The SF Chronicle recently posted some of Herb Caen‘s most memorable columns. This famous one from April 2, 1958, is the first appearance of that word “Beatnik,” forever after credited to Herb Caen.
Starts off like this..
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS: Press release, dated March 31, from the S.F. Chamber of Commerce: “Officers or employees of the City of San Francisco should be local residents, according to a statement unanimously adopted by directors of the S.F. Chamber of Commerce. `San Francisco provides cultural and community facilities not surpassed anywhere in the United States,’ said President Alan K. Browne. `Housing is of high quality and variety and rental units of all types are available.’ ”
The above hotflash was prepared and distributed by the Chamber’s publicity mgr., James D. Warnock, who lives at 3602 Bryant. In Palo Alto.
IN ONE EAR: Matson’s big Mariposa sailed back into S.F. Bay this wk. minus one crew member — a 42-yr-old S.F. waitress, who, in a fit of despondency, leaped overboard bet. Auckland and Sydney; the ship searched for six hrs. with no luck . . . Pat Suzuki, the S’Jose Japanese singer who’s now a smash on records, is about to get her Big Break; she’ll play the lead — a Chinese doll — in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s B’way musical based on “Flower Drum Song,” the best-seller by Sausalito’s C. Y. Lee . . . Whaddever happened to Fortnight magazine??? . . . Pat Cosgrove, who pilots a Lo-Fare Cab in Oakland, is still going around in a doozy of a daze. Sun. night, a guy named Gene Guthrie (with a doll) piled into his hack and ordered, “Reno, please.” Pat delivered ’em to the door of Harrah’s Club and collected his fare: $125, plus $15 tip.
BUSINESS NOTE: There were only 10 customers for the midnight show in one of our bigger jernts Monday, prompting the star to sigh: “I hope it’s only the recession. I’d hate to think it’s ME!”
BAY CITY BEAGLE: Over 400 of Billy Graham’s followers — wherever he goeth, they dittoeth — will come to S.F. by special train from Nashville, Tenn., for the opening of their boy’s Crusade at the Cow Palace April 27 . . . Lee Ann “Miss America” Meriwether, who weds B’way actor Frank Aletter here April 20, hopes she’ll be in shape by then; meanwhile, she’s bedded down at home with The Bug . . . Pfun on the Pfuninsula: That prominent El Camino character who’s running for S’Mateo Supervisor has 30 signatures on his nominating papers. Among the first to sign (oh, the poor, blind pfool): the big S’Mateo politico whose wife is the character’s girl friend! Glug . . . More pfun: Atherton’s Judy Petersen, the million-dollar divorcee, went out of town last wk-end and needed a baby-sitter. Got one: her ex-husband, Merlin . . . Add nize gestures: Edward G. Robinson’s “Middle of the Night” folded for keeps here last wk-end — and the producers gave the expensive set to S.F.’s Actors Workshop, free for nothin’.
You can continue reading (and come across the “Beatnik” reference) – here
“Look magazine, preparing a picture spread on S.F.’s Beat Generation (oh, no, not AGAIN!), hosted a party in a No. Beach house for 50 Beatniks, and by the time word got around the sour grapevine, over 250 bearded cats and kits were on hand, slopping up Mike Cowles’ free booze. They’re only Beat, y’know, when it comes to work…”
