I kept in touch with Barbara and in 1997, when the "Leave It To Beaver" movie was released, using only Barbara out of the original cast (BAD DECISION, as the movie never made it at the box office). I had invited Barbara to the "Hollywood Bowl" for one of their special music and fire works programs. We arrived late because I had to drive all the way to Universal Studios to pick up Barbara after she attended the, "Leave It To Beaver", movie premier, then drive all the way across the County to the Hollywood Bowl…in heavy Friday afternoon traffic. I arrived a bit frazzled, to say the least.
We were meeting Tony Dow, and his lovely wife, Laurin, at a beautiful little park across from the main entrance to the Bowl. This is where many of the Bowl patrons would have their "picnic" meals before going to see the show (primarily the folks who did not have Box Seats).
By the time that we finally arrived at the park, all of the tables were taken. I left Barbara off with Laurin; and Tony went with me to park the car. The parking lot was nearly full and when we arrived and we sat in a long line as we waited to enter the gate and pay the young female attendant a $5.00 parking fee. She took one look at Tony, said "Weren't you 'Wally' on television?" "Yes", he said with his typical boyish, yet handsome smile, and the young lady, after a bit of a sigh, she motioned us on, WITHOUT PAYING!! I asked Tony, "How often does it happen that you get ‘comped’ (complimentary) in these situations?" Tony said, "Most of the time." I said, "I need to have you with me MORE OFTEN!", “You just saved us Five Bucks!!”
When we got back to the picnic area there was Barbara with Laurin sitting at their "own table”! I asked them how they were able to get a table when the whole area was full just a few minutes before. The girls told me that a family, who was using two tables, saw Barbara and they immediately offered her one of their tables and doubled up at the other one. “BOY, IT’S NICE TO HANG OUT WITH CELEBRITIES!” (Barbara and Tony were nice enough to pose for photos with that lucky family)
After dinner we walked over to the entrance of the Bowl. The way up to our seats was a long, steep, winding, hilly walkway. Barbara had recently had foot surgery so I suggested that we find one of the VIP golf carts to take us to our seats. At that point, Barbara virtually took me by the arm and dragged me up the incline to our entrance gate. That woman was NOT about to let anyone see her as wounded and needing help!
I didn't have the money, or the political pull, to get the "box seats", so we sat in the "nose bleed" section of the 15,000 plus seat outdoor Hollywood Bowl Amphitheatre. There seemed to be at least a five second delay between the action on the stage and when we finally heard the music in our section of seats (we were possibly in an entirely different zip code than where the "action" was going on). Anyway, YOU GET THE PICTURE!
I was sitting with Barbara to my left and a large family to my right. The father, sitting next to me, looked over and whispered, "Isn't that 'Mrs. Cleaver'!?!" I knew that he would pester me if I didn't tell the truth, so I confirmed it. Then he said, "Well, what is she doing in these crumby seats, way back here?" A bit defensively, I explained to him that she was my "date" and these were the best that I could afford.
Barbara heard the conversation, as I am sure that EVERYONE in our section did, and the "other side" of her, in a way that June Cleaver NEVER would have, she pointed to the orchestra box seats, several ZIP codes below and said, so that everyone could hear her, "THAT is where I normally sit, when I am invited to the 'Hollywood Bowl'!
I know that she didn't mean to embarrass me, but simply to, "shake my cage", which she accomplished! She noticed that I wasn't taking her jest very well and so she followed it up quickly with, "But I never knew how much BETTER these seats are, rather than being SO CLOSE to the stage. I’m sure that the fireworks display is going to be better, seen from here, instead of having to bend my neck to look straight up!"
We were meeting Tony Dow, and his lovely wife, Laurin, at a beautiful little park across from the main entrance to the Bowl. This is where many of the Bowl patrons would have their "picnic" meals before going to see the show (primarily the folks who did not have Box Seats).
By the time that we finally arrived at the park, all of the tables were taken. I left Barbara off with Laurin; and Tony went with me to park the car. The parking lot was nearly full and when we arrived and we sat in a long line as we waited to enter the gate and pay the young female attendant a $5.00 parking fee. She took one look at Tony, said "Weren't you 'Wally' on television?" "Yes", he said with his typical boyish, yet handsome smile, and the young lady, after a bit of a sigh, she motioned us on, WITHOUT PAYING!! I asked Tony, "How often does it happen that you get ‘comped’ (complimentary) in these situations?" Tony said, "Most of the time." I said, "I need to have you with me MORE OFTEN!", “You just saved us Five Bucks!!”
When we got back to the picnic area there was Barbara with Laurin sitting at their "own table”! I asked them how they were able to get a table when the whole area was full just a few minutes before. The girls told me that a family, who was using two tables, saw Barbara and they immediately offered her one of their tables and doubled up at the other one. “BOY, IT’S NICE TO HANG OUT WITH CELEBRITIES!” (Barbara and Tony were nice enough to pose for photos with that lucky family)
After dinner we walked over to the entrance of the Bowl. The way up to our seats was a long, steep, winding, hilly walkway. Barbara had recently had foot surgery so I suggested that we find one of the VIP golf carts to take us to our seats. At that point, Barbara virtually took me by the arm and dragged me up the incline to our entrance gate. That woman was NOT about to let anyone see her as wounded and needing help!
I didn't have the money, or the political pull, to get the "box seats", so we sat in the "nose bleed" section of the 15,000 plus seat outdoor Hollywood Bowl Amphitheatre. There seemed to be at least a five second delay between the action on the stage and when we finally heard the music in our section of seats (we were possibly in an entirely different zip code than where the "action" was going on). Anyway, YOU GET THE PICTURE!
I was sitting with Barbara to my left and a large family to my right. The father, sitting next to me, looked over and whispered, "Isn't that 'Mrs. Cleaver'!?!" I knew that he would pester me if I didn't tell the truth, so I confirmed it. Then he said, "Well, what is she doing in these crumby seats, way back here?" A bit defensively, I explained to him that she was my "date" and these were the best that I could afford.
Barbara heard the conversation, as I am sure that EVERYONE in our section did, and the "other side" of her, in a way that June Cleaver NEVER would have, she pointed to the orchestra box seats, several ZIP codes below and said, so that everyone could hear her, "THAT is where I normally sit, when I am invited to the 'Hollywood Bowl'!
I know that she didn't mean to embarrass me, but simply to, "shake my cage", which she accomplished! She noticed that I wasn't taking her jest very well and so she followed it up quickly with, "But I never knew how much BETTER these seats are, rather than being SO CLOSE to the stage. I’m sure that the fireworks display is going to be better, seen from here, instead of having to bend my neck to look straight up!"
Nice try, but I still felt I had let her down. Boy, the guilt, even passed out by a TV mother, is universally felt by kids everywhere.
More to follow........
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