I’m not sure what it was about the cast members of the early 1970’s TV show Room 222, but they all had a mutual handler who insisted on charging $40 for the ‘show special’ of getting a signature and photo op with the cast members who were present at the Hollywood Show on April 2, 2011. I had never even seen the show (although I purchased the DVD set in advance of meeting them), so I really didn’t know the cast. Still, I probably would have picked up all of them had the prices been reasonable. Present at the show were Michael Constantine (Mr. Kaufman), Karen Valentine (Miss Johnson), Judy Strangis (Helen Loomis), and David Jolliffe (Bernie). Denise Nicholas, who played Miss Loomis, had been scheduled to attend, but canceled.
So once I saw the prices, I just stuck with the two principles Michael Constantine and Karen Valentine. Bob and I managed to haggle the handler down to $120 for photo of and with the pair which effectively made them $30 apiece. Still too much, but more acceptable.
Michael Constantine was a very friendly guy and it turns out that he has had an exceptionally rich history in film and television, starring in such works as: The Twilight Zone (I Am the Night… Color Me Black episode), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Hustler, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Skidoo, Don’t Drink the Water, and The North Avenue Irregulars. This is just a very small sampling, and merely represent performances that I’ve seen. He also complimented my t-shirt…for whatever reason.
Karen Valentine’s career wasn’t quite so lucrative, but she seemed to make the rounds in many of the 1970’s dramas – including Starsky and Hutch, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Baretta. She and Michael Constantine would go on to work together again in The North Avenue Irregulars.
I had hoped to watch some of the series during the prior week as Bob and I made our way through Utah, but I never did get to see it. It’s still on my list. But now that I have met two of the lead actors of the show, I can cross them off.
Celebrities of the Spring 2011 Hollywood Show will continue…
Big John, do you think this boy is a hustler?
Chris
January 30th, 2012
One of my favorite shows and it holds up great. I have the first 2 seasons on DVD and some soundtrack music. Went to a Paley event with this cast and it was terrific. Denise did attend that.
Rick Greene
February 3rd, 2012