HOME FAMILY YESTERDAY SOLVAY

By JACK MAJOR
It seems to me one drawback of fame is being imposed upon by members the media who ask the same — often silly — questions over and over and over. As a newspaper feature writer, I met several celebrities. Most, bless 'em, handled my questions with patience and grace, others turned the Q&A session into a game (often telling imaginative lies with a straight face), while a few simply said, "That's a stupid question!" and challenged me to smarten up in a hurry.

For several years, interviewing celebrities was part of my job. Often the celebrities weren't crazy about talking to the press, but it was part of their job, too. Here, for better or worse, are recollections of some of those interviews:

Each in a class by herself
Pearl Bailey: Part entertainer, part philosopher
Zsa Zsa Gabor: All the Kardashians rolled into one.
Gypsy Rose Lee: My ignorance was her bliss
Della Reese: An irresistible force
Barbra Streisand: A diva from day one
Betty White: Who knew she was just warming up
 
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
Dick Van Dyke: He wanted to be a pilot
Mary Tyler Moore: Some called her the weakest link
Richard Deacon: He played the cards he was dealt
Carl Reiner: He wrote it with himself in mind
Jerry Van Dyke: Sleepwalked his way to fame
Sheldon Leonard: "Failure" was not in his vocabulary
 
Bombshells
or duds?
You decide
Dagmar: More fizzle than sizzle
Diana Dors: UK's Marilyn Monroe
Joey Heatherton: You can't say she didn't try
Jayne Mansfield: Nothing like her image
 

They just happen to be
three people named Pat

Pat Carroll: World's easiest interview
Pat Finlay: I think I'm in love
Pat O'Brien: No wonder he seemed familiar.
 
'Gunsmoke'
Milburn Stone: Found his niche as Doc
Ken Curtis: Festus fooled a lot of viewers.
 
They were once wed
Lola Albright: Thank you, 'Peter Gunn'
Jack Carson: Versatile, but underrated
 
'Occasional Wife'
Michael Callan: A surprise awaited him
Patricia Harty: She couldn't miss, but did
 
The Three Stooges
Their comedy was silly, but never dirty
 
'Route 66'
George Maharis and Martin Milner: The road was often bumpy.
 
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriett
Ozzie and Harriet Nelson: Merrily they rolled along year after year after year.
 
'Love Story' interviews
They were like a game of musical chairs
 
Also
Steve Allen: If it's Tuesday, this is Cleveland
Dana Andrews: Credits include two classics
Barbara Barrie: We'll always have Painesville
Theodore Bikel: He was at home everywhere
George Burns: I met him before he was God
Richard Chamberlain: A memorable day
Dabney Coleman: His shows were short-lived
Robert Conrad: Enjoyed tooting his own horn
Bobby Darin: Humbled, but not discouraged
Richard Egan: Like catching up with a friend
Jack Elam: From villain to comedy relief
Peter Fonda: His gamble paid off.
Beverly Garland: A monster magnet
Jackie Gleason: His stunt topped them all
George Gobel: Spoke softly, that was his schtick
Merv Griffin: Easy to underrate him.
Andy Griffith: Not so easy-going
Sue Ane Langdon: The forgotten Alice
Jack Lord: A perfectionist
Joanna Moore: Oh, what might have been.
 
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