|
Mark Schweickart
Dave-- Here's one of my brush with greatness stories, although not in an elevator. Shortly after I moved to L.A. in the late 70's I was working at a rental and sales store in Hollywod which serviced the professional film market with all sorts of camera, lighting, sound, and grip equipment. Anyone, or company, wanting to rent equipment had to fill out a rental application that was sent to our accounting department who would decide whether they were to be put on a billing terms or had to pay for the rental in advance. One day I got a call from someone sayingthey were Paul Newman's assistant, and that Mr. Newman would be arriving shortly to rent a camera to take some home movies of his kids, or grandkids (I forget which) as they practiced their equestrian skills. I called down to Linda in accounting and asked her what to do when he showed up so far as payment was concerned. She said coyly, "You just send old blue eyes down here to see me" (her office was in the basement). Of course I knew she was just screwing around, so when he came in and began browsing around our sales department's showroom, I slipped down to tell her that he was here. She jumped up, and started primping, and preening, and said, "You go up stairs and page me to come to the sales foor, so I have an excuse to come upstairs." I said, "Good Lord, Linda, you do not need an excuse, just come up now," and the two of us walked up the stairs to the Sales Deparrtment. She stopped when we took the last step and began peering around, sticking her neck out and squinting as she said, "Where is he?" I saw him at the far end of the sales floor, about 50 feet from us, he was wandering around alone, and so I pointed him out. She squinted again, "Where?" I responded, "For chrissakes, Linda, put your glasses on." She said, "I can't have him seeing me wearing glasses." I told her stop being ridiculous, and with that, she turned and headed back down the stairs. I called out, "What about the credit app, does he need to fill one out?" She didn't answer.
I proceeded over to talk to him, and he was very nice, but quite disappointied when I explained that we didn't quite have what he was looking for. After hearing what he wanted, I explained that our cameras were perhaps a bit too elaborate for his purposes. He wanted something akin to a Super 8 point and shoot camera, but in 16mm or 35mm. He said, "During the war we had these simple Bell and Howell cartidge loaded 16mm cameras. Nothing like that?" I said, "Sorry, sir," and then took him into the rental department to show him the most simple camera we had, but it was too much--separate battery belt, shoulder brace, the film required being threaded through the gate, etc.
Before he left empty handed, I emboldened myself, and asked him if I could have his autograpgh. He said, "Sorry, son, I don't do autographs." It so happened, that my parents had just arrived for a visit the previous day, and I said, "Oh that's too bad, my mother will be disappointed. She just arrived form Ohio yesterday, and this would really send her over the moon for her first time visiting Hollywood." He asked, "Are you from Ohio?" I said, "Yes sir, grew up in Columbus. I went to Ohio State." He said, "I went to Kenyon College myself." He paused for a moment, then asked, "You got a piece of paper?"
I was tempted to give the autograph to Linda, but decided my Mother would love it even more. And she did.
Moral of the story -- Don't be afraid to play your Ohio card.
|
