My Amazing Life...part 26
It startles me...I'm reading a book by the late George Burns, " 100 years, 100 stories." The man was funny. About a third through it, I stumbles on this: in 1932, he and Gracie were making pictures in LA, went to a Hollywood film party at Gary Cooper's old place and the guest of honor was Georgie Jessel. Kids today have zero idea who the " ToastMaster General of the United States" was, but comedian, singer, dancer and eloquent Toast Master at parties and official functions all across America was Mr. Jessel. Event presidents called on Jessel to occasionally preside over White House functions with a word or two over a hoisted glass of champagne.
Shocked. I realized I met him just 30 years ago in the early 80's at a shopping center convention in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry hotel. The man was and still is a legend.
He gave the toast to the opening grand ceremonies, and first class blast it was. I was the GM of the old El Con Mall then here in Tucson, went to the Int'l Council of Shopping Center convention in Nashville for four days with my Admin Assistant and chief of operations, Cynthia Gibson. What a blast, and so was Jessel. He was so old then, he was helped into his wheel chair back stage, got out of it just behind the curtain whobbled out to the podium, did a yoeman's job as usual got a standing ovation, just made it back to his wheel chair, and collapsed into it back stage.
At the airport, I spotted him in the waiting lounge with his assistant, and i mentioned it to Cynthia. She knew nothing about him, and of course, i knew his history - a real swordsman. I told her all about him, she wanted to meet him, anyway, so we walked up to him. He was dashing in a black fedora hat, sitting down in his wheel chair, covered in a black cape. He quickly turned his attention to Cynthia, and made a pass at her right in front of all of us. She was charmed right out of her shoes, almost. At 92, he still had it.
When reading the story, thinking about Burns and Allen at that party in 1932, and then again about my closest friend Cindy in the Nashville airport, again with the same guy, almost three quarters of a century later, what an interesting life.
It goes in the book.
###
Shocked. I realized I met him just 30 years ago in the early 80's at a shopping center convention in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry hotel. The man was and still is a legend.
He gave the toast to the opening grand ceremonies, and first class blast it was. I was the GM of the old El Con Mall then here in Tucson, went to the Int'l Council of Shopping Center convention in Nashville for four days with my Admin Assistant and chief of operations, Cynthia Gibson. What a blast, and so was Jessel. He was so old then, he was helped into his wheel chair back stage, got out of it just behind the curtain whobbled out to the podium, did a yoeman's job as usual got a standing ovation, just made it back to his wheel chair, and collapsed into it back stage.
At the airport, I spotted him in the waiting lounge with his assistant, and i mentioned it to Cynthia. She knew nothing about him, and of course, i knew his history - a real swordsman. I told her all about him, she wanted to meet him, anyway, so we walked up to him. He was dashing in a black fedora hat, sitting down in his wheel chair, covered in a black cape. He quickly turned his attention to Cynthia, and made a pass at her right in front of all of us. She was charmed right out of her shoes, almost. At 92, he still had it.
When reading the story, thinking about Burns and Allen at that party in 1932, and then again about my closest friend Cindy in the Nashville airport, again with the same guy, almost three quarters of a century later, what an interesting life.
It goes in the book.
###
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