Dark Shadows Stars to appear at October Hollywood Collectors Show

[Darren Gross]

I remember how confused and slightly crestfallen Lara Parker looked when I asked for a non-signed NODS pic from her table many years ago, when I was trying to acculumulate every photographic image from the film that exists. She sells a shot from the deleted poolhouse scene which is fairly hard to come by as an original, so it was a must.

"After waiting in line all this time, you don't want a signature??...Okay...."

[jennifer]

I never have  understood that autograph thing.....have I Midnite?  <lghy>

LOL, nope, she just doesn't get it.  <sigh>

jennifer, can you take a later train? 

yeah we could leave around 6-7pm  we haven't decided to drive
or take the train yet
i'm with you rainey i just could care less about autographs we used to go get red sox players
in the old days for free and god knows what i did with them LOL

[BuzzH]

That depends a great deal on the actor. Some television/film actors refuse to sign anything other than the playbill or items related to the specific show they are performing in at the time. Loretta Swit, for example, absolutely refused to sign anything related to M*A*S*H when she was appearing in the Vagina Monologues off-Broadway several years ago.

I can understand their position, to a point.  Actors, including our own DS stars, don't want to dwell on something they did YEARS ago, but want to be appreciated for what they are currently doing.  This is one of the reasons that Jonathan started doing his readings at Fests, he got bored answering the SAME old questions year after year.  They want to move on just like everyone else does.  Now, that said, if the fan had a Playbill of The Vagina Monologues AND a picture of her as Hot Lips, I don't see why she'd refuse to sign both since she was appreciated by the fan in both projects.  Just my two Euros!  

[Nancy]

If I were an actor in that position, I would have signed whatever the fan asked me to as I would have assumed he/she came to see me in the role.  I would not sign it if I suspected the fan had not gone to see the show I did just a half hour before.

Jonathan had many fans come backstage after a performance of one of his one man shows and Arsenic and Old Lace and freely admit they did not see the one man show or the play. They just came backstage forthe autograph.  He still signed what was asked of him but he was less than thrilled the fan had no interest in seeing his new work.

Nancy

I can understand their position, to a point.  Actors, including our own DS stars, don't want to dwell on something they did YEARS ago, but want to be appreciated for what they are currently doing.  This is one of the reasons that Jonathan started doing his readings at Fests, he got bored answering the SAME old questions year after year.  They want to move on just like everyone else does.  Now, that said, if the fan had a Playbill of The Vagina Monologues AND a picture of her as Hot Lips, I don't see why she'd refuse to sign both since she was appreciated by the fan in both projects.  Just my two Euros!   

[CyrusL]

Jonathan had many fans come backstage after a performance of one of his one man shows and Arsenic and Old Lace and freely admit they did not see the one man show or the play. They just came backstage forthe autograph.  He still signed what was asked of him but he was less than thrilled the fan had no interest in seeing his new work.

I have such a regret about missing that show, but I wasn't long out of college and funds were tighter then. Especially as since then I've met Larry Storch and Marion Ross who both spoke highly of the production.

Michael  :-

[Nancy]

I'm sorry too!  I have been in that position myself not being able to see shows because of money.

I think what galls me about the story I related above is that the fans who came backstage to get an autograph without seeing the show don't seem to get that the actor they like so much is only able to make a living with paying customers coming to the theater.

Nancy

I have such a regret about missing that show, but I wasn't long out of college and funds were tighter then. Especially as since then I've met Larry Storch and Marion Ross who both spoke highly of the production.

[BuzzH]

I have such a regret about missing that show, but I wasn't long out of college and funds were tighter then. Especially as since then I've met Larry Storch and Marion Ross who both spoke highly of the production.

Me too, and it played for weeks at the Kennedy Center in Washington.  I'd see the banner on the building for it driving to/from work too, but at that point was too star struck to go see him.  Can you imagine?  Nowadays that wouldn't stop me at all and in fact didn't stop me in 1990 when I went to my first Fest at the World Trade Center. 

[Bob_the_Bartender]

My most profound regret as a lifelong Dark Shadows fan, is that (as a young fellow) I never sojurned over to the Big Apple to try and get the autographs of the late, lamented Anita "Bathia Mapes" Bolster and Daniel "The Eagle Hill Cemetery Caretaker" Keyes. 

(Oh, well, maybe I will  someday be fortunate/blessed enough, to get Mr. Bob O'Connell's autograph, at an AARP convention, no doubt!)! 

[BuzzH]

My most profound regret as a lifelong Dark Shadows fan, is that (as a young fellow) I never sojurned over to the Big Apple to try and get the autographs of the late, lamented Anita "Bathia Mapes" Bolster and Daniel "The Eagle Hill Cemetery Caretaker" Keyes. 

I'm very glad that I was able to get Tim Gordon's autograph at I *think* my first Fest, circa 1990, but lament that I wasn't bright enough to get in line IMMEDIATELY when Joan Bennet hit the stage as she only signed for about an hour.  Karlenfan did get up and got it, lucky her.  I also regret not getting to meet Clarice Blackburn and get her autograph.  Mrs. Johnson is tied with Buzz as my favorite supporting DS character.

(Oh, well, maybe I will  someday be fortunate/blessed enough, to get Mr. Bob O'Connell's autograph, at an AARP convention, no doubt!)! 

I'm happy to say that I was able to get Michael Hadge's, aka Buzz, autograph!  Actually, Karlenfan got it for me, but hey, I got it!   

[CastleBee]

I never have  understood that autograph thing.....

I always thought it was just the polite way you got a chance to come face to face and say hello to one of your favorite actors.  

[jennifer]

I never have  understood that autograph thing.....

I always thought it was just the polite way you got a chance to come face to face and say hello to one of your favorite actors.  

good point CastleBee 

[Ronny G]

Here's a link to Todd's Autograph Arena. I think you guys will enjoy this. He writes a nice column about his trips to the Autograph shows and his encounters with celebrities, and he doesn't hold back. Scroll down to the 7/10/02 journal entry for  Loretta Swit's incident.

http://www.toddsautographarena.com/wnnewc.html

[Midnite]

The blogger is entitled to his opinion of the experience, but Loretta Swit's behavior at an appearance that was non-DS related is off topic for these boards.  But since her name has come up in the discussion of actors who charge for autographs, I'll add that I think her well-known history of donating the proceeds raised from signing MASH items to animal rights activities sets her apart from actors who seek only personal profit.

BTW, a post in the topic was edited per the Forum Guidelines, specifically #7, that refers to the posting of gossip and libel.  The poster is welcome to send me a PM if there are any questions about it.

[Josette]

I never have  understood that autograph thing.....

I always thought it was just the polite way you got a chance to come face to face and say hello to one of your favorite actors.  

If it's a case where one has a chance to meet and perhaps talk with the star, then I can understand it, as it provides the means to have that meeting and leaves one with a memento to remember it.  But I always wonder what it means to most people getting autographs - I'm thinking particularly of thngs like tennis tournaments.  After the match people hold out their programs or whatever and the players rapidly scribble (probably just their initials, they go so fast) on as many as they can.  They don't even see the fans, just write their names on as many as possible.  What possible meaning could that have for the fan?  It's beyond me.

In the instances where one can actually meet the person, it would seem that the meeting would be the great part, the autograph just incidental.  So, I too, don't understand the autograph thing!

[BuzzH]

So, I too, don't understand the autograph thing!

I have to admit, I don't get the autograph thing either, yet I have many autographs!  But I don't know why I got them, they have no real value as I never plan on selling them on ebay etc...I guess it's like Josette said, it's a way to MEET and TALK TO a celeb, and the autograph is secondary.    I guess it's more of a 'sentimental' thing.  Now, it IS nice when the star writes a little note along w/their name.  The actor who played the captain on Emergency! did that w/his autograph and it was nice.