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published by Barry Paris on April 20, 2011 - 4:20pm

I have finally entered the 20th century, now that it's the 21st. God help us all... Thanks for blogging, if you choose to do so. And please try to keep it on the same high erudite plane as the entry (below) from Garbo. Who knew her Latin was so fluent?

Comments

Victor & Galvatron

May 4, 2011 - 6:46pm

Hi! We just wanted to tell you we're your biggest fans...and wish that, for your next star biography, you'd think about doing Felix the Cat. Thank you for your consideration.

MethodActor123

May 19, 2011 - 9:31am

What's all this animal stuff? Does Paris have some kind of cat-dog thing? I'm waiting for the second installment of his fine Stella Adler book...unless it's canceled.

Barry

May 21, 2011 - 7:02am

Funny you should mention that...and thanks for doing so. Not canceled, but resurrected! Take a look at the "News" dept. item, announcing "Stella II: The Americans" for Knopf 2012.

greentree gal

June 14, 2011 - 10:03pm

barry, is aunt thelma real or fictional? i notice she pops up now and then when u least expect her..like in the woody allen revue

Barry Paris's picture

Barry Paris

June 17, 2011 - 8:28pm

Only God could create a tree---or my Aunt Thelmah. Indeed, she is very much a real & not invented character, one of the illustrious "Weird Sisters" (my mum Claire & five female siblings) who lived with us for years. Thel was a sassy Western Union telegraph operator in Pittsburgh in the 1920s & '30s, who scandalized her bosses & blazed a feminist trail by wearing pants instead of dresses to work. In 1975 (when they were in their early 70s), I took Claire & Thelmah to Paris, where Thelmah kept holding out handfuls of francs & centimes and saying, "What's this in REAL money?" After my 50th attempt to explain the exchange rate, I said, "Thel, dollars aren't `real money' here---their `real currency' is francs, and the French take it very seriously." Her immortal reply: "If they take it so seriously, why did they name it after a hot dog?"

(Thanks, G.G., for giving me the excuse to tell this story & revive her fabulous memory!)

Scott Pyle

July 19, 2011 - 10:04am

Hey, Barry! I know you co-wrote the Tony Curtis autobiography a while back, so this may be of interest.

THE PERSUADERS! (starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore) is coming to Blu-ray as a complete series set. This release is in England only (so far) but hopefully this 40TH ANNIVERSARY set will be coming to America soon! Rumor has it that Sir Roger Moore will even attend one of the launch event.

Thanks!

--Scott

Robyn

March 14, 2014 - 6:37pm

I am instantly "there" and can nearly hear Thel making that comment absolutely tongue-in-cheek and hoping to get a laugh out of anyone in earshot("What is this in 'real' money?"). Ever the fun-lover, she adored making people smile - she was still pranking and laughing at us well into her 90's. And as to her "feminist" trail-blazing - at the ripe old age of 42 she was cursed with a tom-boy, anti-establishment daughter (SURPRISE!). Howz that for payback?! I can still see that look of horror on her 95-year-old face as I fired up my Harley and screamed down Mountainview Blvd. in a blast of hollowed-out pipes. You could almost hear her thinking to herself, "What have I done...?"

Robyn

March 14, 2014 - 7:12pm

I can literally see the mischievious look in her eye as she made the "immortal" reply. Seriously, why did they name it after a hot dog?? smile Even into her 90's she would often get that look from her 'spot' in the living room chair. Knowing with just a few words she could spice up the moment. Many times I wondered if she weren't simply the 'director' manipulating all of us for her own amusement. Sometimes commenting on my hairstyle in her inimitable way. "You look like Lizzy Zilch." or, "Did you comb your hair with an eggbeater?" Or the ever-ready, "You aren't going out looking like that, are you?" Always said with that little smile. None of this had the ability to completely repress my likeliness to go to the mall at any time looking like "something the cat dragged in", to use mother's phrase. I knew full well mother never went ANYWHERE without the full treatment: hair done, pressed clothes, lipstick, powder and rouge. No wonder she often had such a perplexed, yet resigned look whenever she had to watch me barrel out the door still wearing my pajama bottoms ("I'm only going to the grocery store.").

Robyn

March 3, 2014 - 11:52am

God knows Thelmah is real - real enough to give me what-for any time she felt like it. Growing up, I never wondered what Thelmah thought about at any given moment. I distinctly remember "You look like Lizzy Zilch!" Thel didn't care for my ratted boufant hairdo back in the days of The 'Bubble'. All the cool girls were sportin' bubble-do's. (Yikes, who would remember that?? You shush, Barry Joseph...don't ever forget how much OLDER than me YOU are.)

Johnna A. Pro

August 8, 2011 - 9:45am

Barry -
So nice to see you've finally entered the 20th Century! You are by far, my dear, the best writer I know and that speaks volumes coming from a writer such as myself. As you know, I've had the pleasure of reading every one of your books (except Stella) and have enjoyed each one immensely. I must say, though, I'm growing old waiting for Pierce... How long must I wait?
Much love,
Miss J.
Writer, Publicist, and now KDKA Radio Host
(KDKA-AM 1020 "NewsTalk" Saturdays 6-9 pm)

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