It wasn’t cheap by any means, but another of the many highlights of the Chiller Theatre show was getting the chance to meet Bronson Pinchot on October 27, 2012. For a short time, I though the show Perfect Strangers was utter tripe, but soon I was lulled into its journey into ridiculousness as the uptight Larry Appleton (played by Mark Linn-Baker) did his utmost to tolerate his long lost ‘cousin’ from the fictional island of Mypos, Balki Bartokomous. I think anyone who religiously watched the show couldn’t help but get taken in by and repeat the many catch phrases from this pair: watch and learn, get out of the city, you bet your bibby babkas, and don’t be ridiculous. And who can count how often we’ve done the dance of joy.
It took me a while to realize that this pair was actually imitating my idols Laurel and Hardy in their own way. But I certainly couldn’t escape that fact when they did an episode with a fantasy sequence as Laurel and Hardy. It’s no wonder that Bronson Pinchot was actually cast to play Stan Laurel in the colossal mistake of a film The All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy. Unfortunately, I had so closely associated him with Perfect Strangers that I didn’t even think to ask him about playing Stan.
I really didn’t think about his many other roles either: Beverly Hills Cop, Risky Business, True Romance, The Langoliers, The First Wives Club, or as the villian the Prankster in Lois and Clark: The All New Adventures of Superman.
As for how he was in person, I really have no major complaints. His price was a bit high ($50 for the autograph/photo op combo), he seemed a bit preoccupied with Linda Blair and a model head of Regan that a fan had, and he might have signed the photo entirely in the white area…but beggars can’t be choosers. There’s no doubt that this was a thrilling encounter to add to my collection.
Celebrities of the Fall 2012 Chiller Theatre show will continue…
But you weren’t a beggar… for $50, I think you should be a chooser.
Peter
March 4th, 2014