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Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 10/3/2004 at 10:09:29 PM ET
Hope I'm not being an obnoxious name-dropper, but I once met Helen Hayes. It was in the eighties, and the library where I worked at the time had just received the papers of Ben Hecht as a gift from his widow, Rose. Hecht had been writing partners and best friends with Hayes's late husband Charles MacArthur (they co-wrote The Front Page). In fact, Hecht won the first Oscar given for screenwriting, and that's the only Academy Award statuette I've ever held in my hands. Anyway, Helen Hayes came through on a personal tour with the library president and some of the archivists and curators, and I was able to be introduced. She was just as you would expect: tiny and ancient but extremely charming and vibrant and with perfect manners. It was a total thrill. Not too long afterwards, Katharine Hepburn called to answer some questions about the donated papers, and although I didn't talk to her, a co-worker did, and he mentioned what a shock it was to pick up the phone and hear "Hello, Kate Hepburn speaking," in that inimitable voice. Good memories.
|  SingOutAnnie
Registered User
Registered:
8/23/2003
From:
Bradenton/Sarasota, FLA | posted: 10/4/2004 at 9:58:04 AM ET
When I saw Helen Hayes I was in college in the '70s. The university has a great school of theater (Jane Alexander and Olympia Dukakis have been recent visiting faculty; Alexander holds a faculty chair there -- but I digress). Anyway, back then, the school was premiering a recently discovered play of Charles MacArthur.
I had been working late in the arts/theater building and stopped to watch all these sorority girls oohing and ahhing and cheering over the celebs arriving for the play -- James MacArthur, remember Dan-O from Hawaii 5-0, and Hayes' son -- was there. I didn't know who all was coming that night, but like I said, it was fun to watch. But I was also being 21 and blase' about it all.
Then, in the last car to arrive at the curb, out came Helen Hayes, wearing a long skirt in the MacArthur tartan. "oh, my god, that's Helen Hayes!!" I went nuts. I may have knocked down a few sorority girls. I went back to my dorm to get my camera, and waited in the lobby until the play was over to get pictures of Miss Helen Hayes (I still have the pix too).
Hayes was the first living legend I'd seen up close. Julie Andrews, oh, my, Oh, my heavens. She is one that I grew up on -- Mary Poppins and SoundofMusic. Oh, my gosh, my stomach tightens just thinking of the possibility of ever meeting her. Even at my age, I would be soooo flummoxed to meet her. And would act a total moron.
Hepburn -- Forget it. If she had ever spoken to me, I would have fainted dead away. Missed the whole thing. No way.
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