Over the years, I’d see Chuck McCann’s face pop up in numerous films and TV shows: Foul Play, The Bob Newhart Show, They Went That-a-Way and That-a-Way, Little House on the Prairie, Diff’rent Strokes, and Matt Houston (in which he played an Oliver Hardy look-alike). Each time I’d see him, I’d say to myself, “ah! there he is.”

I didn’t see Chuck McCann in person again until 1992, when he and Jim MacGeorge would perform a skit as Laurel and Hardy look-alikes. As Bob and I arrived on the island, we saw Chuck and I had him sign the photo above. I recall that he initially seemed put out, but then caught himself and beamed a big smile at me after signing.

Then I’d see him four times in four successive years in the mid-1990s, starting with the New York Sons of the Desert convention (where he signed the photo at the top of the posting), where he was a celebrity guest. Then the following year, I’d see him working the crowd with Hugh Hefner at the Ray Courts Hollywood Collectors Show on June 24, 1995. Then the next year, he’d be part of the Sons of the Desert convention cruise through the Caribbean. In 1997, I’d see him again at the Hollywood Collector Show – again with Hefner. During all of these encounters, I never once got a photo with Chuck.

Another ten years passed before I’d see Chuck again, this time at the Way Out West Tent’s 40th anniversary banquet on July 28, 2007. He partnered up with Jim once again to perform a routine. I had every intention of finally getting a photo taken with both Chuck and Jim, but an ‘incident’ that occurred between my friend Jimmy and Chuck ensured that I’d have to pass up this opportunity when he left the event somewhat prematurely.

With Chuck being a longtime fixture of the Sons, I did want to get a photo with him at some point, and fortunately the opportunity arose again when I caught him working the crowd at the Hollywood Show on February 12, 2011. As usual, I always look familiar to him – even if he can’t recall my name. His face lit up when I mentioned being a Sons member and he was more than happy to pose for a picture. Incidentally, I’d see him yet again at the Hollywood Show later that year on October 8. This time, he’d approach me to inquire about my friend Jimmy.

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One of my personal favorites was her role as Emmylou on the radio show The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, where as the Nelson’s young neighbor girl, she would often leave Ozzie flustered.  She’d go on to star in 16 episodes of the Ozzie & Harriet TV show as well. In fact she’d often appear onscreen in such shows as The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, and Petticoat Junction. She provided the voice for the Grandmother during the fourth scene of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World.

Understandably, I was interested in meeting this person. I had already obtained a signed photo of her when she had appeared at Hollywood Collector Show in late 1990′s through my friend Bob. My only goal when she appeared at the Hollywood Show on February 12, 2011, was to get a photo with her.

Chatting with her was an awesome experience at first. We talked about working with Ozzie & Harriet, and she seemed genuinely ecstatic that someone my age had such fond memories of her work in old radio. She was falling all over herself with appreciation and gratitude. I was so taken with her that I decided to go ahead a buy one of the nice photos she had on her table, from her appearance on I Love Lucy in the episode The Young Fans.

But in the midst of all of the gushing and falling over each other, after I had already paid for my photo, I asked to get a picture with her, which was really all I wanted in the first place… and I swear I heard her say “It’s gonna cost you.” I wasn’t sure if she was serious or what, but immediately my selective hearing went into place. I also am pretty sure that I heard her handler (which I believe was her daughter) say to her that she didn’t need to charge. I may or may not have heard her mention charging me a second time.

I went behind the table, got my picture with her, and then I walked away from the table. I’m not sure what I heard, and I hope I didn’t hear what I think I heard, but I’m pretty sure I know what I heard. And  if I truly heard the word that I thought I heard, even if slurred, this obscure 87-year old woman has nerve to herd this nerd with a charge that was this absurd. But nevertheless, I found Waldo, and here she is…

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She eventually became a cashier and we both continued to share the same employer until I was re-located to the Spinning Road store at the beginning of 1997. She stayed on for another year or two and eventually took a job as a waitress at Frisch’s near Wright State University – which was also near where I was working. Running into her during her brief tenure there in about 1999 was the last time I had seen her.

During the great MySpace craze of 2007, I looked her up on a whim and we began a correspondence that spilled over into Facebook. We had actually tried to meet up once while I was in Columbus – where she was currently residing – in 2008, but plans fell through. Being a traveler at heart, she would often receive texts from me sending greetings while in the midst of some road trip or other.

As I began communicating again with Rachel, she began to tell me her various projects in the art world, and I was always amazed at her great ideas and her creativity. In fact, she has her own business called MisHappenings (which you can check out here), where she shares her musings and makes some of her artwork available for purchase.

Rachel and I finally had the chance to meet up for the first time in at least a dozen years, when I trekked up to Columbus and took her out to eat at Matt the Miller’s Tavern on Saturday, October 22, 2011, where we were also joined by her friend Kelley for a bit. There was a lot of catching up to do, a bit of reminiscing about life at the store, and discussing the philosophies of life. The adorableness hadn’t abated one iota. And she was every bit as smart and vivacious as ever.

It was great to see Rachel and I look forward to the next time we can meet up again.

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During July 1998, I attended a Mayberry Squad Car Rendezvous in Bradford, Ohio, and in the dealer area I found an autograph seller with some pretty reasonable prices. I picked up a slew including two nice signed photos from Laugh-In stars Jo Anne Worley and Arte Johnson. So far, I haven’t had the chance to meet Arte…but Jo Anne was a different story.

Purchased signed Arte Johnson photo

Purchased signed Jo Anne Worley

My next autograph came through the mail when I was honored to acquire a signature of one of the show’s creators in 1999. Dick Martin not only signed the picture but added a funny inscription stating, “I can’t believe I’m wearing jeans.” What a great guy! Sadly, I never got the chance to meet him before his passing in 2008.

Great signed photo of Rowan & Martin, signed by Dick Martin with wisecrack added

I had the unique opportunity to meet two of the Laugh-Inleading ladies just two weeks apart on different sides of the continent during the Fall of 2010. Ruth Buzzi was scheduled to make an appearance at the Chicago Hollywood Celebrities Show on Saturday, September 25, 2010. I brought along my cast photo that my friend Bob had gotten signed by Gary Owens, Dick Martin, and Alan Sues in the early 2000′s.

She was pretty friendly, but wondered if her higher fee for oversized memorabilia applied to my item. It did not, so I got the standard autograph/photo op combo for $25. She quietly pointed out Teresa Graves in the photo, the African American actress from the show. Ruth Buzzi explained how she was tragically killed in a house fire while staying with her Mom, sleeping on her patio porch in 2002. This doesn’t appear to be accurate, as reports indicate she died in her own home.

With Ruth Buzzi

Meeting Jo Anne Worley came much cheaper. She was one of the radio performers at the C.A.R.T. show on Saturday, October 9, 2010, that I described here. She was a pretty nice lady, asking me about where I acquired the other signatures on the photo. When I told her that I just saw Ruth Buzzi two weeks ago in Chicago, she told me that she never does those celebrity shows. I made the mistake of letting her try to sign the photo while she held it and it got a little crummy. She finally moved over to the piano on stage and signed it there.

With Jo Anne Worley

Cast shot now signed by Ruth Buzzi, Dick Martin, Gary Owens, Alan Sues, and Dick Martin

There are still a few more Laugh-In celebrities that I’d love to meet, so let’s hope that one day I will be updating this entry.

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Calling Dr. Bombay!   Emergency! Come right away! I need a picture with you!

For instance, he was the dainty English town visitor Malcom Merriweather in three episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. He played three different parts in three different episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show.  He had a recurring role in Hogan’s Heroes. He had one-off parts in I Dream of Jeannie, The Monkees, M*A*S*H, and The Jeffersons – just to name a few. And these were only his sitcom roles!

Bernard Fox also had an extensive film career, one of his most notable being his role as Col. Archibald Gracie in the Oscar winning film Titanic. He also voiced the choir mouse in the Disney animated classics The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under. Other films included A Night To Remember (another tale of the Titanic!), The Private Eyes, and The Mummy.

My friend Bob had obtained the signed photos of Fox from The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show for me in the mid-1990′s. I later saw Bernard Fox at the Hollywood Collectors Show in 1997, but did not get anything further from him. I met him for the first time at the 6th Annual Mayberry Squad Car Rendezvous in Bradford, Ohio on July 11, 1998. At that time I obtained the Titanic photo seen at the top of the posting.

But up until the Hollywood Show on Saturday, April 24, 2010, I had never gotten a photo with Bernard Fox. Thankfully, he was cordial enough to allow me one – free of charge, but not overly thrilled about it. But in any case, I was thankful that I was finally given the opportunity to be captured with Dr. Bombay.

Celebrities of the Spring 2010 Hollywood Show will continue…