The Hollywood Show, January, 2015
I had planned to arrive at the Westin Hotel in time for dinner with a group of Michael fans, but my plane had other plans and I was delayed. When I was finally able to board, my flight was short and my shuttle ride convenient. Upon entering the lobby, I saw June Lockhart of Lost in Space fame, but I didn't see anyone else who could be a possible Mod Squad fan. I assumed Greg, his wife Lesley, and others I had wanted to meet up with were still at dinner. So I headed toward my assigned room. But after taking the escalator and a wrong turn, I unintentionally ended up right over the hotel entrance where I recognized a very tall Greg Firmin with a small group of people entering the lobby. I waved enthusiastically from the second floor balcony and eventually met up with them at the will-call area.
When I registered, the volunteers at the table tried to talk me into getting my photo tickets the next day, but I knew there would be a crowd. One enthusiastic woman who worked the will-call table asked who I had paid to take a picture with and, for the first time, the name Michael Cole rolled off my tongue. It made me feel silly, young, and forever nostalgic. The woman oohed and aahed (regarding Michael) and located slips of papers saved for my photo session. Cool.
Sometime during this time, I met Greg, Lesley, Michelle R., Allisa, Debbie, Margaret and her husband, Ron. They were all very welcoming and friendly. I learned Margaret and Ron lived in a neighboring city, and that Allisa and I worked in the same profession (though I'm happily retired now!) I knew I was going to have a good time over the next couple of days as we chattered about all that was to come.
For some reason, without an early bird bracelet, they let me in the main showroom where I found Michael Cole/Mod Squad photos at one of the vendor tables. I understand one photo I bought (which I had never seen before) was left over from the last time Michael appeared. I was ecstatic over my find. I bought a few other unrelated photos as gifts, and wandered around the showroom with my new friends. I recognized Dave Elkouby, the person in charge, for he had organized the 2012 Starsky & Hutch dinner and I had peppered him with questions in the past. He's always good at getting back to his customers. Dave had not yet designated where Michael would sit, but I later found out it would be in the more exclusive hallway with Dick Van Dyke. It was a perfect location.
I had planned to arrive at the Westin Hotel in time for dinner with a group of Michael fans, but my plane had other plans and I was delayed. When I was finally able to board, my flight was short and my shuttle ride convenient. Upon entering the lobby, I saw June Lockhart of Lost in Space fame, but I didn't see anyone else who could be a possible Mod Squad fan. I assumed Greg, his wife Lesley, and others I had wanted to meet up with were still at dinner. So I headed toward my assigned room. But after taking the escalator and a wrong turn, I unintentionally ended up right over the hotel entrance where I recognized a very tall Greg Firmin with a small group of people entering the lobby. I waved enthusiastically from the second floor balcony and eventually met up with them at the will-call area.
When I registered, the volunteers at the table tried to talk me into getting my photo tickets the next day, but I knew there would be a crowd. One enthusiastic woman who worked the will-call table asked who I had paid to take a picture with and, for the first time, the name Michael Cole rolled off my tongue. It made me feel silly, young, and forever nostalgic. The woman oohed and aahed (regarding Michael) and located slips of papers saved for my photo session. Cool.
Sometime during this time, I met Greg, Lesley, Michelle R., Allisa, Debbie, Margaret and her husband, Ron. They were all very welcoming and friendly. I learned Margaret and Ron lived in a neighboring city, and that Allisa and I worked in the same profession (though I'm happily retired now!) I knew I was going to have a good time over the next couple of days as we chattered about all that was to come.
For some reason, without an early bird bracelet, they let me in the main showroom where I found Michael Cole/Mod Squad photos at one of the vendor tables. I understand one photo I bought (which I had never seen before) was left over from the last time Michael appeared. I was ecstatic over my find. I bought a few other unrelated photos as gifts, and wandered around the showroom with my new friends. I recognized Dave Elkouby, the person in charge, for he had organized the 2012 Starsky & Hutch dinner and I had peppered him with questions in the past. He's always good at getting back to his customers. Dave had not yet designated where Michael would sit, but I later found out it would be in the more exclusive hallway with Dick Van Dyke. It was a perfect location.
The next morning, I readied for a long, but exciting day. I would survive on a couple of protein bars and little sleep. I knew the day would consist of standing, conversing, and a lot of wandering. Some of the celebrities in the main showroom were from the casts of Laverne & Shirley, Dynasty, and Lost and Space. Greg and Lesley had wanted to meet Stephanie Beacham, so I hung back by Bo Hopkin's table and tried to take a photo from afar. I recognized Bo from many TV shows, and I almost felt bad that I didn't say anything. After seeing so many Mod Squad episodes in a short amount of time, I had forgotten he had co-starred in a couple of episodes and I so easily could have struck up a conversation. That was a missed opportunity.
Greg, Lesley and I walked toward the hallway and Michael, Shelley and Wayne had just arrived. Michelle R. was ready to meet him. She had made the pilgrimage from St. Louis to Los Angeles solely to meet Michael, and she had a pillow case for him to sign! The cast from Good Times was on the left and they had quite the set up. There didn't seem to be anybody I remember on the immediate right side of Michael's table, but I think I was told Linda Blair was placed there on Sunday. Shortly after Michelle met Michael, Greg and Lesley approached, though they had just seen him the night before at the restoration world premiere of The Bubble. I remember feeling nervous and scared to death, but in a good way!
So, though I don't remember much, I did force myself to walk up to the table and present a few of the photos I wanted autographed. Michael had the nicest sets of photos for autographing. He had a good variety of high quality prints. Even though I had brought three from my own collection, I was mentally shopping, for I had planned on buying some the following day. And for the big once-in-a-lifetime moment? I don't remember what I said, and I don't remember how Michael responded. I must have been in blackout-mode! Truth is, I can be as shy as I can be talkative. As a past competitive gymnast, I have perfectionistic tendencies and can be easily embarrassed. It's one of the reasons I find it difficult to participate on his now official Facebook group. When it comes to fandom, I guess I communicate through the photos I collect. It's my bridge. My connection.
I think we talked about the photos, and I do remember his lovely wife Shelley. I also must have been brave enough to ask for a photo because Wayne volunteered to take a picture with my iPad. Here is the result:
I go by the name of Celeste on my fandom-related Facebook page, but my real name is Terri. So although I was posting photos constantly as Celeste on the Mod Squad Group at the time, he had no idea who I was. At that point in time, *I* didn't know who I was. The experience was unreal. But it wasn't over. The photo session with Michael was scheduled for 2:10.
The following is my favorite photo, even though there are newspaper cropping marks on it. It's why I use a cleaned up version of it on the home page of this website.
After visiting with the Michael clan, I remember standing in the hallway with Greg as he was listing celebs he had seen and wanted to see. John James walked by and shook hands with Greg and added his name to the list. The look on Greg's face was priceless. There was a very good vibe going on with fans AND celebrities.
I met up with a few friends and chatted. One friend was Wally Wingert. Wally was Jay Leno's announcer before Jay retired, but is still very busy with voice over work. I met Wally through the Starsky & Hutch fandom. He emcee'd a few fan events I attended, and even owns and drives a Starsky & Hutch Torino. He came specifically to meet Dick Van Dyke, and he did. Unfortunately, he had to cancel his photo op with Mr. Van Dyke, because the time was pushed back and the lines were long. Wally had other obligations.
While I didn't even attempt to get close to the Dick Van Dyke autograph line, I did hear a lot of singing and found out there was also dancing. I was a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke at age four and played my Mary Poppins records religiously. This Hollywood Show was much more crowded because of his appearance, just as Starsky & Hutch took over the 2012 event. Many of Dick's co-stars from Mary Poppins and The Dyke Van Dyke Show were there as part of a reunion, and Dick looked remarkably healthy and happy.
At one point, I wandered back into the larger conference room and saw Eddie Mekka sitting with his handler behind a table. I remembered his unexpected dancing talent in a couple of Laverne & Shirley episodes. He doesn't have the typical dancer's body, but was a hoofer and could even perform back handsprings. So I bravely walked up and started a conversation. The subject of dance was an easy ice breaker, and we had a great conversation. We talked about a certain move he performed...a move I had learned from watching Ken Berry on TV--another person who surprised me with his dance talent via a TV show. Eddie wasn't even aware Ken Berry danced! Eddie told me about his dance background, and that he was still dancing.
Michael had taken a lunch break, so I went up to my room and ate a protein bar and freshened up. My eyes were tired, but I was too hyped up to lie down. I didn't want to miss anything. Photos sessions were on my agenda, and the lines were long with so many big names and reunion groups. The one thing I still don't understand about these professional photo sessions is why the backdrop is a wrinkled cloth. They hire a fantastic photographer, but don't bother with providing a decent looking background. The first Hollywood Show I attended was at the Marriott in Burbank, and the photo tent was open so passers by could watch. This time, they enclosed the tent, but there was a rip in the tent and people were peaking in. It was a real treat to see all that was happening before they taped up the ripped portion. Cloris Leachman was a hoot. We later saw many of her fan photos at the table, and every one of them was a comedy sketch. She wore slippers the entire time. Smart lady. My feet were killing me.
The Michael fans were gathering, trying to figure out where we were to line up, since photo sessions were backed up. It was sort of a madhouse at this time. Things felt chaotic and the event did not have good traffic flow. I've directed some fairly large productions in my past, so I kept trying to rethink the layout. Later I learned that this event was mostly handled by volunteers, which made me much more appreciative and less critical. The Lost and Space robot was doing its best trying to entertain the crowds:
The Michael fans found our place in line and made crucial last minute decisions. Glasses on or off? Shirt tucked in or out? Then it was showtime! One at a time we'd walked into Michael's arms, take a quick shot, or two, or three, and then were cued to leave. Then it was time for another line at the table where this very patient woman would decided the best photo and print it out. She was unbelievably calm, cool and collective, especially with all these people looking over her shoulder. She was surrounded all day, yet, she was friendly, efficient, and even had a great sense of humor. I wrote the Hollywood Show giving her kudos. She worked endless hours that weekend and did a fantastic job.
Once our photos were printed off, we ran to Michael's table and had him autograph them. It was a suggestion of the Hollywood Show, but I was pretty sure we were supposed to pay for that autograph. I told myself I'd buy extra photos the following day to make up for it.
Mission accomplished! I met Michael Cole, and I had pictures that captured the moments. I never dreamed of crossing off this bucket list item. The best part was learning how nice and appreciative everyone was....the actor, his family, the fan friends.....The photos were beautiful and I didn't care how tired I was.
After we had our photos signed, Dick Van Dyke's body guard was ushering Dick to the photo booth. Here I was in a hallway brushing shoulders with Dick Van Dyke with Michael Cole a couple of feet away from me. And the best part? Dick's very large, body guard bellowed out, "Mod Squad in the house!" as he passed by. It was surreal.
Sometime during the day, The Good Times table was singing and taking pictures with fans. Like I said earlier, their table was set up next to Michael's. They were lively and also having a great time in that magical hallway.
I eventually went up to my room. I wanted to change my shoes and rest my eyes. I had been planning to meet up with the other fans for dinner, but I forgot to turn on my phone (like always). After resting longer than I had planned, I checked my phone and Lesley had called to tell me we were meeting up at Denny's down the street...an hour ago! I had missed dinner! I walked down anyway and the crew was polishing off their meals. I was starved and had planned on eating on my own, but everyone stayed until I ordered and finished, remarkably. Stephanie and Brian came, too, and we became better acquainted. As we left, we met Margaret and her husband as they were headed to Denny's. The group stood in the parking lot talking, laughing, and sharing Dick Van Dyke photos. It was if we had known each other a lot longer than we had. Greg and Lesley and I were headed back up to our rooms, but as we were headed to the elevators, we saw Cloris Leachman lounging on a small couch beside the elevators. And yes, she still had her famous slippers on!
Sunday came and I had an agenda. First I'd have a decent breakfast of orange juice and toast at the hotel restaurant. No more protein bars. I checked out early and was carrying my suitcase around, as I had to catch a plane around noon. I had to get back to my elderly cat, and had other responsibilities awaiting me. When the show re-opened around 10:00, I decided since I didn't buy a picture from Carmine Raguso, I'd pay to take a picture with him. He had this crazy t-shirt on that read, "I'm not dead yet." I don't think he fully remembered me regarding our dance conversation, but his handler sure did. I think this was around the time I learned that Me TV was filming promos and Michael had filmed one.
I also walked around the showroom with Stephanie. I learned she was from my favorite place on earth, Carmel, and worked for an animal rescue.
I decided I also wanted a picture with Michael, Shelley and Wayne. I wasn't sure if I'd be brave enough to request one, but the worst they could say was no. While some of this was a blur, I do remember Greg, Lesley, Allisa and I having a conversation with Michael. We talked about cats, early morning set calls on Mod Squad, and bar fighting. I was waiting for Shelley and Wayne to be freed up, so I could ask about the group photo, but sure didn't mind conversing with Michael while I waited. Michael could have a conversation with someone else, and at the same time, take your hand and draw you in. He multi-tasked well!
Thankfully, Greg took the last picture of me with Wayne, Shelley, and Michael, and then it was my time to leave. I didn't want to, but I had to. I walked away, dragging my suitcase behind me, then learned that my shuttle wasn't due to come in until another half-hour. When I returned to the lobby, my fan friends were lounging on the lobby couches. So I sat and visited for another half hour. This was when I got to know Michelle M. better. She had looked so familiar to me. I felt like I had met her before.
I know I have neglected to remember certain parts of this amazing weekend, so this late report is still a work in progress. If anyone reading this would like to submit pictures, add details I have forgotten, or write up any special memories of their own, let me know. I'd love to include more!
Most hilarious: Cloris Leachman and John James (of Dynasty)
Most rude: Joan Collins
Least recognizable: Kato Kaylen
Most like character: Cindy Williams (The picture sessions got chaotic, so she had everyone stop and take a deep breath as only Shirley could.)
Most kindest: Michael Cole and family
The cops were not doing much at this Hollywood Show. They were mostly in line to meet celebrities, and they were surprised with copies of a group photo taken with the cast of CHiPs. The only security that was working hard was Dick Van Dyke's security guy...and he was big.
Most rude: Joan Collins
Least recognizable: Kato Kaylen
Most like character: Cindy Williams (The picture sessions got chaotic, so she had everyone stop and take a deep breath as only Shirley could.)
Most kindest: Michael Cole and family
The cops were not doing much at this Hollywood Show. They were mostly in line to meet celebrities, and they were surprised with copies of a group photo taken with the cast of CHiPs. The only security that was working hard was Dick Van Dyke's security guy...and he was big.
Memories
(Let me know if you have a special memory you'd like to see posted here.)
One memory I have is when Michael asked Michelle Rae who she was there to see. When he found out she flew from Kansas City to see just him, he had the most humble and surprised look on his face.
~ Allisa
~ Allisa
I have a nice memory. We had seen Michael on the Thursday night. On Friday, I wrote some heart felt words about the experience at the group. One by one, Wayne, Shelley and Michael thanked me. Michael said, "Beautifully worded." That was quite a compliment.
~Greg
~Greg
Just one of my favorite memories of that day was while I was talking to Lesley, Michael was sneaking up behind me and getting ready to surprise me. You should have seen the expression on Lesley's face. Good thing that look gave me a hint of what was coming!
~Stephanie
~Stephanie