Alan, stuff like this humanizes MOPO to no end. As much as I enjoy ads...and I
AM buying posters again, hooray!...this kind of background material on our
constant readers is the shiznit. Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable read,
Greg Douglass
PS-Yes, Tom Martin is the savant of MOPOland. A truly delightful human being!
---- Alan Adler <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hey, Tom - I always enjoy your thoughts - You should have a net reality show
> - your son could fix that up - I’d pay to watch - but your philosophies
> should continue to be free to all.
>
> By the way - Didn’t want to short out some friends of mine I'd call stars.
>
> I quit 3 good jobs after I saw the first STAR WARS and came to LA from NC to
> make sci-fi movies and look for posters, I took classes at The Groundlings
> Theater for a couple years and occasionally managed the theater on Friday
> nights.
>
> That’s where I saw Phil Hartman star in Nick Hazzard on stage - Not only was
> it just about the funniest thing I’d ever seen - but he and the troupe were
> so clever, the Groundlings drew me in.
> Phil would ask the audience for a weapon - they’s shout all kinds of stuff -
> he’d take salami. He’d ask for a clue - people would say crazy stuff - he’d
> go with feather duster - He’d ask a dozen questions. The group would
> immediately return and do a murder mystery and use all those improved story
> points to weave the most incredible who-done-it you could imagine. It was
> pure genius. Couldn’t even be written it was so genius. It just flowed out
> of the moment. Like magic, I don’t think improv works as well on TV - but
> when in a live audience and it works at its best - the experience is
> unforgettable.
>
> So - Phil was a great guy - and multi-talented - he did album covers for big
> rock bands -like The Eagles, I think - in his off hours.
> I got as far as playing a dead body in one of his skits before I moved on to
> Yoga - but that’s another story.
> Phil was terrific and so friendly. A beautiful man, as sharp and smart as
> they come.
>
> I knew Pee Wee Herman a bit better. I never saw a performer so full of zest,
> smarts and pure talent. He made the audiences stand up, shout and go crazy.
> Originally the character of PEE WEE was a newbie actor just-arrived in LA - I
> watched how he developed the character into Pee Wee and saw him try out the
> first Pee Wee Playhouse theatrical production. The entire troupe ate up the
> scenery, the stage, the audience. Everyone just laughed themselves silly.
> Paul Reubens was amazingly open and friendly. The real menches of this
> business always are. The crumbumbs are never as talented. It’s what makes
> them act like crumbums.
>
> And then there was Cassanda - Cassandra Peterson was in my class - must have
> been a couple years we worked together as fledgling Groundlings for a couple
> nights a week. We were great friends. And it wasn’t until I left the
> Groundlings I saw later she became Elvira, Mistress of the Night. Cassandra
> was a beautiful red-head. When she was a Vegas chorus girl she even dated
> Elvis. This was - and still is - one beautiful lady. I will say this about
> how funny she was. All she had to do was step on stage and I started
> laughing. She was preparing to go on and I started laughing. That’s how
> good her timing was.
>
> AND FOR PLAN 9 FANS:
>
> I spent a late and dreary Hollywood afternoon with Elvira’s alter-ego,
> Vampira (Maila Nurmi), at her reclusive, 2nd story apartment - Going there to
> interview her for a CBS strip series, I felt like I was in a low rent version
> of Sunset Boulevard - Maila played Vampira in PLAN 9 and would wear her
> costume on the bus to the set. She told me she had something like a 17 or 19
> inch waist and would apply meat tenderizer to her waist and wrap herself in
> plastic wrap to break down the tissue to get smaller. Can’t remember is she
> said she slept like that, but having met her - she probably never slept - in
> the daytime, anyway.
>
> Sorry if it seems I rambled, just rose to the question.
>
> Come visit my site - lots of unusual stuff and adding all the time.
> Been a collector since 1957 and a dealer since the early 1970’s.
> Currently putting up stuff I’ve carried around for years.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> Alan Adler
>
> www.museumofmomandpopculture.com
>
> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
> ___________________________________________________________________
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>
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--
Greg Douglass
Guitarist-
Lessons, Live Shows, Touring,
& Studio Work
(760)212-3648
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
___________________________________________________________________
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Send a message addressed to: [email protected]
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