Starstruck

 

Watching CBS Sunday Morning is a tradition for us. One of the segments this past Sunday was: Starstruck: The public's one-sided bond with celebrities. It explored the reasons we commoners feel so thrilled about meeting someone famous.

Bud's brush with a celebrity took place in the summer of 1968 in the enlisted mens' club at Camp Eagle near Hue.  

He was sitting at the bar drinking beer when Sebastian Cabot came in. The two greeted each other. Cabot sat down and ordered three beers. Bud said Cabot drank them all quickly in succession. Bud asked: "Are you thirsty?" Cabot replied something like: "No. You ought to see me when I am really thirsty."

I found this picture online of the star of "Family Affair" (1966-1971) when he was in Vietnam on a USO tour. 

My celebrity meeting happened just one year later, the summer of 1969, when Dick Van Dyke was in Iowa filming Cold Turkey in Greenfield. Like Mr. Cabot, Van Dyke was sitting at a bar in downtown Des Moines; but drinking liquor, not beer. Two work mates and I were there for lunch. My friend Marilyn got so excited when she saw Van Dyke. She wanted an autograph but was too anxious to approach him. I said I would ask for one for her. I went over to the star, apologized for bothering him and then asked if my friend could have an autograph. I pointed to our table, he smiled toward my friends and then graciously said "of course" and signed a napkin. (I found this autograph on line.)

In the Autumn of 1994, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood were filming The Bridges of Madison County. Eastwood was reported as favoring a certain bar/restaurant in West Des Moines. I would much rather have met him and even thought about going to the place, but I decided not to. I figured he had enough starstruck people bothering him.

I did see the author of the book the movie was based on, Robert James Waller, at the Valley Junction Arts Festival (West Des Moines). He was sitting in his wife Georgia's booth. I thought about going home, getting my copy of his book and asking him to sign it. Again, I decided not to bother him.  Maybe I wasn't starstruck enough. 🎭🌠