After our scrumptious dinner at Lawry’s the evening of Friday, April 4, 2008, we needed one last activity in which to partake so that Bob and I could round out this memorable vacation in Texas. That morning while ogling the condom that we found behind the TV at our Motel 6, we also watched a local morning program on which they were interviewing to of the former Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. They just happened to be in Dallas that day to promote the showing of the film at the Morton H. Myerson Symphony Center. I thought that this would be a cool addition to all we had done, to actually catch a celebrity while in Dallas.
So Bob and I attended the sold-out show that evening, puchasing stand-by tickets that allowed us to enter the theater after everyone else had been seated to fill in the unoccupied seats. This actually put us near the front of the theater, off to the right side of the stage. Making this performance unique in addition to the appearance of Munchkins Mickey Carroll and Margaret Pellegrini was the fact the film was being shown on the big screen with all of the music stripped from the soundtrack. In it’s place was the score of the film performed live by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra – quite a cool and unique touch.
Before the show began and during intermission, Mickey and Margaret were in the lobby handing out free autographed photos to ticket holders. This gave me an opportunity to get my picture snapped with each of them, and add another two autographs to my collection – although I had signed photos of both of them already. Then once we were in the theater, both of them came onto the stage and were interviewed briefly before the film began. This area of the stage just happened to be right in front of us.
Mickey Carroll and Margaret Pellegrini sign autographs for the crowd
Photo of Producer Mervin LeRoy and Director Victor Fleming visting Munchkinland. Mickey Carroll is indicated on the left.
Mickey and me
Margaret Pellegrini seen by Judy Garland’s hand (right above the very short gal) as Glenda visits Oz
Margaret and me
Margaret and Mickey are interviewed right in front of us while the interviewer feigns limp glee
It didn’t take me long to realize that the film print was actually from the DVD (which enabled one to eliminate the music score) rather than a 35mm print. This was a bit disappointing, but was necessary to have the orchestra effect. After the intermission, Bob and I found seats in the balcony to give our necks a rest from looking straight up. Overall, it was a pretty cool experience.
Our view of the stage and screen
That night we gave Motel 6 one more chance and stayed in one in Fort Worth. No condoms this time. This left us a little closer to both our final destination of the week and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
Our final historical visit of the trip was to the grave of Lee Harvey Oswald, certainly not the most memorable of guys, but with one of the most interesting stories concerning the grave. He was buried in Shannon Rose Hills Memorial Park in Fort Worth. Bob and I had a photo of what the grave was supposed to look like, but all we could find was a marker saying simply OSWALD. Next to him was the curious grave marker of a guy named Nick Beef.
If you asked if I spit on this grave, I’d have to give you an honest answer
If you can’t find Oswald, just ask “where’s the beef?”
When Bob inquired at the main office, he was given the story. The cemetery was asked by the family of Oswald not to disclose the location of the grave due to the frequent vandalism and theft of the stone (hence the reason we could not find the marker pictured), but since we already knew where it was, they told us more. The grave of Nick Beef was added by a comedian who included a piece in his act about how the cemetery where Oswald was buried would not tell you where to find him – so he advised that you simply ask where he – Nick Beef – was buried and that would show you right where Oswald was located. In actuality, the Nick Beef plot is empty. The cemetery however grew wise to this tactic and wouldn’t tell you where Nick Beef was either!
So after ending our weeklong historical tour with the grave of a notorious murderer, there was only one thing left to do: eat breakfast. We stopped at the Dixie House Cafe for a large, homemade breakfast – our first of the week. And then it was off to the airport. I had a direct flight back to Dayton departing at 1:40pm and Bob had a flight that left the exact same time. Although we were leaving from different terminals, Bob came over to mine and joined me for the wait and snapped one final photo of me in Texas as seen below.
Ready for our first and final full and filling breakfast at the Dixie House Cafe
Bob and I bid Texas a fond farewell
My last photo in Texas as I board the airplane
I arrived back in Dayton at the respectable hour of 4:50pm, Saturday afternoon and was picked up at the airport by my beloved Jackie. It was nice to have an entire day to rest before I had to return to work because as you know…oh Auntie Em, there’s no place like home!
Return to the beginning of the trip here…
Continue with 2008 here…
I had to hurry home for a dinner with the Wileys and the Don Rickles show in Anaheim.
Bob
July 18th, 2008