Central
Dispatch
THE
Volume
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The 40th anniversary is soon approaching
for our favorite TV show,
What we, (our friend, Annette & I) would like to know is how many of you - the fans - are serious enough to want to do this. We will need 50 OR MORE SERIOUSLY committed fans to let us know so we can arrange this event for them.
While the actual anniversary is Sept, 28th, we were thinking that October 18th thru the 26th, 2008 would be a good time as it’s during the low tourist season (lower hotel costs) and not so hot and before the rainy season.
Some of the suggested events could be:
1. Visiting the Illikai penthouse like it was done in 1996
2. A catered dinner at the
3. A tour of the Iolani Palace
4. Placing leis on the Jack Lord bust
5. Placing leis in the water where Jack and Marie Lord’s and Zulu’s ashes were scattered
6. Placing leis on the grave of Kam Fong
7. Also suggested is viewing the hard to find episode ‘So Bored She Hung Herself’
Some other activities suggested are:
1. Tour of the island where H50
scenes were filmed - Byodo-In
2. Hang glider rides at Dillingham
for those with steel nerves (
3. Picnic on the beach for those whose nerves aren’t strong for hang gliding
4.
If you have any other suggestions on activities, please let us know. We are open to any ideas.
Travel arrangements were also talked about, but we
decided the best way is for each traveler to arrange their own flights although
it would be great if ALL of us could get on the same plane going over the
Hotel arrangements ideas suggested were at either the Queen Kapiolani and the
Ocean Resorts Hotel. There are on the quieter side of
We do have several celebrities who have expressed an interest in this 40th anniversary event. Those are: Doug Mossman, Jimmy Borges, Dennis Chun (Kam Fong’s son), Bill Bigelow (who was in 14 H50 eps), Emme who said she’s be willing to share with attendees, some classic Five-0 out-takes she has. Jim MacArthur gave us ‘a maybe’ response. Rose Freeman was contacted also but we’re unsure if she’d be interested as she gave ‘no comment’ to the idea.
By the way, Doug Mossman is highly interested in getting a street named after Jack Lord that would be tied in with the event. What it would take to do that is still being looked into at this time.
So with all this said, here is what we need from you, the fans.
1. Let us know if you are SERIOUS about attending
2. What
would you like to do and see in
Hotel arrangements:
1. First of all remember that if we get enough people booking in the same hotel(s) we ‘might’ be able to get an even lower hotel rate AND a free conference room where we can meet.
2. Do you have a preference?
3. Naturally, how much are you willing to pay for a hotel room?
So…if you are SERIOUSLY interested and are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY going to plan to be there please let us know. Like I said, we need about 50 people who are SERIOUS about going. The more the merrier.
Be There, Aloha
Terri Whitman & Annette Nixon
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A
By Linda Smith
One of the shows my husband and I went to was to the Hawaii Theater where Jimmy Borges, who is now 72, was going to perform. As I went to will call window to pick up our tickets, my husband said, "Look up!"
There above the window were the words in gold -
‘Marquee donated in memory of Jack Lord.’ Yes! It was the one Marie Lord had
paid in memory of her husband. Naturally, I had to take pictures of it.
Soon my husband pointed and said, "Honey, there is Jimmy." We both waved to him. That is when Vicki, Jimmy’s wife, motioned to Jimmy. They both came over to the door letting us in, leaving the crowd behind.
Vicki said she recognized us from the picture I had sent them nine months ago. Jimmy grabbed one of the workers and said, "Take our picture," so all four of us have a picture together. We visited for at least 20 minutes. What a thrill!! They were so fun and kind.
Naturally, we talked about Jack and here is what he had to say.
“When we went out to dinner, Jack was a really funny guy. Yes, at work he was tough and expected people to be professional. When they were not, Jack would get after them. But Jack new better than to do that to me because I was an entertainer first. Jack asked me to come be on the show. He knew I would just walk off the set if he treated me like that. Jack respected me and I respected him. We got along great.
“Marie was the boss at home. Jack sometimes did not know how to match his clothes properly. He would come out in black pants with navy blue socks and Marie would ask him to put black socks on saying, ‘Jack you look great but you'd look even better with black socks and this tie.’ Jack would do anything she asked the minute she asked.
“Jack was a honey do husband and very attendant to Marie. She was a physically beautiful woman and very kind. They were very close as a couple.”
I asked if Marie ever came to the set and helped Jack with office items and he said “No.”
Jimmy and Vicki asked us to meet them at the side of the building after the show where the singers signed your program. When we got outside, Jimmy motioned me over and took the Maile leaf lei from around his neck placing it around mine. He gave me a hug and kissed me on both cheeks. We talked for a few more minutes before he had to excuse himself so he could sign photos and such as the other customers left. While he did this, we visited with Vicki for a while longer before we said our goodbyes. What a fabulous night. Jimmy did two songs and was so professional and he sounded so great.
My husband and I then met with Glenn Cannon at the
“Yes, Jack was very tough on the set. He wanted all
skilled people to perform their craft professionally at all times. He felt the
pressure of carrying the show very heavily. The professional actors they
brought in from
“Jack wanted the local people, like the police, to act in the show. He felt it would help give the show a more real feel to it and sometimes he would forget these people were not trained actors and would get after them when he should not have.
“Sometimes I would see Jack at the store and he'd always have a little bit of makeup on because he wanted to look his best in public.”
When I asked Glenn if he knew why Jack always wore a plantation hat, he laughed, pointed to the crown of his own head and said, “To cover his thinning spot on the top of his head. He wore a hair piece on the show.”
Needless to say I was stunned and asked Glenn, "How do you know he wore a hair piece?"
Glenn smiled and replied, “Because my chair in the makeup trailer was right next to Jack and I would watch them put it on.”
"Geez, my dad wore a toupee but I could never tell if Jack had one on or not," I mentioned.
“That's because your dad’s didn't cost $30,000 to $40,000 like Jack’s did,” Glenn replied.
When my hubby reminded me that it had been 30 minutes and we had better get going, Glenn asked, “If you have the time, can you walk around the campus with me?" Of course we said YES!!!
Glenn, who is 74, is a professor at the Kennedy
Theater on campus where he teaches acting and directing. He also directs the
plays on campus. It was during our tour that Glenn told me he felt that one of
Jack's greatest performances was in God's Little
Glenn told me Jack's habits of knocking on the desk and snapping his fingers were not part of the script, but a habit Jack had. He said they got double pay after a 40 hour work week which is why Jack tried so hard to be firm and get things right on the ‘first take.’
Glenn informed me that Jack and Marie were ‘extremely’ close and that Jack did not socialize with the cast outside of work. He also mentioned how Jack preferred to stay with his wife and closest friends.
I mentioned to Glenn that it seemed he was reading his lines in Season 11 ‘Stringer’ when he is asking his girlfriend where to find Stringer. It also appeared to me that he was reading on the balcony when he tells the story of his dad being killed and his burial. Glenn replied he never seen Jack read his lines when he was with him, but he did see other actors reading their lines. Unfortunately, Glenn would not name them. Glenn also mentioned that as far as he could see, both Jack and James got along great.
My husband and I also went to King's Village to get a
picture of Jack's handprints and his star. I just about cried when I could not
find it. I just knew it had to be there because I had seen the newspaper
article with him kneeling sell at the auction. That is when I asked to speak
with the oldest employee and they found one for me. He told me that the cement
was too soft and after Jack did it, it sort of melted back together and then
when they went to lift it, it cracked in half. He said they asked Jack to come
down and do another one and he refused. They even offered to bring the cement
to his apartment and he still refused. I asked him if I could quote this story
in the Newsletter and he said "I'll let you talk to the owner."
So I got to met with Gene Gelfo, the President of King's Village. He was so kind. He
confirmed the exact story so there is no star or handprint of Jack there. But I
did get a picture of Doug Mossman's star. He was so sweet to interview with me
and tell me the story behind the "Circle of Stars" and why Jack isn't
there. He said he even got to meet Jack a few times, you see - he is a fan too.
Gene also has a huge poster of Jack selling for $60 in his shop which he let me take a picture of. He also bought Jack's binoculars and photo from the auction and has them in the store locked up.
Another part of my trip was one to Jack’s apartment. I was able to get some pictures of the front of Jack's apartment and his pool. I happen to notice that through a side window were two pictures of Jack and a huge picture with a table under it that I could see thru the window. I begged a security guard to take a picture of his apartment door but he wouldn't do it.
The trip to the Honolulu Police Department museum was
fantastic. Officer Croom, the curator of the museum
spoiled me to pieces. The Five-0 display was wonderful. He opened the locked
case so I could get a picture without the light reflection. He said I was such
a great fan that he led me to another unmarked case where he pulled out a
little box and in it was Jack's personal used badge, not just a prop badge like
the ones in Jack's drawer they are selling on ebay.
He told me that Jack had personally given it to Chief of Police, Daniel S. C. Lui* who was in charge of the department at the time of
filming of the show and the chief donated it to the museum. He took it out of
the case, let me hold it and take a picture of it. I could hardly breathe!!
When he saw my excitement at that experience, he took me to another unmarked case and showed me a private collection by a name he would not reveal to me that had all the patches and badges the officers used on the show. He said they used real officers but all items on their shirts were fake. He allowed me to take photos of those as well.
He also has a priceless quilt of Five-0 that he has
not got hanging up yet. But promised me he would send me an email of it later –
which he did. He was so amazing and also gave me permission to tell the club
how he opened all the cases up for me to photo, he was a doll!!! Before I left
he gave me two police badge pins for my shirt. What a great experience!!
I also had a talk with Reyn
Spooner (pronounced Rin). They told me Jack stayed
down by Macy's when he walked because it was not as crowded as the rest of the
mall. That is why they choose to put the bust by Macy's. The original store is
still in
Having bought copies of Jack’s checks, I was interested to locate the bank Jack used and was surprised to find that it was about 100 ft. from Jack's bust.
*See
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A word from our sponsors:
2008
The 2008 Calendars will be ready for
mailing by November 1, 2007. Once again, we have two to chose
from.
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Anyone interested in copies of
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Ron Evans, owner of e/p Partners, www.networksplus.net/caseyguy/epPartners.htm,
also offer VCR tapes of
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Karen Rhodes, author of Booking
Hard copies of the newsletter are available.
The
Submissions, which are always welcomed, to the newsletter can be emailed to me at tw1151@comcast.net. Deadlines are one month before each issue. You can find the Central Dispatch on Terri’s Jack Lord Connection located at www.thejacklordconnection.com.
See you in April, 2008
Be There! Aloha!