A C and Me (post 500!)
It seems whenever I pull out my "collection" on DeForest I find more photo's of things I never intended to use here... but I wind up scanning them and then going into my "memory mode". So anyone reading this blog is in for a few more old memories that surround De and AC and living in CA...
Seeing the date on the pass I realized it was a "Christmas visit". I wrote a short post about this exact day last December, when I went on Paramount lots wearing antlers and a red nose. I won't repeat myself but I will leave a link if anyone is interested.
Notice the photo's behind us? AC's walls were filled with them. He knew anyone and everyone in "the biz". For the longest time his best friend (before he passed away) was James Cagney.
A.C., much like DeForest, is a very special man. While he's worked for Paramount nearly all his life, and made friends with just about every actor and actress that there is, A.C. has this quality about him... no matter who you are.. when you are with A.C. you feel special. I've never met anyone who didn't love A.C. Lyles, and that includes me.
I remember another time I was there to visit him, along with my girlfriend Sue. We were sitting in that very office just chit chatting, when his phone rang. Mary Ann answered the phone and then poked her head in the office.
"You probably should take this A.C"
A.C. put up his finger and indicated "give me one moment", and picked up the phone, and sat back in his chair. We heard a jolly "hi how are you?", saw a few nods of the head as he agreed with whatever was being said, and suddenly we heard, " Look, Kevin, I have two ladies I am trying to flirt with here in my office. Can I get back with you?" A moment later he hung up.
"Kevin?" Sue asked.
"Kevin Costner" AC replied.
My eyes widened and Sue responded, "You hung up on Kevin Costner?!!!"
"He can wait," A.C. said, "I can call him anytime, but I don't see you girls often enough."
I think I came near tears at that moment.. but I hung on and we continued our visit.
Shortly after his phone rang again, and Mary Ann answered the phone.
"Sorry to interrupt a second time.. you may want this one A.C."
Once again the finger went up, he reached for the phone with a smile on his face, and never took his eyes off of us.
"Oh, Buddy" we heard, "I've been meaning to call you, but I'm busy with some young ladies right now, can I get back to you?"
(good lord he was doing it again!)
He hung up the phone with a promise to call within the hour...
This time I chimed in, "Buddy?"
"Buddy Ebsen," he replied.
"Oh, my gawd, A.C., we love you to death, but we can wait for Buddy Ebsen!" I blurted out.
A.C. chuckled and got up from his seat and came towards us.. we stood up and he wrapped his arms around each of us.
"Anyone can pick up a phone," he said, "But when you take the trouble to come to see me, I don't want any interruptions."
This, was A.C. Lyles.
This is the type of man he is.
I may not see him anymore... but I still love him to death.
(the exact words of ACs phone conversations may not be verbatim, but it is as close as I can remember)
Seeing the date on the pass I realized it was a "Christmas visit". I wrote a short post about this exact day last December, when I went on Paramount lots wearing antlers and a red nose. I won't repeat myself but I will leave a link if anyone is interested.
Notice the photo's behind us? AC's walls were filled with them. He knew anyone and everyone in "the biz". For the longest time his best friend (before he passed away) was James Cagney.
A.C., much like DeForest, is a very special man. While he's worked for Paramount nearly all his life, and made friends with just about every actor and actress that there is, A.C. has this quality about him... no matter who you are.. when you are with A.C. you feel special. I've never met anyone who didn't love A.C. Lyles, and that includes me.
I remember another time I was there to visit him, along with my girlfriend Sue. We were sitting in that very office just chit chatting, when his phone rang. Mary Ann answered the phone and then poked her head in the office.
"You probably should take this A.C"
A.C. put up his finger and indicated "give me one moment", and picked up the phone, and sat back in his chair. We heard a jolly "hi how are you?", saw a few nods of the head as he agreed with whatever was being said, and suddenly we heard, " Look, Kevin, I have two ladies I am trying to flirt with here in my office. Can I get back with you?" A moment later he hung up.
"Kevin?" Sue asked.
"Kevin Costner" AC replied.
My eyes widened and Sue responded, "You hung up on Kevin Costner?!!!"
"He can wait," A.C. said, "I can call him anytime, but I don't see you girls often enough."
I think I came near tears at that moment.. but I hung on and we continued our visit.
Shortly after his phone rang again, and Mary Ann answered the phone.
"Sorry to interrupt a second time.. you may want this one A.C."
Once again the finger went up, he reached for the phone with a smile on his face, and never took his eyes off of us.
"Oh, Buddy" we heard, "I've been meaning to call you, but I'm busy with some young ladies right now, can I get back to you?"
(good lord he was doing it again!)
He hung up the phone with a promise to call within the hour...
This time I chimed in, "Buddy?"
"Buddy Ebsen," he replied.
"Oh, my gawd, A.C., we love you to death, but we can wait for Buddy Ebsen!" I blurted out.
A.C. chuckled and got up from his seat and came towards us.. we stood up and he wrapped his arms around each of us.
"Anyone can pick up a phone," he said, "But when you take the trouble to come to see me, I don't want any interruptions."
This, was A.C. Lyles.
This is the type of man he is.
I may not see him anymore... but I still love him to death.
(the exact words of ACs phone conversations may not be verbatim, but it is as close as I can remember)
posted by DesLily | 8:01 AM
7 Comments:
Congratulations on the 500th post. I love your recollections of your encounters with all of these wonderful talents.
you are just a hot tamale. Tarzan, Mr. Lyles, Samwise, they all love you. I think, if you wanted to, you could have been some famous actor or producer's beautiful trophy wife.
But then who would be my graphic artist????
You have the coolest hollywood stories!!
DH and I did the Paramount tour...I really enjoyed it.
When dh was trying reeeeelly hard to pitch scripts he hooked up with this established screenwriter who was looking for someone to partner him on a couple of comic treatments that were being tossed around by a couple of producers.
One was the guy that sold Shrek to Dreamworks.
Not being part of the 'industry' that day was a trippy and very LA experience for us.
That producer worked out of an office on the grounds of his very lovely home near Sunset Boulevard.
He had these fast talking assistants rushing to bring us sparkling water and so on.
Even though we (and especially I the wife tagging along) were nobodies..they treated us very nicely and were very professional.
We then ended up having lunch with his assitant.
The name dropping was heady!
Next was a meeting with a producer who currently selling EVERYONE on The Mod Squad. He was very excited about it.
His office was weird. Filled with fun toys and collectables and all his staff looked straight out of high school.
Later that night we had dinner at a place where in one corner Eriq La Salle sat at a table with his wife and mother and at another Eddie Albert was dining!
It was soo cool!
You are a great storyteller. Congrats on the 500th post!
Hey Patrick! Memory isn't what it used to be but now and then I remember lol.
No chance Kiyotoe! In Hollywood (and surrounding area where i lived) everyone was either "married to a beautiful person" or gay.. either way i loose out lol..
Crunchy.. odd I never did the actual "tour" at Paramount, I was always visiting. It's easy to look around in a restaurant or any store and one day see a movie star there in that area.. i saw Kirstie Alley in a pet store once..you just never know, but they have to do the same things we do.. banking, shopping, eating... what was nice living there was that no once ever acted like anyone special was there..
LOL! Sounds like AC Lyles is a very charismatic man! And a charmer t'boot! Pat... do you realize HOW special these memories are? And how happy I am that you SHARE them? These are memories that I could have never even dreamed of! ;)
What a sweet man! I know from experience not very many "Hollywood types" are like that.
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