RECOLLECTIONS
VII
My latest page is about meeting old friends and making new ones at appearances throughout the year. Don't forget to look through the other six pages. There's some great stuff there.
Bet you never
thought you'd see a photo of me with director John Waters. The man behind
"Hair Spray" and Divine was appearing with Bay Area film critic
Jan Wahl the same day my wife, Laurie was appearing to plug her latest
book: DISHING HOLLYWOOD The last chapter is on Divine. P.S. He made off
with Jan's copy of the book!
Last April, new friend KAREN VALENTINE from "Room 222" fame and I were asked to be celebrity grand marshals in the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Parade. Karen was born there and I worked there many years, so it was old home week for us. She is a doll and I hope to see her again soon.
Many of you are
fans of "The New Lassie". In May, my co-star, Wendy Hagen Cox
and I appeared at the Danville International Children's Film Festival.
It had been at least ten years since we'd seen each other and it was a
wonderful reunion. And I made a new friend, Wendy's gorgeous baby, Elijah.
In the first photo, he seems to be sizing me up. But I eventually get his
approval! Wendy, needless to say, looks gorgeous too.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a terrific organization, so when the Bay Area branch asked my pal Kathy Garver (Cissy from "Family Affair") and me to appear at an event, we were there. The croquet invitational at Sonoma-Cutrer Winery was incredible. We are pictured below with my wife, Laurie, Eric Johnston of LucasArts and Patricia Wilson, Executive Director for Make-A-Wish.
Photo by Melissa Dodd
Eric
worked with young leukemia patient Ben Duskin to create "Ben's Game",
(www.makewish/ben) a computer game
that battles cancer cells. "Ben's Game" has already been viewed
and downloaded for play by young people the world over. Cool, huh!
Kathy and I got together again for a MADD fundraiser in Orange County. Also lending a helping hand was Stan Livingston, Chip from "My Three Sons". Stan and I go way back. He was my stunt double in my very first episode of "Lassie" AND, most importantly, he introduced me to Laurie!
Those of you who have visited my sight before know that I end each recollections page with a photo of Tommy. This time, I'm sharing something very special. He signed this photo to me in July, 1957 as we began his last few months on the show. He wrote: "To Johnny, Best of luck in the Lassie show. I sure have fun working with you. Our best wishes, Tom Rettig and Lassie."
Click here
to go back to the main Recollections photo page.
|
|
