The good news was that I had managed to time my cruise just right that I could head out to Los Angeles immediately after it ended and attend the winter Hollywood Show on Saturday, February 12, 2011. The bad news was that unlike most shows that I’ve attended over the last few years that had over 100 celebrities, this show had less than 70 scheduled. The good news is that even with only 70, there were roughly 30 celebs that I was interested in meeting and getting autographs from – including some real draws like Otis Day, Tracy Nelson, and Rich Little.
The bad news was that Otis cancelled, Rich was moved to be there Sunday only, and Tracy never showed up. John Savage, who had cancelled once before, was also scheduled for Sunday only. Actress Adrian Booth, who had worked with the Three Stooges, was also moved to Sunday only. Those blasted ‘Sunday only’ guests burned me once again.
The other good news was that there was a cool Love Boat reunion scheduled that included Gavin MacLeon, Lauren Tewes, Ted Lange, and Bernie Kopell – all of whom I needed a photo with and/or autograph from. The bad news was this reunion was postponed.
More good news was that there were several other reunions scheduled. The bad news was that they were pretty much all for shows I had no interest in – for instance Josie and the Pussycats, Dark Shadows, Lost in Space, and a few minor reunions (with two cast members each) of Baywatch, The Munsters, The Dukes of Hazzard (but only the fake ‘cousin’ guys), Kill Bill, and Growing Pains.
Saturday morning certainly began nice enough. Jimmy and I, still rather tired from the late evening at Disneyland, got up early enough to make it to breakfast with Ellen and Jimmy’s folks at the Pacific Diner. I once again had the tasty avacado omelette (as I had the last time I ate at this restaurant almost two years earlier). The staff had clearly changed though as I didn’t recall the two most beautiful waitresses I had ever seen from before. We took Ellen and the folks back home and then headed toward Burbank, picking up David along the way. We got to the show just minutes after it had opened, picked up our will-call wristbands and went directly in.
Kris, Big Jimmy, me, Jimmy, and Ellen enjoying breakfast at the Pacific Diner
There was a tidy handful of guests whom I had already met before – so although they were good people to have there, they were not draws for me personally. These included Angela Cartwright, Angie Dickinson, Billy Mumy, Cindy Morgan, Erika Eleniak (yet again!), Geoffrey Lewis, Jason Lively, June Foray, Lita Ford, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Marvin Kaplan, Richard Roundtree, and Valerie Perrine. Too bad they can’t all be all new. Back on the good news side, there were a couple of celebrities who hadn’t been announced that I was interested in getting photos with – both for free!
Considering everything I just said, amazingly enough I ended up being pretty happy with the show. And I spent about $450 less than I budgeted on the celebs – although I did have a run-in with my friend Dick Bann that resulted in me being a little bit poorer. He made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse – or rather accepted my offer on the photo below: a great original tinted promotional lobby 8×10 photo from Laurel and Hardy’s A-Haunting We Will Go, hand-signed by Stan Laurel.
Dick Bann getting ready to take my money
And I took this
Oh and there was one more piece of good news: former Our Gang member Robert Blake was scheduled to attend. Bad news was that he cancelled. Good news was that he was put back on the schedule. Bad news was that…well, Robert Blake can just be bad news.
My encounter with him was pleasant enough, and you can read about that here, but overall his appearance certainly brought plenty of drama (and press), not the least of which came to my good friend Bob – who acted as his handler during the show.
Bob assisting Blake in their signing zone
Bob directs Blake on how to sign a photo
After signing for about two hours, Blake decided that his line was not long enough and that he was going to leave. Bob assisted him along the way, convincing him not to be seen lugging his photos out of the show on his own, but rather was kind enough to deliver the photos to him at his home later that day.
The next day (as I was en route back to Dayton), Blake called Bob and asked if he’d like to go with him and help him give out photos and sign autographs for free in the parking lot of the show. Apparently he had had a change of heart. As you might guess though, things did not go quite as nice and smoothly as they could have. The show’s owners initially invited him inside, but when he refused to make an apology to the owners (preferring only to apologize to the fans that he had let down they day before), they asked him to leave. In fact, by the end of the story, security and the media were practically chasing Blake down (in Bob’s car) as they exited the lot!
Never a dull moment at the Hollywood Show. I’m almost sorry I missed the pandemonium.
Me and Bob after the first round of Blake madness
Jimmy and David headed out about an hour before I had finished. Jimmy dropped David off and then headed home to pick up Ellen. David would pick me back up at about 2:45 – and we would head off to the last destination of this very full, fun, and lucrative trip.
The fun that I missed on Sunday
Follow the trail of celebrities at the Winter 2011 Hollywood Show…
The California winter trip will conclude back at Disneyland…
Great Story! Is it safe to say that Bob found himself in ‘Another Fine Mess’?
Dave Chasteen
March 7th, 2011
ha! i thought he was in jail?
Eric Hubble
March 8th, 2011
That video was AWESOME!
Aaron
March 8th, 2011