From Show Biz to Sunday School
By Sharon Leann Wyatt aka Sharon Leigh
The Advantage And Disadvantage Of Long Lunch Breaks (Part Three)
The Queen Annie Cottage….Part One
Sometimes we had to wear them all day, and in doing so would completely forget that they were on our feet.
This occasion was no exception, and given the fact that it was Christmas Eve made getting home urgent. My car was parked in the lot across the street, but I had to walk up to the corner to cross at the signal. I struggled along in my evening outfit and hat, never once looking down. In front of any studio people drive by and have to look at everyone just hoping to catch a glimpse of somebody. Well I did have a few snickers as the hopefuls passed by, but I kept my nose in the air and headed for my mother’s falcon. I had to stop by the market on my way home to pick up some last minute items for Christmas dinner. I grabbed these items and even a beautiful poinsettia and went to the long line at the checkout stand. While waiting my turn to pay for the armload of goods I happened to look down, much to my horror I was still wearing my muffle booties. I buried my face in the poinsettia turning as red as the beautiful big flowers that I was so glad I was purchasing. All I could think as I felt every eyes on my feet is, what a fashion statement! I wanted to laugh, and did, which only added to the total look of the screwy-lady-in-the-weird-shoes shaking all over!
THE QUEEN ANNIE COTTAGE AND DENNIS WEAVER
The early morning was cold and overcast, a gray haze drifted about in a fog like ballet. Were we going to be able to shoot or not? The assistant director informed us that we would go over to the location site and see what the weather had in store for us at the Los Angeles Arboretum, also known as the Lucky Baldwin estate. The locale of this very impressive garden of the once notorious gambler was in Arcadia, California. Just across the street from Santa Anita racetrack. The weather had not changed to more favorable conditions in the 20 or so mile trip from Universal studios, as the limo pulled into the special driveway. This gate gives access to only those such as we who were from a studio, ready to use their many facilities that have played host to more than one production.
For this particular show, we would be using the Queen Anne Cottage that really gained fame when years later it was used in the Fantasy Island TV series. It seemed to me foggier, and even eerier as the limo wound around through the 127 acres en route to the red and white charmer; that was in this case to be in Brazil. I was to be a maid in this show, and the only extra. There were the stand-in for Ginger Roger, Carol Lawrence, and Dannelly Rhodes, but among the players on this set there was only myself, and an old character actor named Abraham Sofair.
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