I think that Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of the great American teenage high school romps. It presents teen life in a fun way, but doesn’t glorify any of the pitfalls of sex, drugs, or ticket scalping. Robert Romanus played the ultra-cool always-in-control Mike Damone, for whom things begin to unravel slowly. His protégé Rat is under Damone’s constant advisement in the dating department, and it’s during one of these exchanges that Romanus utters my favorite line of the movie: “This shyness routine is really starting to aggravate me.”
Unfortunately, when I got the chance to meet the real Damone at the Chiller Theatre Show in Parsippany, New Jersey, on April 30, 2011, neither Romanus nor I could recall the exact quote. I was hoping to have him write in on my photo, but it just wasn’t fully coming to either of us.
No matter, I was pleased to meet this fine actor, whose career sputtered a bit after Fast Times, but who has recently returned to the big time with a role in The Runaways. He was a very nice guy who didn’t charge any extra for a photo with him. I mean whatever happened, our toes are still tappin’.
Celebrities of the Fall 2011 Chiller Theatre Show will continue…
Truly one of the great movies of all time.
Aaron
December 21st, 2011
let’s not forget his work in the “Kilroy was Here” short film played prior to every Styx concert on that tour!
on second thought, maybe we should forget that.
Eric
December 22nd, 2011