Stuff That I Have Noticed #52: Yogi Berra and Kurt Vonnegut

In retrospect, a thing which I possess in abundance, the ruling principles of my life seem to have been derived from two philosophies which could hardly have had more different origins. One is from from a major league baseball player and the other from a major league writer of fiction.

This concept did not occur to me until the autumn of my years well after the publishing of a three volume memoir. (No one is more self-absorbed than a person who writes an autobiography and I plead Guilty.) The actual recording of one’s memories – I began the first book at 76 – clarifies and solidifies them and I see that exercise as both a form of self-therapy and an opportunity to possibly enlighten and amuse.

Many, if not most, young folks have a life plan; a series of goals in both career and finances. In my late teens I had one too, I was going to be a football coach and a church musical director. Those of you who actually know me might find the second of those hilarious but people do change. Entering college my major was physical education and my minor was music, a rather unique combination.

Things went as planned. I played football and the financial grant from that sport helped pay for my tuition. Thank you Coach George Allen. (Yes that, not yet famous, George Allen.) I was the first freshman soloist in the choir and the first diver on the swim team. I did all the usual college stuff except the beer, I was still a “good christian” for the first couple of years.

Then the summer after my junior year I ran into an old Hollywood High acquaintance who had gone into show-biz and he told me about the L A Civic Light Opera auditions for their production of South Pacific starring Mary Martin and suggested that I go. So I took a day off and went. Very very long story short, they hired me.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it. – Yogi Berra

That was my first big fork in the road and I took it. My life plan went up in smoke. So much for coaching football. I was now a professional Equity Card carrying actor!

From that day forward I followed Yogi’s advice faithfully. After finishing college and a brief required stint in the USAF followed by a couple of odd jobs while I got back into the show-biz swing I was all into my new profession.

My first TV job in 1960, a one day, one line role on General Electric Theatre got me into Screen Actors’ Guild and a three day role on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, helped secure an agent. I was off and running. From that year onward I never had a “day” job until I made another Yogi inspired choice, relocation to New York where Broadway was located.

Seven years after that event I began to tire of life as a performer and when the opportunity arose I moved into film production work. (Another Yogi move.) It was only then that I briefly drove an NYC taxi while I was getting established.

Once I began finding more or less steady clients as a line producer was when the second of the philosophies, the one by the fiction writer came into effect.

Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.

– Kurt Vonnegut

In the film making business peculiar travel suggestions are not uncommon.

One example comes to mind: A few years after I became a DGA Assistant Director I was at a friend’s apartment (a music producer) and my wife called. She gave me a phone number in Louisiana and said they were looking for an AD. I called and it was a Los Angeles company on location. They had fired their AD, called a NY company who recommended me. If I was available, which I was, I should immediately pack for three days, go to LaGuardia where I would find a ticket to New Orleans. At the Hertz counter a car would be waiting with directions to the location. I should put the car on my credit card and they’d give me a check for the cost. I said, “Okay, see you soon.” My friend asked if I was nuts – put the car on my card? I didn’t even know these people!! I said it’d be cool and it was. Great gig, got a new west coast client got reimbursed and paid.

By the early 1990s as movie and commercial production were slowing in The City an acquaintance of my wife came to me with a proposal which, while not exactly a travel suggestion was a major divergence from what I had been doing for a living. He was a huckster and an asshole but he did have a good idea. Without going into the nitty-gritty of the project this lead to my becoming a video shooter and editor, what I still do to this day.

This final example actually was a peculiar travel suggestion.

An old friend invited me to lunch. I hadn’t seen Ellie for several years and I was surprised but happily accepted the invite. It turned out that she had been producing an eight day training seminar for Cabaret performers at the Eugene O’Neil Theatre Center in Connecticut for several years and had fired (or otherwise lost) their video guy. She needed someone to shoot six hours of classes and an evening performance plus an hour Cabaret show for eight days. I began seeing dollar signs dancing in my brain. Hmmm, seventy-two hours at $125 an hour! Oh Boy!!

Then she said she’d pay me the same fee as the five pianist/coaches, three of which I knew and they didn’t work cheap. Good. Then she said the fee was $1,500 for the entire gig. Harrumph! I said I’d have to think it over and she gave me twenty-four hours since she needed to get it handled asap.

That night I recalled the Vonnegut quote and came up with some questions and a proposal.

1) Could I sell tapes of the classes and shows to the participants? (Yes)
2) Would she pay rental on my cameras, video deck etc.? (Yes)

I was in.

This turned out to be one of the most lucrative gigs I’d had since I started shooting video! I sold dozens of tapes and got a lot of new clients for shooting shows and editing reels, some of whom are still working with me to this day, twenty-six years later.

So thank you Yogi and Kurt. Your advice has provided me with inspiration and opportunity.