VANITY FAIR

September 2002

No. 505

Features

THE INTRIGUING MISS CONNELLY What does an elegant, cerebral, poetry-loving actress like Jennifer Connelly do to follow up on her Oscar-and-Golden-Globe-winning performance in A Beautiful MincH She stars opposite a big, green animated superhero in Ang Lee's The Hulk, naturally. Michael Shnayerson discovers what drives the intensely private Connelly, how she copes as a single mother with a five-year-old son, and the truth behind the gossip—did she or didn't she?—that has Hollywood whispering. Photographs by Mario Testino.318

TWO TOWERS, ONE YEAR LATER The attack on the World Trade Center was the most photographed breakingnews event in history. Pictures of unbelievable destruction, family snaps of the missing, and footage of international reactions— within hours, all were ricocheting around the globe. Vanity Fair showcases never-before-published images from that day, and David Friend reports on the personal stories behind an indelible record of September 11, 2001.....326

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED James Bond is embarking on his 20th marathon of guns, girls, and car chases in the upcoming Die Another Day. Greg Williams and Bruce Handy spotlight Pierce Brosnan and glistening new Bond inamorata Halle Berry, whose main love scene may fall victim to Hollywood censors with a license to kill.....342

AGE OF AVEDON Over the past half-century, Richard Avedon, more than any other photographer, has epitomized the power of his art form, exposing the fault lines of icons such as Marilyn Monroe, the Chicago Seven, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. With a major retrospective set to open this month at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vicki Goldberg zooms in close on the master. Portrait by Annie Leibovitz....346

IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT! On October 11, 1975, in Studio 8-H at Rockefeller Center, the Not Ready for Prime Time Players sounded a wake-up call for television and launched an all-out assault on its conventions. In an excerpt from Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller's new oral history, Saturday Night Live cast members from Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd to Chris Rock and Will Ferrell reconstruct a hilarious romp that included backstage affairs, drugs, and fistfights, as well as the tragic losses that punctuated more than two and a half decades of extreme comedy....356

Special Section

COVER STORY: THE FIRST 500 Thelushly illustrated covers of the early Vanity Fair exemplified the Jazz Age's champagne-fueled effervescence, just as the magazine's second incarnation stamped 80s and 90s culture with portraits of modern-day icons. Looking back, James Wolcott appreciates the way VF's face has mirrored the spirit of each era— always slightly ahead of schedule.302

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

Fanfair

30 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF THE CULTURE British Invasion—Laura Jacobs on Masterpiece Theatre's "The Forsyte Saga." Hot Reels: Bruce Handy on One Hour Photo and Possession; Coming Attractions—Walter Kirn parties with The Banger Sisters. Elissa SchappelFs Hot Type. Jim Windolf highlights the best of the 9/11 commemorative books; Henry Alford on Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex. Edward Helmore salvages N.YC.'s Lower East Side. Lisa Robinson's Hot Tracks. A. M. Homes on artists John Currin and Fabian Marcaccio. Anne Fulenwider previews Cadillac's new XLR Roadster. Steven Daly recalls the Manchester music scene that inspired 24 Hour Party People; Marc Goodman meets Igby Goes Down director Burr Steers. Sharon Osbourne reveals a few of her favorite things; Hot Looks; David Colman raids the bathrooms of boutique hotels.....161

Columns

JEWISH POWER, JEWISH PERIL Against a backdrop of synagogue burnings in Europe, ever grimmer reports from the Middle East, and uneasiness spreading from Times Square to Hollywood, Christopher Hitchens untangles the twisted strands of history and hysteria behind the seemingly ineradicable curse of anti-Semitism.....194

VANISHED FORTUNES Summertime, and the living is easy—unless you're caught in the sights of V.F. diarist Dominick Dunne, who this month unearths new post-verdict dirt on the Skakels, revisits the mysterious Chandra Levy "horse whisperer," and, for the debut of his Court TV show, follows the trail of an accused Palm Beach murderer. Plus: ImClone fatigue in Southampton and feting Nancy Reagan at the White House. Portrait by Francis Dischinger......204

PILOT TERROR When American Airlines Flight 587 went down on the edge of New York City in November 2001, the brief, heartstopping fear was that terrorists had struck again. Then came the official theory: air turbulence and crew error. But as the National Transportation Safety Board prepares for public hearings this October, David Rose investigates and finds a growing belief that there may be deadly flaws in the computerized controls of the Airbus A300-600. Portraits by Gasper Tringale.....212

THE TITAN AND THE ARCHITECT Designerarchitect Robert Couturier was living an 80s-Eurotrash existence when he found himself drawn into the orbit of Anglo-French billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, and ultimately charged with construction of the late financier's fabulous castle compound on the coast of Mexico. Now, two decades later, Amy Fine Collins writes, Couturier has found his own muse, a renascent career, and a partner for the "idea of heaven" he is building in Connecticut......236

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42

GIRLS, UNINTERRUPTED Cake's monthly New York party for young upscale women is part orgy, part networking opportunity; its Web site gives 25,000 members tips on female sexual empowerment, and its hip, ambitious founders hope it will become a Playboy-esque empire. Accepting an invitation to join the club, Nancy Jo Sales watches nice girls get in touch with their inner lap dancer....250

SEPTEMBER WIDOWS Nearly 50 people from the Middletown, New Jersey, area, just 25 miles south of Manhattan, died in the World Trade Center catastrophe. Witnessing the journey of three widows through a spiral of grief, anger, paranoia, and retaliation, Gail Sheehy explores their despair and the strength that drives them forward. Photographs by Harry Benson.....260

Vanities

ROBERTSON'S BOULEVARD Richard Rushfield and Adam Leff's Intelligence Report: Crunch Gym, Hollywood. Ed Coaster's not-quite-triumphant return. George Wayne tools around with Travis Fimmel. Henry Alford breaks down borders; Out & In: Le Car, Le Pen, and tap shoes .... 287

Et Cetera

EDITOR'S LETTER: It's All About Planes..........116

CONTRIBUTORS............122

LETTERS: Irish and Dangerous.............136

CREDITS............378

PLANETARIUM: Mind yourself, Virgo...........380

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Oscar de la Renta .... 382

TO FIND CONDfi NAST MAGAZINES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB. VISIT www.epicurious.com.