Icons: January 2008 Archives

I was having a busy day and was annoyed at the early 5 p.m. start time for a Smithsonian event at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood. Well, after the evening I had chatting up the likes of Esther Williams, Carol Channing, Rose Marie, June Lockhart and others,. I realize I would have gotten up at 5 A.M. to make it.

I'll be sharing interview with these grand ladies in the weeks to come but today, I just want to write about the experience of being there and watching the above mentioned ladies as well as Florence Henderson, Julie Newmar, and Tippi Hedren dontate keepsakes to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Phyllis Diller had been set to come and was en-route, but was not feeling well and went back home. Angela Lansbury, who was across the country, sent her regrets.

So, I get there and am allowed into the theater before the show begins and see all the ladies taking their places among the treasures they are donating. JoAnne Worley, so funny and energetic, was one of the hostesses and she was rushing around doing her vocal twirling that I love so much. Her first question: "Where's the Diller?"

Someone then asks Worley a question, I don't know what, but I loved answer: "Yes I dooooooooooo!" At that, the show was about to begin and JoAnne twirled: "Curtain doooooooooooown!" Worley began the show then stopped suddenly and scoded herself: "JoAaaaaaane!" She had forgotten to do a trick with her pearls. She stepped aside from the lecturn and swung the large strands around her neck several times like a hula hoop.

Very cool.

After JoAnne introduced the dudes from the Smithsonian and they did a buncah museum talk, Dick Van Patten came out and served as the mater of ceremonies, introducing each legend before they explained their donations or shared their feelings about becoming a tangible part of American history.

ESTHER WILLIAMS: Her father made giant scrapbooks of her career. When she first saw the size of the first one in its blank state she said: "Daddy, those are too big!" Her father replied: "Fill 'em up!"
"So with that order, I filled them up," Williams said. "Pictures of Johnny Weissmuller. Oh gosh, what a group of leading men. One after another in tiny swimsuits. They're all gone...but I'm still here!"

CAROL CHANNING: The Broadway legend donated the dress she wore in the original production of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and said: "Tonight is a tremendous night for all of us. We are all historic momuments!"

She then told everyone that the diamond hanging around her neck was worth $40 million: "They just hung it on me before we walked out." She then jumped to another subject before finishing the thought and the audience laughed. Channing stopped and said: "What's so funny? This is terribly serious and exciting...Art is one of the things that keeps the world alive - more than anything."

Channing then mentioned that she is 87 years old and when the audience applauded she stopped and asked: "Oh, is that an achievement?" The diva also used her time to plead for the arts in public schools: "[Students] are bored stiff with the three Rs. That's all they've got. Any art form, it fertilizes your brain." When Channing wondered if she had been talking too much, Rosie Marie - sitting next to her - emphatically nodded her head yes.

ROSE MARIE: The comedy legend, a child star, cast member of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and still a hoot at 85, joked around that Williams was donating "earplugs," Hedren a tiger, and Henderson "one of the Brady kids." For her part, Rosie Marie donated her original trademark bow as well as the shoes she wore in her first short film which was the first sound short and played with Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer."
"To think that I'll be there with Linberg's plane," she said of the Smithsonian. "I'm very honored and proud of my career. I think this is almost like getting the Purple Heart....I love my country and I always have and I'm so glad my country loves me by honoring me."

JUNE LOCKHART: Best known as the mom on "Lassie" and "Lost In Space," Lockhart donated her Tony Award to the Smithsonian and said: "There are nine of us and I think you've put together a Supreme Court."

JULIE NEWMAR: Television's Catwoman on "Batman" donated her Catwoman suit and reminisced at how so many grown men, who were little boys when the series was on, now come up to her and say: "Do you know you were my first turn-on? That delighted me."

FLORENCE HENDERSON: She needs no introduction, obviously. She said: "I've been on television so long...I thought maybe they wanted to put ME in the Smithsonian!" She told how she was the youngest of 10 children up and "I had such big dreams, but never did I think I'd be in the Smithsonian."

TIPPI HEDREN: The star of "The Birds" and "Marnie" donated her original scripts from both of those classic Alfred Hitchcock movies as well as from "Countess of Hong Kong." Said Tippi: "I feel that to be involved with this is like getting an Academy Award. I am thrilled...and empowered by this wonderful award."

After the official program ended, I chatted up actor Bruce Davison (an Oscar nominee for "Longtime Companion") and the talented (and very handsome) artist Glen Hanson who drew caricatures of each of the ladies (I will post the image as soon as I get it). Also in attendance was MGM star Margaret O'Brien who I chatted with in the lobby and she was escorted by Joey Luft, the son of Judy Garland and Sid Luft. At the after-party, I chatted up Kathy Silvers (remember her from "Happy Days"?) and Luke Yankee, the son of Eileen Heckart as well as several of the cast members of "Kid From Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Story." Star Brian Childers snapped a photo of me and Carol Channing and vice-versa and I promised to see the show which runs through next month at the El Portal.

During Johnny Carson's final months as host of "The Tonight Show" in 1992, I videotaped a lot of the shows because he had all kinds of fantastic guests who wanted one last visit with the best late night host - ever. Elizabeth Taylor, who was just about to turn 60, made her first and only appearance on the program. My VHS tape desinigrated long ago so I had not seen this in years. I am reminded of how funny Dame Elizabeth was with Carson. She looks sensational - it was a few years before that her hip problems came to a head which she never seemed to recover from...Also in the second clip is a "Basic Instinct" era Michael Douglas. What. A. Hottie.

Sometimes, my life is so surreal. I found myself on the soundstage where "I Love Lucy" was filmed this afternoon scooping some salmon onto my plate as I chatted up Florence Henderson.

Me: "I really loved all the "Brady Bunch" shows except for the ones with cousin Oliver."

Me: "But hey, look at you. You're still here."

My Daily News column tomorrow is all about Florence and her new talk show. But details of the lunch itself, which won't be in the column, are what I want to share with you. Among a handful of journalists who were invited were a smattering of guest stars including Barbra Streisand's little sister, Roslyn Kind - a very talented singer who is back on stage after a long hiatus. I'll share my chat with her tomorrow. Freda Payne and I gabbed for a minute and Pat Boone was also there but I didn't bother to strike up a conversation with him. Also there was Mr. Blackwell who I wanted to chat up but he was engrossed by an anecdote being told by Tippi Hedren. I thought it was funny that he was at the same table as Allison (Nellie Olson from 'Little House on the Prairie) since he had dissed her on his worst dressed list.
But she was thrilled to be on the same list as Posh Spice! She's a hoot and I will have that interview in the coming days.

Anyway, here's my column on Florence Henderson:

When I was a kid, every Friday night my parents would buy us McDonalds for dinner then we'd all pile into the living room to watch "The Brady Bunch." So it was really cool on Thursday to meet Mrs. Brady herself, Florence Henderson, at an intimate luncheon event celebrating the premiere of her new talk show.

The chatfest, which airs on the fledgling Retirement Living TV channel, may be aimed at the 55-plus crowd but Florence told me she wants to play host to guests of all ages.

"I'd love Tom Cruise as a guest, or Julia Roberts. Certainly Clint Eastwood," said the lovely lady. "I want to talk to people who are contributing and who are talented and have something to say. I'm the most appreciative fan you'll ever meet."
So far, some terrific guests have taped interviews for "The Florence Henderson Show" including Carol Burnett, Jason Alexander, Bob Newhart, Judge Judy and Garry Marshall, among others. Before lunch, she had finished taping a show with guests Tippi Hedren, Freda Payne and Roslyn Kind.

"On most talk shows, if you're on for five minutes you're lucky," she said. "My guests don't feel pressured. We sometimes do 30 minutes and you find out things about these great performers. I love talking to people, I love that intimate one-on-one."

Yes, two of her on-screen kids from "Brady Bunch" - Eve Plumb and Susan Olsen - have already guested with others sure to follow.
"I can't get rid of them!" she joked.

Florence, who turns 74 on Valentine's Day, looks remarkably youthful after more than 50 years of stardom. She was originally a big Broadway star in such shows as "Wish You Were Here" and "Fanny" before she landed a high-profile gig "The Today Show" in 1959 as what was then referred to as a "Today girl."
"In a way, doing this show is going full circle because one of the first things I did was 'Today.' To be so young and to work with people like Dave Garroway. I've just been very fortunate."

Since Retirement Living TV is just over a year old, the show is available locally only through Direct TV and Comcast Cable so Florence knows it's an uphill climb for viewers: "It's difficult these days unless you're hot or you're Britney Spears and you're sick."

Britney Spears could really use a Mrs. Brady right now.

The one and only Suzanne Somers was Larry King's guest for the full hour last week and Rosie O'Donnell was watching, according to her blog. Rosie writes:

suzanne somers can make even larry king likeable... all young hollywood starlets should be required to know her, to check in once a week face to face

...she moves me

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Here's my take: Suzanne is a real lesson in survival. The child of an abusive alcoholic, she has never been the best actress or singer or author but that hasn't stopped her from being a major star for more than 30 years. Sure, "Three's Company" launched her but what I find most interesting is her journey after she was fired in a salary dispute at the end of the fifth season.

She didn't hang her blonde head. She became the Las Vegas entertainer of the year in the mid-80s, did TV movies like "Hollywood Wives" and eventually landed another successful series ("Step By Step") which lasted eight seasons. You add in all the commercial endorsements (thighmaster, Somersize etc), the self-help books and the memoirs ("Keeping Secrets" and "After the Fall") and you have a true Hollywood survivor who stayed afloat by putting the work at the center of her fame.