Dennis Murphy punches me out, circa 1966
Dennis Murphy was Michael Murphy's brother, a Hollywood producer ( The Sergeant) and an amateur boxer. He and Michael were the children of John Murphy and his wife ( pretty sure it was John). I am sure many of you have read the story of Dennis chasing Dick Price with a pipe. It is true, I remember it to this day. Dennis felt he had a vested interest in what happened at Esalen, because the property was partially in trust to Dennis' kids. So Dennis (Denny) and Dick fought like cats and dogs.
At this time Denny was married to Daryl. She had a small very yappy dog named Zipper. Zipper was a major ankle nipper and troublemaker. Denny and Daryl were living in the Big House, Peter and Marya (Mickey) Melchior were living in the little house, where I dropped by every day for coffee. Marya boiled grounds in a big pot and threw in an eggshell. So I walked to the little house daily, and Zipper messed me with daily.
Zipper got run over by a car. Being a kid, I was not really touched by how sad this was for Daryl, and when she asked me if I heard, I said: "Good, he was a nasty little yapper." Well, that upset her, as it should. The next day Denny hunted me down and asked me if I said that. I said: "Yes, he was a nasty little yapper."
The next thing I know, am lying on the ground with a sore jaw, punched out by Denny.
For a couple years after that when I would have a few beers to many I'd look for Denny, fortunately I never found him. And it's been twenty years since I had a beer.
So there you have it.
It is true that Dennis and Dick "fought like cats and dogs" -- they were both very agile and Dennis came from being a boxer and Dick had been a competitive wrestler. Not entirely what some people may imagine and certainly more complex than just that. And, even if not positive by contemporary standards, there was a real "wild west" character to Big Sur in those days. Anyway, while they fought, I think it is also worth saying that they both clearly had a lot of respect for each other.
I liked Dennis very, very much and thought him an extraordinarily charismatic, intelligent, insightful and talented person.
In '66 I think Dennis still owned the Big House outright. Long story...
Denis wrote "the Sergeant" but wasn't the producer on it. The movie was released in 1968 with Rod Steiger playing the main role.
Details on the movie here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063585/fullcredits#cast
It's a great book -- in my opinion better than the film -- he told me he wrote it on a mattress in the lodge in the late '50s/early pre-Esalen '60s while collecting a dollar each for people going down to use the Baths which, among other things, financed the wine he was drinking.
Thanks Buzz for the stories... they are an important piece of the legacy of the place.
And, by the time I came along (the wild west was relatively tame) I only heard both Dick and Dennis speak of each other with words of respect.
Can't hear enough of these. I collected tons of stories about Heinz von Foerster and Gregory Bateson as I published books on them (2 on Heinz and one on Gregory). They initiallty led me to Esalen. Heinz was involved at the Om Conference at Esalen.
Great stories!