Several times a year, a group to which I belong called the Pacific Pioneers Broadcasters honors a famous show business figure with a luncheon that is part roast, part tribute. (I had the sirloin of beef, which was part roast, part Reebok.) Today, the famous show business figure was impressionist and actor Frank Gorshin, and he was saluted by a dais that included Hal Kanter, Adam West, Edie Adams, Julie Newmar, Paul Picerni, Jimmy Van Patten and Chuck McCann. There were some wonderful anecdotes about Gorshin and an awful lot of affection. Several speakers goaded Gorshin to give up smoking, and he seemed genuinely touched when the audience applauded the idea.
West praised the man who played the Riddler for challenging him to do better work on Batman. Ms. Adams spoke about working with Frank on The Kopycats. McCann described being in the room when Gorshin got his first TV audition. And I'm still not sure what Ms. Newmar said but who cares? She's Julie Newmar.
As usual for a P.P.B. luncheon, the place was filled with fascinating show biz veterans. Saw the lovely June Foray, who is still doing so much voice work that she hasn't finished her autobiography. Chatted with Eddie Carroll, whose Jack Benny Tribute Show is an uncanny and very entertaining impression. Eddie is also the current voice of Jiminy Cricket for the Disney people.
Sat next to Jim MacGeorge, a very funny comic actor who has usually been the guy playing Laurel when Chuck McCann plays Hardy. Jim was the voice of Beany, Cap'n Huffenpuff and many other characters on the old Beany and Cecil cartoons, and has been heard on many, many other shows since. It's so odd to see a guy telling stories about Stan Laurel and, without quite realizing he's doing it, lapse into the impression, delivering Stan quotes as Stan. If I'd been wearing a tie, I'd have started twiddling it and doing slow burns to an unseen camera.
And there were a lot of other neat folks present: Walker Edmiston, Tom Kennedy, Jack Narz, a great comedy writer pal of mine named Paul Pumpian, dialect specialist Robert Easton, Ed Rothhaar (who hosts I Remember Television for PBS), Fred "Mr. Game Show" Wostbrock, and a whole bunch of others whose names escape me at the moment. My friend Earl Kress tagged along and we had a great time. Actually, Earl had a better time than I did. He didn't order the sirloin of beef.