That Girl

I have worked for many different firms and industries over the years. My first "real" job was as a secretary, a few waitress jobs in between that, and I presently work as a word processor in a law firm. Not my plan. In case you've never heard it, there is a Yiddish proverb, "Man plans, God laughs".

I wanted to be an actress. I can't remember ever wanting to be anything else from my first play in grammar school. I went to secretarial school only because I wanted to be an actress and would work secretarial temp jobs in between acting jobs. I got that idea from watching "That Girl".

"That Girl" was on television in the late 60s and early 70s, starring Marlo Thomas. She played Ann Marie, an aspiring actress who moved from Brewster, upstate New York, to Manhattan. She got all kinds of temp jobs while she was trying to get an acting job. I so wanted to be That Girl! The aspiring actress, my very own beautiful apartment in the city, her wardrobe, and I didn't know what being on Broadway meant then, but I wanted Ann Marie's life.

During secretarial school there was an open audition on Broadway for Grease. Thousands of people there but it was so much fun meeting people who wanted the same thing I did. And it was at the Minskoff Theatre. The theatre opened their first show with Irene, starring Debbie Reynolds, who is my favorite movie star. There I was on the same stage she sang and danced on. I was nervous but some people at the audition were really bad, just like you see on American Idol and I knew I wasn't that bad, and I knew my personality would add a little boost to my singing voice. I got a natural high performing, I was always a little nervous but loving it at the same time. When it was my turn to sing, I got to sing a little longer than some and they asked me to turn around, take off my glasses so they could see my face better and then said thank you and that was it. I never heard from them. But I was floating on air that day and to this day, I'm so proud of myself for trying. I love that I experienced it. I was being "That Girl".

When I completed secretarial school, I asked the job placement person at school to only send me out on interviews with companies that had something to do with movies or television. She told me it didn't make any difference what industry I worked in, I would be a secretary and that would be the same no matter where I worked. I wouldn't listen, I could have got a job at a big financial firm on Wall Street, or a law firm, but I wanted to be part of the arts, even if it was just as a secretary.

My first and only interview from the school was at RKO General, located on 40th Street and Broadway. I didn't know anything about RKO when I went on the interview. I just knew it had something to do with movies and I was going to take whatever job they offered me. The job, unfortunately, was working in the legal department for the lawyer handling legal matters for the bottling division.

During my interview I learned a few things about RKO that made me really want the job. They didn't make movies anymore but owned TV and Radio stations all over the United States. The TV station in NY was Channel 9. Romper Room and The Joe Franklin Show was pretty much all I knew about Channel 9. Joe Franklin, by the way, as I have recently learned via Wikipedia, was known to "boast of his discoveries", meaning his discovery famous people. I remember running into him many times and he would always ask me if I knew who he was, did I know who he knew, what he had done. Sweet man. I never told him, but no, I did not know who he was. And again per Wikipedia, "... he was even parodied by Billy Crystal during the 1984-1985 season of "Saturday Night Live". I will have to find that on YouTube.

I also learned during my interview that after six months of employment, I would be eligible to apply for jobs that were posted for employees first before looking outside the company. My plan was too get out of the legal department and somehow work in radio or television.

The radio stations in the NY office were WOR-AM and the FM station at the time was called 99X, I have no idea what it is called these days. In 1978, Jay Thomas was a top DJ on the FM station and I remember meeting him within my first few days of working there. He left not long after that and now you see him on television and movies. You might remember him from the TV show "Cheers"? He played Carla's second husband, the hockey player. Eddie LaBec?

From my first day I was beyond excited, not only was I living one little part of Ann Marie's life, I was seeing movies stars all the time. I didn't ask for autographs or talk to any of them, well I guess by chance I did get to speak with a few, I just was in awe seeing them in person, I was part of the world I dreamed of.

I ended up loving my job at RKO and stopped thinking about being an actress. I didn't forget about it, I just was having fun. I was making money, buying beautiful clothes, shoes, lots of shoes. I went on vacations. I spent weekends "down the Jersey Shore" with my friends. I went to the Grammy Awards at Radio City Music Hall! It was February 27, 1980, there I was, way up in the balcony, watching and listening to Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond sing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers".

Sitting at my desk one day, Sir Elton John walked by, eating an ice cream cone and he kind of nodded at me, acknowledged me, human to human, too cool.

I rode the elevator with Liberace once, and we chatted for a few minutes, a nice man, again just human to human, chatting with a stranger while sharing an elevator ride. He wore a full length white fur coat, lots of jewelry and lots of make up, but he was nice and not at all full of himself.

I literally ran into both Tab Hunter and Tony Randall (on separate occasions). I happen to be a "fast walker" which must be a Jerry Seinfeldism. When it happened with Tab, I remember that I was on a mission, running down the hall after a guy named Rob who was a good friend and John A. Gambling's producer at WOR-AM Radio. I wanted Rob to get in touch with Bruce Springsteen's people to have him as a guest on "Rambling With Gambling". I had been asking in jest somewhat, but also on the slight chance...but Rob was walking away and telling me for the gazillionth time that it wasn't going to happen. I was yapping away asking why, aw come on, and doing my fast walker move and crashed right into Tab. He heard the Bruce conversation and got a big kick out me. Tony Randall actually did a little "Felix Unger" move on me when I crashed into him and brushed his lapels like I left dirt or mussed him up!

I eventually got out of the legal department and worked at the brand new RKO Radio Networks division. Again, a bit of information I learned, according to Wikipedia, "RKO Radio Networks was the first commercial radio networks to distribute programming entirely by satellite".
I did not know that! I probably typed it, as I worked in the advertising department and typed all the press releases (no computers in those days). I wasn't reading, I was also just concentrating on not making typing errors.

This brochure was my chance to get my face out there in the world. The actress still inside the secretary. I hung around after work when the crew was setting up, just watching, waiting, hoping that they would ask me to be in the picture. Finally, one of the photographers asks, can you sit at the desk and pretend like you're answering the phones? Could I do that!? What would Ann Marie say! Of course I could, yes I could do that!

I think that was my most favorite job ever. There were so many creative, smart people that were part of that company.

After RKO Radio Networks I started working for the local radio station, WOR-AM, and still was having too much fun to pursue my dream of acting. I was happy being on the sidelines. One day my boss asked me to call Kaye Ballard. If you don't remember her, or, have never heard of her, she was on a show called "The Mothers-In-Law" with Eve Arden, and lots of other television shows and movies, but I knew her from that show. I couldn't believe part of my job included calling up a famous person.



I didn't get Bruce Springsteen on Rambling With Gambling but I myself was a guest on "The Joan Hamburg Show". Joan had Gladys Knight scheduled as her guest and everyone in the office was so excited that Glayds would be at the studios, then so disappointed as Gladys got sick and couldn't do the show. Joan decided to do a show about fans and I think pretty much everyone who knows me, knows I love Bruce. Joan and I talked about Bruce for a while and then she started asking me about what life was like for a New York City girl, what did I do for fun, long before Carrie Bradshaw I might add.

Joan Hamburg also worked at CBS-TV, she did a consumer report show for them weekly. One year, for Halloween, she was doing a story on a great costume shop in the city, really cool hand-made costumes. She asked me and a few other girls if we would come and model for her. I chose a cockroach costume. I know it sounds gross, but I chose it because it was one of the only costumes without a giant head which would cover my face. I wanted to be seen! And the cockroach only had some sort of hat with tentacles coming out of it, shoes and gloves with tentacles and I added a pair of sunglasses and smiled for the camera.
We had a VCR at the time and I had my mom set it up to record. Me on TV! We should have taped all afternoon, because every time they promoted the news that night, they showed my picture, me, as a giant cockroach, smiling and waving! Classic!!! Unfortunately...and I forgive you Linda...my sister taped "March of the Wooden Soldiers" on top of my television debut.

I loved working at RKO but was lured by the big bucks downtown and decided to move on. I began learning about computers which I really loved and finally starting working temp jobs, going to acting school and even had a couple of auditions.

My "plan" changed again, and I don't think God was laughing. I think there's a reason we are where we are, when we are. For some reason I wasn't meant to be "That Girl", live that life. Mostly, I try to think of myself as George Bailey in "It's A Wonderful Life". George's plans never worked out but he had a wonderful life.