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Post by flossieskid on May 19, 2021 6:18:02 GMT -5
There have been a few of you who have kindly read my threads and asked me some questions. To save time, I hope it is okay to answer some of them all here - in a group reply.
First, thank you again to those who sent me clips of Jeanette Nolan, Jack Lemmon and Jack’s son Chris. Yes, I knew Chris when he was very little when Jack was married to his first wife Cynthia. In Hollywood marriage-go-round after her divorce from Jack, Cynthia married another amazing actor, Cliff Robertson and they had a daughter, Stephanie. Then Jack married actress Felicia Farr and they had a daughter named Courtney - so Chris Lemmon has 2 half sisters and a step sister from Felicia’s first marriage. With all my inside knowledge perhaps I should apply for a job with TMZ or Entertainment Tonight!
Many years ago, I ran into Chris Lemmon Trick or Treating at Bob Hope’s house in Toluca Lake, CA. We live in a hilly area of the famous Laurel Canyon, so we would take our kids to the “flats” of Toluca Lake. Bob Hope’s house was everyone’s favorite because if you would come around 8:30pm as things were winding down, Bob himself would be passing out the goodies! He never gave out candy. His treat was always something with his image (famous ski nose!) and his famous byline “Thanks for the Memories.” We got pumpkin carvers, spoons, plastic cups, keychains and I don’t think I saved a darn one! Oops!! What I could sell on eBay!! Some of the other houses in Toluca Lake belonged to Henry Winkler, Andy Garcia, Leonard Maltin and it was lots of fun. Our friend live next door to Bob Hope and I had the joy of handing out candy to what seemed HUNDREDS of kids after they left Bob’s house. It was my only time dispensing Halloween candy.
Our home is settled in a lovely area dotted with celebrities like George Clooney, Bruno Mars, Jeff Probst, Alex Trebek and Michael J.Fox. He lived across the street from us for 5 years. He was at the height of his fame on “Family Ties”. We live up a small hill and NO parent wanted to schlep up our hill, so nobody ever came on Halloween. Except one year Michael and his maid brought her two kids and Michael’s 8 month old son Sam. Sam wasn’t eating candy but Michael wanted his child to experience Halloween I guess. I missed our only Trick or Treaters, but my 11 yr.old daughter was thrilled to give them candy!
We may not have had many visitors during Halloween, but our cul-de-sac of only 9 houses had its “second” Tracy ( she spells it the wrong way of course!!) when Michael married Tracy Pollan and she moved into his house. Then about 15 years later, we had a “third” Tracy (also spells it wrong!) when Tracy Danza, Tony Danza’s estranged wife bought the house next to ours. But, I am the only Tracey ( spelled correctly of course!) who has remained.
So when I saw Chris Lemmon we got reacquainted. Of course he didn’t remember me but once I gave him some background we chatted for almost 20 minutes, but then we wanted to take our kids around the neighborhood. I did read Chris’ book about his Dad and enjoyed it thoroughly. I totally forgot Chris was a masterful pianist. Like father like son! I never got to see Chris’ one man show, but I surely would have liked that!
Another question was if I ever met Walter Matthau. I met him very briefly when Jack invited our family to a screening of “Odd Couple”. It was in a small theater at Paramount Studios and there were only about 20 guests. We thought it was hysterical, but all the people who made it - producers, actors, crew - were very clinical and wanted to see which scene got the laughs, so they didn’t really laugh. After a while we felt very self conscious laughing so hard, but we surely enjoyed that movie. Jack introduced us to Walter and his wife Carol.
I am glad a few of you enjoyed the movie “The Horse Whisperer”. I must be honest, I thought it was a little too long in glorious shots of Montana and not enough plot. We were only suppose to be there 4 days, but ended up staying for 6 weeks. It had rained and flooded the “family” home in the movie. so they had to wait to dry it out. The creek behind the house overflowed too and also flooded the fields around the house and the horses’ barn. But, you didn’t hear me complain: I had the tough job of staring at Robert Redford each day for 5 extra weeks!! One day I was leaning against a tree during a break and I saw RR walking past me, by himself, to throw away his water bottle in the trash bin next to the tree. I was shocked when I heard him say, “Hey Tracey, How’s everything going?” Even if I had an abscessed tooth needing root canal and was battling a 105 degree fever - I would have said just what I did: “Doing fine thanks!” I guess it could have been worse and I could have just stared at him, saying nothing and drooling! He replied, “Good. That’s what I like to hear!” He threw his water bottle into the trash. I would be lying if I told you that I did NOT think of grabbing that sucker out of the trash and starting the eBay auction that night!! But, I realized if I did that, I would be no better than the slime that does dumpster diving outside celebrities’ homes. I was raised to respect any actor’s privacy and so the week in Paris that I know that darn bottle could have paid for will just have to wait!
I enjoyed meeting a 13 year old Scarlett Johansson. She loved my film tie and earrings, but grabbed them, with both hands, and I had to clean off her fingerprints carefully. Our son Ryan had just turned ten and he came on the shoot with us. He was an amazing trouper. We had to be on the road by 5am, drive an hour to location and stay ALL day. Sometimes Jen would be on set from 7am-7pm and not do one scene. Then it took another hour removing her wig, having her hair washed and dried and then drive the hour back home, sometimes leaving the set at 10pm. We would have a late night light meal at 11pm - the restaurant in the hotel would stay open for us. Then, off to sleep and doing the same routine the next day and the next. Who ever said “Show Biz Is glamorous?!”
Ryan had no clue who she was but he asked Kristin Scott Thomas for her autograph because he thought she was pretty. She was very kind to him. One day, Diane Wiest came up to me and asked if the little boy running around was mine. Crap! Some of the real cowboys were showing Ryan how to twirl a rope and he wasn’t allowed to run all over. I thought he was bothering her, but when I replied “yes”, she said he was the nicest, most polite child of that age she had ever been around! Needless to say, that made me a Diane Weist for life! She was lovely and very sweet. She joked that the constant delays since May were really starting to take a toll on everyone. It was only early July, but Diane said to me, “See that mountain ahead with all the pine trees ? Well, the way this movie is going, half the crew have their Christmas tree picked out!!” She was a true delight.
There are some more questions to answer, but I think that both of us (the writer AND the reader need a rest!). More to come.....
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Post by Easton on May 19, 2021 8:29:06 GMT -5
You and I have something in common with Michael J. Fox. We were both neighbours with him. Granted, he lived across the street from you and he lived across the country from me. I was closer neighbours to Alex Trebek. He grew up only half a province away from me. Alex was big on Canadian television, especially game shows where the grand prize was "a brand new Singer sewing machine!!"
(As an aside, I've often wondered if people teased Michael and called him 'Calvin'.  )
Loved your Robert Redford story. You can seriously and honestly 'talk trash' about him. I've seen many of his movies and even his role in The Twilight Zone's 'Nothing In The Dark'. But my favourite Redford movie was, by far, 'The Sting'. What a cast of characters! Redford and Newman, Eileen Brennan, Ray Walston, Robert Shaw, Harold Gould...
I'm glad they wrote Shaw's foot injury into the movie instead of replacing him. The movie wouldn't have been the same without him. At least he didn't have to remember to limp.
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Post by flossieskid on May 19, 2021 16:43:47 GMT -5
Oops! I re-read my last post and forgot to put the word “fan” after Diane Wiest’s name. I really have been one of her fans forever before even meeting her!
We are all big fans of Canada too! Michael J. Fox’s pit bull was named “Burnaby” after the city he was born in. Our daughter Nikki LOVES hockey and Wayne Gretzky was her favorite player. When the Kings had their celebration day in LA, after winning the Stanley Cup a few years back, Nikki took the day off work to attend. She is that big a fan! She called the sports guy at the radio station where she writes the news to see if they wanted her to update them on the festivities. He knew Nikki was such a true hockey fan and put her on the air and she shared all the news about Kings’ celebration for about 10 minutes. Then a few days later, somehow the Stanley Cup ended up at her newsroom and she took a picture with it. She was thrilled!
She truly loves Canada too! For her 16th birthday, I taught her 3 year old brother your national anthem. He gave it his all and sang “O’Canada” with me mouthing the words with him. I taped it for her. It was her best gift ever!
Alex Trebek’s house is on a main street that anyone in our neighborhood has to drive past to go anywhere. Alex and his family have lived here in Studio City for over 3 decades. We would see Alex in his car many times and walking with his children over the years. But, last October, I was driving home and, as I was passing his house, there was Alex, walking out his gate, to get his mail. He looked strong and healthy and tan and I remember thinking, he is really going to beat his cancer! But, sadly less than 2 weeks later he was gone. So sad!
But, I know he was always so proud of his Canadian background. I am sure he is one of many celebrities born and raised in Canada that America now calls one of their own.
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Post by Easton on May 19, 2021 18:09:22 GMT -5
Some info for you:
Toronto has a Walk of Fame, a series of sidewalk blocks along King Street West and (perpendicular to King) Simcoe Street in Toronto.
Michael J. Fox was inducted in 2000. Wayne Gretzky was inducted in 2002. Alex Trebek was inducted in 2006.
This link takes you to the Walk of Fame map. Below the map is a list of inductees. If you click their names and scroll back up to the map, the star will be highlighted with an additional link to info on the star.
Here is Alex's star and a few of the tributes which fans placed on his star:
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