August 2006 – Day 2 -- The Osborne-Cook-Troupe Private Party
After the I Remember Lucy event, I had a chance to actually meet Bob Schiller on the way to the private party. After seeing Bob eating breakfast at the Best Western and not wanting to bother him, I was worried that I might not actually be able to meet him outside of the brief picture taking on Sunday morning. Thankfully I saw him just before a crowd started to gather around him. Well, actually I spotted his son, SNL alum Tom Schiller first coming out of the Reg Lenna Civic Centre, and Bob coming out just ahead of him but obscured by a couple of people in front of him. He signed a photo for me but he then had to stop signing autographs because the arthritis in his hands was really acting up.
As usual, the private party after the main headliner event was a personal favourite, but this event seemed much more relaxed and informal than usual. Maybe this was due to the very special company who were having a GREAT time not just interacting with fans, but having fun amongst themselves. Usually, for me anyway, it is a bit nerve-wracking waiting in line trying to come up with something to say to them that will be nice, something that doesn't make you sound like you are so excited to meet them that you need to book the next ticket to the local nut house, something that won't make you humiliate yourself too much, etc., but that wasn't happening this time. Going up to (l to r) Robert, Carole, and Tom seemed like you were just going up to chat to old friends.
I met up with Amanda from the Lounge in the elevator line in the giftshop, then we travelled in a mini-pack when Libby from the L-D Center opened up the outside stairs to the Tropicana Room to cut down on the line. This was really convenient because the entrance to the room from that direction was right at the end of the line so we didn't have to wait too long to talk to the special company.
When we were in line for about three minutes, somebody (I think…) made off with Robert Osborne's pen and he was asking people if they had a marker to borrow. Since I bought a whole package of them the day before having left my trusty sharpies at home, I excused myself past a couple of people to lend him my marker. He was very gracious and appreciative for the marker and made perfectly sure that it was okay if he used it before he put it to work. Of course it was! Imagine me being able to tell everyone back on the Lounge that I gave my marker to ROBERT OSBORNE! And, Petula Clark stole my red sharpie in Toronto two years ago, so why not! :-D I should start up a charity for celebrities in need of markers…"Autograph Seeker Appeasers Aid"?
After being in line for 10 minutes or so – with Amanda and I discussing Carole's The Incredible Mr. Limpet with Don Knotts, accents, and her swooning over one Mr. Osborne – we finally made it to the front of the line. First up was Robert and I told him how much I appreciated him coming and sharing his stories, and we also talked about the relatively recent launch of Turner Classic Movies Canada and how they sometimes have to blackout movies in Canada for copyright reasons. He then signed my photo of he and Lucy taken in the late 1950s which can be found in the "Desilu" book. Jimmy Sheridan Junior Senior was nice enough to scan this for me because I couldn't find my copy. Amanda then took our picture, she then chatted with Robert and I took their picture.
I then was able to talk to Carole and Tom. Like Robert, they are both SO nice and had so many great stories to tell. Carole and I talked a bit more about Gale because she had a few things to add after answering my question at the event before, a bit about Shirley Mitchell (I said that in May, Shirley said Carole was a "real kick in the head" and that I thought Shirley grossly underestimated her! LOL … Carole agreed! HAHA!), and about Mr. Limpet. I brought with me an original publicity photo from Limpet which I bought from eBay a few weeks before. Tom was struck by how good the photo was and Carole said that she never received this photo from the movie. I'm going to scan it and send it to her. She and Tom signed the photo for me and Tom and I had a great chat about the theatre he has done in Canada. He told me that he once did a play at the Lea Posluns theatre in Thornhill, Ontario which is about 25 minutes south of my house. I can't believe he was playing so close and I didn't know it. Tom was sure that the Posluns theatre had been shut down, but was pleased when I told him that it was still running and I saw a production of Romeo and Juliet there in high school. I wish I had more time to talk with Tom. He's an interesting guy! Amanda then took my picture with the Troupes, and I took hers, then it was time to mingle with everyone else.
As usual, the private party after the main headliner event was a personal favourite, but this event seemed much more relaxed and informal than usual. Maybe this was due to the very special company who were having a GREAT time not just interacting with fans, but having fun amongst themselves. Usually, for me anyway, it is a bit nerve-wracking waiting in line trying to come up with something to say to them that will be nice, something that doesn't make you sound like you are so excited to meet them that you need to book the next ticket to the local nut house, something that won't make you humiliate yourself too much, etc., but that wasn't happening this time. Going up to (l to r) Robert, Carole, and Tom seemed like you were just going up to chat to old friends.
I met up with Amanda from the Lounge in the elevator line in the giftshop, then we travelled in a mini-pack when Libby from the L-D Center opened up the outside stairs to the Tropicana Room to cut down on the line. This was really convenient because the entrance to the room from that direction was right at the end of the line so we didn't have to wait too long to talk to the special company.
When we were in line for about three minutes, somebody (I think…) made off with Robert Osborne's pen and he was asking people if they had a marker to borrow. Since I bought a whole package of them the day before having left my trusty sharpies at home, I excused myself past a couple of people to lend him my marker. He was very gracious and appreciative for the marker and made perfectly sure that it was okay if he used it before he put it to work. Of course it was! Imagine me being able to tell everyone back on the Lounge that I gave my marker to ROBERT OSBORNE! And, Petula Clark stole my red sharpie in Toronto two years ago, so why not! :-D I should start up a charity for celebrities in need of markers…"Autograph Seeker Appeasers Aid"?
After being in line for 10 minutes or so – with Amanda and I discussing Carole's The Incredible Mr. Limpet with Don Knotts, accents, and her swooning over one Mr. Osborne – we finally made it to the front of the line. First up was Robert and I told him how much I appreciated him coming and sharing his stories, and we also talked about the relatively recent launch of Turner Classic Movies Canada and how they sometimes have to blackout movies in Canada for copyright reasons. He then signed my photo of he and Lucy taken in the late 1950s which can be found in the "Desilu" book. Jimmy Sheridan Junior Senior was nice enough to scan this for me because I couldn't find my copy. Amanda then took our picture, she then chatted with Robert and I took their picture.
I then was able to talk to Carole and Tom. Like Robert, they are both SO nice and had so many great stories to tell. Carole and I talked a bit more about Gale because she had a few things to add after answering my question at the event before, a bit about Shirley Mitchell (I said that in May, Shirley said Carole was a "real kick in the head" and that I thought Shirley grossly underestimated her! LOL … Carole agreed! HAHA!), and about Mr. Limpet. I brought with me an original publicity photo from Limpet which I bought from eBay a few weeks before. Tom was struck by how good the photo was and Carole said that she never received this photo from the movie. I'm going to scan it and send it to her. She and Tom signed the photo for me and Tom and I had a great chat about the theatre he has done in Canada. He told me that he once did a play at the Lea Posluns theatre in Thornhill, Ontario which is about 25 minutes south of my house. I can't believe he was playing so close and I didn't know it. Tom was sure that the Posluns theatre had been shut down, but was pleased when I told him that it was still running and I saw a production of Romeo and Juliet there in high school. I wish I had more time to talk with Tom. He's an interesting guy! Amanda then took my picture with the Troupes, and I took hers, then it was time to mingle with everyone else.
posted by Brock at 12:12 PM
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