernadette Eaton, who taught him as a boy, says at first she didn't realize he could read.I e-mailed Vincent: "I'm missing something here. The nun says she was 'surprised' to learn you could read. So she didn't teach you. Did you teach yourself?" He responded quickly with a e-mail that was articulate and friendly. That was a surprise, because in the film he has some difficulty in expressing himself. His words don't flow smoothly, he repeats himself, gets tangled up, deflects questions with a joke. A co-worker in the doc says if you ask him something, he'll patiently respond, and then he's outta there. No small talk.
Vincent wrote: "I really don't remember who would have taught me to read. Maybe one of the other nuns. Maybe when I started going to school. I went to pre-school (they didn't have Kindergarten), 1st grade, and 2nd grade at St Joseph's. Then, I started 3rd grade my first school year after moving in with the Falks. And, I did attend all those grades at the proper time, with respect to my age (they didn't see a need to hold me back a year or so before starting me in 1st grade, or anything like that)."
I asked Burns what she thought. "I'm sorry this wasn't more clear in the film, Sister Anna Margaret (who declined to be interviewed) recognized that Vincent's problem wasn't intellectual but visual and taught him to read, along with the rest of the class, making sure he was always pushed up against the blackboard so he could see. It was the administration, who had previously written him off as incapable of learning, who were surprised to learn that Vincent could read."
In high school he was picked on; a classmate recalls students would sneak up behind him, tap him on the shoulder, and jump away before he could whirl and try to see them. He began to defend himself with humor, especially with puns, which are still an addiction. He didn't want to be considered blind any longer, Burns says, so he stopped using a cane. He was a member of the National Honor Society, the chess club, the debate team...and the diving team, luckily never diving into a pool without water. We meet his diving coach, who was as surprised as we are. It was in high school that he started wearing colorful suits, for reasons he does not explain. My theory: Being the class clown was better than being the class misfit.
Vincent reads with his left eye held less than an inch from a book or computer screen. He uses a monocular telescope for spotting approaching tour boats. His optometrist says he has severe tunnel vision; his good eye is a fraction of normal, and the visible image is like an iris shot surrounded by blur. He walks freely all over the Chicago Loop, often running a few steps or even skipping, so high are his spirits. The movie uses graphics to represent what he can see; it is terrifying to think of him crossing a street.
On his web site, he does report one injury: "For the six week period from February 1, 2003 - March 8, 2003, there were no pictures posted to this site. This hiatus was caused by personal injury, due to being hit by a taxicab on January 29, 2003 (specifically, a Ford Crown Victoria). The accident occurred on Clark St. right by Quaker Tower."Vincent, a bright student, was accepted at the Illinois Institute of Technology, studying aeronautical engineering. Yes. After two years he transferred to the University of Illinois, where he planned to study computer science in a program where admission standards are ruthless. At Urbana he became fascinated by audio equipment, not unusual among the visually impaired, "but my parents didn't like that, and hauled me back up to Chicago. They boxed up all my audio stuff and put it in the garage."
He got back into the audio field, and became a popular deejay, first for the go-go boys at Stage 618, and then at the gay disco Cheeks. He didn't exactly fit the image, his old boss recalls, and he held the albums an inch from his face, but he was a great spinner. It was during this time he concluded he was gay. For the past 20 years, he's been a computer programmer for Cook County, helping to track billions of dollars in tax revenue. "He's one of the most brilliant programmers I've ever met," his current boss says.
Upstaging the Chicago Marathon
All of which is admirable, but how does it explain the suits? Having worn them since he was a teenager, he says he gave his first Chicago River bridge performance around 2000, adding the "spin move" about a year later. He knows the times when every tour boat passes his bridges, and the guides know his name and point him out as a landmark somewhere between the Wrigley Building and Marina City. To the guides on the Mercury boats, he is "Riverace" (rhymes with "Liberace"). The captain of one of the Wendella boats says you can set your watch by him. His bridges and the TV studios are within a short walk of his home.There is a great deal of discussion in the documentary about Vincent's motivation. It explains nothing. Vincent himself will only say that he likes to entertain people, to cheer them up a little. One person in the doc speculates that Vincent has spent a lot of his life being stigmatized and isolated, and the suits are a way of breaking down barriers. I confess that the first time I saw him, I saw a man with unfocused squinting eyes and a weird suit, and leaped to conclusions. But by the time I saw this documentary, things had changed in my life. Anyone seeing me walk down the street would notice an unsteady gait, a bandage around my neck, and my mouth sometimes gaping open. If they didn't know me, they might assume I was the Village Idiot. You can easily imagine Vincent becoming an isolated agoraphobe, locked onto a computer screen. But he spends hours every day in the fresh air and sunshine, picking up that tan and getting lots of exercise.
That's why I respond to Vincent, and applaud him. If people take one look at me and don't approve of what they see, my position is: Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke. So here is a man who likes to wear pimp suits and wave them at tour boats. So why not? What are the people on the boats so busy doing that they don't have time for that? I suspect something like 99 percent of them are more entertained by Vincent than by the information that Mies van der Rohe designed the IBM Building, which stands across the street as an affront to the tinny new Trump Tower. As least they can smile and wave and tell the folks at home about that wacky guy they saw on the bridge.
The Ballad of Vincent¶
"Vincent: A Life in Color" played the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison in April, where Vincent brought along his orange and blue Illinois suit, to compete with Wisconsin's red, black and gold. Jennifer Burns says she plans a limited run in a Chicago indie house sometime this summer, as a help to a distribution deal. She deserves one. The film gathers an impressive array of people who have had roles in Vincent's life, including a lifelong friend who was another foster child with the Falks. It is beautifully photographed by Patrick Russo, who contrasts Vincent's life in color with the looming riverside architecture and its busy sidewalks. Vincent will never be mistaken for a man in the crowd.
¶
On his web site, Vincent has photos of himself with virtually every one of the cows that were on display on Chicago sidewalks in 1999. Also with many of the subsequent sidewalk globes, bobbleheads, and couches. His suits always match the artworks. He takes his own self-portraits, using a camera on a tripod and an auto-timer. On the film's own web site,you can find the column Neil Steinberg wrote for the Sun-Times about Vincent in 1975. It was Neil who sent me his DVD of this film.
¶Vincent writes me: "For your enjoyment, I have some Blagojevich humor (I'm sure you've heard of him). Recently, he wanted to go to Costa Rica to be on the TV reality show. This makes me think of someone who buys some very, very, very expensive cologne or perfume, and then splashes way too much of it on himself or herself. He or she would truly be a cost-a reekin!!!!??
¶
¶Correcting the article, Vincent writes me: First, NBC5. I'm no longer there on Fri AM. The producers took away my 'spin spot" in Oct, 2007. You can still see me at Studio 5 once in a (great) while in the background during one of the evening news casts (usually the 6PM news).
As for the bridges, my bridges of choice are Michigan Av and State St (not Wabash). But, I may temporarily move from Michigan Av to Columbus Dr. Apparently, the Bureau of Bridges is starting a repainting project on the lower level of Michigan Av Bridge. Today (Sunday), the north approach to the bridge was closed off due to the painting. I went to the other end of the bridge, and slipped around the barrier, so I could get on the bridge deck for my "fashion shows". (Don't worry, the Bureau of Bridges WILL get over it!!!!??!) But, if the painting work moves onto the bridge itself, I won't be able to do that, so it's over to Columbus.
In a related,thing, you can thank the recession of the mid 1970's for the fact that I became a disco DJ. It's been said that the 1970's recession was the 2nd worst in the last 50 years, or so. Second only to the current recession. It was my inability to get a programming job in the period of 1974-1976 that caused me to wind up in the DJ booth.Neil Steinberg wrote his article back in 2005, not last year as you said. It was written shortly before Jennifer started shooting her film. About a year earlier, an article was written in the Tribune. That's the one that was "regionalized" (it was seen only by people within the city, itself). They, also, took a photo of me in a bright, shiny, peach colored suit, and printed it in black and white (the nerve of them)!! There was an article about me last year, but that was the "good" Tribune article, written by Colleen Mastony.
And, for your benefit and/or enjoyment, did you know that basketball is the perfect game for a gay accountant to play?? If he launches the ball on a perfect trajectory,where it goes through the hoop, and touches nothing but fabric, the ball does tend to go "swish". He will achieve his "net" result."
¶
Vincent also writes me: "Here is something else for you to enjoy. At the Wisconsin Film Festival, Jennifer and I were in a radio interview at a remote broadcast site run by WORT, a public radio FM station in Madison, WI. You'll get some good insights into Jennifer's film, and you'll feast your ear drums on some of my 'nuggets of humor.'
"I went to school at the UI in 'Cham-bana,' and Jennifer went to UW in Madison. So, at the end of the interview, I grabbed a chance to do something nice and "rude and nasty". Listen for it -- you'll enjoy it!!
"Note: The audio level is very low in this video. The camera was about 10 feet behind the place Jennifer was sitting. And they did not use the radio station's audio. The audio was picked up by the camera's own mic. You'll need to use a computer that is hooked up to either amplified speakers, or a stereo system. And, you'll have to crank that sucker up very loud."
¶
On St. Patrick's Day, not just a face in the crowd
I love this post!
Back home in Portland, Oregon there is a man who performs at the Saturday Market known as Elvis. He's a mentally handicapped man that everyone in Portland recognizes because he always sings on the corner with one of those little boom boxes and microphone. I haven't seen him for a few years but just like Vincent he's a fixture in the society. I miss him.
Roger the last few posts have been awesome. I come looking for them everyday.
" "The heart is what is important." There is nothing more vulnerable, nothing more corruptible than the human mind; nor is there anything as powerful, steadfast and ennobling."
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/life-potential.html
"Why doesn't constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them."...Daisaku Ikeda
"That's why I respond to Vincent, and applaud him. If people take one look at me and don't approve of what they see, my position is: Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke"
Yes! Exactly the position to take.
P.S. I don't suppose this means you know Bob?
Ebert: Was he a doctor?
Inappropriately, I thought of Edgar Allan Poe's short story Hop-Frog. The worst are the internal warps, which even death can't heal.
How green is thy river!
Verily, your last image in this post shows what must be the greenest river ever, so green that Mr. Falk's technicolor green suit pales, if only slightly, in comparison.
Gotta love Chicago!
Ebert: We dye the river green every St. Paddy's Day.
So this delightful gentleman likes puns . . . hmmmm . . . since he somewhat resembles Frank Morgan/Professor Marvel/The Mighty Wizard, we could think of him as the Revel Without an Oz . . . his 'Ballad' might be retitled Tales of the UnexSpectrum . . . if you can see him on the bridge with his welcoming two-armed wave, you are on his Wave Length . . . perhaps his birth father was F. X. Severin, MD, making him Doc Severin's Son . . . I could go on and on but I suspect even Vincent wouldn't want me to. It was NICE to meet him here; thanks!
See yer, Suckers!!!
Roger - Thank you so much for this journal entry! My family members and I always look for Mr. Falk on the news (we always called him "suit guy" so it is nice to put a name and a story to a face). His suits and his "spin" have brightened up my day on many occassions...I hope that I get a chance to see the documentary some time - I'm sure there are many people like myself that would be interested in hearing more of his story, so I hope it gets a run in Chicago some time soon!
Mary
Where does he get those suits from? They're so amazing!
I'm so glad that there are people like him in the world! Unique beings like Vincent make me want to live my life even more.
OK, I'm not worldly enough to know the three oldest professions. Let's assume hooker and pimp, what's next? Journalist?
Ebert: You have inspired me to get my math straight. Prostitution is the world's oldest profession. Therefore pimping must be the second oldest profession. I guess. But there must have been a profession before prostitution, since money must be earned before being spent. Anyway, I'm amending the entry. Thanks.
Journalism is the Fourth Estate, so named by Edmund Burke. The first three are clergy, nobility, and commoners.
This is wonderful entry. Many are, but this one especially so because it resonates deeply with me.
As a child, I always gravitated towards the Vincents of this world, finding them easier to like than those more commonly held up for admiration. I attribute that to growing-up chubby and suffering all the requisite slings and arrows that go with it, and so too, the impression made upon my developing psyche by the Velveteen Rabbit, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, The Ugly Duckling, Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and others.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
An offending amount of lip-service is given to that however, for what we celebrate in truth is too often what delights the gaze of another; but then that's marketing for you and the shallowness it encourages. I was always destined either way to see beyond the surface of things for had I not been an Artist, gleeful insensitivity in various childish forms would have taught me by way of experience not to judge a book by its cover.
And then there's the whole dissident-minded Canadian thingy. :)
So my heart always dances and soars now whenever I see someone fearlessly marching to the beat of their own drummer, someone like Vincent - who strikes me as more authentic than the most of the people you meet these days and why I dare say he strikes "them" as strange. Whereas I find it strange to live your life any other way; you only get one, after all.
"No Rain" by Blind Melon - the famous music video with the little girl in the bee costume...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmVn6b7DdpA
P.S. I remember seeing a photograph of you back in 2006 and thinking at the time, "like that's gonna stop him from refusing to admit when he's wrong." :)
It was not to think how odd, how strange, how weird or how ugly. But then, it was a photograph of the critic who doesn't like Harold and Maude; which is FAR more damning than a change in appearance. Besides, you own 3 paintings by Gillian Ayres and one of her rugs. You own watercolors by Edward Lear. You get NetFlix. You got to enjoy O'Rourke's before it died - you'd have to be bitten off the coast of Australia by a great white shark before I'd feel sorry for you. :)
And I think the world be a happier place if we'd just embrace our inner dancing bumble-bee. Which seems to be the unspoken message in Vincent's twirls, eh?
Ebert: This post is worthy of Vincent.
Signed, Fatso.
I don't know if you follow hockey at all; even if you do, you might not be aware of Don Cherry. As a hockey commentator on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts, Don Cherry is famous for his pugnacious patriotism, outspoken opinions, and loud jackets.
Try googling "Don Cherry suits", and then click on the "images" link for a sample.
You may wish to wear sunglasses.
Ebert: Holy jalapeños! But he seems too serious. Isn't cheerful like Vincent.
Ha, "cost-a-reekin." Sharp guy. I'm envious in two respects of him, now.
Roger, Your story about this dude reminds me of the fun I used to have a few years ago viewing the area surrounding the old Sun-Times building from its web cam on the roof. You could rotate the camera nearly 360 degrees and zoom in close enough to see through individual windows of any building up or down the river and down many of the streets crossing Wacker Drive. You could watch passengers board the Wendella or other cruise boats at the base of the Wrigley Building and follow the boats all the way to the locks on Lake Michigan. You could follow the L trains as they made their stops around the loop, watching individual passengers come and go. You could watch curious characters, like the subject of your story, on Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive and the Riverwalk. There were even times when you could watch production companies set up movie scenes or perhaps commercials along the streets and riverfront. It was possible to steeply angle the camera down and watch things happening in the glass-covered penthouse or solarium of the Sun-Times Building which was filled with plush chairs and sofas and opened to a balcony where people took meals and sometimes caught rays in the open air. It was fascinating to follow the construction of a brand new glass enclosed entry way up there and what looked to be a secluded exercise area.... just before they tore the building down. (What was the point?)
Having been expatriated from Chicago for over four decades, and no longer even having family living there for over twenty years, the Sun-Times web cam was a great way to get a glimpse of my old stomping grounds. As I said, something intriguing would be going on in that general area every day. It was fun to watch the weather change if nothing else... to note the seasons change... to see the river freeze, then thaw, then be colored green for St. Patrick's day and all that. The reconstruction of Wacker Drive was a long show that eventually did come to an end--against all expectations--and the riverwalk they constructed in its aftermath turned out wonderfully picturesque, as did the sidewalk cafes that also sprouted along upper Wacker.
Then Mr. Trump bought the property, shut down the web cam and tore down the old building to put up his new tower. It's a nice tower, very tall, very aesthetic, but for several years now I've missed my live daily fixes of downtown Chicago with real people living real life, perhaps wearing peach-colored suits and waving to the tour boats off the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Maybe you could suggest to Mr. Trump that he replace the web cam and let me have my fun again. And, be sure to carry the images on the Sun-Times web site.
(I don't think I ever spotted you in that solarium.)
Ebert: I never knew about that camera. Sounds like you could control it online?
Thanks for sharing! People like Vincent make the world go round! ;)What a zest for life he has!
I am coming to Chicago in late July for my 40th HS reunion. I want to see Vincent is he always on Michigan avenue? As usual your truly enjoyable column has a bit of Mr Deeds goes to Town in it. A truly sane man who everyone thinks is insane....who's to say?
Ebert: I have a feeling you could look along the Michigan or Wabash avenue bridges during the noon hour. Don't forget the Michigan avenue bridge has a lower level (that's where he's shown on St. Patrick's Day. As long as you're down there, you're only a block from Billy Goat's. Walk north one block, turn left, follow the aroma of grilling chizboogers.
More than anthing else I can feel envy alone for a person with such steel in her/his spine. It takes adversity to bring out the best/worst in people.To quote Nichiren:"Gold can be neither burned by fire nor corroded or swept away by water, but iron is vulnerable to both."
My friends and I would always see him standing in front of ABC news staring into the glass. I really did think he was wierd. Now i see he's just doing his own thing. He really shows how ignorant you can be of other people, even if he is obviously eccentric. Had you ever seen him before the documentary?
Just saw Midnight Cowboy followed by Ebert's review which cut it down to size----perhaps your point is it could better have been more on the line of Chop Shop.
Dear Roger,
Another touching and wonderful story is this latest entry,and by the way thanks for Cannes and McHugh.Wonderful reading.
Vincent has made me think back to our time in Ontario,and a couple of 'characters' seen in downtown Toronto,and the 'bridge guy' here in N.S. who stands on an overpass on Hwy 101.My wife and I always give him a wave,just because we think we should.We also have a fiftyish imp of a man who speedwalks,with the aid of ski poles down the side of Hwy.101 near the Coldbrook exit..again another wave. Maybe we wave to thank him just for being there, and being a bit eccentric,or maybe we wave because we would like to be doing the same thing as he..beating to our own drum.
There was a time as a young man, that I would barely glance at these "characters" as I was too busy trying to be, or act like, I was so much more 'cool' as I went about my business of making a living.
Funny how your thinking, and priorities change, when you really grow up,and see life as it really is. We need more Vincent's,bridge wavers,and speedwalkers.
Roger,your writing brings much enjoyment,along with the input from so many of your readers.
By the way if I ever see you walking towards me,I will give you the biggest smile I can muster,and a solid hand shake,while saying 'thanks'.
Cheers
Gary
Ebert: I never knew about that camera. Sounds like you could control it online?
Indeed. It was the most amazing web cam on line, anywhere. I had full control of direction and magnification, and, what was even better, I seemed to never have to share the controls with anyone else. I guess very few people even knew about it.
There was another similar web cam on top of Merchandise Mart, but it was out of order most of the time. Both have been gone since Trump demolished the old Sun-Times Building.
The Sun-Times location was absolutely optimal for such a camera because soooo many interesting things go on along the river, Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in Chicago. It is like the Ba of the Sacred City of Chicago.
At least the new Sun-Times building is still on the river near the Wells Street bridge, but it's a little removed from all the action it got near the Michigan Avenue bridge.
As someone raised in the '60s and '70s with a working dad and stay at home mom, and who could always rely on my mind and my body to do what I wanted them to do, I never cease to marvel at those like Vincent who have triumphed over so many obstacles. Bravo, Riverace, for living the life you've chosen, not one chosen for you by the "authorities," whether bosses or family, whether the clerical type who assumed you unteachable as a child, or the secular!
Off-topic to Roger: Why is Groundhog Day in your Amazon "store" in the banner to the right of this page? You didn't do a commentary for it, did you?
Off-off-topic to RE: Looking forward to Harold Ramis' latest, Year One? I am. Harold's a real mensch. I met him at a Literacy Chicago function a few years back, and he and a friend matched bids on a silent auction item I'd donated, so what was I to do but donate another copy that I had of it, along with the chapbook that had been given out at the author's (Richard Lewis) BookExpo appearance? (That chapbbook, signed to me, is another funny [post-surgical] story in itself.) Harold gave me his business card, and we consummated the transaction a few days later: I dropped them off at his office out in the 'burbs. A couple years passed, I came across some of these, for which Harold had written a piece (Foreword, Afterword, Introduction,..., I forget which), called his office, dropped 'em off, and he signed 'em for me (along with Robert Klein and a couple others). A few months, maybe a year, passed, and I saw online that The Ice Harvest was shooting in the Chicago area, so I called his office just to find out where. That particular day, they were out by the Forest Preserves by Cermak and 1st in Maywood, so out I went. Walked onto the location as if I belonged -- I assumed it was a closed set, and I hadn't reeeeeeeeeeally asked permission, just location -- just before nightfall, engaged one of the teamsters in chitchat for a while, him getting me chow from craft services (I must have had a Dickensian orphan look to me.), until Harold came to the set. I'd told the teamster that I knew Harold from that Literacy Chicago function, and that he'd signed some stuff for me, but I suspect he wanted to test my veracity by challenging me to say hello to Harold. So I did. I walked up to him when he was alone for a moment, thanked him again for signing the Second City books, and shook his hand. In return, I received a slightly perplexed look -- "Why are you here?" seemed to be running through his mind -- but I assured him I'd stay well out of the way and quiet as a church mouse, and he shook and just said "Good to see you," or something similar. Stayed 'til daybreak, met Chris Chelios (a friend of Cusack's), John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton, got autographs from them all, and even had about a five-minute comedic riffing conversation with Billy Bob and a couple PAs. A few (not so great -- I couldn't use the flash, and it was my first digital camera, aka not a very good one) pics are at http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c157/rbarthjr/Ice%20Harvest/.
Ebert: "Groundhog Day" is now a Great Movie.
I visited Vincent's web site, which you conveniently linked to, Roger. I must say I was amazed by the talent he displays in working with images and colors, especially since he has only a tiny fraction of his vision. His photographs are excellently composed, framed and focused. Much better than I could do with my normal vision or powers of concentration. His work in mixing colors, exemplified by his numerous globes and life-sized bobbleheads, is stunning. How to explain it? Perhaps his monocular tunnel vision forces him to focus on any scene almost one pixel at a time, the way he must work with computer code as a programmer. His linear focused genius at his profession perhaps translates into extraordinary success at his artistic avocation. Truly, the man has something in common with Monet and Renoir, he just doesn't use a paint brush.
You are certainly correct, Roger, when you characterise our formulation of first impressions and our usual dismissive response to most strangers. We don't have the time to collect even superficial information on the enormous number of people we encounter in the public arena, so we take a perfunctory glance and pigeonhole each and every one of them without the slightest concern as to accuracy. I guess that's just the way it is in a vast, complex world. We are bound to be wrong and to miss out on a lot a good deal of the time.
when can we see the movie! I want to hear about him more and see for myself what an inspiration just following your bliss can be!
Ebert wrote: This post is worthy of Vincent. Signed, Fatso.
Dear Fatso,
That's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me! And for that, my inner dancing bee gives you a hug. I'm still going to tease you about "Harold & Maude" though and until the day you die; be it by common causes or a peckish shark. :)
Note: Don Cherry is indeed too serious - he's the poster boy for obnoxious blowhards such as can be found in every Sports bar in Canada. Oh, and he supports Christian conservative right-wing Prime Minister Stephen Harper; enough said.
Actually, no wait, because I don't think you know about this and it might interest you. Last year in March 2008, Harper's Government tried something REALLY sneaky. Without telling anyone, they wanted to add a clause to the Income Tax called "Bill C-10" that would have allowed the heritage minister or their designate to withhold tax credits from productions deemed "contrary to public policy" aka offensive.
Charles McVety on CBC's "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1TM4dQBKA8
Harper's government has since backed down on Bill C-10 (he was running for re-election) but they still plan to cut 45 million from the Arts. And how did this story break, Marshall? How did Canadians like me come to hear about it at the time?
The Globe and Mail Newspaper. :)
P.S. "The Hour" with George features some the most diverse interviews you'll ever see. I'm no flag waver, but if I were to wave anything with pride it would be this "government-funded" Canadian television show on a government-funded network. :)
Roger, did you happen to notice that he bears an uncanny resemblance to Quentin Tarantino?
I'm in the middle of Singin in Rain and middle of the Ebert review-"transcendant" as he says-and in tune with the personage who is the subject of this post.
Mr. Vincent P. Falk is definitely one of the reasons why the world is never boring. I hope I will be able to see him on bridges someday. However, watching "Vincent: A Life in Color" seems to be far easier and faster option to me at present. Thanks for "The Ballad of Vincent". I thought my summer attire of this year was too colorful(my mother bought lemon cream jacket, pink check shirt, and black pants ), but mine is nothing compare to that.
P.S.
From what I saw, I think he does not do "spin move" when it rains or snows.
Ebert: But he loves spinning when it drizzles, and it sizzles.
I work with Vinny and must tell you that whenever I hear about someone bemoaning their life, I think of Vinny . He could be sitting at home all day, doing nothing, contributing nothing, getting nothing out of life.
He makes it a point to live his life to the fullest, almost to spite any barriers put in front of him. He not only puts the icing on his cake of life, but sprinkles and whipped cream and a cherry!
He is quite brilliant as a programmer, but I think he is even more brilliant as an individual - he has figured out what makes him happy and pursues it. No matter what anyone says about it.
Thanks for featuring him in your blog Mr. Ebert.
I love this guy!! I too have been seeing him for years; from what I understand, he worked for the County as a computer programmer (not sure, but that's what I'd heard from many different sources). He is so joyful,that when he's around, it's truly impossible to feel sorry for yourself for long. He's got a great sense of humor, extremely intelligent and I wondered when you'd finally get around to writing about him.
Thanks Roger.
Vincent Falk: "You can thank the recession of the mid 1970's for the fact that I became a disco DJ. It's been said that the 1970's recession was the 2nd worst in the last 50 years, or so. Second only to the current recession. It was my inability to get a programming job in the period of 1974-1976 that caused me to wind up in the DJ booth."
This clears up a lot; the '70s was The Little Decade That Couldn't: brutal (Nixon) and falsely cheerful (disco, coke, '50s nostalgia), straining for effect and desperate for attention. But Mr. Falk turned all that inside-out, and has found joy in his day-glo suits and lookitme lifestyle. Let's not forget another young '70s man in the city: David Lynch in Philadelphia (around the time I was in high school across the river in NJ), beaten down, depressed, getting ready to rub us out with Eraserhead. And around the same time is Scorsese and Schrader in NYC, "God's lonely men," who give us Taxi Driver to remind us "You're only as healthy as you feel." I pray the kids coming up today, through their own post-Bush malaise, will be half as lucky as Falk.
An all new reason to take a trip to Chicago.
Thank you once more for such a wonderful post Roger. I can't get enough of your writing.. at the present time I should be revising for my exams which will determine whether I get into University or not (to study Film Studies might I add) but I can't seem to pull myself away from the computer. Couldn't help but look up dear Vincent on youtube after reading your post.. what a hero!
Happy birthday for next week by the way! I myself will be 18 on Sunday, finally a legal eagle over here in Ireland.
Thank you for inspiring so many.
The Friday previous to this article (blog? journal? wournal?) I was visiting a friend working at a recently relocated restaurant in Marina Towers. As a North-sider, I don't frequent the chain bars along the river too often and I must confess to watching the local news about as much as I read the actuarial tables. Needless to say I had never seen Mr. Falk, let alone one of his suits.
As I sat enjoying a drink that was too expensive and two sweet by half, Mr. Falk pranced by me. I'm not a person prone to staring, and while I come from smack dab in the middle of farm country, I'm the first person to say "to each his own". Nevertheless, I stared. More to the point, Mr. Falk stared back, with a twinkle and a grin that said he knew something I didn't. Between his peculiar visage, he almost devilish smirk, and a suit that was louder than any Michael Bay film I've ever seen(even in Imax), I was speechless.
"He's a legend around here." My friend informed me. He gave me a brief, albeit slightly fact free history of Riverace, and went about his business. I was bemused, to say the least, if not a little fascinated. Blind? How is that even possible? Genius? Stranger things have happened. Fearless? Well, that's certainly not debatable.
In the end I smiled and shook my head, marveling at the city I call home. I wouldn't have guessed I'd be thinking about him again so soon.
Fast forward to this morning. Over the weekend I took in The Hangover, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and was anxious to get your take on it (As a side note, it really is a testament to the power of a good script and smart casting. I'd say studio execs should take note, but we know they won't. We'll be getting the next Friedberg/Seltzer vehicle before you can say "Please God/Allah/Steve don't let them make another Friedberg/Seltzer movie".) I was pleasantly surprised to see your article about Vince, his suits, and the documentary. I hope that the director will get a chance to show her film in Chicago. I'd love to see it.
But what struck me, and compelled me to write my first comment, was my initial reaction to Mr. Falk. It mirrored yours. Granted, it didn't last long, and as I said before, I'm not one to judge. Nevertheless, I had that reaction. What does it say about me? About us? How tolerant are we as a culture? As a species? Why is our first reaction to something different to recoil? Or stare? Or snicker? Are we really so insensitive? Are we so unaware?
It makes me think as open minded as I am, I still have a lot to learn about people. Couldn't we all benefit by being a little less quick to judge? Or make assumptions? Or just remembering that under the scars, or ticks, or silly costumes is another human being, just like me?
Is it really as simple as saying "don't judge a book by its cover"? Even if that cover is one of Vincet P. Falk's mind-altering zoot suits?
Yes, I think it is.
That's right, we must all get tuned up to (virtually) sing "Happy Birthday" to Roger (and Paul McCartney, and, I just learned, Thabo Mbeki!) next Thursday...
OOPS! That's right, we must all get tuned up to (virtually) sing "Happy (67th) Birthday" to Roger (and Paul McCartney, and, I just learned, Thabo Mbeki!) next Thursday...
(I gotta tell ya, Roger, there's pretty slim pickin's for June 18th in just about any other year. Looking at imdb.com's list for 6/18 b-days [youngest to oldest], the first name I recognized was the 35-year-old Julie Depardieu; the first name of someone I'd seen in anything was the 42-year-old Kurt Browning, the Canadian ice skater; and the first victim of American assassination was Uday Hussein, who ages no longer.)
Preston wrote on June 8, 2009 12:30 PM - "...Couldn't we all benefit by being a little less quick to judge? Or make assumptions? Or just remembering that under the scars, or ticks, or silly costumes is another human being, just like me? Is it really as simple as saying "don't judge a book by its cover"? Even if that cover is one of Vincent P. Falk's mind-altering zoot suits? Yes, I think it is."
Fear is the main catalyst that inspires the shunning of another, at least from what I've observed of life. Fear of being "associated" with an undesirable in case their social status rubs off on you. Fear of being liked by another you were only showing a burst of capricious pity to; as if they couldn't tell. Fear of mental-illness - but for thinking you'd have to be crazy to dance in the street or sing out loud or wear what you like - instead of what you were told to.
True, some people are genuinely ill; be it schizophrenia or as a byproduct of drug use. You only have to stand on a corner in downtown East Vancouver to see examples of that. But it should solicit compassion then not disdain or fear; beyond needing to be mindful of one's immediate surroundings of course.
As people we tend to fly in flocks and like fish make our balls for there's safety in numbers and you don't want to get picked-off. And ergo, why we have our cliques and packs and tribes. But I'd rather be outside the Borg, thank-you very much. I'd rather be an exception to the social rule and instead of rejecting what it is different, joyfully embrace it.
And for thinking that when you do, you embrace the best within yourself too. Just like these guys. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK5uPBF-s5Y&NR=1
P.S. the best advice an artist ever gave - Frank Gehry: Be Yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhx6ZVfPvWE
I'll leave you with a little thing about Cardinal Francis George. I met him at the cathedral in 1998 (shortly after I moved to Marina Towers). It was his first weekend back in Chicago after he was made a Cardinal. And, yes, I introduced him to my humor!! I even worded it specially for him. Here it is.
Let's say a system is installed in the cathedral to provide warning in case someone throws a prayer book at the Cardinal. That would be a "missal early warning system". I assured him that it would, also, detect incoming "missalettes"!!! That got some truly world-class "moans of ecstasy" out of him!! After that, he said he had done his penance for the day.
"Anyone seeing me walk down the street would notice an unsteady gait, a bandage around my neck, and my mouth sometimes gaping open. If they didn't know me, they might assume I was the Village Idiot."
You sure wield a confident quill (if keyboard can be so described)! If I share another quote of Daisaku Ikeda:"Sickness and death are unavoidable in life. To experience illness is not itself misfortune, but to be defeated by illness is misfortune."
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/illness.html
No less than your contribution to the muse of cinema, you have created an equal sort of history of autobiography in the way you engage with sickness--more Milk than Kane--happy approaching birthday!
Very nice review, Mr. Ebert, of the documentary on my neighbor, Vincent Falk. I have a web site that covers Marina City and I've often written about Vincent. I was quite moved when I saw the documentary in March.
On my first day in Chicago in 2005, I passed Vincent on the State Street bridge and I thought he was a psychotic homeless person. Imagine my surprise one day to see him in my building, surrounded by a camera crew, being interviewed by the local NBC affiliate. And speaking coherently.
I've always suspected Vincent will have at least 15 minutes of national fame someday. I really think this documentary is poised for a lot of exposure.
When I told this to Vincent in an email, he wrote back, advising me to "just set your camera shutter speed properly, and it will be the proper exposure."
I've seen Vincent a few times since moving to Chicago three years ago, but hadn't had any context in which to understand him. He's done a few of the Cristical Mass bike rides, wearing a suit and rollerblading with the thousands. In that environment, he's actually not very unusual. It's so good to have his full story now. Thank you, Roger.
When I first moved here, people would ask me what I think of Chicago. I would repsond that it's New York without the New Yorkers. Then I heard This American Life telling the story of Blommer Chocolate's problems with the EPA, and my explanation evolved to "It's like New York without the New Yorkers, and the bridges smell like chocolate." I'll have to add that it's also a place where computer programmers wear pimp suits and dance for tour boats.
I'm glad I got to see Vincent before knowing his story. Similar learning came when I first saw Ronnie Woo-Woo, riding with him on a #22 Clark bus, and my first few visits to the Weiner's Circle, which occurred during the day when sesrvice is unremarkable (it was simply the closest place to get a good burger). On my first late-night visit, I was stunned to see how people were being treated, but they were even more stunned when the lady at the counter ignored everybody in line in front of me and called out "Hey baby, what can I get you?"
Are you sure those moans were of "ecstasy," Vincent? :p
Roger;
If you find this man's suits intriguing, I suggest looking into the wardrobe of Canadian hockey legend Don Cherry.
http://doncherryjacketwatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/doncherryhnic20080528.jpg
Is a good example, but a quick Google search will reveal suits covering all colours of the rainbow!
Ebert: Vincent Falk has much better taste.
Dear Roger,
Chicago marches on, in all its humanity and diversity.
Also, If this minute's news is to be believed, it seems that all it took to kill Twitter was your post. Nice job. For your next trick, kill the art slasher movie.
Ebert: I missed that news item. Where did you see it?
A new Harvard study cited by the BBC makes this rather astonishing statement:
The median number of lifetime tweets per user is one.
You got a problem with plaid, "Fatso?"
For those not mathematically inclined or adept, the median is simply the number at which half of the statistical sample's respondents are above and half are below. So, essentially if you have the following distribution,
you'll have a median of 1 tweet per respondent.
Formally, it's "(t)he measure of central tendency of a set of n values computed by ordering the values and taking the value at position (n+1)/2 when n is odd or the arithmetic mean of the values at positions n/2 and n/2+1 when n is even" (per Wiktionary for the formal definition).
Roger -
Quick funny story on Vince. I work for a financial firm downtown that has a great view of the Chicago river and Clark and Dearborn bridges. We see Vince ALL the time. To add a little spice to the workday we concocted a "Vince" pool. Here's how it works:
We had five players. We selected 7 or 8 colors that Vince would wear (ex - Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, etc) and put them in a hat. Each week, every player would ante $1 and draw a color for themself. If we spotted Vince on the bridge that week wearing a color that someone had drawn, that person won the pot. For example, if I drew the color blue and saw Vince wearing blue that week...I just won whatever money was in the pot. Time to re-ante and redraw colors. The "Vince" pool continued for a couple years. If no one saw Vince or Vince was wearing a color that wasn't drawn (this happened frequently) the money would carry over to the next week. Vince has so many different colored suits we'd literally argue whether a suit was orange or red, or which color it was closest to. Anyway, thanks to Vince for providing a little entertainment to our work day!
Ryan
Thank you for highlighting this documentary. I have been awaiting it's release after hearing of the piece last year. I fondly recall interacting with Mr. Falk when I lived in Chicago. I could mark the commencement of Spring when I caught my first glimpse of him in March. A few years ago I was walking behind him after the River Dyeing festivities. He wrapped his arm around a startled tourist and stated "Hey, we match." That solidified his place on my favorite Chicago icons list.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your columns over the years. I believe that you genuinely appreciate films, which seems to be a rarity in reviewers in recent years. Thank you for sharing your perspective. It is appreciated.
thanks for the article.
I must admit never knowing about vincent despite having grown up in chicago. I guess I don't make it downtown too often ...
in any case, i guess it shouldn't surprise me, but the number of people who imagine that people doing wacky things in public are automatically 'crazy' or 'mildly retarded' or something really does surprise me. I'm certainly human, and have my own initial reactions to people that aren't always fair or true, but thankfully I find it difficult to judge a person's intelligence or personality until I have spoken with them at least. on the other hand, I admit just reading about 'wild suited guy performing obsessive compulsively at bridge', created an image for me that did not include a normal real world (successful!) job, which he obviously has. So thanks for making me see that I'm not as great as I thought I was.
in fact, I think the best comment on this board is from the 'Co-Worker,' who actually knows Vincent. just goes to show you that the context in which we encounter anything has a real bearing on the perception, thoughts, and opinions we form.
side question: I grew up in hyde park. there was a resident there who used to be a math prof at the U of C, but apparently had a breakdown. He toured the neighborhood on the same route every day, carrying an umbrella, and wearing camouflage (not sure if I remember that correctly), and singing a song, comprised of the lone word 'Loser!' which he sang at adults and children alike as he followed his route. for like 20 years. I was always curious about his real story, but never had the courage as a kid to ask him. I don't think he is around anymore. Are you aware of/have you heard about him and do you have any more info? thanks.
By Ron Barth, Jr. on June 9, 2009 6:38 PM
Ebert: The median number of lifetime tweets per user is one.
4,999 respondents: 1,000,000 tweets each
1 respondent: 1 tweet
4,999 respondents: 0 tweets,
So the Harvard study if literally taken would imply that half the population does not use the service at all----nothing more, nothing less?
I have seen the movie, 'Vincent, A Life in Color' twice. After seeing it in Grayslake at a film festival I drove to Madison, WI, to see it again a few weeks later. It makes you laugh and cry and leaves you feeling good. Producer/Director, Jennifer Burns did a great job! Vinny is quite a guy! I'm looking forward to seeing his film again.
We should all write to Channel 7 ABC News and ask Jef Kos to stop cutting Vinny out of the folks at the window. Channel 7 should accept the gift that Vinny offers them by being there. It always makes my day and gives me a smile to see a few seconds of Vinny at the end of the news.
Roger, this is my first time catching your blog. I've been a fan of yours for years. I'll be back! All the best.
Love this article! I just recently moved from Chicago (I lived two blocks from the State St Bridge) and I miss saying hi to Vincent. I even joined him once in saying hi to the tour boats while they passed below! He's one of the many great people you have to meet while you're in Chicago!
Great overview of an amazing movie. My daughters and I had the privilege of sitting next to Vincent during the film's Madison premier. While he was full of puns and one-liners, I admired Vincent's willingness to share very personal and painful memories in the film. It was clearly emotional for him to watch, but The hard parts that he shared were critical to his story.The filmmaker Jennifer has never made a movie before: what a storyteller! Roger, what can you (and all of us) do to make sure this film is seen by more people? Other than a couple screenings in Chicago and the Madison Film Festival, the director didn't seem to have a lot of options for showing the film in other venues.
What a fun article. He IS hard to miss, isn't he?
I remember the first time I talked to him, he did that same dance and threw in a few puns. Needless to say, I was impressed by him and always smile when I see him.
I just saw that there is a documentary about Ronny Woo-Woo. Maybe someone should make one about the Hi Guy, too.
Anyway, I wish the videos could show the satin and silk detail in Vincent's jackets. I particularly loved the black and white harlequin checked suit he wore one day with the pink satin shirt.
Thanks for spotlighting a bright spot in Chicago Loop 9 to 5 life.
I was catching up on some of your past blogs, and stumbled across this one. I admire your ability to grow, to change, and to reframe positions. Thank you for that. It makes your posts refreshing. Incidentally, Mr. Falk finally gives me *the* reason I was lacking to visit Chicago.
Film festivals are starting to pop for Jennifer's film. It was played about 2.5 weeks ago at the Kansas International Film Festival, Overland Park, KS. The film won the award for "Best Documentary" at that festival. It is current doing a one week run at the same theater where the festival films played. This week, it will play at the Bend Film Festival, Bend, OR, on Fri, Oct 9, at 8:30PM PDT. Also, 2 weeks from now, the film will play at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Hot Springs, AR. It will play on Tue, Oct 20, and Wed, Oct 21. Jennifer and I will be at both upcoming film fests to promote the film (lots of "spin moves", and "exceptionally high quality jokes"). Hurray!!!!!!
I've worked with Vince for a number of years at Cook County. I've always enjoyed his sense of humor. He focuses on his abilities - not his disabilities. He sets a very good example for anyone with or without a handicap. May God bless him.
I too was in St. Josephs Home for the Friendless. That alone is a reason to celebrate this man, he survived.
Ebert: I hate to ask, but -- does the name of the home describe the state of the residents?