Knowing Grayson

An Interview With Robert Finocchio by Nancybe

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1. How did you become a fan of Grayson’s? Was it during the run of Dark Shadows?

Yes, it was during the run of Dark Shadows. I was an original viewer and watched the show from its premiere on 6/27/66.By the time Grayson came along, I was an avid fan of the show and was crazy about the wonderful actors and actresses who had created so many much-loved characters! Grayson was a unique, splendid addition to the cast! I will never forget Julia confronting Barnabas with the truth on that fateful day in 1967 with the uttering of the simple words, "I’ve been waiting for you for a long time ... a very long time"! I thought that Julia was gutsy and fearless ... much like the fabulous lady who portrayed her, as I would find out later!

2. When, where and how did you meet Grayson for the first time? What are your memories of that first meeting? Do you remember what she was wearing, how she looked, or what you talked about? Did you meet Sam at that time too? What were your first impressions of Grayson? Of Sam?

I actually met Grayson and Sam for the first time when they came to St. Louis during their promotional tour for Night of Dark Shadows in August 1971. Grayson had contacted us a few weeks earlier to let us know where they would be staying (at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel) and when they would be coming in. Of course, we were thrilled and couldn't wait for that fateful day to arrive! Mark Messina, our mutual friend Jackie, and her daughter Angelique (yes, named after you know who!) all waited patiently in the hotel lobby until their car pulled up. Grayson and Sam were accompanied by the local MGM representative, Gary Johnson, whom I was acquainted with because he had been of great help to me in obtaining publicity items from House of Dark Shadows. He was equally helpful in my getting similar items from Night of Dark Shadows. 

Grayson and Sam were both warm and gracious and made us feel very welcome! I remember feeling very excited but not especially nervous. I had spoken to Grayson any number of times on the phone, and she always put me at ease. Meeting her in person seemed somewhat natural and perfectly normal. Ah, youth... We had bought a gift for the Halls, an ice cream sundae set, which Grayson ogled over, "Oh, what have you done? We love ice cream sundaes!" I, of course, was thrilled when she handed me her copy of the script from Night of Dark Shadows, an absolutely necessary companion to the HODS script that she had sent me the year before! After we visited in the lobby for awhile, the Halls left to check into their suite while we poured over the script to find out how the movie ended! After they were all settled in, they came back down, and we all left the hotel for a walking tour of the area around the hotel. Mark's mother worked in a fur shop around the corner from the hotel, so we stopped there so that Grayson could meet her. While there, Grayson tried on a white fur coat while I snapped away with the camera! 

After we returned to the hotel, the Halls had to get ready for their first meeting with the press, a reporter from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mimi Teichman (I can't believe that I remember her name after almost 30 years!). We didn't hang around because they had an on-camera interview to do afterwards with our local CBS affiliate and had dinner plans with the MGM people. However, we were back early the next morning to find out how the interviews went and to review plans for the day. They had another on-camera interview that morning, this time with our NBC affiliate. We hung around the hotel bar until the interview was over, and then we all relaxed in their suite for awhile. We talked about the movie, her plans for the immediate future, the planned syndication of Dark Shadows, the play she had just closed in, The Last Analysis (obviously not a favorite of hers, but she did say that she had wanted to get back to the theater after her four years on the soap and was grateful to have had the opportunity to do so), and many other things that my aging brain has scrambled after so many years. We did discuss my plans to move to the 'Big Apple' in just a very few weeks. Graciously, the Halls insisted that I call them as soon as I was settled in New York so that we could get together.

I remember vividly that Grayson wore one of Carlotta's dresses from the movie (the one that looked like it had wings) and also wore the Carlotta wig during both her newspaper and on camera interviews. When she wasn't in the interview mode, she generally wore pantsuits and had her own natural hair. Sam was making arrangements to meet with some of his family on the next leg of the tour.It was a delightful, whirlwind two days, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity of meeting them for the first time on local turf.

3. What are your memories of helping to run Grayson’s fan club? How did you become involved with it? Were you in touch with Grayson often? Was she very involved with the club? What were the club’s activities and how many members did it have? What were the years that it was active?

Grayson's first fan club was run by a lovely young lady from Pennsylvania named Sue Foltz. Sue ran the club for about a year (early 1968-1969, I believe) but was forced to give it up due to family problems. My friend, Mark Messina, who also lived in St. Louis at the time, was also a major Grayson Hall fan and seized the opportunity to phone Grayson and ask if he could take over the club. Grayson agreed, I happily assumed the responsibilities of vice-president, and the rest is history! 

We were in touch with Grayson quite regularly. She insisted that anytime Mark or I called, we should call her “collect.” Of course, we didn't complain because as teenagers, we never had much money! We always prepared for those phone calls in advance by writing a list of questions that we wanted to ask Grayson ... wouldn't want to forget anything, you know! Grayson was always incredibly candid and sometimes gave us more information than we needed to know, but we tried to be discreet about what we shared with the members. We wanted to release only genuine news items, not innuendo or rumors. Such lofty goals for teens running a fan club! Grayson was a wonderful honorary (hate that word, but it applies, I guess) and was very cooperative not only in the exchange of information over the phone but with the photos that she shared with us, the Dark Shadows scripts, and the financial support. 

Newsletters were issued bi-monthly (I think ... pretty hard to remember that long ago, but Mark was also running a fan club for Clarice Blackburn, and I was running one for Diana Millay so I don't think we had the time to accomplish monthly newsletters for Grayson's club. But I could be wrong.) We sent new photos whenever we could and of course the standard fan club package which included a membership card, biography, welcoming letter, etc. Grayson also sent us cartons of fan mail which we answered for her by sending out a handwritten form letter and an 8x10 photo. Most fans will be disillusioned to learn that the handwritten form letter was actually written by me and the 8x10 photos actually had Robert Finocchio's original signature, not Grayson’s! I originally wrote up the letter which we included with the photo and sent it to Grayson to re-write in her own hand, but she thought it looked perfectly fine just as it was, so off it went to the duplicators in my own scrawly handwriting (trying to look like Grayson, you know) and out they went with the "personally" autographed photos! Signing so many photos got old pretty quickly, let me tell you! 

Of course, all of the photos that were sent out as part of the fan club material were indeed signed by Grayson. We would never permit the members of any of our fan clubs to receive anything but the real thing...and that's the absolute truth! There were about 300 or so members, and the club flourished from 1969 until late 1972/early 1973 when Mark had to bow out due to a heavy schedule at school, and by that time I had moved to New York, moved back to St. Louis and was busy getting on with my life. The fan club years were incredible though, and I wouldn't have changed a thing!

4. I understand that you have heard the tape of Dee Kearney and Mark Messina’s visit with Grayson in August of 1970. Do you remember any of the questions or answers from that tape?

Boy, is this a hard question! I did indeed listen to the tape many times, but that was 30 years and decades of technology ago. First of all, the interview was done with a small, ancient reel-to-reel recorder, so the quality was fairly mediocre and some of the answers were hard to distinguish. But I do remember a few tidbits. When asked about her various roles on DS and which were her favorites, she said, "Oh, Julia is a pain in the ass! I much prefer Magda, you know that!" She went on to explain that she and Thayer David had worked together to perfect the accents for Magda and Sandor. She wanted to do the same for Natalie DuPres in 1795 but said that she “wasn’t nervy enough to push it back then,” and that neither David Ford nor Kathryn Scott knew French well enough that their accents could all be on an equal level.  

When asked if she preferred the mini or midi look in skirts, Grayson said that she wasn't going to throw her short things away, but she loved the "midi with boots look." When asked about her favorite recent films, her response was "I adored The Damned and Z." Favorite opera? "I love the whole Ring thing - Wagner and The Tristan and Isolde bit." When asked about the current DS story line (August, 1970; pre-1840 Daphne/Gerard set up), she said, "I think it's currently a marvelous story line, don’t you?" She went on to say that she thought the Leviathan story had been pretty awful and also that "The whole I’m Petofi/I’m Quentin story was a big, fat bore!" When asked about what qualities she looked for in a man, her response was, "He would have to be viable and a - long rather than an ordinary good looking man - a penosch!" (I can't swear to any of the spelling! RVF)   

5. Did you ever visit Grayson in any of her homes? Which ones? What did you think of them, e.g., the furnishings, the décor, etc.?

I did visit the Halls’ apartment on Seventh Avenue in New York City, and it was quite a place! I remember that the walls in the front of the apartment (foyer and living room) were a deep Pompeii or Chinese red, and in their bedroom, the walls were covered in fabric with a blue design. I'm not very good about noticing furniture or decor. But I do remember what an interesting, big, roomy apartment it was! I was particularly impressed by the dumbwaiter in the kitchen where boxes and bags of groceries were sent up from the street level by the local grocer! Imagine not having to lug bags of groceries home from the store! You go, you buy, they fly! What a world!

I also remember Sam’s study and the bookcases stacked high with Dark Shadows scripts and his typewriter that always had a piece of paper in it! I also remember the plaster facemask of Grayson that she proudly displayed in her living room. It was made for her during the Brooklyn Academy of Music production of her play, The Screens. In the kitchen, Grayson had racks and racks of spices! They loved interesting, exotic foods, and she used spices like the rest of us use salt and pepper. She couldn't grasp the Idea that I liked everything plain - no sauces, no condiments, nothing but the very basics. I remember that she made something called dry mutton curry - does that sound gross or what? One of the more interesting things in the apartment was a little chest that was in the hallway and was filled with different photos of her throughout her career. We looked through a pile of them, including one of her sitting in the audience when they announced her name among the Oscar nominees. I remember thinking how her fans would go into a frenzy if they saw all those photos! The apartment was much like the people who lived there - charming, grand, warm and one-of-a kind!

6. I understand that you met Matt Hall in the ‘70s. How old was he at the time? What were the circumstances of your meeting him? What were your impressions of him? Have you been in contact with him recently?

I met Matt for the first time in March 1972 during a visit to Grayson’s apartment. He was 14 years old at the time. I found him to be an extremely pleasant, mature young man who was very easy to converse with. When Grayson left us alone to talk for awhile, I remember we talked about his classes at school and Spanish class in particular. I doubt that Grayson would have appreciated my sharing the story of my own second year Spanish exam with him! Our final was to write an essay in Spanish about an imagined vacation that we took. I went to the library, found a book in Spanish that looked like a diary of someone's vacation! I copied an entire chapter verbatim, turned it in as my final and got an A+ on it and as a result was recommended for third year Spanish which I did not  want to take! I shared this story with Matt, and he thought it was great and wished that he had been so lucky. Can you imagine how Grayson would have reacted to my promoting cheating to her intelligent, hard-working son? 

I didn't see Matt again until years later at a Dark Shadows Festival. He was there as a guest, and I was part of the committee. He had apparently seen my name in the program list and asked Marcy Robin, one of the Festival guest relations folks, where he could find me. When Marcy walked up to me and said that she had someone with her who wanted to say hi, I looked straight at Matt and had no idea who he was! When he introduced himself, I flipped out! He had grown up so much, and I was caught totally off guard. We talked for awhile, and he was every bit as warm and friendly as he had been those nearly 20 years before! 

My last contact with him was a letter that he sent me with an autographed copy of his book, The Art of Breaking Glass. In his letter, he let me know that one of Sandra Bullock's representatives had commissioned the rights to his book to make into a feature film. They wanted him to write the screenplay, but he was already under a deadline for his next book and didn't have the time to take on the challenge. He inscribed the book to me, "To Robert...who has stuck with us longer than we probably deserve...Always, Matthew Hall." A classy, talented man. What more can I say?

7. What plays did you see Grayson perform in on stage? When was this? What do remember about her performances?

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Grayson perform live on stage in both Friends and Relations and The Screens. Shortly after I arrived in New York in September 1971, I phoned the Halls to let them know that I had survived the trip and was settled into my so-called residence. Sam told me that Grayson was rehearsing for a new off-Broadway play, Friends and Relations. I caught up with Grayson a few days later, and she gave me specifics about the opening night, name of the theater, etc. She also told me a bit about the play and that her co-star was accomplished actress Madeleine Sherwood. I made arrangements to see the play when it opened, and I remember it as a delightful, interesting production with impeccable performances by both Grayson and Miss Sherwood. This was a two-act play, one about friends, the other about relations. Each actress had the opportunity to play a somewhat slovenly character in one act and a more glamorous character in the other. It was a real treat to see two such respected, powerful actresses work so beautifully together! I also vividly remember the two big posters outside of the theater: "Starring Grayson Hall of Night of the Iguana and Dark Shadows" and "Starring Madeleine Sherwood of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Flying Nun."  

After the play, I decided not to bother Grayson, as I knew she would be tired. As I was leaving the theater, however, Sam saw me, grabbed me and told me that I absolutely should go backstage and visit Grayson and let her know my thoughts on the play. This was my second glimpse at how considerate the Halls were of each other's feelings and needs. When they were in town on the NODS tour, I remember how Grayson managed to commandeer the conversation to include the excellent quality of Sam’s writing in the movie script. It was obviously important to her that Sam feel appreciated for his work by fans of the show. Of course, we were only too happy to accommodate and heaped on the praise along with endless questions about the film! You could see that Grayson was very proud of Sam! Back to the theater performance, Sam knew Grayson instinctively and felt that she would welcome the presence of a fan and appreciate the accolades and support. I remember making my way backstage and seeing a young boy running around. I had wondered if perhaps he was Matthew Hall, but when I saw Grayson she told me that he was in fact the playwright' s son. Grayson was her usual gracious and appreciative self and thanked me for coming back to see her. We talked a bit about the play, and she asked me how I was getting along in N.Y. by myself. As I was leaving, I remember a funny but embarrassing moment. Two ladies opened the door to Miss Sherwood's dressing room (I assume to congratulate her on her performance) only to find the topless actress trying to change clothes! I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. I spoke to Grayson a day or so later because the critics had not been very supportive of the play. She was sad because she felt that the playwright did not deserve the criticism that was heaped upon him. Typical Grayson. 

Later that fall, Grayson began rehearsing Jean Genet's The Screens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Once the play opened, she was kind enough to arrange for a friend and me to come to one of the performances and left tickets for us at the box office. We didn't make it that night because my friend got sick, but Grayson made arrangements for me to come on another night by myself. I brought a bottle of scotch for the Halls for Christmas – this was December 1971 - and asked one of the theater staff if they could see that she received it. The play was one of the most visually stunning performances I have ever seen! Don't ask me any questions about the plot because I don't have a clue, but there were always several bits of major activity happening on the stage at one time, including a fat blonde roller skating around the stage, Grayson’s character running around with huge hatpins stuck in her breasts and an assortment of screwballs that only Jean Genet could have created!  During intermission, one of the ushers approached me and told me that Grayson wanted to see me backstage after the play. Once the play ended, and the excitement from the audience passed, I made my way backstage to see the divine Mrs. H. I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet two other fans who had come backstage to see Grayson. One was Sue Foltz, the original president of Grayson’s fan club, and the other was Lizzy Brodey, who had run a fan club for Robert Rodan. I had corresponded with both of these nice ladies during the DS years, so it was a special treat to be able to meet them in person. I was as complimentary about Grayson's performance as I knew how to be, considering that I was clueless about the plot and what that wonderful assortment of talented thespians was trying to accomplish! Grayson thanked me for the Christmas gift, and we chatted for a bit about my plans to fly home and spend Christmas with my family. 

As I headed for the subway, I remember thinking how fortunate I was to know Grayson and be a recipient of her kindness and generosity! There's just nothing like seeing a superb actress perform in a live theater production, and I am most thankful to have done so twice!

8. Did Grayson ever discuss her movie roles with you? Do you know which role was her favorite? Did she ever talk about her Oscar nomination?

Let me dig back into my memory banks and try to remember comments that Grayson shared about her films. I will always remember her comment when questioned about Satan in High Heels. She obviously didn't feel that this film was worth talking about because according to her, "It never happened." She was obviously more excited and challenged by Night of the Iguana, the location shoot in Mexico, and working with a cast of distinguished actors. Although I think that Grayson tried to underplay her excitement about her Oscar nomination, she did admit that it was one of the most exciting moments of her life! I don't remember her saying much about That Darn Cat except that at one time she had hoped doing the film on top of Iguana would open more doors for her career-wise.  

She was very happy with her French film, Qui-Etes-Vous, Polly Magoo? The location was much to her liking, and when she was called back to re-shoot some scenes several months after the film had wrapped, she chuckled with delight when friends sympathized that "poor Grayson" had to go back to re-do these scenes when in fact she was delighted to re-visit a location she was so enamored of!It's really too bad that we Americans never got to see this film! Judging from her comments about the costuming and plot, it must be a hoot! Any video copies floating around out there?  

She was very honest about her film, The End of the Road. She referred to it as "pretentious shit" and was very disappointed that many of her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor! She did stress that the X rating of the film had nothing to do with any of her scenes but rather an abortion scene in the film. For having ended up with a fairly small role in the film, she did get some very nice billing out of it and used that stellar billing to convince Dan Curtis to give her the “Also Starring” billing that she received in both DS films! So, thankfully she got something out of the film! She referred to her role in Adam at 6 a.m. as a "sweet little biddy" but was delighted to play the role for a then excellent salary of $25,000 for a relatively short shoot in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. She did mention working in the film with Dana Elcar, who had played Sheriff Patterson during the early days of DS.  

The only thing I remember her saying about the House of Dark Shadows film was that her hair would be longer in the film than it had been on the series and that it was at times a bit confusing trying to coordinate the shooting schedules for the film and the TV series. As far as Night of Dark Shadows is concerned, I remember her saying that the Carlotta wig came as an offshoot of her guest star role on TV’s Night Gallery. Dan Curtis apparently liked the wig that her character wore in the show and wanted that look for Carlotta. I also remember that Grayson battled (in a friendly way, of course!) with the costume designer of the film because she didn't want Carlotta to be dressed in the typical housekeeper's garb - and she obviously wasn't - so we know that Grayson’s power of persuasion wasn't flawed!

9. What were Grayson’s thoughts on Dark Shadows? Did she enjoy her roles and being on the show? Did she ever talk about playing Julia Hoffman or about Julia’s relationship with Barnabas? Did you ever visit the Dark Shadows set or meet any of the other Dark Shadows actors? Was Grayson ready to move on when the show was cancelled or would she have liked to have remained on the show?

I believe that Grayson enjoyed working on Dark Shadows, especially after Sam joined the writing staff. It became somewhat of lifestyle for them to be embroiled in the world of DS, entertaining cast and crew members in their home, meeting them fo dinner at N.Y. restaurants, Sam coming out of meetings with Dan Curtis and sharing the latest with Grayson, etc. One of the interesting aspects of Sam and Grayson as a couple is that they both enjoyed leading theatrical lives, being embroiled in high drama, and looking at their situation somewhat cynically. I believe they truly enjoyed being in the thick of things as far as the show is concerned, but you often found them poking fun at the whole thing as if they were observers watching a grand opera.

I don't think that Grayson was all that crazy about Julia because she wasn't as much of a challenge as ‘Magda,’ but she had as much fun with her as she was able to and enjoyed her long run with Jonathan Frid. I was never able to visit the Dark Shadows studio prior to the cancellation but came so close to going up for the farewell party in March, 1971. When our ride fell through at the last minute, it was pretty devastating! When I arrived in NYC in September 1971, of course I made a pilgrimage to Studio 16 and was delighted to find the graffiti collection from the fans still looming proudly on the outside of the building! It was a sad but exciting visit! 

Having been on the committees of both ShadowCon and the Dark Shadows Festival, I have met most of the cast and some of the crew over the years. While I was living in N.Y., I was able to meet Jerry Lacy, Lara Parker and Timothy Gordon, and they were warm and generous with their time! During the ShadowCon years, I remember how nice it was to see Jerry and Lara again and to meet Kathryn Leigh Scott, Michael Stroka, Humbert Astredo, Robert Rodan, John Karlen, Dennis Patrick, Lisa Richards, Denise Nickerson, Terry Crawford ... and I’m sure there are more that I’m forgetting! During those long ago days, I was happy to introduce my old friend Diana Millay to the world of conventions. She loved it and has been a vital part of it ever since! In 1981, during one of my visits, she had a DS party with guests Joan Bennett and her husband, David, Jonathan Frid, Louis Edmonds, Grayson (Sam couldn't make it - working!), Robert Costello and his wife, Sybil Weinberger, and Sy Tomashoff and his wife Naomi.I hope I didn't leave anyone out, but it was almost 20 years ago! After getting to know Jonathan a little at the party, I invited him to the next ShadowCon - his first convention - he agreed, and the rest is history! As you can tell, I delight in taking credit for that coup! During the DS Festival years, in addition to getting re-acquainted with the former ShadowCon guests, I was pleased to have met Marie Wallace, Donna Wandrey, Sharon Smyth, Roger Davis, Chris Pennock, Jim Storm, Robert Cobert, and others as well. I don't recall a time when the cast and crew weren’t wonderful, friendly, appreciative and thankful for the love and loyalty that they received from the fans! A truly remarkable group of people!

I often regret that Grayson did not have a chance to experience a DS Festival! Although she was somewhat ambivalent about the idea of this type of thing so many years after the show had been off the air, I think that she (like Jonathan) would have appreciated the genuine caring by the fans and the creativity behind the whole project! It's a shame we'll never have the opportunity to find out!

I think your last question is a tough one. While both Grayson and Sam appreciated the regularity of the show and the fact that it provided them with a nice living in addition to creative challenges, I think that both looked upon the ending as an opportunity to move onto other things. I think that they would have been happy if the show had gone on for awhile longer, but neither was devastated by its ending. I do remember Grayson sharing once (in the spring of 1972, I believe) that Sam was getting nervous that she wasn't working at that moment. Of course, she quickly reminded him that she hadn't been out of work for the past 5 years, so she deserved a little break! Of course, once Sam got hired to write One Life to Live, concerns about who was or wasn't working didn't seem to matter anymore.

10. Can you tell us anything about Grayson’s career after Dark Shadows? What was it like to spend a day on the set of One Life to Live?

Well, I have previously mentioned the plays that Grayson did immediately after Dark Shadows. After that, I remember her telling me about her short-term role of Marge Grey, a magazine reporter on All My Children. Over the years, if we happened to be talking while she was either rehearsing or doing a play, she would give me details about it. I remember her sharing about the TV film, The Two Deaths of Sean Doolittle, which Sam wrote for the ABC Wide World Mystery series. Of course she was thrilled with her role in Happy End on Broadway, what she considered her first good role in a Broadway show.  

I was a bit surprised that she had agreed to create the role of Euphemia Ralston on One Life to Live because I thought that she would resist another running role on soap. Actually, she was being considered for another role on One Life back in the mid-1970's. After Lisa Richards had created the role of Susan Barry on the show, they were considering bringing Grayson on as her alcoholic actress mother! Of course, she adored Lisa and could have played that role for all it was worth ... But it was never meant to be, and the character was never brought to life by the writers.

As far as my visit to One Life, I was expecting a hectic, fast-paced day of rehearsals, blockings, studying of lines, etc. But it was actually terribly boring, and most of the actors stood around complaining about not having enough to do! When I shared this with Grayson at Diana’s party, she did acknowledge that the process was different than the way they used to do it on DS where they taped the entire show as written. As the shows expanded to an hour, they shot different scenes on different sets at different times of the day and edited them all together for airing. I have also visited the sets of All My Children and The Young and the Restless and found that they were much more active than my day at OLTL, especially Y and R!  Busy folks...

11. When was the last time you were in touch with Grayson?

I'm pretty vague on this one, but I know that we spoke on the phone several times in 1983-1984. I did not have any idea that Grayson was seriously ill, and I was totally shocked when news of her death reached me!

12. Any other memories or impressions that you would like to share about Grayson?

Well, that's another hard question! I've covered so many things in these twelve questions (probably way more than anyone wanted to know!), and I don't want to be repetitive...so bear with me if I am! As I mentioned before, one thing about both Grayson and Sam that really impressed me was their respect and protectiveness for each other, taking care of each other when they needed to be lifted up and enjoying a wonderful theatrical relationship that included a great sense of humor and their cynical, sometimes glib view of life in general. They weren't afraid to laugh at themselves either!  

I remember an interview Grayson gave to a N.Y. newspaper. When the reporter asked her why she thought Dark Shadows was so popular, Grayson gave her perfect answer, "Do I know? Do I care?" Is that typical Grayson or what? I remember how incredibly grateful Grayson was one Christmas when I sent gifts for her, Sam and Matt. She was just floored that someone would send gifts for Sam and Matt as well. She was so accustomed to being singled out because of Dark Shadows and treated as an actress rather than a woman, a wife and a mother. I also remember how protective Grayson was of me when I was in N.Y. I guess she must have thought that this trusting Midwesterner was easy prey for the slick New Yorkers. When she saw me getting friendly with certain fans who used to frequent Studio 16, she took the time to warn me that I might get hurt if I continued to hang around these people...and she was absolutely right! If only I had listened to her! The stubbornness of youth, I guess! 

During the fan club years, Grayson always insisted that we call her collect, as she didn't want us to incur unnecessary expenses. At one point, Grayson started receiving a rash of collect calls from people saying that they were Mark Messina, Gloria Stavers (then editor of 16 Magazine) or myself. Once Grayson accepted the call, the person or persons calling would giggle and hang up. Grayson wrote us immediately and asked us to drop her a note to let her know when we would call so that she would accept the charges. I thought that was pretty considerate of her and downright inconsiderate of the people who drove her crazy with those collect calls. Go figure. 

Grayson and I also had an interesting experience shopping at the A & P Super Market.  We were gobbling down chocolate candy as we walked up and down the aisles. Grayson is my kind of shopper! She just grabbed items off the shelf and threw them in the cart. No comparison shopping for her! Her housekeeper, Carrie, had requested that Grayson pick up come Miracle White for her. We were both scratching our heads trying to figure out what it even was! I don't think we ever found it! I remember being in awe of the fact that once the groceries were paid for, we just walked away! All groceries were later delivered to the apartment and sent up the dumbwaiter into Grayson's apartment! Now, that's my idea of luxury!  

I will always remember Grayson's answer to the question about things she disliked: "Stupid people." Another classic Grayson response! Even more telling was when she was asked what her philosophy on life was. Her response: "Dignity for all mankind!" Was this a lady of class or what? I think my very favorite description of Grayson was given by George DiCenzo at one of the Dark Shadows Festivals. He called her a "fabulous, gutsy broad," and I personally think he was right on! Love ya, Grayson!