She hardly looks her 84 years! (and Ro looks marvelous too, dontcha think?) This photo was snapped a few years ago under odd circumstances. She was brought into town to speak after the newly restored Baby Rose Marie shorts were shown at the Heights Theatre in Minneapolis. I have a pal who is pals with the theatre owner and this said pal phoned me and mentioned that he was going to dinner with Rose Marie. I told him that if he wanted to be walking tomorrow, he had better get me a seat at that table(!) and he obliged. It turned out to be a motley group of people (including Rosie's very motley escort, horror actor Randal Malone). This dinner took place in a coffee shop, it was pretty awful. All I could think about is what I would've done if I'd been in charge of this.
So, I was never a big fan of "The Dick Van Dyke Show". Okay, I watched it from time to time, but it wasn't a favorite though I did like Sally, Buddy and Richard Deacon. And Ro on "Hollywood Squares" was always good and I saw her, Margaret Whiting, Helen O'Connell and Rosemary Clooney in "Four Girls Four" at the tent in Hyannis ten million summers ago. What I'm trying to say is I am a fan. So yes, once I knew I was attending this state dinner, I went through everything and found my deluxe program from "Four Girls Four" and brought it with. I hoped it would please her. Once there, I found her to be kind of out of it. There were some weirdos at the table asking her inane questions. Someone said something and a question floated in the air and then the name of Sally Rogers boyfriend popped into my head and I blurted out NORMAN GLIMCHER! As if scripted, she stopped chewing for a moment & raspily blurted HERMAN! IT WAS HERMAN!
Her hair needed attention, her bows were askew and I wanted to say something, but since I was a "guest" myself, I kept my big yap shut. Oh well.
I can only hope there will be someone close at hand to align my akimbo eyebrows at that age.
ReplyDelete@MJ - I will be there for you and I have stencils and a sharpie marker.
ReplyDeleteI've had a similar experience meeting a famous person. Sometimes it's best to just have fond memories.
Because my ex owns a popular restaurant I have had several occasions where I met famous people who were in town.
The best was Bill Daily (Roger) from I dream of Jeannie. Very friendly and talkative with lots of anecdotes about the show and Barbara Eden and Major Nelson. He gave me a copy of his book and autographed it.
I suddenly feel the need to invest in one of those giant makeup mirrors that magnifies every pore and follicle.
ReplyDeletemj, magnifying mirrors can be a curse.
ReplyDeleteay, not sure i'd want to hear about major nelson, that poop. when on dallas, he was insufferable, pontificating on talk shows.
I'm looking at that picture and my first thought is, to quote from the cannon of the great Redd Foxx, "Norma, is that you?" If not, then who's your handsome friend!
ReplyDeleteLethal and I just had a Loooong talk about Randall Malone. Creep. I never realized that he had added poor Rosie to his collection of the once-notable that he sucks the life out of. I only knew about Anita Page and Margaret O'Brien.
Some snowy night in front of the fire, I'll tell you my Malone story.
Oh good lord. Good ... lord. That makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteI saw Rose being honored at a function about three years ago and her little tiny baby shoes were there. She was supporting two families, I think, starting at the age of two.
felix, i look forward to it.
ReplyDelete