Stars Galore

Two of the great movie stars that the Marine audiences loved: Rhonda Fleming and William Lundigan.

Stars Galore

So many great entertainment stars!

It blew my socks off as I prepared this time of memories, as I realized there really was quite a list of the “Who’s Who” from the entertainment industry.

As we talked with so many in the audience over those early months, we learned from you what you would like to see in the Shows. Jean was also concerned that so many great stars and others in the Industry were not necessarily entertainers or performers, but that they would like to be a part of a Show to let our servicemen know they were supported and appreciated. Mike Lansing and I discussed how we might make this possible and came up with the idea of the HOLLYWOOD PANEL where audience members could ask Industry folks and MP/TV stars questions about anything they might want to know. A lot of Marines wondered how they might proceed in getting into ‘the business’ after their stint in Vietnam and thus we also made it possible for the Panel to include Industry production folks as well as actor star’s . . . Jean and cast ‘regulars’ would go into the audience to get the questions from the audience.

(above) Taking questions from the audience on the Hollywood Panel, are Hal Martin, producer; Jeanne Baird, actress; Bill Raisch, the one-armed man on The Fugitive TV series, and Jay North from the Dennis The Menace TV show.

Because this era in history was fairly volatile politically, I want to share my personal memories and a little bit from behind the scenes of what producing a Show like The Jean London Show was, since we featured so many great Hollywood luminaries. We had to come to the conclusion early that the old saying of ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen’ most certainly applied to us. I suppose it is a fact that IF one wants to avert criticism; one should do nothing, since there are always folks who believe what you are doing should be done the way they would do it. That always made me wonder why they weren’t doing it themselves!?

And the ‘kitchen’ did get a little hot

Because Mike Lansing and I had the task of booking the Show’s monthly cast, we also fell into the frontline trenches with regard to any criticism. Neither of us had probably given it any thought until our first salvo when we first were called a war monger and a supporter of War. Mike called me immediately with the exclamation that we must look like we’re wacko’s or something because only nuts would want or support War . . . and they’re all at the Capitol. And then he laughed and we discussed how we might handle this in the future.

This web site ‘book’ would not be complete if I were to neglect recording my memories of the complicated and problematic musing we had to face behind the scenes. According to the political ultra-Left, we HAD to be supporting the War; unfortunately that position kept those poor folks from the joy of supporting our fellow Americans in the Military. We also were railed for NOT putting ‘God’s Message’ into our Shows and not supporting President’s Johnson and Nixon’s political efforts.

What either of the extremist positions decided about us, we had to simply overlook and know that we were simply doing the Shows to support our fellow Americans in the Military; only idiots would support War and who in the world knows WHICH ‘God’s Message’ was THE correct one, so we chose the ‘Message’ to ‘live in love’.

From the production standpoint: it usually took Mike and me a minimum of three to four months to line up a star for a Show. We became strong supporters of Ma Bell as our phone bills revealed! Industry folks had full and hectic schedules and we were asking them to give a day without pay to take a bus ride to Camp Pendleton.

The majority we contacted was openly not in support of the War per se, BUT they were in strong support of our American troops. A behind-the-scenes insight was that we found many of the stars we contacted had to become convinced they should do the Show - - - not because they didn’t care about our troops, but because they thought the troops were so young; the troops wouldn’t even know who they were or care to see and meet them. Yes, there are a lot of stars (like Johnny Carson) who, in real life are very shy and humble . . . and, many MP/TV stars felt they’d be duds with an adlib live stage ‘Hollywood Panel’. Mike and I had to be understanding of this in our contacting of stars as Mike and I were more like the vaudeville/Broadway type of entertainers who were probably more at home on a stage than in our own living room.

(above) Ace introduces Yvonne DeCarlo to join the Hollywood Panel with Barbara Hale, Bill Williams, Ann B. Davis and Toni Kelman

Once a star had committed to become a guest on the show, it was our task to make sure they would feel secure. It was always a secret joy to watch an audience give a standing ovation to a veteran star who thought: ‘they won’t remember me’. The great Yvonne De Carlo told me she didn’t think the young Marines would remember any of the films she’d starred in . . . she had overlooked her TV work and they went wild when Lily Munster in-the-flesh stepped onto the Stage. Like so many of the stars who appeared, Yvonne was another one of the shy ones, who glowed when they felt the appreciation of the audience that loved to ask them questions about their personal and Industry work.

There were many we contacted, like Paul Lynde, whom we tried to convince for over a year, that couldn’t bring themselves to believe the men might enjoy meeting them and that insecurity kept them from being a guest on the Show; Paul’s security blanket box was his spot on the Hollywood Squares TV show.

(above) Perry Mason’s ‘Della’ – Barbara Hale answers Marines questions as Jean and Ace watch

A number of our guest stars made more than one appearance on the Show because they knew each audience would be a new group heading to Vietnam. I believe TV’s Kit Carson, Bill Williams, and his wife, Barbara Hale, “Della” on the Perry Mason TV series made more than one guest appearance.

                Of course it would be easy for me to share a tidbit about EVERY star; they’re all there in my memory bank and these folks were extraordinary talents in my book. I have chosen only two to give you the juicy gossip, all of us who love the National Enquirer, want to be exposed! The scrapbook photos will have to stir the memories of the Marines who met the stars from their audience seats. You must definitely know, however, that as Show Director, I really was working in heaven - - - Jean, the Show ‘regulars’ and every guest star over the seven years did not supply me with any diva dirt. These folks were great to work with!

                I know Hollywood took a lot of ‘hits’ then, and still does, as being the ugly Liberal American, but that may only be the result of a handful; and, similar to the view of the Conservative American as being the fanatic, also caused by a handful . . . a handful of extremists on both ends of the scale. I was always proud to be a part of the Entertainment Industry as 99% of those I’d met were some of the most generous, compassionate humans I know; easily comparing to the folks back in the Midwest with their kindness and caring.

                And then there was Rhonda! What the audience didn’t know about Rhonda Fleming when she appeared as a guest on the 6^th Anniversary Show, I will probably never forget - - unless my old-timer’s kicks in! What went on back stage . . . . we were in one of our indoor Base Auditorium Shows. The Show also featured the actor-musician-TV star-vocalist of the Starsky & Hutch series, David Soul, whose Dad used to be a Professor in South Dakota. Everything had been going great; Colonel McCain had made sure the buffet was super and the cast was happy with their dressing rooms. THEN . . . we learned Ms. Fleming’s accompanist was going to be unable to make the Show! It’s a time like this when a Director thanks his lucky stars that stars are PRO’S . . . they’ve been around and know the Show must go on and you know it will be fun.

(above) Backstage photos: Rhonda Fleming and Bob Tiedemann smile for the camera as Jean and the future Starsky & Hutch star, David Soul, chat prior to a Show start.

Here’s what I had to work with as a Director: Ms. Fleming debuted her musical career at the Las Vegas Tropicana; her Broadway debut was in The Women and Kismet; and, she had over 40 motion picture credits including Spellbound with Director, Alfred Hitchcock, Gunfight At The OK Corral and Home Before Dark. Now, what would a star of that caliber do when her accompanist didn’t show up?! She told me: “I came here to perform for the men, Ace, and that’s what we’re going to do. I’ll do it a cappella.” And as you know, our Shows were not rehearsed, and now it was my job to set her stage. It had to be dramatic and look like it was what she’d planned all along.

Ah, the magic of lighting and a wonderful Base Lighting Booth Director; I had him cut the lighting to black and intro her from backstage as she found the spot on center stage created by a pin spot from above the mic; as she moved under the pin spot, her flaming strawberry blond hair was highlighted and as she began singing, the Lighting Director slowly illuminated only her face and eventually revealed her full figure in that fabulous blue gown. She was great, and voila - - - a standing ovation from a full house of over 4,000.

That was one unforgettable memory and there is no way also my memory bank will allow me to forget another guest star from one of the San Onofre Shows. He was the hottest performer in one of the longest running Night Club shows in Hollywood at that time. Now remember this was in the late 1960’s - - - his act was outrageous and his music was rock and raunchy. His costuming allowed audiences to wonder about his gender, as he certainly could look like a lovely lady yet it wasn’t “drag” and his voice was that of a macho male basso profundo. When he accepted to be a guest on our Show, he showed his concern about how a Marine audience might accept him. I had an idea for presenting him and told him to wear one of his multi-floral jersey pantsuits with the flared leg bottoms . . . and, one of his big-brimmed gaudy hats. I knew we’d have a great backup band for him that Show and his music would knock the audience out of their seats.

Showtime arrived at Onofre and there he was in all his Hollywood finery. I knew what his introduction had to be; and my task was to intro with a lot of hype that would end with: and now, here he is - - - direct from Hollywood - - - the one and only! Then I would exit stage right and he would dramatically enter from stage left as that gave him a 15’ clear lane to the center mic. He took directions like the pro he was. As he stepped into audience view, he paused for a moment to allow them to grasp or gasp at the vision in flowery, flowing jersey with a boa and that great wide-brimmed hat; then in a very feminine manner he struck a pose: left hand on hip, arm akimbo, and right hand posed in a Bette Davis manner with a foot-long cigarette holder . . . and, he slowly sashayed to the center mic amidst the whoops, whistles, cat-calls and hollering as the Marines went wild. Upon arrival at the mic, after looking over his audience of hooting Marines, he spoke with that incredible macho voice: So what were you expecting from Hollywood? a truck driver! And the crowd of nearly 6,000 that day went from jeering to cheering as he rocked them. Troy Walker gave this director that day an unforgettable memory and probably a lot of the Marines also. I still laugh!

Troy did a second guest appearance at the Base Auditorium in August of ’72 when audiences were beginning to get smaller because of the declining deployment of troops to Vietnam.
Since it has been decades since we did the Shows, I really hadn’t thought much about it for quite some time, but, when I began to look through the scrapbooks, the newspaper clippings, the old scripts, and especially the hundreds of photo negatives, it blew my socks off. There really was quite a list of ‘Who’s Who’ from the entertainment industry.
I hope you will enjoy the photos that may bring back wonderful memories of these folks. Remember them from these scrapbook photo pages of the Show’s history: (* = deceased)

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