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A YEAR OF FIRSTS

My first time in the director’s chair was a blur and I don’t remember much of my actual “directing”.  I do recall that there were a bunch of false starts and missed shots – but Sam, always the wise mentor, made me continue even though I came close to abandoning my seat and fleeing to the bullpen.

From that rough start I directed First Person for two years until Betty ran out of people to interview.  It was the greatest start anyone could ask for as I got to meet a “Who’s Who” of rich and famous New Jersey natives.   Dore Schary, Newark born and the former head of MGM and RKO arrived at our studio in a double stretch limo. He knew Betty "from his old NYC days."   We traveled beyond our tapings in the studio to shoot many of the guests on film. Yogi Berra, who lived in NJ during his baseball days, was filmed from the home team dugout in Yankee Stadium.  George Gallup, the national pollster, was filmed on the Dinky which he took to NYC everyday (a small train that took a host of Princeton executives to the mainline at Princeton Junction).   

Arthur Godfrey, who grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, was a joy to film in his CBS Black Rock office in Manhattan – it was absolutely mind-boggling that I was directing him, after growing up listening to that mellow voice and watching him for so many years.  His office was still provided by the network even though he hadn’t done a TV show there in years.  It was huge and filled with a lifetime of memorabilia.  Hundreds of signed photos covered every wall.  Emmy statues and award plaques were everywhere.   We had left New Jersey at 4 AM to make sure we won the battle of the daily traffic war crossing under the Hudson.  It took us a couple of hours to make the 40 minute drive from Trenton.  After setting up and a long nervous wait  Mr. Godfrey finally arrived.  Hearing that familiar voice in person was startling - to say the least.   “How r ya…how r ya,” he crooned as he entered his suite and I could hear his theme song, Seems Like Old Times, playing in my head.once again.  “Did you folks have trouble with the traffic?  Bet it was murder coming in...could tell it was bad because I had time to read the whole first section of the Times!”   The crew just smiled.  We had sat at the tunnel for over an hour as Arthur was chauffeured to work.  Even retired  “stars” lead a much different life than we on a lower tier of the show-biz totem.

Before Betty began Mr. Godfrey had one request.  “You can shoot everything in my office but not that corner – please know that these trophies come from a very long time ago, but my fans just won’t understand…you know how it is…I could never hunt again…I've changed…and am a serious environmentalist now…times have certainly changed too haven’t they…”   He was worried we would show his “trophies” from his safari’s which included a stuffed cheetah ready to spring; the head of an antelope with magnificent horns poking its majestic head through the wall lined with photos of beautiful but dead animals.  To the right of his giant desk were several large elephant guns hung on a gun rack inlaid with gold and ivory.  

We shot two film cassette loads for over an hour and could have done two more - the old pro still had the gift of gab that made him a millionaire many times over.

Another Jersey guy Jerry Lewis, born in Newark, NJ and who graduated from Irvington High School, was interviewed in his suite at the Rittenhouse on the Square before his evening appearance at the Latin Casino.  Again, being in the presence of the Nutty Professor, The Bellhop,  Jerry of Jerry's Kids - for a few hours was a fantastic dream come true for me.  His assistant ushered us into a immense living room of the presidential suite - and as we unpacked we were surprised when Mr. Lewis sauntered in from another room and asked if we needed anything.  I was amazed that he was very tall.  He was dressed in crisp jeans, patent leather boots; blue oxford shirt under a sweater with red trim. I was very surprised at how serious he was and how he made it very plain that he knew "film" as he chatted with our crew about the kind of lights, the kind of the film we were loading and how we like the camera - he used all the technical jargon.

We rolled the film and Betty asked him all of the standard - do you remember when - questions - and for one hour he wasn't funny even once.

We stopped filming and he said, "Thanks guys", and he was gone just like that.  Our audience was over.  We packed up and as we were leaving I noticed in the foyer a large rack that had about seven blue shirts, seven pairs of jeans and a number of blue sweaters and on another rack a dozen tuxedos with all the trimming.  Jerry's agent saw me looking at this array of brand new clothes and said, "Mr Lewis likes new garments and dislikes the odor of cleaning fluids and detergent - he wears new clothes everyday and at the end of the week I send the used ones to the local Goodwill."  

I had been briefly in a world so much different than the one I knew.





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