Ep.2.20: “Fontaine of Wisdom” with James Darren

hi I'm Louis Prima it's actually I'm Tony Bennett actually I'm Jimmy Darren and this is the shuttle pod show and how about this uh Al I've of course give me a core give me a call I swear now it's called course but you want two of them I I'm not I swear to you in my life I am not making this stuff patient man yeah with an impatient brain [Music] [Music] beat me up welcome to another episode of the shuttlepod show today we have very special guests uh Mr James Darren uh we're going to get into some Star Trek trivia some fan questions we're going to see how Mr Darren chooses to live on karnatrineers island and much much more uh today we are without our beloved Erica Larose uh and even though you're not here in person you're in our hearts we miss you uh before we get on to our show however we have a special message from Mr Andrew Robinson like subscribe and join us on patreon thank you Sandy uh I'm Mark Cartier and now as always your hosts Dominic Keating and Connor trynier hey hey hey hey hey man how are you we love you Erica yeah we miss you we hope you come back soon it's good to be here guys yeah thank you um welcome back to the shuttle pod show uh I'm with my co-host Connor Junior I'm Dominic Keating we are honored delighted uh we can't believe our luck we've got another living legend in the chair in the jump seat this week right here a man whose career has spanned six decades plus it's still ongoing um he is uh he's a mensch he's a gent uh he was a mate of sinatras he's got a pair of Dean Martin shoes he gets his suits and tuxes made at side divorce is a man of supreme Grace uh he's a triple threat he acts he directs uh he sings Like a Bird and I'm sure he can do a pretty mean soft shoe Shuffle uh who was born William James William ekalani uh he's paying public known as James Darren but his mates can call him Jimmy Jimmy God bless you mate thank you yeah nice introduction thank you he's really he's really raised the bar on this whole thing wow I can't believe that oh and I I really expected to add he married Miss Denmark 58 and has remained wedded for 60 something years yeah yeah so I keep telling him yeah I tell her every day this is never going to work we'll give it one more day the first review on your honeymoon in Rome I mean you just thought about the most gorgeous couple that God breathed left into yeah we were really lucky because I was in the contract as was Evie my wife heavy Newland her name yeah two Columbia Pictures and when when we were married you know I had just done Gidget and uh it was a giant hit and all that stuff and I became like a Teen Idol or whatever you wanted to call it fortunate move for me for sure uh but anyway they gave us a honeymoon we were married at St Patrick's Church cathedral in in New York City on Fifth Avenue there's two there yeah but the big one on Fifth Avenue courtesy of Columbia pictures of Columbia then we had two weeks in New York is a honeymoon two weeks in Copenhagen two weeks in in Italy two weeks in Greece and two weeks somewhere else it was unbelievable and all I had to do was one um one uh interview per place oh London London England the UK that was the stipulation yeah yeah that's all but it was you know I mean you're sitting on a a Terrace having one of the best meals of your life yeah you know drinking some nice booze and um so and you're doing an interview what the hell what's that take you know are you promoting something uh I don't know me I did the guns I've never owned because I was about to go to Greece to do that film big film man every great film yeah I mean you're a good person spectacular you had a good time on that film just just a great thing Richard Harris Stanley Baker Anthony Quinn there were two two factions two uh groups so to speak I was the youngest person on in the cast so I was the pawn you know but there was Peck Anthony quail and David living there was a more sophisticated uh of the group and then there was Danny Baker and Quinn and me right you know but uh we had a decision I had my disagreements with like with with Tony we almost got into it that's a bunch of alpha males in one room yeah it was kind of fun and Peck would have me go to his his Bungalow and have dinner he and veronique and my wife happy and me and Gregory would ask me some questions about the other group you know and I I wouldn't tell him much right because you know uh they were really more of my time yeah because you know like with Street people you know I mean Street guys right Street wise stuff uh you grew up in Philly right I grew up in Philadelphia yeah yeah and uh what was the name of that part of town South Philly South Philly is it was it a rough part of town yeah yeah we have more Mobsters around us and you could say Italian yeah yeah yeah 99 words yeah and that was it but 36 you were born right yes yeah 1836. you keep getting better and better looking so how old are you when you uh decide you what you might like to do because I read somewhere that your dad sort of took you around to the clubs and he'd just stick you up there singing songs and stuff oh I was I was about 12 or 13 years old I started singing it actually before that we live with my my dad and mom my brother John and I my Aunt Sarah Michael Dominic my uncle Manny Michael Stanley my grandparents all lived in one home I mean with one bathroom Italian house it was a yeah one one bathroom and uh so when they when my uncles and aunts married and left it was it was a lot easier of course uh but my grandmother was the one who really got me involved or interested in show business when I was seven eight years old she would ask me to sing Besame Mucho which was her favorite song even though she's Dan the song is Spanish you know but she didn't care sure you know it's it's similar and then as you love the song so I would stand behind a partition sing that song for her and her neighbors you know Goldie and all these lady friends she had and she paid me a dime and then then she upped my money at one point a quarter which is like wow devastating a lot of money didn't know what to live in the dream didn't know what to do how old are you when you when you're I was about seven eight you know and you had a voice and she was great and then when I yeah well I don't know I don't think I was I the first time I I went to New York and sang auditioned I was so bad it was scary man oh horrible yeah I was Dreadful because there was another kid there Rome his last name I was going to say Frank no but but he was he was spectacular he was did he give into the business he did he did yeah he worked quite a bit in Vegas lived in Vegas but a great voice but uh my my grandmother I I went to the Epiphany grammar school and then was expelled from that and then went to Thomas Junior High and it was expelled from that and then I went to Southern High but I never liked school what sort of things are getting expelled for yes well from the Catholic School from the epiphany I had a disagreement many of them with a particular nun and she followed me easily done down the hall and she was because I walked out of the room I said screw this you know and she got upset and I just like to put her in the closed closet and locked it so that was the end of my career there and that's against the rules feeds on the rosary to get you out of that one you can lock her in a commissary yeah and then Thomas Junior High I just like I said I never I never cared for school it was difficult for me to concentrate and you know I was thinking about everything else uh or anything else I should say and uh I sat accidentally I must say I set metal shop on fire and uh I I put this hot metal into a can of oil and then try to save it and it's still oh you know accidentally and Mr Katz was our teacher and um you know we used to break his his chops all the time and you know meow you know like like kids do sure and I was I was no exception right yeah almost the cats but he was the sweetest man I was such an scary anyway years later just to jump ahead a sec I'm performing in Philadelphia and and Mr Katz's daughter came to see me I I had never met her I didn't you know I had no idea she was in the audience but the word got back after the show and she came back saying she said I said you know I'm so I feel like such a like an imbecile for what I I I I how I treated your dad or was behaved as his pupil and she said he loved you oh I fell then I really felt oh my God Supreme guilt what a schmuck yeah you've got to be kidding me he loved me and I was such an ass um so anyway that was so obviously expel I went to Southern South Philadelphia High School and uh I I actually went for the first month of my 10th year sophomore and um and then I kept cutting School yeah I would go to different luncheonettes and things like that and play my favorite song which was school days the year old Golden Rule days as if I tell my dog anyway that and played the pinball machine so they caught up with me in the truant officer you know she was very sweet and she My grandmother used to bribe her she's amazing to keep you in school oh no to keep me out of trouble keep quiet yeah yeah like Good Fellas right because my mom and dad worked my dad first worked at the naval base in Philly then he worked in one of those Dreadful sweatshops where my mom and most of my family worked um uh tariff and Company I'll never forget in Philadelphia anyway so they were gone all day and my grandma and my grandfather of course worked and my grandmother was my you know she raised me and and she was my protector so I mean she got me out of more trouble did she yeah she really was she was good anyway she was the one who encouraged me to sing and from there then my dad there's a a man in Philadelphia who's gone now Frank Palumbo who had two clubs the RDA club and Frank Palumbo's club which we all eventually Bobby Rydell Frankie Avalon and all the guys from Philly um buddy Greco all ended up performing there when we got got into the business um but I told my dad I wanted to you know if I could get Frank to let me go there at night my dad would have to get up like four or five in the morning when he worked at the Naval Base so uh he'd take me and we'd be there till one two in the morning and uh I'd get up and sing a couple songs you know wow you know it was just kind of cool what sort of songs are you singing Back Then you know I don't know whatever was popular at the time you know Eddie Fisher had a lot of hits then and of course Sinatra did um but how old are you at this point I was 12 13 years old really yeah so so that that was kind of fun that's great yeah yeah it was it was it was really cool and that so that gave me a lot of kind of confidence and yeah you know and I I enjoyed it I love the response from the audience even sometimes there was no response just a little bit was appreciated yeah um and then you know I don't know then I I later on I you always thought of yourself as an actor though well I I was reading something and reading about Marlon Brando and a few other wonderful actors uh studying with a woman named Stella Adler yeah yeah so I went to uh so he went to New York yeah yeah I I she was on at 50 Central Park West I remember that vividly and was it a breeze to get in or how would we audition yeah you know did you have experience in the theater at that point none none none in acting as a matter of fact I had not done anything no I never acted except in school you know right pretending that I liked it yeah yeah I think our best I thought about you when you you look at himself I'm acting now yeah it's brilliant yeah no it's true though I mean sometimes you're out of a place like right now I'm very comfortable because I love you guys yeah you're my boys your teammates and all right and but sometimes you're not so you're acting yeah yeah right am I right yeah yeah totally it's all Bs right oh I'm thrilled to be here yes of course but you know meanwhile you're saying I wish I was at the beach Anywhere But Here Yeah yeah exactly I mean we've all done that oh yeah so that's what I told her I'm acting probably when you got into staloranta then uh I was about 17 right and who were the other Alum there at that time gosh you know I I do know I can't remember the names but there were there were lots of people and lots of relatively well-known actresses the theater actors anyway would come and sit in on the classes right and um I I had bought a motorcycle unbeknownst to my mom and dad that was your first motorbike well yeah I I I I would travel to New York by train which was about an hour and a half I think at that time hour maybe hour 45 minutes and um then I bought this bike and I would ride my bike to uh to New York and it was it was fun one time I took my friend his name is uh shags Bono and so I didn't have a buddy seat you know and uh I said you want to go with me yeah it was freezing cold man anyway he came out he had three of everything on three undershirts three shirts three jacket I said what the hell so anyway he's sitting and my my feet are up on the engine and his feet were on the pegs you know and finally I said hey get him off the pegs I got to use the pegs you know because my my shoes are burning here yeah yeah you know and so we're going over the Skyway I'll never forget it I'm just breaking his nuts here and and I opened up the throttle and pulled the clutch in and popped it and he went back and his his feet came up under my arms oh my God yeah he was lying is that hot and you held him on there well no thank God for that but and uh so when we got to to the city and you got right by the seller's Place uh he he could hardly walk I swear to him this is a true story he got off the bike and he literally crawled there was a coffee shop there he crawled to the coffee shop and they people were looking at him like what the hell's going on not unlike today you could do it today nobody would notice right but but but he crawled to the coffee shop and the woman I never forget gave him coffee and whatever for nothing because he was pathetic looking yeah what can I say um and then on the way back he said uh I'm not going back on the bike I said well how are you getting back to Philly you have money no I said then then you're getting back right either that it's a hell of a walk man you know so he gets back on the bike and believe it or not I know it sounds bizarre but I hitchhiked not to carry the bike but for shags to get to get a ride back right you know and the truck stopped you know a big yeah and I was riding behind it I went right under the truck one time I wasn't paying attention uh yeah it was it was it was fun it was exciting quite a trip to New York yeah it was great every trip wasn't that exciting if she just get on the bike and you go and uh but it was it was it was a ball how long did you study with Stella Adler yeah uh almost two years that's a long time yeah yeah did you work at all in that time or was it a little study yeah no it didn't work out what were you doing to support yourself then and sort of make ends meet and well I had a job live in New York at my my uncle uh Jimmy and my um his brother and some of the family had a a jewelry a costume jewelry place and I'd worked there right you know selling jewelry selling what part of town are you living in I lived in very deep in South Philly and the jewelry place was on Market Street right next to the Earl Theater which is a very famous theater and and there were many many great performers right worked you know I think we probably we just spent the weekend in Philly yeah yeah we're at a convention we did a convention there great town great yeah you were actually in Philly oh downtown downtown Philly baby yeah yeah what were you like around Oregon we're on not just off Market Street yeah between 12th and 13th yeah yeah and what's there what facility is there uh so the convention center oh I got it then there's I guess it's quite modern and new now that partner that whole part of town has obviously had a you know regeneration and yeah oh yeah yeah because it's got a picture the Rocky statue and Liberty Bell did you go to Pat's steak to the steak place we didn't know oh are they not oh there's Jim's Steak there's Pat Pats there's Gino's I mean I I have my preference which I won't say but yeah all the guys that own those places are are very very sweet to me so um and they're very are they quite particular about what you can put in a Philly steak aren't they yeah you know when I go to places and they go oh we're going to put peppers and tomatoes I said forget it here's what you do some onions your steak onions and either cheese whiz or American cheese right not the provolone you know just that just cheese nothing else I mean hey Steve's cheese was it was it got easy for them yeah squeeze it out right but um yeah oh I don't like all that other mushrooms give me a break not on a cheese steak I love yeah you know but it's just you destroy it and I mean those things you were at Pat's steak at two three in the morning or four you're gonna be up all night after you've been you know consuming lots of yeah yeah soaking it up yeah yeah I had to yeah I got I mean I'd eat like three of them you know oh yeah well I don't know man but I'll tell you the truth after after a half a fifth of booze you know you have to drink you gotta do something yeah and uh and then they were so good and of course you have to lean over and uh so it doesn't get on your shoes yeah you know I never forget my friend Billy screened you from from uh Toronto Canada I said we're going to Pat's Steaks tonight so you know I think you'll love it man it's great it came out of his bedroom all dressed I said what do you have a suit on and Ty he said we're going to that Steakhouse what steak it's a sandwich joint it's on the street you know on the street for God's sake can't even sit down you don't even sit down I mean they have a couple of benches and things but I never we never use those it's your T-shirt and your leather jackets just great I loved it yeah tell the story about how you met your first uh manager Joyce Selznick when you're in New York and you're getting in the elevator at the brill building well I I was actually studying with Stella and I asked us asked Ella about how I could get an agent and she said well I don't know look in the phone book she said there's so many of them you know so I did I did I I found this guy whatever his name is I can't remember and I went up to his office and we talked to this and he said you have you have photos I said no I don't he said well you need photos you gotta have pictures otherwise how could I represent you right and so I'm walking down Broadway this is a really interesting story because I believe in fate uh being at the right place at the right time and it is a fact for sure yeah um and there are so many different photographers in this particular area and I saw this one Maurice Seymour and um and the reason why it attracted me is because uh you know having sung and things like that you know I was an amateur they had lots of pictures of singers and comics in his window so I go in there and they take pictures uh he takes pictures excuse me and um his secretary I went back two days or three days later I go to to sell it twice a week so when I went back I was on a Thursday and uh she the secretary Yvonne Bouvier said you photograph relatively well are you interested in getting into the business I said yeah sure of course and just to become a plumber yeah yeah I mean yeah uh not that it's a bad job I mean not the one you were going for though exactly and make more money than actors yeah I had to sell it so what are you speaking Yeah two bedrooms in my house the other day because I had a plumber up there but uh so she she said I'm going to set up a meeting with you on this woman blah blah blah Joy Selznick at the brill building okay great so I I go to the to the building on this particular day and get in an elevator and this woman gets on and she keeps looking at me and I'm thinking something running down my nose I mean something's weird anyway you get off the same floor and walk in the same office and it follows you in well no it's her office yeah yeah and um and that's how we met and she was an amazing um amazingly bright and just had this Charisma that you know I instantly loved her and I just you know not because I thought she was gonna do something for me but just that I had a great connection with her and vice versa we just had we just she got you in at Columbia well we went to we went to Club she's uh she she take me to a studio uh because it was still the studio system oh yeah very much so yeah very much so and she took me to meet this guy Harry Rome uh at Columbia Pictures he was then the Eastern Talent rep and so we're sitting in his office and uh this is still all in New York this is in New York yeah it's it's 711 Fifth Avenue and he he said uh well yeah he's not a bad looking kid yeah all right we'll test him she said he doesn't test and I looked at her and you've got zero experience there's nothing nothing wow he's just a devilishly good looking young man my relatives Hardy recognized me you're getting it I said he said I mean he didn't know what to say because she was very very strong and he said well then uh then we'll he'll read and she said he doesn't read he doesn't test he doesn't read you look at him you like him you want him if that will go to Paramount wow I'm thinking is this woman like God I could have done with her Jesus did she smoke some I know the Capone's on her yeah she said Jimmy waited in the outer office so I go out there and I'm waiting and it seemed like an eternity and she poked her head out she said come back in sit down tell him Harry uh you have a uh a contract with Colombian pictures Jesus I just got the chills just now thinking about it and uh wow you know George Sydney the director he did Pal Joey oh yeah yeah great George was in the office there they always smoked the pipe and uh I couldn't believe it you know what can I tell you you're like 19. I was about 19 years old and uh he called Harry Cohen was then the head of the studio you know and I spoke to him and uh he congratulated me and all this stuff and I just couldn't believe it it's just New Life yeah what was to this day I can't believe it yeah so anyway so I go I go back to Philly and tell my mom and dad and there of course elated and then Joyce came in and she met them I met my family oh you know and uh then they said this is took real this took balls or stupidity I don't know which they said okay you're leaving on um June I think it was June 2nd or June 3rd uh for California I can't leave that so I said what I can't leave what was suppressing I said she said why I said well my birthday is June 8th and I always spend that with my family and I'm going to spend it with my family it's you she said are you kidding are you kidding me did you see what I just did for you but I mean here's a contract yeah with Columbia yeah a seven year contract and you're telling me you don't want to leave on that date because you have a birthday that you spend with your family yeah I said yeah that's a fact that's it and you know I'm I'm not going to leave before the eighth and I didn't of course I left I think on the 16th of June my brother went with me and we came to California and uh we go Gidget and then no no then I I was I did a movie I met a man Sam katzman and Sam um uh did all those six day westerns like with John Wayne the great stars like that and uh so he had a movie he wanted me to do and I did was called Rumble on the docks rumbles on the docks yeah which was a good quite a nice film Great lead right yeah yeah and Robert Blake was in the film and Bobby would take me he'd drive me to work every day I lived at the Elaine Apartments which is on Vine and Fountain and right across what was then the Hollywood Ranch Market and Bobby was picking me up he had a beautiful Austin Healey and uh take me to work every day but did they shoot them they shot at Columbia and at Columbia Ranch which is in Burbank on Hollywood off Hollywood Way uh you play Street kids on the docks yeah doing Ned as well my name is Jimmy and so it wasn't hard it was nice and you're learning on the Fly I'm sorry that was great I'm acting now yeah yeah I've always been curious what what it was like to be a contract player I mean what was that what was that experience yeah would they put you in things um would you have to read for things no they put you on things whether you liked it or not whether you liked it or not yeah I was fortunate I gotta tell you man I worked with uh with some wonderful directors and luckily I got Gidget yeah I got a film called let no man write my Epitaph yes [Music] that was all the young men all the young men that was I I love Sydney he was such a great guy and a good friend but I I it was a shitty movie was it yeah a terrible movie it's Sydney Sydney and Alan Ladd Allen two wonderful Stars uh did they dig the ditch for Alan yes they did they actually did seems so tall well no no they dig the ditch for the other actions yeah excuse me but Sydney yeah Sydney I don't know how to walk because Sydney was pretty tall yeah and um a great guy we we shot that film that particular film all the young men we shot in Montana um but anyway I'll tell you what like you asked about if if they they tell you what to do yeah and they do and fortunately for me they put me in a lot of wonderful roles you know Gunman's Walk with Van Heflin and Tab Hunter and I mean Phil's Epitaph yeah and uh the brothers Rico which was a nice film with uh Richard Conte uh then they asked me to do a film called Diamond Head yes with uh Chuck Heston and Yvette mimio yeah such a crush on her she's curious yeah you know what a wonderful cast he played uh Bernardo Nunez in the West Side Story oh yeah he's the leader of the show he's a great friend of mine I'm kidding he's a wonderful guy Diamond Head I love George but anyway this is funny I'm sitting in in one of the executive's offices Leo Jaffe was and all the executives there were very including Harry Conn who was the head of the studio Joni Taps all these people funny characters you know uh but very powerful people and so I'm standing in Leo's office and he said with your diamonds I said I don't really want to do that role I don't really owned a contract you know that yeah I do okay all right I then I'll tell you what I want I want the same size billing as Charlton Heston I went the same height depth and width the Bulls on this guy and he looked at me he said you what are you talking about I said Chuck Heston is Moses you know you're under contract to the studio yes I do but I still want the same size Billy as Charlotte Nelson and anybody else until I know Charlton has had the first first building and the biggest I think we should talk later he said I said okay it's great to see you Leo and you know I love you this head is steaming bubbles coming out of his head and um so I leave and next day I come to Syria because we had acting class every day and uh I go they I got a message that Leo wanted to see me I go up to then I'm a young young player there at this point and uh you sit down you got it oh okay thank you what's this you know they just decided okay no I mean you know the thing is had I not done that you know you have to realize that you must participate even though you're an actor an artist whatever you gotta participate in your the planning of your career at the game I mean it's it's a game it's all yeah you know or could be if you don't really uh look after yourself so to speak right even though I did have choices my manager then um and she was still your girl oh yeah absolutely what did she say when she when when you when she thought it was nuts you know yeah you were yeah in a good way yeah yeah but I mean had I not done it I never would have gotten it sure were they grooming you in a way that you knew about or yeah but you know sometimes they don't know they know sometimes how to groom someone but not everyone yeah like they groomed Kim Kim Novak uh beautifully you know but for me they and you've got the same kind of appeal you are the fan lessons came in for you second only to Kim Novak well I was getting a lot of family after rumble on the docks believe it or not but uh you gotta you gotta watch your own ass you know you gotta I mean your plan you're not I could never be mean or disrespectful to those people because I love them and and and they were very kind to me you know I mean the fact that I got the contract was it was a miracle to begin with but um so I had these nice people looking after me but they didn't always have the plan I had yeah you know right yeah I mean it happens with lots of actors where they you know demand certain things and they get criticize for it but by the same token it boosts their career separation from the pack yeah yeah it is it's a pack and you've got a you sang the title song for that diamond heads yeah was that always in the in the in the running or did you did you tell them that too yeah no no I didn't no but once I had once I had done Gidget I did a song before that called uh angel face which two great writers doc uh Thomas and Morty Schumann of the rocket you're wrote a lot of Elvis Presley songs um had written and uh so I sang that and then when I did Gidget but it was a real teeny bopper song and I I didn't really have a voice at that point but when I did Gidget and they wanted to have another someone else sing that and I do I would lip sync I said no I could do that kind of was it was more of a swing more of a Sinatra kind of right tune you know and for some reason I don't know I just grew to that point overnight some reason I was when I when I did the song and did that my first album I had Billy May at John Williams John Williams on it yeah I mean so all of a sudden I had to come up to a different level you know I'm working with like the like the creme de La Creme here yeah yeah the common denominator bar gets risen and you got to meet it and what are they sending you to seeing lessons at the same time as they were you doing actually listen now no no never no no I I just you know I just I swear to I don't even know how it happened it happened yeah maybe because of of being in a studio with Billy May or John or an an incredible band shall he show a man on drums I mean that's some of the greatest players like they still have today of course uh so you just rise to the occasion right you know all of a sudden I had a voice you know and uh and and the material was good you know I mean the the the the the composers were good for all the songs that I I did some standards and I did Gidget and I saw a song called there's no such thing uh and they both were they were new songs and uh it was great I still have the I when I saw the image of it last night I my mom had and it's now in my flat in London uh Goodbye cruel world oh yeah I've got the original vinyl upstairs in my flat you know it's so funny that was your first it was that the number one was that yeah it was but I hated that song I still do do you really sang in Italian as well yeah I did yeah and German I mean by German my Italian wasn't too good either but uh you hate that song oh I didn't want to do it it's two Phillips was my producer and uh he said he played so I said oh forget it man it's written by a wonderful wonderful songwriter um I said I don't like it it's too commercial two uh yeah commercial two uh uh it was a novelty song you know which I really did not like anyway I did record them of course my mom's turning in her grave well listen a million times after for persuading me to do it and so I'm up this is many years later many many uh I'm up at a pizza joint this is like only about eight nine ten years ago and with a buddy and uh up on the other at Beverly Glenn Center and I hear a motorcycle and I love bikes you know so and then walks Bruce Springsteen I said holy yeah so I go to him I said look I don't want to bug you man I just want to tell you I'm a big fan my name is Jimmy Darren and he said Jimmy Darren he said goodbye crew world I bought it in Freehold New Jersey wow I said no yeah and then my friend Bobby Ross married Bruce's sister and Bobby was going through Bruce's collection how you found it oh my God beautiful it was kind of fun that's brilliant yes Bruce Springsteen bought my record I like that that's not bad it's not bad company yeah you were saying when the uh you know you'd be an acting class if you weren't doing something with some movie or some project right when you were yeah was it like going to work I mean if you weren't doing a movie were you going and doing a class or did you have to check in or wait at your house for them to call to do a movie or what was your day like in the studio it was routine kind of because we went to acting class every day a man named Beno Schneider who is from from the actor Studio was our coach and and he was wonderful and we had like five or six or seven contract players there and uh be considered film acting rather than uh was it just yeah I mean they didn't they didn't really differentiate yeah I mean mine was always scared to film because it was not broad you know uh as you would do on in theater uh so we would do that every day three four hours a day you know a long scene work from yes anything yeah from everything in anything actually and it was it was it was great and uh that's how I met uh well for the second time actually I met Frank many years before which was I was with a bunch of people different yeah Frank Sinatra yeah I I was I was a kid in Philly you know singing around Palumbo's clubs and things like that and uh and I I go to all different places I go to New Jersey and sing it I remember I was standing on the bar and sing sometimes oh really yeah I mean anytime anything I could do to to perform I would do it uh so uh uh and I know a lot of the disc jockeys there not that I had records I didn't of course but I knew them you know through friends that community of South Philly is very tight and we have many friends in Show Business a lot of people came from my neighborhood from a 10 block area I mean you have you have Al Martino buddy Greco uh Eddie Fisher Mario Lanza Frankie Avalon Fabian Bobby Rydell who lived next door to me I mean a lot of a lot of people from a 10 block area yeah 10 block radius and uh so it was a Showbiz thing yeah a lot of my neighbors played instruments it's like Brooklyn in the shmatter business yeah yeah yeah well and and and and also uh the music business as well I mean the Bronx and Brooklyn turned out some some great talent uh so uh I you know I these guys were going to Vegas dinner with Frank Sinatra I said whoa really yeah and uh you're gonna come along with this so I went with my friends and there were a lot of these people there too yeah you know so uh I said maybe an offer I could not refuse yeah so I said yeah okay I'm going whether I like it or not and uh and yeah and I'm sitting there and let's just show you the character of Frank Sinatra it was a great a great human being and I love frank I mean you know you read a lot of stories about them where you know I mean he he had he has he had his own thing anyway so I'm sitting there in the middle Franks at the head of the table like where you are and but much further away and I'm in the middle you know the middle of this seating and the waiter came to me and said uh I wouldn't take my order and I had no idea what to order because I don't I never would patronize restaurants sandwich joints you know and uh I said I'm not really hungry and Frank notice that why I'll never know I'm some picked up on it right away he came over to me and he said what's wrong I said oh nothing yeah he knew that I was backward you know shy whatever and he said uh I I said I'm hungry he said you know he said I'm gonna have to make me a sandwich I said you know some slice steak and peppers he said you think you'd like that I would have said yes to anything I said sure yeah I mean he knew yeah instinctively knew and that's the first time I met him second time I met him and I was it was a meeting that they probably would never have remembered I never did bring it up to him but uh when I was at acting class right across the alley there was stage six I believe where they were shooting Pal Joey and George Sydney was directing and I went down and Al silvani who was a a a a a a a second for lots of boxers you know he was a cut man anyway I met him and uh he took me and introduced me to Frank again and I was there every day every day I mean I must say one of the reasons I was Harry Davis because Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak were there too and and it was kind of you know how do you turn that down yeah and I just sit there and just drool look at I love Rita Hayworth and Kim both so anyway so Frank and Frank and I became real friendly you know and uh later in life we I'd see him quite a bit Yeah and we drink together too which was nice did you ever sing together no no I wouldn't even attempt it I never got I was at Nancy senior's house with Nancy Jr one day and Frank came by and he said um Hey I just heard your uh your record on the radio sounds good man it was it was a song called there's no such thing from Gidget and I thought holy he listens to the radio but yeah you know you don't think of that right and he heard my song this is a regular fella and he likes it huh yeah I mean it was really cool did you ever go out to Palm Springs and yeah this house there yeah this house yeah yeah yeah oh I mean I say that with my wife and I I had two we had two boys I have two boys Christian and Anthony and Anthony was in a in a playpen and uh he spilled grape juice all over they've been sitting on at the dining table all over Frank's dining chair I almost had a heart attack man white dinosaur it was orange actually black and orange the wood was black and that was his favorite color orange and uh so I didn't know what to do I'm just so embarrassed and so uh and I I tried calling Frank he wouldn't take my call I called George or worked for him I said look I got to you got to tell Mr s that I want to get those things recovered for him this and that and finally he he sent Anthony a note which was so sweet beautiful note and uh uh said that he hated those chairs anyway and oh my gosh yeah which is so sweet yeah it was really great so that's that was one of my experiences at his home wow in Palm Springs it was it was it was fun and then amazingly but he's a great guy I mean we we'd sit I used to love to sit and just I just go visit everybody it was on other sets like the devil at four o'clock with uh Spencer Tracy who we absolutely loved you know and I I did as well um uh but I'd visit him on those but then you know we we'd spend time at Nancy Junior's house I'd spend every Christmas with them which was great my family and I was playing Christmas with Frank and Nancy senior in in Junior and Tina and uh birthdays because Nancy's birthday is the same day as fine yeah so Frank would have a party and he'd always include me which would be sweet and I'll tell you a story this is really a shocker I'm sitting on a sofa and Nancy sitting next to me here and Frank is sitting on the arm of the chair so it's our birthday it's Nancy's Nancy's in my birthdays so he he bought me a whole bunch of stuff from caroling company which was a wonderful clothing store in Beverly Hills and a lot of it was orange in color orange sweater right and then he bought my wife these beautiful bracelets uh I mean just because he didn't want to exclude her and then he gave me a package and said this is give us the Nancy and I did and she opened the package and it was another package inside that and one inside that as well and she went on to where she finally got to an envelope and she opened the envelope and I looked over I thought Jesus a hundred thousand dollars my God wow yeah I looked again it was a million a million a check a check for a check for a million a million dollars wow that's a lot of money wow I asked if she wanted a lot of money now yeah I give him my own sweater didn't work huh and Frank leaned over to me he said tell her the taxes are paid oh wow wow what a generous man yeah oh yeah oh with his kids yeah well with everybody he was generous he was always he was always so sweet I mean I had nothing but great things I go with Nancy of course Nancy and uh it was mostly Nancy and and her mom and and my wife Evie and me and Michael Callan it was a wonderful actor I just really lost them a few months back and Mickey Callan um and Mickey's wife Carlin and we'd go and yeah we'd sit ringside all the time I'd see Frank I I'd seen him perform many many many well he loved performing it was never a show yeah it was great man I mean it was magical really because then you know they didn't have all the production so to speak you know with cans blowing up and this these fires you have a man on stage or Sammy has to go see Sammy quite a bit he was he was quite a friend and and Dean and then the Rat Pack I'd say which was really cool I mean that was that was like a group of like nuts there how do you run a pair of Dean Martin shoes I what's that about there's a there's a man he's gone now named di Fabrizio and he was on Melrose right by where we are yeah and he used to make all our shoes he made Frank shoes Dean Sammy Tony Orlando every Everybody you could uh uh uh Burt Reynolds everybody so I'm in there one day and he said you know I made he spoke broken English he was Italian he said I made a pair of shoes for Dean and he doesn't like them he said and he's the same size as you he said you want to see them and maybe you'll like them I give them to you I said okay he brought him out and I thought they're the ugliest in my life they were so ugly I said di Fabrizio they're beautiful I love them could I have them of course he said Dean doesn't want them oh I said there how could he not like that well okay yeah you gotta be kidding so anyway he gave me the shoes that sucks that was so funny they were so ugly I mean they were I don't know they were Suede and Suede and and like patent leather I said what the hell ass ugly he still got him yeah did you like La uh after coming you know being an East coaster and when you got here I did uh I had been here like briefly long before I got into the business in 1954. I came in and uh I met an actor named John Saxon who's a wonderful actor and we became great great friends he up until he passed uh we were the it was like undoubtedly my closest fighting right yeah very great and we we roomed together back then for a few months uh so when I came back to California uh I I had John Saxon and another friend Joe Schneider so I had some buddies here it made it made it fun right you know because we really would hang out every day I mean I'd see those guys when they weren't working right uh where was Colombia pictures oh then the big one I guess was is now Sony oh yeah yeah but when I was there and uh and um they had a cafe I can't remember what it was called it was called the Gower cafe or something and the Three Stooges did all the things at Columbia and right and one of the Three Stooges Harry fine was from my neighborhood in Philly live right around the block from me okay that's incredible I know I was surrounded by by extremely talented people to say the least and uh so I go and I still loved I also I still love The Three Stooges I mean I I have everything they've ever done yeah on disc you know and uh so I I'd go there and watch them shoot you know film oh man that was so cool that was real oh that was a Kick In The Head yeah that was great that was great and then of course I'd see them at the at that little coffee shop thing too which was which was fun I want to bring the Sinatra thing back around because of course when you when you finally get uh thought of for uh Vic Fontaine the I I think the original story is they wanted Frank Jr Frank Jr and he was a big Star Trek fan yeah he was and he had no interest in playing this Lounge singer yeah I didn't he wanted to be an alien or something but yeah I mean when when they asked me to do it I had not read the script and my agent called me when he said they want him want you to talk to you and not not do this they didn't offered maybe make me an offer they met you at a memorabilia sign well the big thing is again fate yeah at the Beverly Garland I did not want to go to that autograph signing no kidding and my wife said you know you promised them you would go right and if you promise them you gotta go you've got to go period I said you know you're right you'd lay all the skill tell me but you are correct I do have to go and I went and Ira happened to be there love memorabilius yeah and that's where he saw me and he was going to approach me but his friends no you can't do that hey I'm a producer and I wanna so didn't Fred talk to you about your you had a spaghetti sauce yeah yeah I did yeah pasta sauce oh my God yeah much like the Newman how did you uh tell me about the spaghetti sauce when did you get into that Biz you know it was triggered in my in my mind by what my grandmother did when she bribed the truant officer you know and she made great pasta sauce to my grandmother so I figured that you know I'm gonna I try to copy Paul Newman or something if it's difficult to do um and that's that's what got me into that and Fred was all about the spaghetti sauce when he met you at that memory very good yeah I mean today I eat and I must say I gotta plug it Rayos it's the best the best sauce forget it yeah it's still on the Shelf today not mine it didn't used to be Rouse yeah it didn't you know there's a restaurant here right yeah yeah my framework said Johnny Roast Beef I love that place yeah but uh Rouse had not been available until I would say the last five yeah six years in the grocery store but it's everywhere now and it is sorry Paul it is the best right oh the best pasta sauce yeah it's an incredible Jarred sauce and they also make roasted peppers with a uh Jesus like pine nuts oh yeah and oh it's so good little jars I'm not gonna buy the case no I I go online oh and I just do it or maybe Amazon may may carry it also but I do that I I uh yeah so anyway Lyra doesn't have the courage any of these Fred tells him don't go and approach Jimmy at the signs so that they go through official channels exactly through the agency uh so the agent calls me and talked asked me about doing I said I don't even want to do it you know because I also one I thought if I could play a uh an alien or something you know I could that would be I could because at this point you've done 15 years as a TV director haven't you yeah yeah we haven't even got to that little story but but I think we've done Charlie's Angels the A-Team yeah you know I mean Walker Texas Ranger you know all the big shows Hunter anyway I mean should we go off should we there quickly yeah then I'll tell you about that um so the agent said to me you know you should at least because I turned it down I didn't want to do it have you read the script I said no we should at least read the script yeah then you can make a decision like any other sensible person and I you haven't always been sensible in your decision-making process but it doesn't seem to have established I mean somebody up there is looking at me for sure they sure off Jimmy um so I did read the script and I said oh man this is pretty good I could yeah this is fine yeah what was the first episode was it the was it the it was my way my way that's the one where you help Odo and Kira get together right correct it's a bit of I watched it yeah and not only that you know with Ira choosy and he did choose all the songs Classics except if I didn't like the song he would he would you know say okay we don't do that but uh um he chose every song anyway so I'm thinking I don't like to read only only not that I'm above it I just cannot do it well period it's good yeah uh and uh I'm not gonna do it so I told him I'm not going to read but I figured I'll go in there dressed and with the attitude of someone that I knew from The Rat Pack you know right yeah Dean and Frank together you know right and I go in and I sit down but I had read the script like 10 times and uh well I'm sitting there and you have that you know that that board of people there 12 13 people which I never liked but you know you feel like you're like you're asking for a parole or something right and so anyway so they uh they said about uh asking me this and I would I would say a lot I answer a question of Iris or anyone with a line from the script they didn't get it right not verbatim but almost you know I mean and Ira after a while I was I he said I I I wrote that I wrote uh I said yeah okay and again he said I can't believe this I swear to you I wrote almost that I exact line perfect I said oh really and finally finally the casting director leaned over to Ira and said he's doing that yanking your check he knows what he's doing that was wrong and the penny finally dropped with all of them like yeah he's doing Vic now baby he's acting yeah he's acting right now so I I went home and I I walked in the door and the phone rang not kidding yeah were you a Sci-Fi fan at all you know I like the first of the original excuse me um uh uh start starting yeah yeah and I did you did Star Trek series which I didn't want to do also but but uh Erwin Allen talked me into it you know and then he worked with Shatner of course for years yeah which was kind of kind of that was that interesting yeah interesting interesting he's an interesting character bill I love him dearly uh he could be a pain in the butt at times I must say but he's a good guy he's a good guy yeah we got to know him a little bit yeah he does yeah he does have a part of him that is that is I I I can't say vulnerable but almost you know to where you right you you really you know you've reached him you can get in there a little bit yeah yeah exactly exactly but he's bloody good too and uh that was wonderful you know and that's just what you've said about about ringing your own Bell you know he's bloody good at doing that oh yeah yeah oh yeah and I I I respect him for that yeah I really do uh he's a pro he's a pro he's a pro I saw what is the the movie with the Tracy the try the trials not the trials of Nuremberg it was one of Bill's first films and his his role was kind of almost meaningless he was so good he was so good you take your chance he's magnetic on screen he is isn't he he's yeah he has Charisma and um yeah the first time I ever saw him do a convention I think when we followed him and learned around I'd never seen him and he walked out on stage and for an hour he didn't draw breath yeah he took three if he took three questions and the first one he then brought that back at the end and made a funny out of it from the first question I mean it was just like yeah oh this guy no he's a total Pro yeah and bright yeah yeah shabba's attack yes right right man and he's he's he's older than you I think yeah he's pushing 90 Now isn't he's right up there isn't he 91. he's 91 yeah he's still he's on a flight every weekend I don't know how he does it either I don't either he is he he is at every opportunity at a convention I just didn't I think about that I said could you how do you do that I think he's right I mean I if I'm talking out of school I think he's frightened that if he stops then it just might also maybe yeah and that may be true yeah you know the thing is that he told me he did it because he wants to support his horses I said who are you kidding yeah like you don't have any money right yeah yeah uh but uh you know I guess so you get the job of Vic Fontaine my God you've got some stuff to do didn't you did you sing in the scenes do you sing those songs live or you know they're all pretty yeah so you're pre-recording those and then you're lipping in the in the scene and doing it beautifully yeah well uh that that takes a lot of practice it does but the the uh sing live in that first episode in that she did fever I think yeah yeah uh no I don't believe so no did she was that her singing voice or was that something I don't know I don't know what's the name of that episode where nog has PTSD over a paper paper moon Paper Moon Yeah Paper Moon was he a joy to work with it oh bless Aaron I love it he was so good in that and he was so good together when I said to him would you like to come to my house so we could rehearse he said rehearse I said yeah wow nobody ever asked me to do that I said well that's what you do you know I mean it it helps because it was a two-hander basically wasn't it yeah but you know what when you have an actor opposite you that that you feel and gives you um then it makes your job much easier oh absolutely of course yeah you know that but it was just so touching and because most of the things I've seen nog do he's sort of like the you know he's the side man yeah to anybody he's in a scene with and uh he was just nuanced he was subtle he was vulnerable and both of you had just had great scenes together yeah well you know what a nice relationship a friendship uh ice cream yeah off screen and I think that uh translated yeah it shows an extra mile doesn't it when you when you take that to the screen yeah no kidding yeah it has a beautiful episode he was a very warm and loving human soul yeah yeah great guy yeah great guy yeah directing yeah so when you decide uh that you're just gonna I'm gonna be a director now well yeah it was like a nightmare I I was doing TJ hooker and they had one episode left that was not assigned to a director or not a director assigned to and um I asked Rick husky who was an old old friend uh I said could I direct that show and he said if I don't direct it he Rick then you can do it I knew for sure that Rick was not going to do it yeah I just did because he's his personality is just too much hard work yes you could never do it I mean he's a great writer yeah uh and and producer in fact he got me on the show he got me on TJ hooker so when the day came that they said you're doing the show I had the worst belly cramps man oh I bet whoa I said what in God's name did I get in had you spend any time in the edit Suites or did you I mean well I did you know off and on for years of course but even though that doesn't that doesn't prepare you for for seven pages nowadays seven how about ten no and you say I'm gonna shoot here and there yeah we're parking the trucks there no you can't park the trucks there I need that well we're gonna put the trucks well I don't know but put them back there we can't put where else and then you go oh you go crazy yeah and the response you're responsible for everything I don't care if it's a bowl yeah on a table they're coming up to you all day long where do you want what color do you want this I would do is I would be it if my call was uh uh the the the the the the the call for the the cast or the crew was the the crew was six let's say I was there four yeah walking through all and I would storyboard everything right I walked through everything and and after I shoot you know you prep seven days and shoot seven days after I would finish shooting I would Age because I'd come home at night 10 11 o'clock sometimes and and my wife would have a sandwich because she couldn't have anything prep that was you know you shouldn't have salmon I don't eat it anyway yeah I just want a quick bite to eat and then go to bed you'd be back up uh yeah you go nuts I mean the responsibility is just overwhelming it is yeah you can't you can't really you know and but I mean there was a lot of joy to it when I worked with certain people you know it was interesting I mean directing bill was a was it was a kick in the head I bet yeah yeah sure I mean my second or third day in there and I'm sitting after lunch and I two hours three hours I said Gee bill I said you're three hours late I am come on yes you're three hours late for God's sake you know I'm gonna schedule here and every second you're just going where are you there were more Choice more Choice words than that I'm sure yeah yeah but anyway so that was good and then working with Heather when I did Melrose Place yeah was fun because I love Heather yeah yeah and because we worked on hooker for right for a long time and we had we had a ball we did Beverly Hills too yeah yeah it was fun and The A Team it was yeah 18 was my was my second gig as a matter of fact yeah and you know when you're an actor the other actors give you a bit of a break right you know yeah yeah a little respect there uh or or a little kind of courtesy would you rely on your DP a lot I always whenever we worked with you know new directors Roxanne being one of the time she cut her teeth Roxanne Dawson did directing our show right and uh you know she relied heavily on Marvin rush to uh really help facilitate the day well it it depends when I did my first I did hooker uh I can't remember RDP I do John John but I can't remember his last name um he was very helpful but then when you go from show to show not so much you have different DPS and a lot of them are not nice yeah well because you know I mean I want to do this I mean never get I did it was a team and I I wanted this you know a dance floor and I wanted to move the dolly here here I come come back they said but we're ready I go back and and do I said where's the Dance Floor well we I said no no no no no no no that does not work this is the shot I want to do I cannot do it the way you have have it set up I walked you through it and why you didn't do it I'll never know but I'm not doing this shot you just have to dig your healing again you do but you have a lot of who are oh the instructions but I shouldn't I I have to come back and say there are some great ones some wonderful ones who do accommodate you but some forget because they're lazy right right these particular people happen to be lazy they don't want to do all that move this then and imagine it's somewhat of a power struggle too you know because a guest director coming in with the DP who is there all the time yeah yeah that's an ego thing yeah it is it's always an ego I think yeah right like I know what to do well if you know what to do then you direct the show right right you know yeah why am I here then yeah exactly what am I doing I'm you I'm just going to tell you I'm gonna shoot this and just you're just gonna point a camera right I mean it's ridiculous so you you go through a lot of um BS yeah yeah I mean a lot of unnecessary BS so kids if you want to become the director get your father to be your DP oh yeah haven't you you did a whole piece on there what did they call it uh portraits of a legend yeah you interview some massives I did that for the Scotty Brothers yeah yeah people did Sly Stone do they spill it no no because it was not that kind of a show right it was purely you know about but their their career and and the music just the periphery of of you know like like what we what most of the public knows right um but but you know to meet those guys I mean Stevie Wonder again you know we talked about uh Bruce Springsteen earlier when I met Stevie yeah this is Stevie this is Jimmy Darren He Said Goodbye cruel world oh my God I said I hate that song you told that to Stevie Wonder singing it to you goodbye I don't want to do that right now but but all those all those uh great people that I interviewed Smokey Robinson and uh they were they were great how many years did you do with them you know I don't know maybe two all right yeah like every every other week we did we did another Personality yeah how did you uh I mean I mean this has been an interesting Journey for Conor and I uh yeah turning our skill set to you know well this a lot of it was scripted which is uh good and bad you know I mean it's good because you don't have to uh work so hard you know but this I mean I prefer this yeah you go or it takes you yeah exactly right exactly but you couldn't do that of course you know in the time well not only that but going through uh someone's career or personality right you have to be you know you get the chronological right right right yeah yeah but it was fun I had a good time doing it it was great working for those guys too you've been gigging even I mean we would we nearly had you in the seat just before Christmas and he went off to Atlanta to do some Christmas gig and you're still singing right yeah yeah God bless man you know I mean that's something that like I guess anything else you do you have to work at it all the time yeah if I don't sing every day really literally every day I mean I do exercises do you really then I do my show I do the whole show it takes every day well it takes discipline yeah yeah when I'm not drinking [Laughter] [Laughter] yes yeah if I'm not there with the nuns but it takes you know you you know you're an actor you guys are actors you know what the discipline it takes you got to get yourself together and really say okay I'm going to dedicate this time to this I gotta say I mean we we were talking about this uh just the last couple of days about uh professionalism and uh yeah you know when when when the bell rings and they say action yeah well for me you're gonna be ready baby get there I got to be prepared I have friends however who are saying this grape juice is really sticky it's the expensive one I have friends who are singers who don't have they don't have that um I I don't want to say discipline because they are but for me if I'm not prepped yeah you don't feel right I don't I can't do it I'm the same way I have to say I have to be prepped I gotta yeah I gotta do I gotta know that I know what the hell then I can dance with it too you know I that that's when I know I can fly but I but I need to know those lines backwards sideways upside down what could you imagine I mean you use the term dance could you imagine being a dancer and not enough I've often likened it to that you when you look at Fred Astaire and ginger what do you think Fred Astaire just got up there and said no I'm going to be this great show to me one time or Gene Kelly yeah yeah that's okay I got it I took hours and hours oh my God blisters yeah to make it look this glidy and easy yeah I mean to be that absolutely beautiful and yeah I mean Fred is your watch Fred Astaire it's like I could watch I can watch his films all day all day and listen to him sing yeah because he's just his interpretation of the song even though he wasn't a Frank Sinatra but he had what a great delivery oh my goodness skills and as a dancer forget it so that's that's the case if you have a talent you know cultivate it on it yeah that's exactly keep it alive yeah yeah don't muscle don't screw it absolutely yeah if you don't use it you'll lose it you lose it 100 The Best Is Yet To Come keep practice you'll get there I have to get that inside but it's tough you know because some days you do it and your voice is just not there yeah yeah you know and then you think oh my goodness it's a bit like a golf swing yes exactly you work with the swing you have that day exactly well you know in acting there are days when it all just seems like the easiest thing in the world and there are days when you have to rely on your Technique because you're not really for some reason whatever reason you're not there yeah absolutely and like doing a play you know especially you know yeah you know it applies to film as well but doing a play if you've done some plays if you've done did your place yeah yeah Summer Stock right so that's you know you got to be there every night you know I I don't know I I think but you know I think it applies to every profession if you want to be good at it work at it you know don't take it for granted right and all of a sudden you're you're pride in the world you know yeah exactly that's what I do I have pride I know you guys do as well I do but I pride man I want to go I want to be my very best it may not be the greatest no but it'll be my best you're only as good as the last thing you did yeah you know for sure that's for sure which was [Laughter] so how often are you on the road these days oh not that much guys at one time I was on the road 40 40 weeks a year wow oh wow wow on the road how did Debbie take to that did she come with you or no I was working with Buddy Hackett all right buddy uh Buddy Hackett yeah buddy buddy if I could tell you how I met him I was at the Coconut Grove which was here in La yeah uh to see the Nancy Sinatra show and and uh and uh I'm there with my wife and buddy comes over to my table and he introduces himself and blah blah blah and he asked me what I was doing at that time I was doing a lot of state fairs and things like that and uh he said uh would you like to work with me I said yeah he said okay I want top billing I was the same high debt and width yeah exactly so when he left the table I said boy it's a good thing I'm wearing boots there's so much in this town and sure enough about two weeks later I get a call from one of his guys you know uh not in Asia but like a like a friend personal management right and I started working with him at the Sahara we worked for 12 consecutive years except for one week I couldn't make it there was one week I couldn't make it for whatever reason and we would go on the road and do theaters all through the through the country you know theaters in the round yeah uh in Philadelphia and New York and and it was great and we lived together at in Vegas we lived in this I had a suite uh I was like the Hologram I had a two bedroom suite at the Sahara for when my wife and kids came in I would go up there but otherwise that buddy and I lived in the same house on the golf course which was a trip because I mean some people did not get along with buddy but he was like one of my dearest dearest friends uh we had a great time together he was totally nuts but a good nuts you know a good crazy and uh we had a wonderful time uh public personas the same as his private I know obviously you know because Buddy Hackett he was Goofy yeah oh yeah did that again yeah I was right there he had that real distinct but he he was uh you know I I mean buddy I mean for me he was he was again very kind I don't know what it is that I draw out of people but he was very kind to me you're immense he was he was wondering and it was I mean he knocked on my door my bedroom door seven eight o'clock in the morning and you know we'd been up all night man drinking I think I tell you and he said he called me Duke we had a club called the fur Traders Association [Music] and Jerry Vale like a whole bunch of people is that code oh God yes and uh Lord he said Duke uh you want to have breakfast um not really see my stomach could come on I said well tell me what you want and we'll do it so I figured I'd throw him off which you never could do I said I bought some ice cream okay let's go I said maybe get dressed no don't get dressed no he had these night shirts that he gave us they come to our little above our knees you know I feel like Greta Garbo yeah um go like this yeah that's all I'm wearing oh okay we both go out in our night shirts and maybe a pair of sneakers or something on and I said where are we going here okay are you wearing ice cream I said yeah we're going to 31 Flavors okay is this guy is he crazy what are you you're not there's a guy in certain flavors mopping the floor cleaning the floor he bangs in the window they look at him they get hysterical you know they know buddy uh-huh he'll let us in we have ice cream oh my God we're on the road I think we were doing I can't remember the uh IBS he's a failure in New York and he knocked on my door we had different rooms you know different streets he said we go to breakfast Jesus Christ uh how about Chinese food okay come on I have to get dressed now we're in a big city I can't walk out like this you know go to a Chinese restaurant knock on the back door they look at me because he did a routine about a Chinese waiter that was very famous they let us in couldn't do it now but back then we're getting in the back door of a Chinese restaurant I swear to God this is the gods they look at buddy they laugh like crazy and let us in and you wind up having Chinese food for breakfast Chinese food whatever I say I could I could tell anything blue in a French restaurant we never have of course but it's so interesting to think that just so the image of Buddy would bring out such like just joy to people yeah you know and and then like I said yeah did you enjoy Vegas with Buddy oh we had a great time yeah yeah we had a wonderful time I must say it's it's one of those 12 years are are some of the best best times of my life they were just wonderful what venue was it in Vegas was it Sahara the Sahara yeah only in the Sahara yeah I worked other times with Lola Falana um and uh I worked Tahoe with Jerry Lewis which I did not like at all I I didn't like working with him uh I didn't like not many people did yeah I don't like him too much really yeah tricky voice man yeah really I I just know I I never thought he was I mean before I worked with him I knew him and you know we got along relatively well but uh when I worked with him my building was the equal like with Buddy was equal with buddy right you know but buddy did that on his own and I even have to ask him Jerry I I drive up to the I can't remember which hotel it was in Tahoe and my name is as big as dinner at eight o'clock so I called his manager stabil I said hey uh what's going on here Joe were brothers one was a band leader a woman what was the magic I said my my billing is supposed to be the same as Jerry's well there's not enough room in the Marquee I said there could be yeah if it wasn't 12 feet tall exactly it didn't take up 100 of the Marquee uh so I I just and he was not what is the thing he does for Ms or and or muscular dystrophy we're performing and of course the room was was jammed but I'd say mostly for Jerry um and then one night we're leaving the venue uh going out the back door and uh there was a kid in a wheelchair injury was very mean to him a kid with MD with muscular dystrophy you know and I thought what an this guy is I can't believe that and it got into there was it happened to be a press guy there he got into the newspaper we our room was literally empty for the next four nights wow nobody came in yeah wow yeah well I mean it tells you the story about him yeah right right yeah I mean unlike with but buddy buddy was it was it was such a wonderful it's a baby it was so cool we had such a great and a great friendship we had just incredible friendship but you know just I mean you're fortunate in life when you have people uh under whether they're of the Statue of buddy or or Frank Sinatra people like that to have a great relationship with them you know I mean it's a nice it's a pleasure for younger people uh you know it is isn't it yeah and uh what a lovely thing that's uh to just get that helping hand and just uh that that yeah for them to care yeah you know for them to care to know that they care right uh it's it's a good thing I gotta tell you a quick story about if you guys don't mind about sure about Navarone about Anthony Quinn yeah Tony and and and Stanley Baker and I were you know of the same ilk so to speak and uh uh it was Richard Harris part of that Posse I think he would have been Richard was not on on rodos on roads oh so he was not so he was okay uh so he wasn't with us so we're on this on the island of Rhodes and um you know we all had Bungalows that they built for us actually they were so fresh that when I hung up my my bar to do chin-ups you know you put it in the door jamb it opened the door jam that's how fresh the building is yeah I said Jesus is this thing going to come down yeah the the cinder blocker so anyway so Tony taught us all we taught Gregory and Niven and uh giaskala everybody Irene Papas how to play chess and he was quite quite a tennis player and one day I'm playing in the Carl foreman and Sandy Baker are standing over over uh Tony's shoulder and I beat him and didn't go down and I said take the move back he took it back and he beat me anyway yeah I say hey you I said I beat you you didn't beat me I gave you the move back I won anyway we were and I'm gonna have a fight I would have kicked this ass because I was young she right you know and Stanley Baker and Carl were such they were prodding him like you wouldn't believe like you know oh the kid beat you oh my God you look good so I think we didn't speak Tony wouldn't speak to me not a word for weeks we were there for three months and finally they would convert the restaurant into a theater a cinema at night uh so we could you know keep from going insane uh and uh so Tony's standing at the back of the theater and I walked up to my put my arm around him I said are we really really never going to speak again because of that silly game are we and he said put his arm around me and that weekend when he and I went to Rome come with me to Rome come with me to Rome they had a place there uh and I love Tony you play bridge no he was playing which I was not involved in but uh actually we had a great time did you become friends did you become friends oh God yeah yeah yeah I love Tony and Gregory as well Gregory was a very warm and very very nice Peck they were very warm sweet people on his estate considering the Palisades when I first came to America yeah I had a job through a guy I met in Malibu who had a wood Chopper and and I went up there as his assistant oh really I met the great man yeah he's a wonderful man wonderful man yeah lovely man considerate kind you know you can send users from him yeah absolutely yeah he was he was terrific and Stanley being a Sally Baker being the extreme opposite is Tony Tony Quinn as well they had just great a great aura about that you know and and warmth as well right yeah in a different way of course yeah totally totally but uh it was that error of British actor that were they were they were unique oh standalones I mean Stanley was a real bossy guy yeah he was yeah they didn't make him like that anymore Stanley Baker was he was cool man all right what would I have seen him in that uh it's not just about any movie in the 70s uh yeah he did lots of films a Stanley Baker yeah I can't remember you know his face right proper British solid character actor right yeah uh fans want to ask a lot of questions uh and a lot of the where do you get those questions from from the internet oh you do yeah uh people uh we post that you're scheduled to be on the show and people and invite them to send us questions that they want answered uh you've checked off a lot of them already in your guys's conversation so we'll get to the ones that you haven't talked about yet sukiyuki on Instagram asks in Deep Space Nine uh did you have any input on the arrangements of the music the songs you were singing uh the the music was chosen 99 by Ira bear and um like I had mentioned earlier in our conversation that if I did not like the song then Ira would not ask me to do it uh as far as the arrangements were concerned uh yeah I I would uh you know have some input there great uh xiaozam on Twitter asks uh or says Vic was one of my favorite recurring Deep Space Nine characters uh what was it like working with Avery Brooks and how good of a singer was he Avery Brooks was a great singer or is a great singer and it was wonderful working with him and I really was I was shocked when we did our medley because I never realized he was that he could sing he's got a great voice isn't he he's a wonderful actor and and he's a wonderful pianist I mean he's incredibly talented person and I do love him uh Sam Easton artwork on Instagram says uh do you have any pre-performance rituals or vocal warm-ups um yes it's called nerves yes whiskey so therefore I consume some booze before I go on stage to calm me down but uh I do just a little bit of of warm-ups you know not too much because then you could overdo it of course and blow your your voice uh Annika on patreon says what is the best concert that you've ever attended there's so many I mean I think of the Beatles and and McCartney doing solo but I mean as much as I love them and they were great oh and Little Richard I went to see Little Richard that was a kick oh God I can't believe it Little Richard and uh Etta James oh great you're just I mean what can I tell you and and and Roy Orbison now and I got to include of course Sinatra but Roy Orbison I'm sitting there with my friend Rick husky and we're there was a place in the valley and Roy orbit I'd never seen Roy perform I'm a tremendous fan of Roy orbison's and Elvis when he was Roy was Elvis feared Roy's Talent didn't it was the only one I'm sure they're all Envy because Roy is an incredible Talent so we're sitting there and I had I don't know how many beers I had Rick and I were drinking Heineken and I had 10 11 12. I don't know how many and Rick said I gotta go to the men's room I said don't leave do it here [Laughter] are you kidding I'm gonna miss his song give me a break sawdust my shoes are damp my socks are dripping off my head hilarious I don't care I'm not missing a second of this not I wouldn't I swear I said I am not you think I'm going to leave when he's doing whatever you know no forget it crying no no I went backstage and said I don't wish it was a really really a blast so he's he was great I have a nice photo with uh Roy Orbison what a great talent he's in a huge town in the morning I have Alexa you know and in the morning of course you have I have Elvis or or Roy of course almost every morning I swear Eric Clapton or yeah beetles I mean what did I saying Alexa play Roy Orbison yeah I'm sorry we can't make that connection hey get off your butt pal yeah make that connection I met his wife came out here I lived on that commune uh we talked about in Malibu and the guy the surfer Larry who lived next door to me did all their I.T work for his wife this was after always passing and uh but uh I have the I have a box set of the complete works that she gave me oh really his wife gave you yeah oh is she still with us I think she might have gone now to really the same yeah I mean he was he's just amazing I swear to when I'm when I was there I mean I'm not blown away that much bye too many people I certainly I mean certainly McCartney and the Beatles and Sinatra and Sammy and but when I was there with Roy Orbison every song just rang a bell you know so loudly that and the uh it just brought me back to so many great memories and it was wonderful it was wonderful I I don't know it was I kind of know who's gonna be on the island with you that's coming soon we're fortunate to have those people in our lives absolutely we are God and no kidding so my mom used to whenever Fred Astaire's movies would be on Dominic Dominic oh yeah it's special yeah because you need to see this yeah yeah beautiful I'd say the the number one asked question we received we probably got over a hundred of these was will you sing Fly Me to the Moon for us oh I'd love to but uh I'm not really in the best of voice and and being um a perfectionist yeah yeah that's right I I would love to but I'll play my record there you go there you go all right well that's our our fan q a for today I think it's time for all trivia we're gonna play a little game of Star Trek trivia and today uh we are playing for our patreon member uh Phil green the rules are pretty simple you three against me he's the Star Trek Oracle and yet we've beaten him uh all right so it's time for us to play a little Star Trek trivia uh we have to give a special thanks to Zach and Chris from the random Redshirt podcast thank you Zach thank you Chris put this game together for us and one last time today we're playing for patreon member Phil green and asking the questions uh in place of the lovely Eric Larose we have patreon member Melissa all right number one in the original series episode conscience of the king which Shakespearean play is being played out in the Enterprise theater during Captain Kirk's confrontation with Anton caridian a Macbeth B Othello C Julius Caesar or D Hamlet we got it we got green kind of nice either it's either the Scottish places oh I was gonna say Othello Final Answer final answer all right I'm gonna say no good this the Scottish play oh the Scottish play no oh we got another guy explicit throw it back to us it's ham and it's got to be Hamlet okay Hamlet um correct Hamlet are you sure it wasn't Gidget goes Hawaiian number two in Star Trek four the Voyage Home Spock performs a mind meld on which of the following characters a Dr Jillian Taylor a marine biologist B sarek Spock's father see Gracie a humpback whale or D all of the above you got it I think mine did uh you threw me with all of the above I was going to say yeah see the whale through me too yeah Gracie the will fineliner Final Answer Gracie the whale okay it is yeah all of the above that's a that's a little tricky thing number three in the Enterprise episode regeneration 200 year old Borg are discovered by earth scientists where b in a government Laboratory C in the Deep C or D Frozen in the Arctic come on I got it yes in the Arctic I feel the sun coming on no idea I think it was Pacoima but that's what we shot it yeah exactly number four what secret criminal organization did Chief Miles O'Brien go undercover to infiltrate and thwart at Great risk the Orion syndicate B the obsidian order C Crimson Dawn or D the Dominion oh wow it wasn't what it wasn't what we thought uh can we repeat them again and could you give us the answer yeah give us a wink a is the Orion Syndicate B the obsidian order C Crimson Dawn or D the Dominion I want to say obsidian oh okay I don't have any idea obsidian yeah I haven't got a clue okay I know this is a dumb one I think it's Crimson Dawn okay throws it back to us so we're one of the last two remaining choices your last two remaining choices are a the Orion Syndicate or D the Dominion the Orion syndicate I feel another sun coming on I just didn't remember that's a trick question sucks doesn't it I knew the answer to this is very seriously you know all right number five according to the federation's planetary classification system what planet classification would be considered a demon planet with a toxic atmosphere and temperatures exceeding 500 Kelvin a Class M B Class D C Class y or D class J not got it I'm just gonna say class D because they call it a demon Planet [Applause] I mean it says we've got m y or what m y or J why [Music] my god you're an oracle I'm not totally useless well we won again The Best Is Yet To Come and uh Mr Green you are going to get a new car yes God bless you mate I tell you all right so it's good to be a little bit of a habit Mark yeah have you ever heard a better arrangement on that song than Quincy Jones the best yet it's just a mind I don't know if uh familiarly but is it great oh man is it it's just unreal yeah check that out it's a killer The Best Is Yet To Come Sinatra's version Oh the Quincy Jones produced yeah and and Iran arranged oh what's up it's an artist singer yes I didn't know it was a Quincy Jonesborough oh look man some of the songs on a deserted island with Connor trinier here's the game so you're on a deserted island for the rest of your life oh you're allowed the works of whatever religion you want be at the Bible you can I bring my dog that could be your bonus item okay um uh The Works of Shakespeare and then you get to select your Cuisine I mean Italian French but you get all of them you know okay and then your dessert if you pick like ice cream you get all flavors of ice cream right your musician composer all of their complete works and author same thing and then you get a a bonus luxury item that there are limits to what you can choose can't get you off the island can't keep you company um but something you know functional or luxurious like yeah I don't want to give you any suggestions in fact I have to bring someone with me you can't bring something there's no there's no one you can't bring it no it's a luxury item like um you know I mean I'm alone my Cuisine would probably be probably be Italian yeah God bless you yeah yeah it's a great or French or Mexican but Italian Italian uh your author help me out who do you read I mean do you uh do you have a favorite well I prefer I don't like novels I prefer things that are like factual historical stuff yeah but whatever it may be yeah but David McCulloch or or Walter Isaacson yeah I like to Walter Isaacson yeah great one yeah okay yeah all right you know those biographies are fantastic yeah yeah your musician slash composer all of their work yeah oh it's not Roy then uh or is it no it could be I mean composer yes musician Quincy Quincy Quincy Jones yeah no oh that's that's interesting because that's such a wide wide breadth of yeah absolutely work yeah okay composer again Lennon McCartney yeah right yeah the Beatles The Beatles yeah I mean you have you know yeah you have a lot of great composers from the 40s 30s 20s even yeah they were definitely amazing you know lightning in a bottle yeah yeah your dessert uh [Music] probably the most basic stupid dessert but an ice cream sundae um you're not alone stupid about that lots of fudge lots of fudge and what about this luxury item um five seven five looks like Raquel Welch uh luxury item I'm alone on an island can I drive sure around your little island yeah why not Ferrari a Ferrari there you go nice a dino there you go a little Dino Ferrari fantastic all right that's a first that's good that's good yeah and we'll give you a great track oh okay I'll make it yeah got a lot of time on your hands I'll make that track uh yeah that's um that's it God bless you Jimmy it was so fun having you on here I really had a ball good I'm glad you did one of the highlights of my like my year for sure it's one of the highlights of our show but it is truly truly sweet yeah and it's great to see you again do I have to leave you guys they're doing a play here tonight yeah they are yeah what what happened if we yes would become part of that play just right here yeah I mean could they kick us off no we could be in the wings the characters that we use what's interesting African ladies hair salon yeah so we might we might stick out of it let me ask you a question do you know what the play is about yes yeah well yeah it's about it's about African-American ladies hair it's called can't touch this oh it is yeah can I touch it oh yeah the answer was it's six singles no this is gonna be our first question yeah can't touch that I got it I I got to tell you some real quick stories about South Philly do we have time yeah of course okay uh I have a friend his name is Al Marinelli he's a wonderful guy he works as a bartender or did and uh I would say we were at the Alpine in one evening my wife and my my cousins my family which is about 35 people cousins and answers and I said to Al Evie would like uh a wine spritzer he said okay wine uh one wine splitter come I said no it's a wine spritzer you know that's what I said as you said wine splits her yeah well let's have soda have wine it prolongs the evening I know okay all right a Philly splitzer yeah yeah and then I said uh I said you know uh Gene has the roast beef place in Philly very famous I didn't know his son died of AIDS he said he died of Aid I said no AIDS Ally said I'm talking about one guy I said God but it's poor it's AIDS it's not it's that's the whole if you read what those letters mean it's it's not singular it's what it is or plural is what it is oh okay everything you did I said and you know obviously I'm about buying a McDonald franchise were by a franchise no no no take your brain out of that bottle oh my God Cyanide and the franchise if it was one it was plural oh my God you live the life Mr Darren I have to say characters like you would not believe it's bloody honor to know you mean it really how about this uh Al I've of course give me a core give me a call I swear it's called course I'm talking about one deal but you want two of them I I I'm not I swear to you in my life I am not making this up I'm talking about one side he's a patient man yeah with an impatient brain God bless you Jimmy oh God we'll see you in Vegas thanks for coming in yeah so we drank your present yeah yeah but it's great thank you it's very generous thank you for your company and I enjoyed it and thank you for your company I enjoyed it yeah thank you and all of you it was lovely thank you very much great time today and I don't want to complain but my dog peed on my laps he doesn't do it to everybody [Music] foreign [Music] like subscribe and join us on patreon