Mollie Lane

Confessions of an Autograph Hound!

Well I could have developed a passion for collecting stamps or rocks or butterflies but no.....I had to develop a penchant for collecting autographs particularly from performers that formed the basis of my memories of youth.   If you suffer from arthritis in your feet or any ailment that impairs your ability to stand for 3 days flat be forewarned this is not the hobby for you.  Nonetheless here forth is my retrospective of this year's Chiller Theatre 2010 which took place at the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany New Jersey.

For a hotel that is pet friendly the Parsippany Hilton is pretty good!  Cherry wood furniture, modern bathroom with plenty of towels, and a neat coffee pot.   For an extra $50, feel free to bring along your 4-legged ghost or goblin.  That said, my 80 pound black lab named Baby, while she enjoyed it last year, took one look at the room which was missing the comfy couch she laid on for 3 days last time and tried to run out of the room!  Locked in there while her owner went autograph hunting, Baby was definitely not happy and laid there planning her escape from prison.

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Meanwhile, back in the lobby, a line was forming that seemed to stretch to Florida with cars parked almost a half a mile away.   While there were some poised to give Freddy Kruger a run for his money, the welcoming committee from the Chiller staff kept everyone in line, literally as well as figuratively!

The Chiller Theatre Convention, as you might expect, is focused on Science fiction, horror and fantasy.  All of their celebrity guests have done some work in the past in those entertainment genres.   It's impossible to see all of them, although some have the energy to try.  Some lines take 1-2 hours or more to plow thru.   So if you are only there for friday night or one weekend day, you have to be selective, know what you want, and make decisions ahead of time.  ______________________________________________________

My first stop was to see Patty Duke.  Clearly an hour wait but well worth it to see the former star of The Patty Duke Show which ran on ABC-TV from 1963 - 1966.  Every fan it seemed was an old friend of hers and she took the time out to make everyone feel special.   I marveled at how she has managed to keep her weight down, so this writer asked her for her secret.  Unfortunately she told me that she had been plagued by a condition known as interstitial cystitis.   For those of you who may not be familiar with the condition, it produces symptoms similar to a bladder infection but tests show no infection and antibiotics don't help.  After 2 years of suffering she recently had an implant put in her bladder so that the bladder no longer sends pain signals to the brain.   Now that she has found relief she said hopefully she'll be able to eat well again.  I also asked her about any recent projects.   Patty told me she recently completed a movie for the Lifetime channel called "Unanswered Prayers" which is based on a song written by Garth Brooks.   She remarked about how she got a chance to meet Garth during the making of the film and how taken she was with him.

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After leaving Patty Duke, I was off to meet John Astin who immortalized the character of Gomez on the creepy comedy series "The Addams Family" which ran on ABC from 1964 - 1966 almost concurrently with "The Patty Duke Show".  Interestingly enought, John Astin and Patty Duke were married from 1973 - 1986 and have two sons Sean and MacKenzie.   Today John teaches drama at Johns Hopkins University where he received his degree in drama in 1952.  He was originally a mathematics major.  When I asked him if he was still teaching, he gave me a big grin and sad "absolutely - in fact I was teaching all day yesterday!"  He mentioned that he recently completed an acting project with one of the his students starring along with him.   You can tell by the tone of his response that this is a man who knows the meaning of job satisfaction.

My final stop for friday night (and it had to be as I had already been standing for 3 hours), was to meet and greet the cast of "I Dream of Jeannie" which ran on NBC from 1965 - 1970.  But when I found the room it was obvious this was going to be a test of my stamina.   The line to see the made Woodstock look like a garden party.   The security staff for Chiller was earning their salary doing crowd control and warning everyone that the fire marshals would shut the show down if we didn't follow their instructions.   At 8pm they were going to stop taking fans so folks who wanted group shots with the cast could get those done so I signed up. 

I was the LAST (yup the last) before 8pm to get in.  I asked Barbara Eden how she was holding up.   Not that I needed to.  The picture below speaks for itself.  Although now 76 years old she looks half that age.  She said she didn't feel tired and that she was enjoying every minute of meeting with her fans.