805 words
By Stephen Schochet
Being a celebrity means dealing with fan demands for autographs,
ranging from polite and appropriate to rude and overbearing. One time
Katherine Hepburn was performing on Broadway and tried to exit
backstage through a crowd of jostling autograph hounds. Bodyguards
helped her to her limo and once safely inside the very private star
rolled down the window and shouted," Run em down! We'll clean up the
blood later!" The crowd scattered and the limousine sped away,
pausing long enough for Hepburn to roll down the window and wave
goodbye to her fans, accompanied by an evil laugh. Strangely enough,
when she lived in Beverly Hills the seclusion loving Hepburn
developed the habit of sneaking into her neighbor's houses as a
hobby. She became expert at climbing trees, avoiding alarms and dogs,
and revealing herself just before her nervous neighbors called the
police.
Walt Disney had the strange experience in the 1930s of having his
name famous around the world when his face was not. Often he would
forget his identification and that combined with his casual attire
sometimes kept him out of fancy restaurants. Later in the 50's he
became a recognized figure because of his television hosting duties.
The lack of anonymity made it increasingly difficult for him to walk
through Disneyland without being badgered for autographs. Disney
struggled not to be brusque while explaining he didn't have time, he
was trying to make the park a better place. In the 60's when the
company was trying to purchase Florida marshland for a second
amusement park, he was warned by his advisors to stay away from the
state, the real estate prices would go up once the identity of the
buyer was known. But Disney couldn't resist. Eating in a Orlando
diner Walt was approached by a curious waitress,"Pardon me. Aren't
you Walt Disney?" Walt who was known for being brutally honest,
replied," Hell no! And if I see that sob, I'll give him a piece of my
mind."
Stars making movies at Universal Studios often try to avoid tour
guides leading autograph hounds. One particular fellow became
ingenious at tracking down Michael Caine, who toyed with the idea of
having the young man fired, then decided, "What the hell, I'll just
sign" and was gracious. It turned out to be a good move, the tour
guide was Mike Ovitz who later became the most powerful talent agent
in Hollywood.
When stardom is new, autograph signing can be a thrill. One night in
Paris the 60 year old Cary Grant and 25 year old Sophia Loren wished
to go out to dinner. "But the people will come up to us. I can't
stand it!" said the jaded Briton. "I love it," said Sophia. When they
left their hotel Grant complete with his hat pulled down,dark
glasses, his scarf wrapped around his face, and his huge overcoat
looked like the Invisible Man. Sophia looked like Sophia. As they
walked the streets of Paris people began to come up to her for
autographs which she joyfully signed. After a few fan encounters
Grant began to get jealous. Down came the hat, off came the glasses,
the coat and the scarf and soon he was standing under neon lights to
get noticed.
Another English actor named Grant was thrilled by his breakout
stardom due to the movie Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994). Hugh
Grant would drive around New York looking for theaters where the film
was playing then get out and wait in line, happy for the attention
and to sign autographs. Later when he was arrested in Los Angeles for
hiring prostitute Divine Brown, he turned down requests to put his
signature on tabloids containing his mug shot.
Some actors just sign despite their annoyance. One time Arnold
Schwarzenegger was being interviewed at a press junket when a
reporter asked him for an autograph for his mother, a big no-no. The
star grimaced and said,"Of course. I wouldn't want to disappoint your
mother." He paused then added," I'm sure you have disappointed her
enough already."
Autographs can cause internal conflicts for stars who take themselves
too seriously. During the making of Klute (1971) Donald Sutherland
received a written request from a fan who wished for an autograph for
his daughter. Sutherland showed the letter to his humorless
girlfriend Jane Fonda who expressed a strong opinion that he should
not sign it, autographs imply that movie actors are somehow superior
to others. Sutherland bowed to her philosophy and wrote a letter
stating his reasons for refusing the request. The man wrote him
back,"Dear Mr. Sutherland, thank you for your letter. We think you
are full of it but we ripped off the signature and gave it to our
daughter."
Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks
Fascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis Post
Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionally
entertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at
http://www.hollywoodstories.com.