I sit here and laugh at some of the characters that I played. I was Marlon Brando when he portrayed the Godfather, and I had cotton balls in my mouth. I had a fun time playing Julia Child, the tin man and Dorothy.
Then …I was Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. I came in the kitchen set punching raw chickens which were on strings . Do you remember when he drank a glass of raw eggs…..I did the same. I portrayed Dr Jekyll and Mr Wide. I did an opening dressed at Petula Clark lip syncing Don’t sleep in the subway darling…while exiting a set that looked like a subway.
Then there was the time I played an overweight Scarlett O’Hara sitting on the ground surrounded by large bowls of food. The background was her house Tara. Then I was Greta Garbo who wanted to be alone.
I wanted to find a clip for you but I can’t find it. I was all three Andrews Sisters lip syncing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B .
I was honored to have quite a few guests on the show. Betty White was hysterical and so was Phyllis Diller. I welcomed Billy Crystal, Bob Barker, and Debbie Reynolds. I played a waitress named Crystal and I spilled food all over Barbara Eden.
Now I would like to talk to you about one of my favorite guests. Jack Lalane. I devoted an entire show to him. Before he did the show the press asked him what he thought of me. He said “I think Richard is from a different planet.”
He and his wife Elaine and I had a friendship that lasted decades. When Mr L passed away, his wife asked if I would come to the memorial. I said of course…Yes I will be there.
They sat me next To Arnold Schwarzenegger. We said hello and I looked straight in his eyes and said. You were just on the Tonight show you made fun of my voice and the way I acted. He took a piece of paper and pen out of his suit jacket and asked me to write my number and he was going to make it up to me. I gave him the wrong number.
Behind me was Lou Ferrigno. The Incredible Hulk. He was married to a a lady named Carla. She worked at my restaurant Ruffage. When I said hello she just looked down at her lap.
My second favorite guest was … Mr Rogers I went to pick him up at his hotel. I went to the front desk and asked for him. They told me he was at the indoor swimming pool.
I sat on a chair while I watched him swim. He had goggles on and a black swim suit. He noticed I was sitting there. He said “I just have a few more laps and I will be finished.” What a kind and wonderful man.
I had many guests who were weight loss success stories and I want to tell you about one of them. I got a long letter from a man in Misssissippi named Elijah who lost a great deal of weight. I invited him on the show. My staff cared for him so much they offered him a job and he worked for me for many years….
To be continued…
Love,
Richard
