Funny celebrity story; Author Ben Bryant and John Cassavetes


Funny celebrity story

excerpted from Three Stages, Chapter 4: An Innocent on the Boards: California & Texas 1956–’59.

Having had one professional job the year before in the LA Civic Light Opera production of South Pacific I was back at Whittier College one semester from graduating.

“Herschel Daugherty, a Whittier graduate and a prominent director of TV dramas, was a convocation speaker one week that fall [1958]. After his talk I introduced myself as an Equity member and someone almost finished with College. He gave me his card and told me to call him once I was out of school. When January rolled around and classes were finished I did so. Much to my surprise and delight he was very gracious, remembered me and asked me to come and audition for a General Electric Theatre show he was directing. This was my first TV audition and I didn’t know enough to be nervous, gave a respectable reading and he hired me. Screen Actors’ Guild scale covered the cost of my initiation fee so now I was a member of Equity and S.A.G. and had a job on a popular television show.

“The show was titled Train for Tecumseh and starred John Cassavetes and Janice Rule. I had one line. We shot my scene at Union Station, I was the Information Booth guy. While the crew was setting up the shot I was standing in the booth wearing my uniform and someone came up and asked me a question about the trains. I remember the pride I felt when I told them I didn’t know because, “I’m just an actor.” I was an ACTOR!

The Author at 25

(I was a young virgin TV actor.)

“Anyhow when they were ready we did a rehearsal (in what I now know as a two-shot). John ambled up to me and muttered, “Train from Tecumseh, Tennessee?” And I, in my best Philharmonic voice answered, “Gate G at 10:40”. The sound man yelled and ripped his headphones off and everyone laughed. Embarrassed doesn’t even come close. I was mortified! John was great. He said something like “First movie job? Been doin’ theatre, right?” He was very kind and made me feel like a real theatre guy. I apologized to the sound man and we shot the scene with no more laughs. I always loved John Cassavetes for that and later on was very gentle when directing young actors.”

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