Good evening, 919 Gang. We’ve bounced
from Regis Philbin to Don Freeman to Frankie Laine, and here’s another
excellent story:
DENNIS
FOLEY writes:
A couple
of recent mentions of the great Frankie Laine brought to mind this story, from
when I was working at The Tribune and teaching a feature-writing class at SDSU
in the mid-'80s. My final assignment, worth 25 percent of the grade, was a
magazine-style profile of a famous, living San Diegan. I supplied a list of
names and you couldn't get an A unless you interviewed the notable IN PERSON.
The terrified students had to learn how to make pitches in writing, over the
phone and in person, to agents, managers, PR folks and press secretaries of
famous and famously busy people to try to arrange the key interview. What were
the odds, given the target knew nothing was likely to ever be published? The
funniest story came from the student who loved baseball, and Steve Garvey, in
particular. As the deadline neared, she'd done all the background research and
made a dozen contacts with the Padres and Garvey's handlers, to no avail. I
suggested she buy a cheap ticket and go early to an afternoon home game, with
the intent of trying to wheedle a question or two as the players loosened up
during batting and fielding practice. Sure enough, as the pregame ended and
players were heading toward the dugout, she ran into a gaggle of fans at the
railing, shouting Garvey's name. He spotted her, smiled, and sauntered over,
figuring the young woman wanted his autograph. She quickly identified herself
and asked her first question. He glowered and walked away. Points for guts. But
the student who had taken Frankie Laine got his man. Over the course of the
semester, he'd tried the writing and phoning intermediaries, without success.
In frustration, he'd driven to Frankie's gated house and rung the buzzer. No
response. As with the Garvey fan, I asked if Laine was scheduled to perform
locally before the semester's end. Turns out he was, at a benefit event at the
Town & Country. I told him that I didn't expect him to buy a ticket, but
suggested he pitch the agent on getting a few minutes before or after a
rehearsal. The agent took pity and said he could have five minutes with Frankie
before. Frankie was a few minutes late, so the student was told he could stay
for the rehearsal and talk to him after. Frankie spent an hour and a half with
him. The student was literally vibrating with excitement when he came to class
next and justifiably proud. He wrote a terrific profile. Frankie showed his
class.
NICK CANEPA writes:
As for Frankie Laine's San Diego location, he
lived in Point Loma forever. A kind, generous man. They just unveiled a statue
of him in Little Italy, where, hopefully, those who preferred Julius LaRosa
won't tear it down.
RICK SMITH writes:
I
thought Frankie Laine lived in the Point Loma community of La Playa. Jimmy
Marino, a former Lincoln High cheerleader, class of '58, was instrumental in
the erection of a statue of Laine in Little Italy. I wish I had more details,
but do know that Marino had a long association with Frankie..
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CARL
LARSEN
writes:
I’ve often wondered if Regis Avenue, near my
home, was named for Regis Philbin, who cut his teeth in San Diego. It’s not a
household name. But the age of the nearby homes argues against the notion.
If we can’t claim Regis, we’ve got
bragging rights to other local TV “royalty” in our ‘hood.
My wife used to babysit for Ch. 10 station
manager Clayton Brace and long-time personalities Bob Dale and Bob Mills lived
a few doors away.
These celebs all pale against Annette Benning
and Phil Mickelson, both of whom called Del Cerro home.
I thought it interesting that Regis, a dyed in
the wool New Yorker, was buried at his beloved Notre Dame campus in Indiana.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DAVID FARMER writes:
I was
reunited with an old friend this week--if a word can be considered a friend.
That word is Ruritania. I first became acquainted with it, and the country of
the same name, by reading a book and watching a movie.
Puzzled
yet? The reunion was arranged by the columnist George Will, who wrote that
former president Richard Nixon once tried to have White House staff dressed in
Ruritanian uniforms (didn't work).
The
book was "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1894). The movie with that title
came out in 1952.* They told the implausible story of the king of a fictional
East European country named Ruritania. It seems the king has gotten into
trouble and an English gentleman tourist happens to look just like him. The
tourist naturally impersonates the king and manages to clear up the mess.
This
is what present-day Ruritanian uniforms look like:
I
can't see what would be wrong with White House staff dressed like that. But
Nixon was reportedly sniggered at until he gave up.
And
below is the English gentleman whom I mentioned. In addition to looking just
like the king, he bore an uncanny resemblance to Stewart Granger:
Some
(real) countries, including the Czech Republic, still outfit** their sentries
in gaudy uniforms:
My
wife and I have visited European and Scandinavian countries, and found that
many of their sentries and honor guards dress like Ruritanian troops.
*I
didn't read the book when it came out. I'm old, but not that old. I got to it
in high school. As for the movie, it ran in the now-defunct Ramona Theater when
I was a high school freshman. I've always thought that if the ushers had worn
Ruritanian clothing, the theater might have survived.
**Use
of a noun as a verb is called "verbing" or "antimeria."
REBER: Reading your post, I couldn’t
help but think of the Marx Brothers singing “Hail, Hail, Freedonia" in their movie “Duck Soup.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
MICHELE
DAVIS
writes:
This was the headline in an email from a
business from which I previously purchased a one of a kind mug for a friend. It
was a cartoon picture of him with his dog. The headline to entice me?
"A Wholly F*cking Big Blanket At Half The Price".
Seriously? I think they need a new marketing director.
--------------------------------------------------------
DENNIS
FOLEY writes:
I greatly
enjoyed the YouTube link supplied by Dennis Corbran and confess to at times
being both a member and a target of the Grammar Police. I suspect I am not
alone, given this group's reverence for precise written work (AP Stylebook,
anyone?). But I love spoken language, too, and am mostly fascinated, not
appalled, by differences. As I am trying to stay away from the deadly virus, I
spent some time recently watching "English in America: A Linguistic
History," offered on DVDs by The Great Courses folks. I recommend it.
Years ago, I also took the New York Times interactive quiz to place myself on
our nation's dialect map, answering questions such as whether I called
sweetened, carbonated beverages soda or pop, and did I refer to a group of
people as you all, youse, y'all or even yinz. It was uncannily accurate. Y'all
can try it here: How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk
--------------------------------------------------------
REBER: We’re
launching a new month by wishing Bobbi Ignelzi and Don Kohlbauer Happy Birthdays
Aug. 1.
P.O.
Box 2239
Ramona,
CA 92065-0938
United
States
