They made a bet with each other that he would approach them-Kalani saying it would be before dessert and Ginger saying it would be after dessert. They chose, of course, a very stylish but discreet restaurant, and settled into their chairs and wine, happy to see one another and catch up.īut all through dinner, they were very aware of a man, dining with his wife, across the dining room, who kept staring at them. It was one of those times when she was in New York that they met for dinner. Sometimes, Kalani was in Los Angeles and sometimes Ginger was in New York. She could have been a bag lady and he would have liked her for those qualities. I think he found her to be interesting and funny and a great conversationalist. I am certain that Kalani was not “star struck” by this aging actress. She and Kalani were “pals.” They each admired one another and they each knew the difficulties of being in the public eye. She was headed there before returning to Hollywood and was clearly looking forward to her “peaceful place.” We discussed her ranch in Shady Cove - down on the Rogue River, a place she loved very much. She was charming, and I am sure she was tired, but she adored Kalani and put on a very brave face for us. What I remember the most was her luggage, piled up and ready to be repacked for her departure the next day. A tray of tea and cakes had been delivered. In her suite, she appeared in a dressing gown with actual Maribou trim. Even in her late ‘60s, she was clear, still, the Star of the Show. Kalani not only got us the best seats in the house, he arranged for us to meet her following the show in her suite at the Marriott Hotel. I got to meet her when she came to Portland, Oregon to appear in a state show at the Portland Auditorium in the late ‘70s. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” Not only could she dancer, she could sing. Perhaps the quote from Ann Richards, Governor of Texas, will ring a bell? “After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She danced with Fred Astaire in a number of movies during the ‘30s. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress as Kitty Foyle in 1987. When she died in 2014, she died as Ginger Rogers, a Real Like, Really Tully Movie Star. She was born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911. But, sadly, with the passing of time, her fame has diminished. Persons “of a certain age” will know that name instantly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |