Does Anyone Remember Her Name?
Monday, June 11th, 2012
If Abby Dalton couldn’t remember it, then what hope is there for the rest of us? After all, I had never actually seen an episode of The Joey Bishop Show, a relatively popular sitcom from the early 1960’s. It’s one that’s always been on my radar to see, but the only thing I knew about it was that it was the only sitcom to regress from color back to black and white when it switched networks, and that Abby Dalton was in it. When I met her at the Hollywood Show on October 8, 2011, I was counting on her to remember her character’s name. Read the rest of this entry »
OK, he’s still a nice guy, but the title just proved too darn tempting to not use it. It just so happens that in the past he was a super nice guy, who willingly signed autographs and posed for pictures for free, at least when my friend Bob met him at a golf tournament a decade ago. Now he’s charging an arm and a leg (and might even use them in his next concert, covered in blood) for the same thing. But Alice Cooper, despite the fact that he nearly drained me of 100 bucks, is still a very nice and cordial guy, who was a pleasure to meet at the Chiller Theatre Show in Parsippany, New Jersey, on April 28, 2012. 
The novelty of meeting Dave Ketchum will likely escape those readers who have never watched Get Smart. It’s true that his faced popped up often in a variety of sitcoms – including but not limited to The Andy Griffith Show, I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster, That Girl, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, Alice, Mork & Mindy, Happy Days, and Perfect Strangers. But for all of the popping up he did in these shows, these roles pales in comparison to the way that he popped up in Get Smart in (ironically) thirteen episodes of the series. 
I had long looked forward to meeting Stan Freberg at the Hollywood Show on April 2, 2011, whose fascinating career has spanned over six decades and whose work includes (but is not limited to) writing, drawing, puppeteering, voice-overs, acting, advertising, and stand-up comedy. His works might be frequently seen in the early days of MAD Magazine. His comedy recording of Saint George and the Dragonet was an audio satire which became a rare non-musical performance that reached #1 on Billboard record charts. His face graced the film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World which was ironic since despite being known for his voice-work, the deputy sheriff character he played remained totally silent. 
Quentin Tarentino films are somewhat of an acquired taste to be sure, and I happen to be one of those that enjoy them immensely. I found it to be quite cool to get the chance to meet a trio of Tarentino stars at the Hollywood Show on February 12, 2011. I have already discussed Jackie Brown starlet Pam Grier