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In May of 1970 I drove with my new son, Derek and my wife, Judy in our new Pontiac LeMans from the 
old, parched desert with an unromantic name….29 PALMS. I was a young Sergeant in the USMC, returning from Vietnam and I had just received an honorable discharge from the “Stumps” …. the local handle that was given to the God forsaken Marine Corp base at 29 Palms, California. Stumps was famous for it’s 115 degree summers where we had to run physical fitness tests and people literally passed out. My commanding officer (Colonel) and my Top Sergeant had recommended that I stay in and get another meritorious promotion and become an infamous D.I. (Drill Instructor). They would stare at me…and “bless me” ….and say, as if they were bestowing knighthood on me acting like it would be a wonderful experience to duplicate their lives and become a lifer. I dared not to smile even though my heart was laughing loud and saying….” are you shittin me……. NEVER will I ever come back to the STUMPS and some dimwit yelling at me for not asking an officer if I was approved to walk past him only on his left side by asking… (by your leave Sir?) Luckily I took as many college courses as I could while in the Marines and got as much medical and dental work done before my discharge. Come to think of it…. I even took a course from my old school, the University of Wyoming while in Vietnam. (French). The Military is like the Catholic Church, with a veiled conviction of their own infallibility and hoping to disciple the needy naïve.
Being married and having a boy born at the STUMPS was ……well, challenging. We were “eventually” allowed to live on base and we thought we had died and gone to heaven in that cinder brick military duplex. We were safe amongst our own. Happy, excited, and broke. Judy was a trained XRay Technician and 29 Palms had nothing to offer her….so my poor young wife worked in a local laundry and we all used to laugh because the laundry company boasted about their name drop client and his underwear was considered the big prize. Yes, that is what happens when you are the KING. It was none other than Elvis and Elvis’ underwear from Palm Springs. Now that was big time in the Stumps.
In my case, I worked all day in the Intel offices for a Lieutenant Colonel and then at 5 pm when I got off from the Marine Corps, I would drive into the center of action…. down town (29 Palms) and work at the Texaco Gas Station till closing at 10 pm and then I would drive back to base, and work at the EM Club (enlisted men’s club) where I dived for pearls every night….which means….washing dishes in their kitchen. So between Judy working hard and my jobs we were able to pay for the things we would need for our first son Derek. As my discharge time neared, enormous decisions, obligations and responsibility would arrive and I literally had no support team to lean on. Therefore, when the rich folk from Los Angeles would stop at our Texaco Gas Station in 29 Palms on their way to the Colorado River with their tricked out boats and bikini clad girls,
I began casual and veiled hormonal conversations about what they did in the big city of Los Angeles. These groups looked like one big party! Over time I found some good guys with lots of expensive “toys “who were in construction and they said they would hire me when I got out as a laborer. I asked what does a laborer do and make and they replied, …..work your ass off digging ditches and you make about $4.50 cents an hour. I thought I had died and gone to heaven and so I told them I would love to do that and sure enough, when I landed in Los Angeles that is exactly what I did while moving from the Stumps. So leaving 29 Palms was exciting and dangerous because now I had no job, no income, and very little savings or training and had to find a place to raise our boy and enough money to pay for rent and food and go to college. I took the laborer job and any other job I could pick up. Judy was really the bread winner at this time and stepped up as she always did in her entire life. In my case filled with Marine confidence and a can do mentality, I blissfully charged forward.
In those days I had always found a solution no matter what the circumstances. If it meant that I would get up at 3 am and deliver LA Times and then go to work at 9 am till 5 pm and then work on the weekends plastering pools for landscape, no problem. I knew there was always a solution because my youthful male validation was in part work ethic and pride of such. It was during these times that one had to learn on their own that education and skill sets were key as labor is painful in so many ways, notwithstanding, the lower back. Most of my work friends were minorities and they used to think I was crazy as they wanted to make sure I realized that we had Union Rules and breaks for coffee and rest. I hated those breaks as they broke up my “momentum” and I wanted to conquer my job and then move to the next target. This reaction was typical white boy ignorance, as I did not have the ability at that young age to understand what they were saying. They were lifers…. doing Labor for the rest of their life and they did not need some young “sprinter” ruining their tireless crawling pace. They “needed” these breaks after 20 years of digging ditches! Interesting note on these co-workers….is that only time and work ethic would win their mutual respect. Just because you were nice, polite and considerate meant nothing to them……this was all about LABOR.
Long periods of hard work without giving up meant everything and only after many days and weeks of such performances were you allowed into the club of real laborers. It was one of many learning transitions for such a raw kid. Fighting was another one of their metrics in that culture. These were luckily “transitions” for me and not for life. Validation is important for people to recognize and it is as important to edit the habit of perpetuating naïve macho traditions. Unfortunately, some people are never exposed to anything else.
The young Wilcox Family moved to our apartment in Reseda and there were lots of young couples and college professors and students there. It was a fun time filled with emotion, bliss and recklessness on my part. I had decided at this point in my life that I was going to medical school and in the mean time I would study acting. So I began going to school at Pierce College on the G.I. bill. Judy got a job immediately for a hospital of course and I kept racing down the road of work hard and play hard. While going to school I got a job at night tending bar and that was and is a story in itself. What poor Judy did not realize is she married an unfinished person who looked and seemed normal but was actually very dysfunctional with layers of problems. Judy endured and I persevered. As I finished my chemistry and math classes at Pierce I applied to UCLA and CAL STATE Northridge and got into both. I went to sign up at UCLA and it was so big and the class rooms were so large it scared the hell out of me. So, I passed on UCLA and naively went to Cal State Northridge where the campus was smaller and more inviting for a small town hick faking his way through life. There is something great about confidence and ignorance mixed with passion in a youth and of course…. something very dangerous with that also.
It was during this time that I was doing my acting classes and getting lots of attention which flirted with another undeveloped part of my youth….ego. Remember, I was a hick from a small town with no real upbringing and no exposure who went off to Vietnam, came back and got married and tackled the world……with no foundation or skills but filled with a “can do attitude” . Here I was in acting classes and having a blast with the indulgent analysis of psychology and what I believed was intimate detail on how a character was defined. Imagine me with the happy go lucky confidence intrigued with my novel psychological insights in character……Hahaha. I can remember an old Acting Teacher from England named Henry Wilcoxson who said that it would be rather limiting for a college student to play an old man. I thought…bull crap……. let me play it and I will show you. Blissful ignorance!
I had no inhibitions and believed I could one day interpret really weird and arcane characters and be like a major star like James Dean, Brando and others. (a combination of raw bliss and ego still not damaged by life and labels and the bloody flag of opinions?) That blissful ego propelled me through classes and I shined in most of them. Acting in an acting class quickly reveals if you are talented or not because your peer actors do an intense critique of your scene after you make yourself vulnerable on stage. It can be raw and painful for some people and it is not fun to listen as they are bloodied with commentary while standing with naked souls on stage…. alone.
These classes reinforced my belief system and as a good basketball player begins to say….” just give me the ball”. It was fun and exciting to reveal all of these nuances which in retrospect were probably a lot of cathartic psychoanalysis taking place and I did not even realize it. Those periods were really indulgent and about ME. Luckily, I found “gardeners” in my life and ME was nurtured along the way. Everyone has a ME that needs this kind of nurturing but in my case perhaps the ME was a very thirsty sponge. Imagine 4 years on the stage or couch if you will LOL
Then my acting teacher got me an agent and all the kids in my class thought I was their hero now because none of them had an agent. This is the classic big fish in a little pond but at this time I had no idea there were any other ponds….as macro-vision was not part of my reactionary day to day life. Then I went out and got a “portfolio” where a photographer takes your photos and you get about 200 proofs of ME, and ME, and ME. Here I was 21 years of age and emotionally 15 years of age. I so wanted to enjoy all there was in life as it was so exciting and so new to me……..I mean my senses were overloaded with stimuli……studios….agents….lights, cameras, .make up rooms….actors….actresses….cool XKE Jaguars, restaurants, food and all laced with some of the most beautiful women in the world. I wondered where this carnival had been my whole life as this one does NOT shut down day or night and I am not going to simply be a spectator here. Wow….hold on. My body quivered with excitement and all my senses were running at red line RPM. Latex, lipstick, neon lights, music and percussion everywhere.
Now that I have my own pictures and my own Agent I am actually going on interviews. Can you imagine my first interview? First, I had to drive to HOLLWOOD. I mean the address for the interview would be on Sunset Boulevard (and I would think…wow…remember 77 Sunset Strip) and I would be actually driving there. Freeways, traffic, and honking horns were intimidating…. but I knew my time was coming. The traffic and noise was so exciting. Big building, hustle and bustle….and nothing but beauty, tan legs, palm trees, and exotic cars everywhere. The architecture was dramatically different from a drab home built in Wyoming. The neon lights and styles were flirting with my senses…. man this is just pure COOL and SEXY. Whiskey Go Go…the Troubadour…. Pandora’s Box…. it seemed like all of Hollywood was saying……come here little naïve boy scout because we are going to let you eat all the candy and ride all the rides. Come on lil boy…….!
H&H going strong…heart and hormones temping me to leave reality.I would drive around blocks and fight traffic in my shitty little car (1958 VW bug) which I always hoped would not break down, but, eventually I would find some place to park and then walk up to the Hollywood address for the interview and then that newbie shadow would fight for my conscious and my choice of thoughts. Oh no…not this time I would say to myself …suck it up and get lost newbie shadow.
Normally, in the Larry Wilcox rebellious fashion I was a few minutes late to start with, and I was not sure how I should have dressed for this interview and I did not know if REAL actors bring their photographs with them. I did not want to look like a geek and a first timer and show up with my pictures in my lap and everyone staring at me like…. who is this dork! I privately wished I had a big envelope to hide my photos in to provide with a veil of sorts. I quietly wished that my agent would have come with me but then that probably would have been weird. Damn…. confusing as I walked in and hoped all was ok. I quickly looked around and some of the most beautiful people in the world stared at me as I entered. They all looked like the Sultan of Sugar filled with false arrogance. I thought to myself….” That’s right…I am here so game on”. Ohhh, now time for my own false bravado. As I stood there looking and wondering what to do next, some smart ass secretary would say…. just sign in over there and fill out the form for SAG and sides are there also. How one interprets that statement was revealing and of course and yes I thought she was being rude and condescending. Introspectively, I thought, Hey…. I am not just some local wannabe Honey…..so stop the attitude. So here begin to see wanting to be confident and a subtle showing of no confidence with interpretation and choices of thought. Then reality sank in and I wondered….…. what the hell did she say about SAG and sides. Maybe this is some kind of medical show about sagging sides? I mean….my vocabulary is OK and I have never heard of SAG and sides.
Over time and with manipulative listening skills that allowed me to find answers without sounding dumb, I figured it out later that SAG was the Screen Actors Guild Union. SAG was the union I needed to join someday as an actor when I became big time and I figured out that sides were phrases for scenes of dialogue you needed to study and memorize in the next 20 or so minutes for the casting director. I filled out the paper work and sat down next to some gorgeous girl as I worked on my serene and calming voice. I noticed she was reading from a script and as I looked around all the handsome guys had scripts and so did the beautiful girls. I looked up at the secretary and she announced to everyone….” your sides are over there where you signed in…. Scenes 37-42. I shook my head like I knew with a confidant OH YEAH…. over there….and I walked over to look at the sides. Damn……4 pages of dialogue to memorize. Then I heard some heart throb guy talking to some heart throb girl about the last movie they worked on and their vacation plans to the Bahamas. He probably was driving the red sports car convertible out front. (Shit…. I had to get back to Reseda some how and I hoped I had enough gas). I better go find a private corner, focus, and rehearse alone since I did not know anyone. Some of them seemed like old friends and I felt like I had interrupted their party as they rehearsed together. That was a little intimidating again but I was learning to master denial.
So I would go find a private place to practice acting my scene alone but I was worried that I might be too far away and not hear my name called and miss my opportunity on SUNSET BOULEVARD. So I looked at the script and memorized the lines over and over. Once I had the lines and visuals down…. then I began my work. I thought…. OK…all of these actors are going to read this scene the same way….and I am going to do it 180 degrees different. So I would then work on my “intent” and “subtext” and “indirect actions” …. talk about layers. After all, I was a studied actor. (LOL). So when I knew that I knew my part I went and camped out near the rehearsal room door to listen to the other actors. Of course they all made the same old boring choices so I felt pumped as I would have a new and creative approach when I walked in. For some people arrogance was the coefficient of money but for me it was leveraging information as fast as I could.
Finally, my name was called and I went in full of energy that had to be capped. I could have lifted the whole damn room up in the air with my energy but I had to act cool. I was really coming out of my skin. The director asked me some questions and he told me this was an Army commercial and asked would I have any objection to getting my hair cut like I was in the military. I said…. I will get a Mohawk if you give me the part. They all laughed and loved that raw enthusiasm. I read, and then went to find my car and drove back to the Valley and felt good about my interview. When I went home I wondered…. wow, I wonder how long it takes to get your first job…. I mean, when do they let you know……or do they just let you suffer for days? As I drove home in the Carbon dioxide filled VW Bug I thought I was hovering in an aircraft…. man was I excited. Every time that phone would ring my heart jumped in my throat as I had hoped that would be the defining call to hire ME. Over my career these phone calls of congratulations or sorry they did not choose you….became the passive aggressive relationship of being an ACTOR.
That night my agent called and I had won my first job….and I was ecstatic. Yeah BABY…. move over James Dean. LOL I shared my news with my best supporter and wife, Judy and she was so excited also. Here I had a young wife who was balanced and supporting me and then there was me…. living in the first person wondering how to evolve let alone balance these worlds with a dysfunctional perception that built over decades. Being dysfunctional in a dysfunctional world of a small town is like being a tortoise with a great protective shell. However, now the unpeeling of who I was and where the joy and the scars were hidden would begin their next decade of revelation. This was not bumper cars, this was NASCAR.
Acting jobs are few and far between and one has to learn how to handle failure. If you get one job out of 50 it is good and one out of twenty is very good. It seemed like I would get about one job out of every ten interviews which is UNHEARD of and with this success I got more and more confidant. But confidence has many layers and life begins to define the depth of such over time. Soon I was going on reading for TV Series and I was called to read for a starring role. Even that was amazing to me….as I was already reading for “starring roles”. So I went to the famous studios and prepared for my interview. I met a Mr Bodine who was a white haired handsome man and a big producer at Desi Lu Studios.
I then met Bonita Granville Wrather, a former star of the past. I was so excited…. I walked around the studios because I had never been in a studio. It was amazing…. all these large buildings with big numbers on them saying STAGE 12, and real filming was going on inside them. I thought…. I wish I could peak in…. but I better not. I then walked by some guys editing on the old moviola machines which were loud and full of dialogue and gun shots blaring over their speakers. That in itself was very exciting to me and part of the “studio ambiance” that happened every day that I so wanted a part of this. As I look back I wondered if this was something I so wanted, or was it something really novel and exciting that had simply been put in front of me. Because of my very limited exposure…. hell, anything was exciting to me. Literally anything. After listening to the excited dialogue and special effects coming from the moviola editing machine, I meekly peeked in the room like Huck Finn and asked the picture editor on his movieola machine if I could just watch for a few minutes. He smiled at this young kid and said sure…. come on in and I will show you what we are doing.
They showed me some techniques in editing and I was a sponge from then on. I bought every book and read all I could read about editing. I bought my Bolex and my Beauleau cameras and shot my son Derek in every scene I could and made sure he entered right to left and exited right to left. I learned camera direction by editing all my 8 mm film. I was enthralled with all of the movie making business and education….and I wanted to learn more than anyone…….! I just wanted to LEARN…. anything and everything. I asked questions about every technical word, about parallax, and f stop and equipment and on and on. People used to just bend over backwards because they knew I wanted all of their wisdom….and all of their guidance that day!
So back to my big interview as it turned out I read for this role with over 300 actors. Turned out it was for the co starring role with none other than LASSIE. And I think I got the role not because I was James Dean but because I was so polite and I had overwhelmed them with manners as I was brought up with strict English manners. Of course, like Huck Finn, I knew how to leverage those talents when adults were around.
Next thing I know, is I got a call from my agent saying you got the role on LASSIE and they were really impressed with you. Do you realize how many times I replayed that line…..”they were really impressed with you” in my mind. It meant they loved me…..no….maybe it meant they were blown away with me……no…..maybe it meant they loved my timing and acting….no….maybe……….ahhhh shut up.
So I celebrated with Judy and our friends Tim and Sherri and soon I was going on location as an Actor. Oh Yeah…. I was traveling in the Lear Jet with Lassie and staying at HOTELS AND MOTELS.
Larry Wilcox, the hick from Wyoming, the Marine, the Vietnam Vet, the husband and the father and now the actor……who had no clue yet of what it takes in LIFE….and not simply in your job of acting. Ask a young kid what he wants to be in life….and for me it was not really acting….it was more…. well….I am on this train right now and it is heading to the Southside of heaven as the song goes…..so hold on! I was waking up at 5 am hoping to go to work for 18 hours. I was asking to do my own stunts not knowing the difference. I was bringing my Bolex to the set and shooting Lassie and Rudd Weatherwax the trainer. I was asking what Neutral Density they preferred and how a 30 ND would effect the F stop and what does parallax really mean. Man…..I was a kid in a candy store and I was going to eat every piece of candy…..10 times. I was also good father as my son was my surrogate soul and little did I know how naked, raw, and unprepared for life I was. I began preparing my son so he had tools that I did not have. We shot video, we talked about psychology, we rode horses, we roped cows, we boxed….and we had so much fun together then. Little did I know that one day he would be strong and I would be weak.
Lassie was another Yellow Brick Road for me….and it was fun, indulgent and caressed my ego as a young man who had no identity. It seemed like I could not miss these early days and everything was working. I called my brother Randy and told him…..”Rands…..I am a star and I am starring in a TV Series”. He said ahhhh bullshit. I said…. really….” I am starring in Lassie and I travel in Jets. You can watch me on TV in 2 weeks…. make sure you watch OK?” Look it up in the TV Guide when it comes out and see if my name is in it? Did you hear me Rands….my NAME IS GOING TO BE IN THE TV GUIDE. Randy said OK and congratulated me….and then I realized I could not even watch myself because I did not own a TV. So Judy and I went to Sears and put a down payment and made payments on our first COLOR TV.
We had friends over to watch my first episode…. man I was so excited yet I knew that I should work on some humility and not make my appearance too big of a deal…. maybe show some…. well, false humility. LOL We all watched the first episode and it seemed like I was not in the show for that many minutes and it was getting a little uncomfortable as Lassie was in every scene. I had no idea how they edited all this stuff together but I was becoming anxious. Finally, with what seemed like only 5 mins left in the show I appeared. So cool…. I thought. And everyone watched it and then the show credits came up and VOILA…. there was MY Name on the TV Screen. and……….and…. well….our friends……..well……they said, nothing. Everyone was ho hum….and teased me about my small part. Even some of my old buddies from high school made fun of the role and asked me what I was going to do for a living. Wow….I thought…..these are the same guys I went to high school with and are famous for the “one liner put downs” and have shit in their lives and they are putting me down?
So, onward I marched and got more and more jobs during and after Lassie. My career took off and my handicapped child ego began to throw tantrums and I made painful and selfish and un-principled choices. I think through all of my “troubled and self sabotaging times” I learned that I must also give before I take and always consider others instead of my selfish needs. It took many years to quiet these selfish voices and distinguish who was principled in those voices and who was not. Power had fed me well, and the apathetic arrogance was fed by money. Yes….I was surely in Hell’s Choir.
Over time in Hollywood I was able to work with stars like Anthony Quinn from Man and the City; Charlton Heston, James Coburn and Barbara Hershey in The Last Hard Men, Lee Marvin in Dirty Dozen II, Jack Palance and Dale Robertson in The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang; Ed Asner, Jim Backus, Annette O’Toole and Stockard Channing in the Girl Most Likely To; and Eleanor Parker, Robert Cummings ,Louis Jordan and Farah Fawcett in The Great American Beauty Contest; Vic Morrow, Neville Brand, Robert Webber, Norman Fell and Carol Lynley in Death Stalk, Erik Estrada……I mean HE was my partner in CHIPS and some of the CHIPS’ guest stars were to die for! Of course I went on to produce a lot of projects and some of the actors I used were Peter O’Toole, Jeff Goldblum, William Shatner and Drew Barrymore in The Ray Bradbury Theater and on and on. I produced the Dorothy Stratten Story the Death of a Playmate and used Jamie Lee Curtis in that movie.
And it was also very exciting to walk through the studios and feel like you were rubbing shoulders with all the ornaments of Hollywood like Sylvester Stallone, Bo Derek, Michael Landon, Sally Fields and other major stars and wonder what the realistic world was doing from 9 to 5. As a producer and pitch man I was making deals like pancakes and once again I thought it would never end. I wish I would have leveraged a lot of this time with famous directors and writers of the time….in some ways….so much opportunity and so much lost.
Little did I know that this extremely lucrative “assumed profession” had a shelf life and little did I know that work ethic had nothing to do with it. Flying my very own airplane to the movie set; racing cars at the Long Beach Celebrity Grand Prix with Parnelli Jones, roping with world champion Ben Johnson and cutting with Tanya Tucker, Michael Keaton and Larry Mahan, setting land speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats, meeting Presidents of the United States, collecting wine from Paris, flying in helicopters on tours in Australia and speaking engagements all over the world would all have a “sequential spot” in this ephemeral lifestyle and its inherent escapism from reality and responsibility. It seemed like my youth was so full speed ahead with A.D.D. that I hardly noticed anyone or anything that flew by.
They say that a male cortex does not mature till he is at least 25 years of age but in my case it seemed to be 50 years of age. I knew this “choir” was singing discordant tunes that would break and injure people. When you are young in the film business and you have talent you are kind of a big fish in a little pond. As your career expands you become a bigger fish and then you usually hit a low point. During this low point you are now middle aged and you notice that all the actors you now compete with are like you…..they are as talented if not more than you; they starred in TV Series like you and have a brand, and they are hungry to survive and get another gig to give them longevity in a dog eat dog business. Everyone you compete against now, were former MVPs just like you……so the competition in very intense and requires a lot of preparation to win a role and a lot of humility. Shelf life becomes defined with your last job and how marketable your brand is today with respect to timing.
But luckily during these many years in Hollywood I learned so many skill sets. I optioned books, stories and hired producers and actors and negotiated contracts for these talents. I learned how to raise money and learned the vocabulary for PPMs and financial instruments and risk mitigation tools. I learned editing and points of view and manipulation of story lines. I learned legal issues and how to write contracts and my library of legal contracts grew. I learned how to operate my own cameras and applied the neutral density filters and key lights and sound issues. I learned camera direction and camera composition to assist in story telling. I learned the social skills of the rich and how to navigate the dangers of arrogant personalities. All of these skill sets taught me how to become humbler and to give back more than I took and to never abandon or hurt another person in my life.
The next chapters of my life were full of very interesting times and experiences that included lust, money, deals, travel, education and evolution. However, today I am having a blast learning from my children while negotiating really fun and complex deals with leaders in various walks of life. There are so many stories to share some day and finally ME is a lesser character in life.
Honestly, my life began after all of this Hollywood carnival, but there were a few people who know they gave me this gifted life and I shall forever be indebted. Of course my wife Judy and our children, Derek and Heidi were the real stars in my life. Also, my old acting teacher, Lois Auer who gave me lessons for free because I was polite and she said a natural actor….as she was very helpful. My late agent Toni Kellman and her daughter Sandy really helped my career along with my later agent David Shapira. Of course, as stated, I cannot say enough about my very special young” family” and all they did to support and sacrifice for my evolution; and of course, Wyoming, the grounded and practical side that reminds you daily that you aren’t shit…. just another person trying to make a living. It was a job and so what are you doing now.
What I am doing now focuses mostly on technology with some small film productions and a hope to help my family have a leg up in life. I often wonder what would have happened to the young hick Larry Wilcox if the film business would not have come a long and given me a leg up. I sense…. that it may have been a sad life. Today, I spend a lot of time and wonderful experiences with my children and that is their gift to me for which I am grateful. Some of my experiences I can talk about and some I cannot. For those that I cannot talk about, I simply try to quietly walk the talk. There is a lot of gratitude and forgiveness. Hope, Faith and Love…yes, Thank you.
Larry
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Thank you for another great column and for sharing a little of yourself with us. You have quite a talent for writing, Mr. Steinbeck. 🙂 Hugs.
Thank you Sue…..LOL. And YOU have also been a major catalyst in my life for so many years. I pray one day my life takes off and I can buy my children a home for each of them……including you. Thank you….and God Bless you Sue for all you have done for so many years. Hugs….Larry
Thank you for sharing your life stories. You’re a gifted writer! Have you put these all into a book yet? Gives me inspiration! Thank you! God bless you and your family! Hugs!
After reading this reminds me were I too was living on bases my dad was a Sergeant in the Marines around the same time.
Those were lonely times for me….
Thank you Mr. Wilcox for sharing your past. I have been a fan since Chips days and even now, I watch you every night. It’s nice to hear the human side of Hollywood and how you got started. I look forward to your blog posts!
Thank you for taking the time to read it Christie.
Wow, you have certainly lived an eventful and interesting life! Thank you for sharing! I think we all have that bit of ego that makes us seek our “fifteen minutes of fame”, but I can’t imagine how tough ( and exciting!) it must have been to put yourself out there in front of so many people, and then wonder if you were good enough. I look back at the person I was in my early twenties, and all I can do is shake my head and laugh a little…and be thankful that I’m finally growing up (at 48).
Again, thanks for sharing so much of yourself with your fans…I so enjoy reading your columns!
Thank you Shawnette. I hope when I write these that there may be a few moments of reflection and wisdom for others…..that is my goal. But…..no matter what, thank you for indulging me. Larry
I really enjoyed reading this. Life is what you put into it and what you get out of it is the making of you. My life is making my kids happy and I look after other peoples kids and I what I get out out of that the smile on the kids faces and their parents having trouble get them in the car to go home as they don’t want to go as they are having fun. Keep a the great columns as I really enjoy them.
My life’s direction, understanding and discernment have changed radically over the years as I was a free floating work in progress with on the job training if you will. I feel like there are so many people I can quietly help in this world before I pass and I hope to help so many more. Thank you Lynette for the strong foundation you are putting on children and their souls. Larry
Thank you for the reply. I love working with the kids. I have four of my own and when my second marriage ended I had to live so I started looking after children and it’s not for the little money I make as I don’t make that much that I still need help so I am glad my 21 yr old son helps. I work more hours than money covers but nobody wants to pay more. Kids are what the world needs to grow happy and strong. Keep up your good work. If you want to know where in New Zealand I am it’s a little town in the Waikato called Matamata where the lord of the rings was made.
Hi larry
Thanks for this awesome article about your being in the U.S.M.C, working several jobs for your family, sorry you had to go through those hardships in your life, going to Vietnam but making it back alive. it interesting how life throw things to you like, looks like u made some good choices, thanks for sharing this article “hugs”
-Tiffany.S
Choices…..are always interesting. I joined the Marine Corps because I thought they were the best outfit which says a lot on both sides of the fence if you will.
I so enjoyed reading this! Your writing is captivating and appreciated. I need to see if you have written any books and get them. I am also going to look for things you produced and starred in..such an interesting life and you are a man that deserves respect and honor! Thank you for giving us this HUGE glimpse of your past…
I have not written any books but there is so much to tell. Sue continues to encourage me to do so and the stories are dramatic and entertaining but …..I continue to ask myself if one will learn from the book or will it be indulgent. I do not want to write a book to say I am also an AUTHOR. I am tired of credits in life….and just like to help.
Thank you once again for letting us have a small glimpse of your amazing life! I treasure our friendship and am so happy we met. Hugs!
Denica
Amazing is a term for ALL of us…..as we humans etch out a living in so many ways. Thank you Denica. Larry
Larry, I enjoyed reading about your life, and understanding the learning curve to fame. Wyoming has given many of us a rich strong foundation to freely give to the world.
I am glad you have such a Stong connection to Derek & Heidi (that is the blessing of life – our children)
You write well, I look forward to more. Thank you, for sharing your life~
Thank you Janet. Derek, Heidi and JUDY were in fact my cornerstones and allowed me to launch my career and fly indulgently to define who I was and who I am. I am so grateful to all three. My other 3 children have also been spectacular in so many ways and I love them all. I am really here for all of them and I hope they find their definition as I am here to support and nurture them.
I remember watching you in Lassie. Then, CHiPs. I do not remember seeing you in any movies. Lassie seems so long ago, because I was so young, and CHiPs was when I was a teenager.
My husband trained at 29 Palms when he was in the 4th Recon Reserves. That was before we met. He was almost sent to Desert Storm 2-3 times. He told me that there were at least two times that they sat on the tarmac for several days, and were told they were not going. If they had gone, he and I would have never met.
Good luck with all that you do!
Niki….thank you for reading this and tell your husband I said thank you and Semper Fi. RECON is a very special group equal or better than the Navy Seals….and most do not know about them. Congrats to him and to both of you. May God Bless you and your life together. larry
Thanks again for another great column, I love reading about your beginnings and where you came from and how you got here. Thanks for the words of wisdom and teaching us to appreciate the important things in life, like family, giving more than we take and walking barefoot in the grass.
Hugs,
Shana
LOL….thank you Shana.
Thank U Mr. Wilcox for sharing another part of your life with us. I feel I get to know U more everytime u share a little bit of yourself with us, your fans. I hope one day the powers to be here in Des Moines, Iowa, will bring u here so U can share more of u with us, yours fans. Thanks again for being a part of my childhood.
Thank you Stephanie….hope to see you one day also.
Great article – you should write a book! I was a child when CHiPs first ran and recently have been catching up again with re-runs. Jon Baker was always my favorite character because of his work ethic and genuine character! I’ve also listened to interviews or read articles where you discuss your acting career plus your technology businesses which are very interesting. Seems like Jon Baker and Larry Wilcox are very similar people! Hope to meet you this summer when you come to Arlington, TX.
Thank you Ayesha. I hope to see you when I am in Texas and yes Jon and Larry were very similar.
That’s when I became a Larry Wilcox fan
Thank You Brenda.
Absolutely wonderful article. I’m sure we all appreciate the openness and honesty, but for myself, I am truly grateful. I always learn more and more from you. Not just about the business, but life lessons my parents really couldn’t give me. This article really drove a lot of stuff home for me. Thank you so much for sharing all that you do and for all that you’ve done.
Sheri-Lynn…..your response is a gift to me…as this is all I hope to share. In my life I had mostly OJT (on the job training) and it made life difficult. Emotion was hard to separate from Logic and it was a steep and injurious learning curve. I hope you continue to enjoy these articles and YOUR life. God bless. Larry
Thank you Larry for sharing some insights into your life As a fan looking in we just know you by what we see on screen but you just put into perspective that we are all just people trying to make a living and survive. No matter whether you are currently on screen or not those of us who grew up watching you still see you as a star. Thank you for your service to our country and your contributions to society.
Thank you Debbie. The film business has been very good to me and has helped me so much in my business life also. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Larry
Thank you Larry great post have a good one Larry
Thank you Matthew….you have a good one also.
Thank you very much Larry for the great article. I would like to thank you for your service to our country. I am a huge fan of Chips as I watch Chips four days a week on Me-TV. I liked Chips since it was a family oriented show for all ages to watch and enjoy. I admire you, Erik and the rest of the Chips cast. Will you be doing any appearances in Florida in the near future please?
Katy…..Thank you. Presently I am not scheduled to appear in Florida but only Texas, and NY/NJ.
Thank you Larry for responding back to me.
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m a firm believer that everyone has a story to share and can inspire another individual. Everyone probably thinks they know how a celebrity lives, but i am sure that no one knows or wants to feel their struggles. We all can learn from others and I too, now that I have hit 50 this year, have learned from past but importantly am learning so much more now. Maybe I am valuing it more now too and enjoying for the first time. Thank you again for sharing your story.
Robin….we all have highs and lows……and I am grateful for such. Thank you Robin.
Thank you so much Larry, for this very interesting insight into not only the world of the military, but also the pitfalls and valleys of Hollywood itself. It’s amazing how not much has changed in Hollywood, but it is nice to know that you were able to keep yourself from those temptations, as well as learn from any mistakes made along the way.
It also reminded me of the stories that my parents would share with me concerning their life in the military, (They both met and married while in the Navy), and what they went through as a young married couple. My parents went through a lot of similar experiences after being discharged, especially with my father trying to find that perfect job, (which he ultimately did) to support his family, and in the end it was worth every bit of the chaos! 😀
Wendy…thank you for reading and commenting. Sounds like your Father and Mother were special and I am glad this article may have stimulated some reflection. Enjoy……..Humbly, Larry
Thank for responding. I wish I could post a pic of may parents so you could see them when they were in the Navy. 😀 I think you’d get a kick out of it. 😀
Larry, thank you for your time and effort to make your fans feel special with sharing about your life and what it took for you to become the fabulous entertainer that you are. May God continue to Bless you and your family always, and to Sue thank you for all that you u do for Larry and us fans. God bless you and your family as well.
Thank you Suzanne…….Fans allow me to experience all of this again and it is fun. Thanks.
Wow, thanks for sharing! What a fascinating read – very compelling. It shows what hard work and a positive attitude can do. I can almost see in my mind’s eye as you circle in the ’58 Bug to find a parking spot. 🙂
Thanks Erik…..that damn old 58 bug broke down more than it ran but it did get me there eventually. Nothing like driving a stick shift with bad and leaking exhausts in traffic on the San Diego Freeway….LOL. Have a good one.
Thank you so much for giving your fans insight into your life. For years you were virtually a part of my family – as we would all watch CHiPs together. In fact, my favorite childhood birthday present that I recall receiving was a CHiPs play set (I had just turned 4). I promptly donned my helmet and tan gloves that I had borrowed from my dad – and “handcuffed” my brother to my toddler bed! Now 30+ years later those memories still warm my heart. The CHiPs theme song is my ringtone for my phone because it makes me smile each time I receive a call. My father has since passed – but he – like you was a vet and a genuine, reflective man. Maybe that is one of the reasons I have felt so connected to you throughout the years. So thank you again – for your candid description of your life experiences. You have touched more people than you know.
Nicole….thank you for your sensitive comments and memories. God Bless your Father and may you enjoy his spirit and his presence today. Having a reflective Father is a gift for sure. Thanks again.
Very interesting read. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to reading more.
Thank you Elen.
What an inspiring and humble story!
Thank you Amy.
Thank you for another wonderful article about your life. Their are so many layers that you have lived. I was on a local show once, my 15 minutes of fame. I was nervous the whole time but things went well. I cannot image everyone judging your every move and every role that you play. That would be too much to handle. Thanks for all that you share with us. It shows that celebrities too have struggles in life at one time or another. It makes us stronger as we live our lives.
Celebrities seem to be bigger than life and in some ways they get to live a life that is big and indulgent…..for a while. Acting is about being really naked and vulnerable and then re building a character and or yourself. I tell my children sometimes they should do this because it really prepares them for life and business. They laugh…and say actors are all nerds or weirdos. LOL
A very interesting and honest reflection on both the early stages of your personal challenges, and acting career.
I was curious while reading how your spiritual life was back then, compared to later when you matured, and found your bearings?
Did you manage to integrate an organized faith system into that chaotic period?
You allude to it briefly, but didn’t expound deeply into it.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Larry!
Greg….well my spiritual life has been an interesting story and one that perhaps is another column and a long one. But I grew up in the Episcopal Church but went to all kinds of churches with friends so I had a diverse base if you will. My path was not unlike a chicane or many chicanes on the race track…..and sometimes I was “tangential” and sometimes I was immersed.
Hi Larry,
Wow!! what another great article and I enjoyed reading it very much. Your story is reminding how all of our lives are journeys and that the pathway for each person is different. It is filled with life’s ups and downs and is not always easy. But realizing your progress, the experiences you have accumulated, remembering those who have helped you, helping others in return and just being thankful all help make everything worthwhile.
Thank you,
Becky
Thank you Becky…..yes….giving more than you take is my motto. Not sure I can ever give enough….but I shall try. God Bless.
What a remarkable life! Thank you for giving us, your fans, a glimpse. Lassie and CHIPS were two of our favorite shows. May God bless you exceedingly abundantly above whatever you may think or ask. Finish well and leave a legacy for future generations.
Thank you Joe….I have been lucky.
Thanks for sharing your story Larry. It’s always great to hear the behind-the-scenes workings. When I moved to Canyon Country in 1985, the Wetherwax house, and training areas were still intact. Unfortunately, some one burned it down a few years ago to collect insurance money. I watched CHiPs as a kid, and now I’m fortunate enough to share it with my kids. In my opinion, that was really a Golden Age for California. You brought a great persona to the character of Jon Baker. It was a shining example of how to properly treat others. I share that with my teenage kids, and hope it rubs off. There are even times when I pause, and ask myself, how would Jon act in this situation? It’s a good guiding line.
I was curious about the cars and trucks used in the show. Your GMC truck was sooooooo cool! Did you get to have one of those for your personal vehicle, or was it strictly network property? I know Lee Majors had a Fall Guy truck of his own.
Anyway, thank you for the decades of entertainment, I wish all the best for you and your family.
Chad Goertz
Thank you Chad. No I raced trucks in the Baja 1000 and other dessert races. The studios kept all of them. I have lots of Rudd
Weatherwax stories.
I hate to say what some others have said but it is a wonderful article. It does give us insight to who and what you are.
Believe it or not it also helps me to understand myself in some ways. Gives me new perspective on things going on in my life.
And so what if you add another title of Author to your repertoire. I think a book would be amazing from you. At least all the articles you have written gives you a head start, lol. some of my favorite book to read are autobiographies.
Today a lot of young adults want things now and don’t want to work for what they have. They expect it to be given to them. Back in the day you worked or you starved. You made your own way. My parents instilled a good work ethic in me. I am early to work and I don’t take a longer lunch then your are suppose to. If I call off sick, that means I am dying. So many I work with or have worked with are not like that, they come running in at the last minute, take longer for lunch and then gripe when they don’t get much of a raise..
I don’t have kids of my own but my nieces and nephews and their kids are like my own. I have had people ask me why I help them. I have the time and the small resources to do so, so why wouldn’t I. I have no one else to leave it to and I would rather do it now and see them happy than to leave it for probate court and them pay an inheritance fee. Their happiness makes me happy. I love to go and do things with them, like comic con, lol. They teach me as much as I teach them. I hope I have instilled some values in them the way my parents did me and the way you do your kids. My dad once said, “what are you if you can’t leave your children something when you are gone”. What he didn’t realize is while the money was nice it was all of their life experiences and the things they taught me. So keep writing and sharing with us and your kids. They might not realize it now but one day they will.
Through your articles I have seen that your life experiences have made you a caring husband, father and man.
I look forward to seeing you again and your next article. God bless, love and hugs.
Ahhhh thank you Cathy…..and thanks for coming to visit at Cleveland recently. I will keep writing…..lots of stories for sure and hopefully they will not bore people.
Hello Larry. Great read! I have been a huge fan of yours for many years! I have fond memories watching CHIPS after school. I will be turning 41 in June. Hugs from a fan! ~ Alyssa
Thank you Alyssa….and HUGS back to you.
Thank you Sue, I think Larry is funny, when I read this. I’m glad he made it to helping his wife and providing for his family as well. I thank him for services he did in the marines. I greatly appreciate that. He is my hero. Truly,He is lucky to have a patient and understanding wife. That the way everybody should be, understanding and being patient, when someone is struggling to make it in life. that is love.
Thank you Kat for reading this and seeing the humor.
You have a talent in writing, sir. Love your column. You should write a book. You can colaborate with Sue. She is a great writer too. I wrote a story about you. I hope you dont mind.
I look forward to reading your story. Thanks.
Thank you so much for sharing this article! I loved watching CHIPS growing up! My dad and myself would watch it together. It has such great memories. I watch it ever evening now! Thank you for serving in the Marines and fighting for our freedom and this great country! God Bless you!
I find people telling me all the time about watching CHIPS with their parents, grand parents or a loved one. Now that I think about it….that is really a neat reference….a TV show that a family sat down and enjoyed together. A vestige of the past for sure.
Hello Larry. I took the time to read your long story and it was amazing. I used to watch Lassie as a kid. I know what it feels like to have a hard life. I was born with autism but I’m very high functioning and I had a hard time fitting in with people. I even used to have a bad temper as a teenager and I have to take a medication called Paxil to control it. I first discovered CHiPs on Me TV and fell in love with the characters. Jon and Ponch are my favorites and my personality is kind of like Ponch’s. I’m also amazed at the idea that Jon is a lot like you. I love seeing you in the cowboy photos! The last time I rode a horse, I was 14 years old. I’m 30 now but I look really young for my age. Thanks for sharing your story and I’ll be here to read your next one.
merci larry pour cette lecture passionnant qui relève ta carrière au viet-nam et lassie qui a berce mon enfance et chips mon adolescence . et je voie que tu a ramer pour arrive pour ce que tu est maintenant .
Merci Veroniique….mantenant Je suis heureux…..c’est tout.
Larry
Thanks Steph. I find the high functioning autism groups very fascinating and often brilliant in areas that are often over looked. I even think that A.D.H.D. and high functioning Autism there may be an “overlap” of sorts. Anyway, congrats on your tenacity and please continue moving FORWARD as you will continue to reap the benefits. God Bless you and thank you for reading these articles. Larry
Thank you for sharing your story, your can do attidude is an inspiration for all. I still watch chips, its just as good as it was then. I look forward to reading what you write next. God bless!
Thank you Joan. Hope to meet you one day and thanks for reading it.
Awesome that you were able to persevere through many trials–especially in the younger years! Would love to hear more about the Bonneville Salt Flats. . .
Larry, I had the biggest crush on you when I was younger and am so happy to have stumbled onto your website to read your stories! I’m impressed how you’ve managed to “reinvent” yourself, move forward and figure things out at the different stages of your life, while also seeing what really matters in life. That takes smarts and strength and maturity. I work in Hollywood on the business side of things for a TV network, but like you I know it’s all fleeting and things change on a dime in this industry. Trust no one (lol). I focus instead on what really matters to me on a personal level, and that helps balance things out. Anyway, great to hear about you and hope life treats you and your family well.
Hello, Mr. Wilcox. I am writing this from a hospital room in Denver, Colorado. I watched CHiPs for the first time in 30 years today and, to help pass the time, decided to do a little “Where Are They Now” research. Lol
I have enjoyed reading your columns this afternoon, and truly appreciate your honesty and candor. Life is only as good as one decides to make it, and it was encouraging to learn of your positive attitude. I especially wanted to sincerely thank you for your service in the military. I have a tremendous respect for all veterans and active duty personnel, and pray for the safety of all of you every single night.
I look forward to reading your next column. In the meantime, I will hopefully be out of the hospital and back on my Harley soon.
Take care, and God Bless!!
Happy E.
Hello & thank you so much for sharing your stories with us, your fans. It’s absolutely amazing the journey you have had to get where your are today. It really makes me appreciate what you had to do to provide for your family. A father’s love for his family is a powerful strength that should never go without compromise. Thank you again for sharing and looking forward to reading more. I wish you all the very best.
Danielle, a fan from Staten Island, NY
Thank you for sharing! Been a fan since chips! Being a toe-head kid, I always called “Im Baker!!” On show night!! Lol!! Been riding motorcycles since I was a teen. Ive been zoomin thru San Diego traffic before, not quite as fast, recalling the leg/bike shots of the chip bikes doing the same!! I guess thats a long way of saying I have always enjoyed you and the folks on that ol show! Thanks again!
Semper Fi!
-Mac
GySgt 1990-2011
Hello & thank you for sharing your amazing story. I feel very honored to reading about your life. Your journey is absolutely amazing. How you started, what you did to provide for your family, you cannot put a price tag on it.
Thank you again for sharing & looking to reading more.
From Danielle, a fan from Staten Island, NY
Hello Larry,
Well I must say that your life growing from a Marine, (thank you so much for your service) to a well known actor is pretty amazing. You have done so much for the entertainment business, as well as our country. I am very intrigued by the means that you made it, but I had no idea that you were in Lassie (a show I loved to watch as a kid, even though they were reruns).
You really amazed me with your background, and even though you’ve heard this a thousand times, yes, you should write a book, even if it is just your biography.
I hope you are doing well, and I hope to read more of your posts in the future.
Andrea
Hello Mr. Wilcox. I have been inpatient in a Denver, Colorafo hospital for three weeks. Every afternoon I look forward to watching CHiPs, as I have not done so since I was in high school 30 years ago. It was your show that peaked my interest in motorcycles (I’ve always been kind of a tomboy) and, once I graduated, I bought four bikes before I had a car. Female riders were rare back then, so I was considered somewhat of a rebel! I bought my first Harley in 2005.
I want to sincerely thank you for your brave service in the military during the volatile Vietnam War. I have a tremendous respect and admiration for all men and women in uniform, and pray every single day for their safety and security.
I thoroughly enjoy reading your interesting and inspiring articles on your website, and look forward to your next writing.
Congratulations on your recent wedding anniversary. May you continue to have a lifetime of happiness together.
Take care, Mr. Wilcox, and God Bless!!
Happy E.
Denver, Colorado
I knew you were a magnificent marine, great actor, businessman and cowboy but I didn’t know you were an accomplished musician as well. Is there anything you haven’t done? Keep up the great work. Any pointers on becoming a writer?
Larry Lassie is when I started watching g you on Lassie and on my 1613th birthday chips started and I got my son as a fan of yours cause of chips also seen you in a whole lot of western you were the best
i WISH you would come to NYC!!! W/Erik & Robert…i KNOW Parsippany isn’t THAT FAR from NYC, but i don’t drive & being disabled &living on a Veteran’s Disability pension, even Bus fare isn’t cheap!! 🙂
That was a very good read, it’s always nice to know some history on an actor you grew up watching as a young kid.
My friends and I rode our bikes around a small town in Ohio pretending to be John and Ponch everywhere we went, in the summers we were glued to the TV at 1:00 pm when Chips came on, re-runs or not we watched the episode like it was the first time we had ever seen it.
I knew from a young age that law enforcement was want I wanted to do, it was in my blood, my calling. After my dad came home from the Marines, “Vietnam “, he joined the Ohio State Highway Patrol, that was it for me, I was going to follow in his footsteps.
I did what I set out to do, big city cop now for the last 16 years, I still think back about Chips, Adam 12, TJ Hooker, etc….
Thank you for good memories, the Chips series, the motivation it gave me to follow my career path.
Chris
Yes I hope so also Donn….maybe next year.
Very touching..Thank U for sharing..I was mesmerized by CHiPs, every Thursday night during high school! LoL..shows my age..and now my grandkids watch U on METV..
I wish U a lifetime of continued Happiness..
Teri
Larry,
I really enjoy reading your column. You have a terrific perspective and a hilarious sense of humor. Hop to see another column soon. Good luck to you and your family in your life’s pursuits. Hope to hear from again in your column soon.
Hugs to you and your family
Wonderful piece of writing Larry. Interesting and inspiring to find out more about you. I grew up in the UK watching you, as so many of us did in CHiPs. Still a firm favourite today and with both my 7 and 5 year olds. I had no idea until I read you piece though at just how many shows and movies you’d been in and that I’d watched growing up.
I’m glad I’ve got this opportunity to say thanks for your work and if you ever make it to a UK convention it’d be great to meet you and say hi.
Thanks again
5
4
I know this is a repeat comment, this is a great article. Thank you for sharing your life story, I don’t feel so bad now, here I am 50 years old and just figuring out life after working the same job for 32 years.
Again, thank you for sharing.
i really enjoyed reading about your life. You have always been one of my favorite actors. We all grew up together, you as the actor and I as a fan of yours since CHIPS I remember writing to you and Erik and you sent me an autograph picture of you, which I still have and Erik sent my daughter a birthday care and an autograph picture of him. Tammy was 3 years old. believe it or not, she still has them. I am so happy for you and Erik traveling and having some of the cast still with you. maybe someday you guys will be in my area of Maryland and I can tell you how much you guys mean too me. Thanks for much.
I know you wrote some time ago, but I just found it very inspiring and well written. My nephew is a Marine and was stationed at 29 Palms for 4 years. I had the opportunity to visit him and his wife there. He is a Staff Sgt., he now works as a security guard at the INL in Idaho. He also is a cowboy, former bareback rider just like his dad.
I loved t h e show CHIPS, it was my all time favorite, you were my absolute favorite and when you left it was Bruce Penhall.
I know you wrote some time ago, but I just found it very inspiring and well written. My nephew is a Marine and was stationed at 29 Palms for 4 years. I had the opportunity to visit him and his wife there. He is a Staff Sgt., he now works as a security guard at the INL in Idaho. He also is a cowboy, former bareback rider just like his dad.
I loved t h e show CHIPS, it was my all time favorite, you were my absolute favorite and when you left it was Bruce Penhall. I’m the same age as your son Derek. Thank you for you charity work and all good that you do.
hey Larry,
We’re still Lassie fans. We’ve been enjoying the original Lassie series on YouTube, Seasons 18 & 19, 1971-1973, where you starred as Dale Mitchell on the Holden Ranch years. We missed watching those 2 seasons when originally aired. Now, we’re just catching them. You did an incredible job throughout both of those seasons as you had great chemistry with Lassie. You were the one who rescued Lassie mostly out of Fury Falls and carried Lassie to safety! Skip Burton was tremendous, also. What a team! I realize 50 years has gone by which seems like yesterday, great compliments to you and to Mr. Burton, too!
I certainly enjoyed reading about your life and how your acting career got started with the original Lassie series. During those last 2 seasons of Lassie, I didn’t get to watch the actual TV broadcast(s) where you starred as Dale Mitchell. I’m quite a Lassie fan, however, I just got to watch those 2 seasons on Youtube.. You and your counter-part, Robert Skip Burton, as Ron Holden, were amazing and you both had tremendous chemistry with Lassie. Lassie was alone and still wandering place-to-place until you pulled her out of the river. Then, you and Ron brought Lassie back to a home base at the Holden Ranch. (I’ve had 2 collies of my own in my lifetime). Thank you