I agree!
Richard Del Belso
Date: Sun, 30 May 2010 15:27:44 -0400
From: flixs...@aol.com
Subject: Re: [MOPO] OT-- Joe B and Dennis H-- and a sad omission on the Hwd
Walk of Fame
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Stupendous story Joe, I can only hope this story gets picked nationally, well
more "nationally" than MOPO. This recalls that spectacular blog of the girl
that grew to be a young physician that stayed friends through letters with John
Hughes. While reclusive and troubled in his later years in sharing her great
story with "the world" it added a wonderful insight to a life well lived, and
kindness irrespective of other issues. So thanks for sharing
freeman
In a message dated 5/30/2010 12:02:55 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
joebom...@yahoo.com writes:
Hi from Joe.
Hope some of you won't mind on OT tale. Delete if you aren't interested.
I guess in the wake of the loss of Dennis Hopper, I should tell the story of my
"connection" again. I'm pretty sure I've told it before
In 1967, as I've told many times, I worked on the Sunset Strip at a
restaurant/pizzeria/coffee house called first, "Angelo's," then "Mama Yuro's"
and, finally, "Mother's." The place was leased to partners but was owned by
Elmer Valentine and Mario (of the Whisky)-- and I believe Steve McQueen had a
hand in it. (I also believe the esteemed Greg Douglass was a customer as well,
but we didn't know each other!)
During the early part of that summer ('67), Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda
started hanging out on our front sidewalk patio, often with Lou Adler, John and
Michelle Phillips and other music folk from across the street (offices in the
9000 Sunset building) and the Whisky a-Go-Go which was down the street on the
corner.
Dennis was already affecting the bearded, long-haired look that was to become
iconic. I didn't recognize him the first time I waited on them. During their
visit, I overheard someone calling him, "Dennis," and realized after awhile who
he was. I had always liked him (particularly in "Giant") and told him so.
Hopper liked joshing folks and he pretended he didn't know who I thought he was
and that I was mistaken. I caught on and told him he was right, that I WAS
indeed mistaken and that I really finally recognized him as Sal Mineo. This
started something.
Over the next few weeks, anytime Dennis and Company came in, I waited on them,
calling him "Sal" all the time, confusing the hell out of his friends and
amusing the hell out of Dennis.
It culminated one day when a girl who was with them was giving Dennis a hard
time. Just as she finished letting him have a verbal assault, I leaned over to
deliver something and said to her, "You ought to be nice to him. I saw him in
'Exodus' and he was damned good!" That was it! Hopper fell on the floor in
hysterics, the girl fumed and we all had a huge laugh.
Some two years later I was working in the Mineo production of "Fortune & Men's
Eyes" at the Coronet Theatre on La Cieniga Blvd, when one day the stage
manager, Len Marsal ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550348/ ), asked me if I used
to work on the Sunset Strip at this place, etc., and when I said yes, Len said,
"Goddammit, YOU'RE the one!"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Anyway, it turns out that Dennis Hopper had remembered me and when they were
putting together the team to shoot "Easy Rider," probably during 1968, he sent
Lenny (who was to be second asst. director on "Easy Rider") looking for ME on
the Strip. I was not to be found.
Needless to say, it was another case of Joe's idiotic inability to stay put.
Had I still been in L.A. (I was in MS at the time) and Lenny had found me, I
would have worked on and probably been IN "Easy Rider."
Lenny said that Dennis had said that since "that guy" from the Strip restaurant
was a southerner, it would be a good idea to have someone like me along for
"communication" purposes in those days when long-hairs like Dennis and Peter
were not particularly welcome in some places where shooting was planned.
Indeed, in those days, the ending of "Easy Rider" was certainly a possiblity in
real life.
But I was gone from the Strip----- so, no "Easy Rider" for Joe.
That incident and the fact that I was once again in Mississippi after the NYC
production of "Fortune and Men's Eyes" and was unable to be found to do a
speaking part in the movie (arghhh!).....
well, that's another thing.
Oh, well. I'm still young! I'll only be 67 this July-- two days before Mick
Jagger turns the same age (and the same day (7/23) that Dan Radcliffe-- "Harry
Potter"-- will be 21 (the little bastard ). And I ain't finished yet!!!
R.I.P, Dennis Hopper! You were the last of a unique Hollywood breed and you
will indeed be missed!!
Joe
PS-- It is fitting and proper that Dennis Hopper finally got that deserved star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--- even if it was less than three months before
his death.
Sal Mineo, nominated twice for the Oscar by age 20 and a friend of Hopper's, is
still awaiting HIS Hollywood Walk of Fame star--- almost 35 years after his
tragic murder--- mugged and stabbed by a low-life thief just below the Sunset
Strip--- where I had first met and waited on him in the same year-- 1967-- that
Hopper and Company were customers as well. However they never happened to be
at Angelo's at the same time.
Joe
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