She stepped on the ping-pong ball
Friends and family today paid tribute to New York socialite Laura “Bunny” Bixler following her death at the age of 75 from complications of jaw surgery.
The cooking-oil heiress was perhaps best known for her expose of the country club life of New York’s privileged young in the late 1950s. Her book: “Just Ghastly: What Happened At The Game-room Closet.” enjoyed surprising success when it came out in 1962. The book is held to be at least partially responsible for halting what many thought was a dangerous tendency toward inter-breeding among the social register’s top families.
Muriel Puce said of her long-time friend: “Bunny never really got over that ping-pong ball incident at the club when we were all at the Upper Richmond Girl’s School. It kind of haunted her. And Gloria (Gloria “Little Glory” Upson) was forever telling the story, everywhere she went – every party! We were all sick of hearing about it.”
Bunny, who lived at her family’s apartment at Park Ave and 71st, succumbed to a massive heart attack while undergoing temporomandibular joint surgery last week. She had suffered chronic jaw pain for most of her life due to the clenched-teeth style of talking preferred by east coast debutantes.
Mourners described Bunny as “really, top drawer.”
(Gloria explains the “ping-pong incident”, as it came to be known)
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
So, what exactly did happen in the game room closet? My condolences to Bunny’s family and friends.
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You have to watch the movie Auntie Mame starring Rosiland Russell. One of the funniest movies ever.
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One of my favorites – I wish I had an Auntie Mame.
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Nothing! Because the door was locked! They had to call the whole thing off! It was ghastly!
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It was locked. Thanks for your kind words.
Gloria’s retelling of the incident is my favorite scene in a favorite movie -“Auntie Mame”. Remind me to show you my “Little Glory” imitation sometime – it’s not bad.
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Well. And poor poor Gloria Upson with nary a mention! I mean to have been jilted is one thing, but that book was her idea after she visited Mame and saw her gloriously 😉 decorative collection. That have gave her the divine inspiration of commissioning Salvador Dali to design the leather bindings of two ping pong balls and racquet. Why, she went down to visit those blind Peruvian nuns who hand tooled each and every one and gave them her advice. Weekly, btw, that’s how she developed an addiction to cocaine leaves and had to leave 749 Park!!. At least we know that story!
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Little Glory was never really appreciated, was she?
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Just GHASTLY.
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A classic!!! Gotta check out Rosalind Russell in “Auntie Mame” (circa late 1950s/early 1960s)… brilliant!!
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One of the all-time greats!
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Oh, I absolutely LOVE this movie! I haven’t seen it in a while and now you’ve gone and made me want to run immediately to the video store and find it! I should just order it somewhere and buy it, it’s such a favorite. They just don’t make movies like that anymore, do they? Ah…those were the days…!
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You’re right. We saw it a few weeks ago and it just rekindled my love – what a classic! Go with your heart on this.
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I was fortunate enough to have hired Joanna Barnes, the actress who played Gloria Upson, for a TV project I worked on back in the 90s. She could not have been more lovely, professional and endearing!
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How interesting! It sounds like she was as lovely inside as out.
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Alright, I’ve gone and seen it. It must have been a set designer’s dream – all that redecorating! Gloria and her family were funny, but what made me laugh was the pregnant former secretary trying to sit on the backless sofa and ending up slithering on her back, unable to bend.
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Agnes Gooch – a classic! Wouldn’t you have loved to have an Auntie Mame as a kid? One of my favorite quotes, ever, is “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving!”
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Mine too – my high school theater group did a full on “Mame” in 1970! I love the book, the movie, RR and just found the second Auntie Mame book!
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I didn’t know there was a second book – how fab!
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Bunny was the epitome of “an Upper Richmond Girl’s School girl.” She will be missed. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Epstein Home for Jewish Children, just outside Mountebank.
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She was really top drawer.
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Wasn’t that right next to Upson Downs?
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I’d go to the funeral but I’m the wrong kind. They’ll ask for a blood test. RIP Bunny Bixler, she was no riffraff.
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I’ve had a lot of hits on this old blog post today. May I ask how you made your way here? The “real” Bunny is ok, isn’t she?
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It is with gratitude to Mr Kentington Rogers that The Pastry Pilgrim was made aware of the death of Bunny Bixler. Frankly, however, The Pilgrim was astonished to hear Ms. Bixler was so recently deceased, as he thought Bunny had died of shame decades ago, following her notorious humiliation in Mame Burnside’s Salon, and subsequent rough treatment in Mrs. Burnside’s memoir (“How Bleak Was My Puberty in Buffalo”).
But, on reflection, The Pastry Pilgrim’s surprise is ameliorated by the news of Bunny’s astoundingly fortunate marriage into that cooking oil fortune. Such a marriage certainly enabled Bunny to slide into the unctuous embrace of her upper class, and would easily allow her misadventure with the ping-pong ball to be ignored.
It is sad, however, that Bunny died as a direct result of tempromandibular joint surgery. The Pastry Pilgrim is amazed she did not know such surgery has been proved extremely dangerous. Bunny should have been aware of this, since the news has been full of unfortunate stores about similar procedures attempted on Bulldogs and Pugs — who suffer from the same problems of inbreeding as do Connecticut socialites.
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If there are those who intimate that Bunny drowned her sorrows in an excessive consumption of Manhattans in the ensuing years since the ping-pong incident, that is not a topic upon which I choose to comment.
You know I never gossip.
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Of course you are correct: gossip is for the ill-bred. But it has to be said that the consumption of Manhattans could only lead to ruin. Putting aside the willful ignoring of the healthful effects of both gin and vodka taken straight, it is simply stupidity to mix whiskey with vermouth. I though everyone learned that at prep school.
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I don’t wish to speak ill of the dead, but I suspect Bunny was from new money.
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Yes, indeed, new money is at the heart of all that is déclassé, and troublesome. Allowing such types into the fold is probably unavoidable, simply because they make such excellent contribution to the Alumni Funds. Gawd knows that, in 2 or 3 generations, they will have become worth the bother, but putting up with them all that time in between — that’s the problem. One does one’s best to encourage them that, like children, they should be seen, but not heard, but do they listen? Hardly. They end up making whoopee in the Game Room Closet, and throwing up those awful Manhattans in the potted plants. And gawd knows how they do it, but they always seem to make marriages with wealthy families, marriages which should have been ours. Sniff.
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So true. If only one didn’t have to accept THEM to get their lovely, lovely money.
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Precisely! And well said, old chap!
You are obviously top drawer, someone I would love to have a martini with. You wouldn’t mind buying would you? My trust fund hasn’t been up to snuff lately (actually, since 2008) perhaps you could lend me some financial advice, or the name of your broker, or just a loan? That would be ever so welcome.
Oh, and do call me “Binky,” please!
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The actual line from Auntie Mame is “Life is a banquet and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death!” Sadly, such inflammatory language was not acceptable for the movie going public back in those days and it was cleaned up. I’m sure the motion picture people would have preferred the original line but I do believe the Hays office was from Mountebank. Such prudes they were.
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Love that line, with or without the sons-of-bitches. Every time I hear it, I vow anew to live it. So vowing right here and now.
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“That’s a B. It’s the first letter of a seven-letter word that means your late father.”
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(gasp) four…four….f-f-four thousand shares on Facebook?! HOLY CRAP
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Who? What? Where?
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Yeah, what she said. Only en Francais. Congratulations on your virus. May it last for as long as you want.
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I’d heard some time ago that pickled rattlesnake was served at the post-funeral reception. Which, regrettably, was interrupted by a very pregnant Agnes Gooch requesting to fix herself a Dr. Pepper.
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Agnes does like her Dr. Pepper. Or should I say Mrs. O’Banyon.
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See, this is where I get confused with numbers, especially WordPress numbers. I hopped over here after reading you post about going mini-viral. So how come only me and five others like this one??? And I do like it. My friend loves the Auntie Mame film – must watch it. Bumping up numbers is a time consuming thing, I can’t be arsed with it – that’s my Kim’s Butt cultural reference!!
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Good point. I think because all the views came from Facebook, not WordPress and you have to sign in to like or comment. Apparently people were motivated enough to stop by, but not enough to engage. Which is kind of my point.
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Not to knock a fabulous piece, but I don’t get at all why it went ‘viral.’ This is no ‘David after dentist.’
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You don’t see why…what are you implying, Shannon ???!!
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I’ve always been a bit of an outlier. We’ll just call it THAT, hm? ;D
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It was actually the late 1930’s when these actions were occurring (in play and film).
Also, Joanna Barnes, who played Gloria Upson, was a Seven Sisters college grad with no interest in acting at all, and was working at TIME magazine when she won a talent search contest, after a friend’s mother submitted her picture.
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The movie was in 1958, but it was set in the 30s you mean, right?
Interesting about Joanna Barnes. That would explain how perfect she was for the role – she probably WAS an Upper Richmond Girl’s School girl.
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Nope! See my comment from earlier. Lovely, lovely woman.
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Perhaps she was the sweet débutante who disproved the rule that they were all ghastly.
You must have some fascinating memories to share. Do tell…
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I am so saddened by this news. I can remember vividly how she’d try and (unsuccessfully) order in French whilst sitting at the lunch counter at Shraft’s. She was so desperate to get Patrick Dennis’ attention but always just missed the mark by this much… I hear the club is going to name a new ping pong pavilion after her. That’ll be nice
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Little Glory snagged all of his attention, didn’t she?
A new ping pong pavilion? How lovely!
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Harrumph. The Bixlers must have put out a pretty penny for that new ping pong pavillion. I don’t wonder it will be named in “honor” of Bunny – there is absolutely no shame in this world of ours, which is falling apart even as we speak, what with all these Facebook jillionaires showing up. New Money! Argh!
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And what’s wrong with Muriel Puce?!
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Not a thing! She’s a daaaaarrrrling.
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