LifeSoFarLaRue

In college, my toughest acting role came along one Summer.  I did three seasons of Summer school because of the Summer Stock acting program.   In the Summer of 1961,  I played the part of Gorky in William Saroyan's "The Cave Dwellers."   What made it so tough you may well ask?   Well for starters, Gorky is a grizzly bear, albeit trained, but a bear nonetheless.  The photo below is a scene from the play (not ours, but an equivalent.) When I was first cast in the role, my professor, Dr. Bruder, took me on a Saturday day-trip to the Kansas City zoo so that I could study the bears and how they moved.  It was fascinating to watch those big creatures as they wondered around their open area (behind bars of course). And I came away with quite a bit of knowledge about their habits which I incorporated into the performance.  (Scratching itches was a big hit with the audiences.) Then, there was the "suit."   It was very impressive but a grizzly be...

This posting may be a little hard to write, because I genuinely liked this lady and I think she liked me.  The inscription reads. "To my darling Larue, Thanks for the fun.  Love Monique." Long before the Kardashians became famous for being famous, there was a lady named Monique Von Vooren.  Of Belgian descent, she was first noticed in America as a co-star to Lex Barker in 1953's "Tarzan and The She-Devil."  She went on to become a "guest star" on numerous TV shows ("The Dupont Show of the Week", "The United States Steel Hour" as well as "Batman" not to mention various game shows)  She also appeared on Broadway in "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" and "Man in the Moon." She even authored several books and had a cameo appearance in the film, "Wall Street" as the "Woman at 21."  So, as you might surmise she was no dumb blonde but a savvy lady with ambition.  And also v...

On the last day of school when I was in the 7th grade, all classes were released early in order to find weenie roasting sticks for a previously announced roast to celebrate the end of the school year.(Remember this was a small school with perhaps only 3 dozen students)  Since the school was situated on the top of a hill, sloping down to a few cottonwood trees in the back, most of the students headed for the trees.   We were all savvy enough to know that "sticks" must be green to  prevent catching on fire while roasting. I remember climbing up the largest  tree, looking for the perfect limb that I could harvest and turn into the perfect "weenie roasting" stick.  That one?  No.  Oh, that one over there.   Reaching out and tugging on the limb to try and dislodge it,  I guess I pulled a little too hard and the limb resisted.  I lost my balance and fell out of the tree.  It wasn't a long fall, maybe 6 to 8 feet.  But it was a ...

When I was very young (maybe 8 or so) my mother decided I should take piano lessons (very popular at the time and most likely still going strong in some families today.)  Well, that lasted for a few years and I can still play a bit, but mostly by ear since I never really "mastered" the art. Some years later, when I enrolled in High School and signed up for "Shop" class, my mother was not thrilled.  And although an older brother had gifted her with many hand make items from his days in "Shop," she promptly took me to the "powers that be" and re-enrolled me in "Band," arbitrarily picking the tenor saxophone as my instrument of choice  (Never mastered that either, despite tutoring on Saturdays).  But I faked it pretty well and knew enough to get by.  And I did enjoy marching at half-time for the Friday night football games. Still later, in college, when I was persuaded to become a part of  "The Chessmen" (see earl...

I don't remember who first told me about the king.  It was undoubtedly a high school friend in my Freshman class.  After hearing a song or two on the radio, I quickly bought his first album in March of 1956 and became mesmerized by this thing called rock and roll. Up until then everything in my world was Patti Page and Teresa Brewer with an occasional Eddie Fisher or Johnny Mathis throw in. That fall, when it was announced that Elvis would be on "The Ed Sullivan Show" the anticipation was palpable.  At last, we would get to see this talent that had everyone at school talking, much to the dismay of their parents. And on September 9th of that year, he appeared and the rest is history. While you may not remember it clearly, Sullivan was not on the show.  He was recuperating from an automobile accident and Charles Laughton filled in for him.  Yes, that Charles Laughton.  Furthermore, Elvis was in Hollywood doing his first movie "Love Me Tender" and no...

One snowy Christmas in the mid 50's,  I was informed that we were not going to put up a tree that year.  I don't know if the reason was financial or bad roads to get to our neighboring town.   But, it was rather hard to take for the about to be teen-ager in the coming January. And I decided that something must be done.  But what?  Well, we had decorations.  Lots of glass balls that were leftover from previous years.  (As I remember, our decorations were mostly glass with "novelty" items yet to come.) And my parents owned a hardware store...….And there was a small dead tree just down the street in back of an abandoned house...…… So I set out, trudging through the snow, to that poor, hapless tree and managed to break off a limb that would suit my purposes.  Dragging it home, I went to the Hardware store (it was next door to where we lived).  My dad was tending shop but there were no customers on this snowy day. I approached him, rather ...

Sometime in my long ago youth, I decided that I would become an "artist."   I was not really aware of what the word entailed but I knew I wanted to create things, to make some magic, to invent. My earliest recollection of this passion, was a week before Easter in the early 50's  (I was about eleven or twelve years old). Easter in my small town involved attending church where all of the ladies in the congregation would deck themselves out in a new hat (bonnet was not in my vocabulary at the time).  Earlier in the week, my mother was a bit forlorn because she had no new fancy finery to place on her head. The obedient son to the rescue!  On the sly, I invaded her closet and selected an old but rather worn chapeau that I intended to revamp.  It was a simple black (almost "pillbox") hat that I quickly adorned with a pale blue scarf covering the crown (with assorted safety pins). I then opened her jewelry box and found a brooch to adorn my creation...…..It still...

Dating back to the first time I saw "The Mummy" with Boris Karloff, I have always been aware of the curse that was associated with unearthing the tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler.   Fiction, you say?    I'm not so sure and here is why. While perusing a catalog one day, shortly after we'd moved to Florida (circa 2001), we came upon a storage unit in the shape of the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.   It was magnificent.   Therefore, we didn't debate long and ordered one to be shipped to our condo. Then the troubles began.   First of all, it arrived within a week as an "outside" delivery.  Yes, they dropped the "Six foot-plus" crate at our front door!  And we felt we had been cursed! Knowing it would be impossible to get this "monster" up the stairs, we opted to uncrate the behemoth where it sat. As you can well imagine, the only means to move the unit was for me to lie flat on my back, on the stairs, while Fabian lowered the tomb o...

Growing up in land-locked Kansas, I was not very acquainted with sea food at an early age, unless you count the occasional can of tuna, some Campbell's Oyster stew and the frozen fish sticks that mom served now and then.  I don't remember any chowders, canned or otherwise but once in a while there was fresh catfish caught in the local river by cousin Jerome and his dad, Herman, who was an avid fisherman and always shared his catch of the day with our family. When I began my college days, I discovered that wonder of wonders.....the shrimp cocktail and to this day I pity those with allergies to shellfish.  I think Clam strips arrived on the scene about the same time to be followed closely by fried oysters.  Salivation salvation! But speaking of shellfish, I don't think I ever had a lobster unitl I moved to New York in the early 60's.   Drawn butter......or Lobster Newburg.  Or bisque. Lobster rolls came later (in Gloucester, Mass.) At any rate, imagine my ...

In 1965, I got a call from Biff asking me if I wanted to see some trash, the reference being to the film "Harlow" starring Carol Baker.  I agreed and we met at the theatre and had a wonderful day. And how did this all begin?  And who is "Biff?" Biff was the nickname for Elizabeth Hartman who had worked in summer stock at the Kenley Players in Ohio with my friend, Dan. (She even screamed off stage for Mia Farrow in one production because the director didn't care for Ms Farrow's scream.) She and Dan remained friends when she moved to New York and ultimately I got to meet her.  And we became, not friends but fond acquaintances.  Many laughs, many good times. On the morning of the call, I was fully aware that she had just completed her first film (as yet, unreleased) called "A Patch of Blue" wherein she played a blind girl who fell in love with Sidney Poitier much to the dismay of her mother played by Shelly Winters. When the film was release...

One of my favorite destinations on the Eastern Seaboard is the fishing village of Gloucester, Massachusetts.  It is a charming, working  village where fisherman still ply their trade going out to sea. (Both "Captains Courageous" with Spencer Tracy and more recently, the book and movie "The Perfect Storm" were about these fearless men.) Aside from the sheer, albeit quaint, beauty of the town, there are many wonderful things to do in Gloucester. A trip to one of their many pristine beaches with their white sands is a must.  My personal favorite is the one pictured below with the odd name of Wingaersheek which is derived from the Dutch for Vinland (which is, in turn, a Norse word.) Another must-see is Hammond Castle where, in the Summer,  they show silent movies such as "The Thief  of Bagdad" with Douglas Fairbanks, all  accompanied by the house organ. In the photo on the left you will find myself, our friend Patty Finnegan and Fabia...

With the advent of 3-D films, cinema was undergoing some radical change in the early 50's. In 1953, the minister of our little Methodist church in Corbin, Kansas recommend that the congregation attend a movie at the Regent Theater in Wellington, some eighteen miles to the north.    He touted it as being an inspirational film that was well worth the trip as well as being filmed in a totally new process.   I begged my parents to take me.  After all, the preacher said we should go.  Finally they acquiesced and the following Saturday we were off to the movies. When the film started, there was a brief intro comparing standard size screens to this new marvel, CinemaScope! And then the curtains parted on the biggest screen this twelve year-old had ever seen and I was hooked.  And inspired.   The preacher had been right.  Can I get an Amen?

In 1952, at the Ritz Theater in Caldwell, Kansas, a new world opened up for movie goers like me. I was only eleven years old, but I had seen the future of films..   Granted it would take many decades to reach the standard that we have today, but it was a beginning.   And I couldn't wait for more.  And while I don't remember the lion in my lap or the lover in my arms, I do remember dodging spears thrown by an angry African tribe, right AT ME!

In 1963, while working at the Pittsburgh Playhouse,  a friend of mine called me and asked me to come over.  "I've got something you have got to hear" were his words.  What was it?  I couldn't imagine.  I scurried over to his apartment and he sat me down, gave me a can of beer and went to his record player. (I think we still called them record players.)   Needless to say, for the next hour or so, I was mesmerized and in a state of euphoria.   I was hearing a new voice for the first time and I was never the same.  And the next day I bought the album for myself

When I was a senior in high school, I purchased my first "Hi-Fi."  Stereophonic sound was the new "in" thing and I had to be "in."  And for my first stereo record I chose a new release by Perry Como (an album named for his popular TV show and his first venture into stereo recording).  I was not disappointed and played in endlessly for the first few days. Great songs, among them "Little Man, You've had a Busy Day" which my mother sang to me when I was a child.  I miss those wonderful TV shows like his.

The first time I saw Whoopi Goldberg was at the Lyceum Theater in NYC in 1985.  She was doing  a one-woman show directed and produced by Mike Nichols.  And she was remarkable.  I still remember all of the characters she portrayed that night (the junkie, the welfare mom)but her best moment (to my way of thinking) was when she wrapped an enormous white towel around her head and began to channel a young California girl who loved her "long blonde hair."   Pure magic!  I knew a star had been born right there in front of me.  And I still love her to this day.