Lunch With Richard and Other Stories

Keenan Wynn

2006-11-18T13:04:00.001-04:00

This is me with Keenan Wynn during the shooting of 'The Ballonist' a "Littlest Hobo" episide shot in my parents home in Uxbridge Ontario in the Summer of 1980
keenan and I spent the breaks talking about movies like 'Dr. Strangelove' etc. it was a fun afternoon

Ned Beatty

2005-09-16T09:26:00.002-03:00

Ned Beatty
Darts With N
ed
Back in the mid eighties I’d had a few pints with Graydon Gould at The Artful Dodger.
He is an icon of Canadian Television he used to be the Forest Ranger in the 50’s.
I had been involved in the movie business and we had a few mutual friends. One afternoon he invited me to go with him to the 22 to meet Ned Beatty who was shooting ‘Switching Channels’, and to go to supper with them. We met in the 22 and Ned was very subdued. He was very quiet and had an orange juice in front of him and said he just didn’t feel like drinking or eating. We talked a bit but Ned excused himself.” I have just had a terrible day.” So I am going to turn in early”. He apologized to Graydon and started packing up his stuff. He reached into his shirt pocket and moved a set of darts to his kit.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my darts. “Would you like a game?” I asked.
Off we went to the Artful Dodger I was a pretty good dart player at that time and we took on all comers and won every beer. We drank long dark pints and ate meat pies long into the night. Trading movie stories and playing over our heads it was just a wonderful evening He was really a brilliant, erudite, interesting and knowledgeable guy, he seemed to enjoy himself immensely and I was told he came back a couple of times over the next year looking for me. What a fun night.

Dame Edna and my friend Harvey Cohen

2005-08-02T08:54:00.001-03:00

Dame Edna and my friend Harvey Cohen who played Edna's gay son Kenny

Barry Humphrey

2005-08-02T08:47:00.001-03:00

While I met most celebs socially through some sort of bizI have accidental meetings too. I was in this huge cocktail bar in Clearwater Florida with my brother Jack when this gent asked me about my hat."Where did you get that lovley hat he asked? Believe it or not at the drugstore I replied. I went to dozens of clothing shops but only walgreens has any decent hats I told him. "Thank you for that."he said. I looked at him closely, " hey aren't you Dame Edna? "Oh you have seem me on the telly," he said. But then refused to admit he was Dame Edna. Which Barry Humphreys does of course. I called Jack over and we had a bit of a conversation with him and his wife. i tried to introduce him as Dame Edna but he still wouldn't admit anything. "Where are you from?" he asked me. I told him Toronto. You must be from Canada too he asked Jack. No said Jack I am from here now I got kicked out of Canada for over tipping. We parted laughing.