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Mike,

I have talked about this before, and I don't want people to think I am obsessed. But, since you asked...

Christopher was very briefly in a couple of commericals with Daltrey for A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden--a musical by Alan Menken (composer of most of the Disney animated musicals) and Lynn Ahrens. Christopher had played Tiny Tim in the previous Christmas season, and the Scrooge role was split (8 performances per week) between Roddy McDowall and Hal Linden. Roger Daltrey was chosen for 1998, but they hadn't cast Tiny Tim. It was early September, and they needed to create commercials since the show would start in November. The production company called us and asked if Christopher would still be able to fit in the Tiny Tim costume.

Anyway, we accepted, and I took Christopher from Philly to NY. We spent about six hours waiting around during the preparation for the taping, which took less than 10 minutes and includes Christopher for two nanoseconds at the very end. Add to the six hours about 2 1/2 hours of commuting each way from Philly to New York.

It was actually very interesting to hang around Daltrey when he was getting made up. Saw him with his shirt off, and he had zero body fat, much like me. Ahem. He was very particular about his costume. He objected that the Victorian era overcoat that they brought him was far too new-looking. Scrooge would not have a new coat. They gave him a pair of glasses, but he rejected them because the rims were too shiny. Someone went to a store and brought back a whole tray of glasses, and he rejected them, too. Untimately, he accepted a pair but they had to use an emery board to take the shine off.

He has his own glasses, but of course he took them off while being made up by the make-up artist. Every minute or so, he would put the glasses back on to see if he was happy with the progress, i.e., how he looked.

He is a prodigious drinker of water. They sent someone to the store to buy some, and they brought back a 12-pack. He picked up a bottle and said, "This is cold. I can't drink cold water." So they sent someone out to buy un-cold water.

Surprisingly, in spite of his diva-like expectations, he was pretty nice. I viewed his "demands" as being related to perfectionism and professionalism. Even the water was related to taking care of his vocal chords. He wanted everything to be right. Note, though, that the Theatre at Madison Square Garden seats over 5000, so it's not like everyone would be distracted by shiny glasses.

I didn't want to seem like a groupie, so I didn't really ask him questions, even though I was only ten feet away from him most of the time. I did ask him to sign a CD for my oldest son, Rob. Photo of CD below.

When I was way beyond being bored, Christopher and I started walking around. The floor we were on was not finished out -- it felt like we were in an abandoned building like one in the movies where a drug deal might be made or the CIA might interogate a terrorist. Anyway, we wandered around and stumbled across the make-shift studio, which was probably about 10' by 8' with a camera on a tripod at one end and a green screen at the other. On the door was a story board -- a set of drawings that showed the action of the two characters (Scrooge and Tiny Tim) in the commercial. There wasn't much to it, so I knew that this part of the commercial would be very, very brief. I could see the positions of the two people -- Scrooge would pick up Tiny Tim a specific way into a specific position. So, Christopher and I practiced the move a few times, including what expression he should have on his face.

Daltrey and the commercial people showed up a few minutes later. Daltrey and Christopher practiced a couple of times. They made that little segment of the two commercials in about three takes -- Daltrey messed up on the first one.

The Youtube link has two brief commercials, and Christopher is only in the last nanosecond of each. Note: It takes several seconds for the video to get started. Sorry that the resolution is so lame.

05/20/20 01:49 PM

#18134

My story about Roddy McDowall.

I have told many people this story about Roddy McDowall as it relates to my son Christopher's performances in A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden, and I would like to share it here.

As you probably know, Roddy McDowall was in scores of as a child star in the 1940s. He starred in How Green Was My Valley, Lassie Come Home, and many others. In Lassie Come Home, he was the top-billed actor, with his life-long close friend Elizabeth Taylor in a lesser role We felt that Roddy would be an excellent role model for Christopher. We even rented a couple of his old movies so that Christopher could see the work of a really excellent child actor. Later, Roddy would be in scores of movies as an adult, including Planet of the Apes and The Longest Day. He also originated the role of Mordred in the Broadway production of Camelot.

My mother-in-law was especially excited that Christopher was going to appear in a show with Roddy. She was 91 at the time, only partially ambulatory and with failing eyesight and hearing, and we thought she would never leave the Houston area for the remainder of her life. But we talked her into making the trip to Philly, and then New York, because of Christopher, and perhaps because of Roddy, whom she had admired since How Green Was My Valley. She made the trip--by plane, car, train, and wheelchair.

We were able to buy Eugenia a house seat at the intersection of the side-to-side aisle and one of the center aisles. Before the half-hour call, I took Christopher into the theatre and pointed out the exact seat that she would be sitting in. I was hoping for a special favor from Roddy.

During the finale of the show, Scrooge leads a parade of cast members through the theatre, traversing the length of the side-to-side aisle, right in front of the seat we bought for Eugenia, before returning to the stage. Hoping to make her experience even more special, I urged Christopher to ask Roddy if he would wave at Eugenia, whom Roddy had not met, as he passed her seat during the finale. I knew the likelihood that it would happen was small -- Christopher could forget to ask Roddy; Christopher could forget the seat location; Roddy could decline because the parade is so closely timed; or Roddy could forget, either accidentally or on purpose.

I was sitting behind Eugenia during the show. Of course, she was thrilled to see her grandson featured in a beautiful staging of a wonderful story in a gigantic New York theatre. The evening was certain to be a success anyway. Then came the finale.

With the bright spotlight trained on him, Roddy beamed as the spiritually transformed Scrooge. He walked down the steps from the left side of the stage down to the audience and lead the parade over the side-to-side aisle. Suddenly, he stopped in front of Eugenia's seat. He took her by the hand, looked in her eyes, and warmly greeted her with, "I'm so happy you came to see the show," before whisking off to hit his mark on the stage on time. Eugenia was, at first, dumbfounded, but then happy tears began flowing down her face. I knew I had experienced a simple act of kindness that I would never forget. Roddy's passing a few months after the show closed was all the more sad for us because of what he had done for Eugenia.

I think I previously posted this phoro of Roddy with Lauren Bacall at the premier. He was a very, very nice man, and he gave Christopher a set of Christmas ornaments at the end of the run.

05/21/20 12:55 PM

#18135

Bob Davidson

I thought I'd post something cheerful: the Shipley's donuts near my house has reopened after a little over two months of being boarded up and looking permanently closed. They have my favorite jalapeno kolaches and their closure was definitely adding to my general sense of malaise. (The members of this forum are all old enough to remember the context of that term from Jimmy Carter's America.)

This moring they were reopened. I brought kolaches to the office and got to be like the guy in the Whataburger commercial.

05/22/20 04:52 PM

#18136

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

I heard a guy on the radio exclaim, "It's Friday-freaking-lelujah! Wahoo!" Made me chuckle.

Of course staying home all the time makes it seem like we've been living a lot of strung together weekends, to me. I'm ready to hit the restaurants again!

We've been getting a lot of spam phone calls lately, or robo pre-election calls, which angers my husband, so he answers the calls with "Bueno? Bueno?"... very loudly, as if he is hard of hearing, then he sometimes adds, "Hablas espanol?"...then "Bueno!" again....so the annoying callers hang up in frustration, or perhaps they cuss a little.......

He thinks he is so funny, but I'm getting pretty tired of his silly routine. He needs to come up with something else, methinks. Anyone got any clever quips for the irritators?

05/22/20 09:09 PM

#18137

A neighbor told us about a series of eight 15-20 minute podcasts by actor John Krasinski called Some Good News. Lots of famous people make cameo appearances. Some interesting, funny and poignant stories. First episode includes a bit with Office co-star Steve Carrell. Second, episode is very cool and involves the cast of Hamilton. We enjoyed all of them.

05/25/20 09:10 AM

#18138

05/25/20 09:12 AM

#18139

Janalu, Susie and I are bingeing Downton Abbey. There is a scene where the aristocratic Maggie Smith is chastising the culture/lifestyle of the new heir (a third cousin) who is an attorney and assumes he will be able to work as an attorney during the week and run the Downton Abbey Estate on weekends.

She asks what is a weekend?

05/25/20 12:25 PM

#18140

Steve Keene

Lowell,

I don't understand why you are bingeing that show. You will spend the next few months trying to ratchet your nose back down. Also, those people are so rich that they are self insured.

05/26/20 09:31 AM

#18141

For a little fun, find 21 minutes to watch this video of one man's effort to defeat ninja squirrels. Sorry about the commercials. (Forwarded to me by an interested observer.)

05/26/20 12:49 PM

#18142

Funny!

Ellen and I watched a romantic comedy the other night.....and some of the humor was just silly, but overall a pretty good flick!

This guy has had about 5 too many facelifts!

05/27/20 01:36 AM

#18143

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

To Anyone,

I read this article by Steve Cortes, and it made sense to me.

"Put your own mask on before assisting others." Flight attendants repeat this wise instruction before every airline flight, because in an emergency situation, an incapacitated passenger cannot help anyone else. In the current economic and health emergency, Democrats ignore this mandate and instead seek to exploit the crisis as an opportunity to fulfill long-held leftist policy aims like diminishing citizenship and destroying the efficacy of borders. By leveraging a time of pain for so many Americans, these demogogues prove that they put America LAST.

Two recent actions best showcase this agenda. First, in the mammoth $3 trillion boondoggle that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats passed recently, taxpayer handouts of up to $1,200 would flow to illegal aliens. Thankfully, her 1,815-page legislative monstrosity will never become law, but Pelosi's home state took more immediate action, dispensing tens of millions of California taxpayer dollars to illegal aliens, with direct cash payments to over 100,000 trespassers.

The appalling disconnect between these leftist politicians and the current angst among America's citizenry underscores the distorted reality of an entitled political class operating in a sort of parallel universe, undeterred by the on-the-ground predicament of millions of Americans.

The message of Democrats like Pelosi and Gov. Newsom to these worried Americans is clear: "Get in line, because we have other more pressing priorities, including catering to the needs of criminals who willfully violated our laws to enter the United States without permission." Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden clearly agrees with this policy arc, as he publicly affirmed during his party's primaries that he supports providing taxpayer-funded health care to illegal aliens.

Make no mistake about the left's ultimate aims here. They promote porous borders and incentivize illegal migration, eyeing the dubious long-term objective of mass amnesties that confer status and citizenship. Given the precedent of Pres. Obama and his clearly illegal use of an executive order to regularize DACA adults, it seems perfectly logical to predict a similar move from any future Democratic president, given the party's increasing radicalism on immigration issues and additional issues.

In addition, Democrats wrongly believe that these extreme policies devaluing citizenship will somehow curry favor among the Hispanic citizens of America. In reality, recent surveys reveal exactly the opposite, as fully 69% of Hispanic citizens support a temporary ban on all immigration during this crisis, including legal immigration. (Recent survey done by Washington Post) Contrary to the biased hopes of the DNC and constatnt narratives pushed by corporate media, Hispanic Americans are not at all soft on border issues.

As the Democratic Party grows ever more radical, on core issues like immigration, the Second Amendment, and the right to life, the party all but orphans previously loyal Latino voters.

But regardless of race or ethnicity, the primary --even obsessive-- focus of policymakers must be on reigniting the economic engine of America, while incorporating safety measures of social distancing and face masks.

The Democrats' pandering to 'woke leftist constituencies' only distracts us from this crtical task. Even worse, providing scarce resources to foreigners who entered our land illegally represents a total BETRAYAL of our own citizens in need. An America First approach requires that we get the economic "oxygen" flowing to U.S. citizens before we consider how to help others.

Thank you Steve Cortes! (Salem Radio Show on AM560 Chicago.)

Another item that is currently getting a lot of attention lately, is the huge push by Dems to mail out voter ballots for the next election, rather than having voters show up at polling precincts. They are doing everything they can think of to most likely allow any and all voters, dead or alive, US citizen or not, located at an address or having moved away to another locality, causing duplicate addresses for some negligent people who don't report changes as they should.....anything they can devise to make sure that they beat Trump with as many numbers as they feel they can produce. They are providing ballot harvesting too, which is also an insidious way of fudging the numbers, if a person has a mind to do so. They seem so blood- thirsty, they are already searching high and low for any possible vote that could pass muster, or at least appear to pass muster. I heard today that a Nevada mailman, circa 2016, noticed stacks of unattended ballots stacked up at some location that he felt was suspicious, so he reported what he had noticed to his supervisor, but I'm sure that this same occurrence will be noticed in other places too, this year. Will it be reported? Fifty-fifty chance, I guess. If you hear of any hanky-panky going on in your neighborhood, by a Democrat or a Republican, report him immediately to authorities. If we lose voting integrity, we lose our democracy, and this year's election is going to be a particularly viscious one, as is already evident.

By the way, if a person is over 65 yrs. of age, he may have a ballot mailed to him, or if he is disabled, he can get a ballot too, so older folks who are worried about Covid-19 problems, need not worry. Younger folks shouldn't have a fear of terrible health issues. If an elderly person lives in your home, then you should shield that person from younger ones; even isolation may be necessary, for a two week period, unfortunately, thank you Communist Chinese dictator mongrels!

05/27/20 01:10 PM

#18144

Wayne Gary

Dsavid,

For some reason I cannot log in to the website from Mozilla since last Friday. I get the following message "We are offline for a brief maintenance update. We will be back shortly " I am able to log into Pun site now.

I tried Microsoft edge browser and I am able to get in

05/27/20 01:13 PM

#18145

Wayne Gary

For all Aggies

I have been looking at the Texas Liberators list of Texans who liberated Nazi concentration camps and did some research and here are the Aggies

NAME TEXAS TOWN Concentraion CAMP

John W. Allen ‘45 • Alto | Lamar County • Dachau

James S. Anderson’ 1909 •Tuff | Fredericksburg• Magdeburg

?Jack Barnes (? 30 or 46)• Cisco | Hurst• Attendorn

William Bowie 43 •Brenham | Dallas •Dachau

Roy A. Bracher’43 •Brenham | Houston •Dachau

Allen B. Canfield ’43 •Dallas •Landsberg

Henry O. Case ’43 •Montgomery Cty | Conroe •Landsberg

Thomas Christian ’42 •Richland Springs | San Angelo •Dachau

Courts Cleveland, Jr.’ 45 •Acton | Granbury •Hohenwarth POWcamps

Michael P. “Mike” Cokinos’43 •Beaumont •Halberstadt-Zwieberge

Rupert Costlow’42 •Henderson | Joinerville •Dachau

James John Cupples’42 •Flower Mound •Dachau

Robert L. Eaton ’44 •Dallas | Denton •Landsberg

Bert Phillips Ezell ’40 •Holland | Dallas •Ohrdruf

ThomasS. Gillis, Jr.’42 •Fort Worth | Houston •Ohrdruf

Richard Gottlieb’45 •Dallas | Houston •Dachau

Lynn Henry Guilloud’42 •Pottsboro | Dallas •Ohrdruf

James Lecil "J.L." Huffines, Jr.’44 •Mexia | Lewisville •Ebensee

S. Frank Jones’44 •College Station | Waco •Dachau

Ernest Keith Langford’38 •Bryan | College Station •Dachau

Robert Lee’40 •Dallas | Plano •Landsberg

Jerome "Jerry" Leibs’36 •Dallas •Dachau

Maurice Louis Levy’42 •Terrell | Dallas •Dachau

Patrick McEnroe, Jr.’42 •Houston | Port O'Connor •Buchenwald

William Allen McKenzie’44 •Houston | Dallas •Buchenwald

Quentin F. Naumann,45 •Houston | Baytown •Dachau

Tom H. Owen’45 •Leonard | Richardson •Dachau

Dr. Gerald Willard Parker’43 •Kerens | San Antonio •Dachau

John T. Poole’46 •Port Arthur | Houston •Kaufering

David H. Porter, Jr.’48 •Houston •Mauthausen

William Pritchett’44 •Abilene •Dachau

L. W. Puckitt’44 •London | San Angelo •Buchenwald

John Ferguson Reynolds’47 •Dallas •Nordhausen

Bill Jones Rice’45 •Kaufman | Amarillo •Dachau

William E. Rogers’30 •Dallas | Center •Dachau

Alvin Issie Schepps ’32 •Houston •Flossenbürg

Harry Swofford ’44 •Abilene •Dachau

Earl Tweed’53 •Dallas •Dinslaken

Raymond Stewart Watson ’45 •Waco •Buchenwald

Jack Ellis Westbrook ’45 •Rule •Dachau

Tillman Wheat ’45 •Houston •Dachau

James White ‘47 •Port Arthur | Nederland •Kaufering

Robert Stanley Winter ’45 •Galveston •Dachau

Thomas C. Yantis ’44 •Brownwood •Dachau

Possible Aggie ( could not match name with Texas town)

Jack McMahan ’43 •Whitney | Oak Hill •Ohrdruf

John U Nelson’35 •Milam | El Paso •Ohrdruf

Jerry Scott ’41 •Gregg •Dachau

05/27/20 04:23 PM

#18146

Wayne, cool reviewing the list.

I wish we could have had access to this while most of these guys were alive. I am sure some recognition was made, but not as mass media'd as present day...

05/27/20 05:14 PM

#18147

05/27/20 06:31 PM

#18148

Wayne Gary

Those that are interested in seeing the entire Liberators Honor Roll and more info go to http/texasliberators.org/

When I saw the list in was prety sure there were Aggies on the list because there were 19,000 Aggies that served in WW II, more than any other college including West Point and US Naval Academy.

What the liberators experienced was so horific some of the men were unable to talk about it for many years if ever.

05/27/20 06:33 PM

#18149

Lowell,

I remember those days well! A friend and I were down there one time......possibly on that corner. There was a mob standing there and it was getting pretty rowdy. Wasn't long before the "paddy wagon" show up just as the group was beginning to scrap!

The police did not park directly in front of us but down the street. (this worked out for us too!) As we all began to throw punches......here they were......all two of them!

A hard hit to my head caused me to bleed. I knew this was not one of the troublemakers but one of the cops' "sticks"

As they gave the ole "lets go!" they tried to contain the crowd to the wagon. (really too many to handle) I had my friend escort me on the outside of the crowd......closest to the buildings. Just as we got to an alley way....we darted down the opening.. Man we were moving! And I don't think the police ever saw us because the drunken mob was blocking their view! We were lucky.....and even luckier the wound did not require stitches. Yeah he put a knot on my head.....but it broke the skin just enough!

When I think back......and probably quite a few 69ers......I nearly shutter at all the things I did and lived to tell about it!

05/27/20 06:38 PM

#18150

I was summoned back to do some music and haven't played much......so here goes!

This "blues" player may not have been in the "upper tier" but was entertaining:

05/28/20 07:02 AM

#18151

Just learned that retired Congressman Sam Johnson passed away at age 89. He was an Air Force pilot who was a POW in Viet Nam for almost seven years. I met him at a ceremony for the Traveling Viet Nam Memorial Wall that was erected at UT Dallas about five years ago. You can see the wall in the background. I have visited the original wall in Washington, D.C. several times. A good man. RIP.

05/28/20 07:39 AM

#18152

Steve Keene

Hollis and Lowell,

I have a couple of questions. If staying 6 feet away from someone is the proper social distance to keep from giving someone the virus, then why do we have to add a mask? If a mask prevents you from giving someone else the virus, then why do we have to maintain a 6 foot distance? I say the CDC and genius doctors like Byrd and Fauci have no idea what the facts are, so they just threw both things out there to cover their ass, feeling better about themselves for having done something to justify their acknowledged but questionable scientific genius.

David,

Sam was definitly one of the few good ones in Congress. May he rest in Peace.

05/28/20 07:59 AM

#18153

Steve, here's an answer.

Korea and Taiwan.

05/28/20 08:38 AM

#18154

Kurt Fischer

Steve:

re. 6 ft vs. masks

You are entirely correct. If you maintain a distance of 6 ft from others, the likelihood of encountering the virus is very small.

If you wear a mask, the likelihood of you spreading the virus is very small. If everyone is wearing masks, you do not need to maintain 6 ft separation. However, if everyone is not wearing masks, it would be wise to maintain 6 ft of separation.

I get a kick out of watching people alone in their cars or walking alone on the sidewalks and still wearing masks. No one is within a 100 feet, but they feel they still need to wear the mask.

It seems like the message has gotten mixed up over time.

05/28/20 09:51 AM

#18155

Kathy Ernst lives in China, Beijing. They were part of the Wuhon lockdown. The way I heard her describe their neighborhood lockdown was that all the streets in her area were funneled through to a single exit/entrance. At that entrance or exit, all persons in cars or on foot had to be checked...(I would guess temperature....) for virus.

We don't live in a society like any of the places who have this under control.

I would have liked to all continue to work and eat out and visit, with masks, social distancing, and testing. I would like to now return to work with all three things.

I heard (on Dan Patrick's 700 KSEV radio) a show host state for every $24 million in economic slowdown, one additional American will perish (die early.)

Get back working with safety measures in place. It is not going to happen, at least without any kind of dedicated leadership to the problem.

05/28/20 10:29 AM

#18156