Chapter Three - Tom Hanks and the Mayor from "Jaws"

I went back to my humdrum job and was very frustrated. Other than my wife Linda and a few close friends I couldn’t even tell people about my adventure. I sure couldn’t tell anyone at work.
A few weeks later I got another call. This time I was to report to the Circle M Ranch north of Toronto. I had a few days notice with this call so I arranged to take a couple of days of vacation. The film was called ‘Mazes and Monsters’ and was based on a popular book of that time about kids becoming obsessed with a fantasy game (similar to the fad game Dungeons and Dragons).
It starred Tom Hanks fresh from his comedic television show with Peter Scolari and long before he had achieved superstardom. I was not yet aware of the hierarchy and strict protocols of who uses the craft service buffet on any movie set, and so, helped myself. I found myself elbow to elbow with Tom Hanks making himself a bagel with smoked salmon. We chatted about the current film. I knew that it was a deadly serious drama with me playing a red-suited rescue worker who has to enter an abandoned mine to try to rescue one of the young adults lost inside.
The conversation went something like this.
“Great catering.” I said
“Yes the food is just amazing. Try the Westphalian ham.” said Tom.
After a little more small talk:
“So Tom, this is a real change of direction for you.” I opined.
“Yes, well it was time for me to try something different.”
“But this is so ‘dark’. People are going to be shocked after ‘Bosom Buddies’.” I said.
“The joke of us ‘in drag’ was wearing a little thin.” said Tom.
“But comedy is great for you.” I persisted.
This was absolutely surreal in hindsight. Later I was chastised by one of the assistant directors for helping myself to the food at the Craft Services Table (a no-no for extras) and for talking to the principle actor.
Whether Tom actually listened to me, I do not know, but he went on to make several comedic box office hits like ‘Splash’, ‘The Man With One Red Shoe’, ‘The Money Pit’ and ‘Big’ to name a few. He did not have much success with serious films until many years later when he made’ Philadelphia’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Castaway’, ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Apollo 13’ and of course ‘The DaVinci Code’. I have to admit that he won a few academy awards for his dramatic acting as well and in spite of my advice.
As a ‘legend in my own mind” I will always credit that little talk with helping Tom get back to his comedic roots and on to Superstardom.

Earlier that day we had assembled at the Circle M Ranch and after wardrobe, were given directions to get to the location set. Some people were bussed. The principles were of course limo’ed to the site.
As I had a tiny little Honda Civic, I decided to drive myself. I noticed that a fellow was standing looking a little lost as I drove by the staging area and quickly realized it was the outstanding character actor Murray Hamilton perhaps best known at that time as the flashy but in-denial Mayor of Amity in the classic film, ‘Jaws’.
I stopped and offered him a ride. He hopped in and said he thought that they had forgotten him. “No problem.” I said and we quickly drove to the set a few miles away. He was grateful and gracious.
Murray was nearby when the Assistant Director was chewing me out about using the craft service table and he came over and told the AD that I was OK and that I had given him a ride when he was stranded and he should leave me alone as I was a good guy. I was startled, flattered but also a little afraid that I was about to get into a lot of trouble for embarrassing an Assistant Director. Everything worked out fine as I watched the two of them walk off chatting amiably.
I made one other reconnection on this set that would serve me well over and over many years later.
The weapons and armament specialist on the set was a fellow named John “Frenchie” Berger. I first met Frenchie when I was about 10 years old at the Circle M, when a friend of my Mom’s took me horseback riding. Frenchie was an actor and stunt man and he gave us a quick tour of the studio. On the walls were framed pictures of him with a long black wig riding a horse and falling off of it. He was portraying an Indian brave in a western that was filmed at the studio.
I remembered this fantastic excursion and mentioned it to him when we had some down time and were gathered near the enticing craft services table. My visit was so memorable that I even remembered him telling us about Zsa Zsa Gabor and her dog Pierre, on a recent set and the fuss she made about the pooch.
We developed a quick rapport and shared chewing tobacco. Frenchie was using Beechnut Shred and I was using Skoal and neither of us had tried the other’s brand. There is more about Frenchie in later chapters but I am happy to see that he is still one of the most sought after armorers on movie and television sets in Canada and that he now has his daughter working with him as a partner.