This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life
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PRAISE FOR THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING
“What a wonderful walk down memory lane with one of my favorite people! Not only did Gavin safely helm the ship to all the great ports of the globe, but he calmed the ‘seas of egos,’ old and young. But I was the lucky one—I got to marry the captain.”
—MARION ROSS, MRS. C. FROM HAPPY DAYS
“Incredible is a word used to describe the amazing, as well as something we don’t believe to be true. Gavin’s book demands the first interpretation! That’s an unqualified assertion made on the grounds of knowing him well—in triumph or through trial, at both high and low points of life’s ebb and flow. I have been Gavin and Patti’s pastor for over thirty years. Thus, I endorse a man of character and kindness: the Captain of the Love Boat was, and is, a gracious, thoughtful, reliable, and trustworthy man of accomplished professionalism. So as you meet the host of personalities he introduces from his life experience, or read his interactions with life and people, you can believe you’re hearing the real story—not a puff job or schmooze treatment. Gavin’s real! And his story is amazing! And it’s both a fun and hearttouching read.”
—DR. JACK W. HAYFORD, CHANCELLOR,
THE KING’S UNIVERSITY-LOS ANGELES/DALLAS
“From struggling on the wrong side of the tracks in poverty to sailing the seven seas in luxury, from hot dog lunches to ship launches, Gavin MacLeod’s life is a story of an American dreamer and his dream, and it shows how tenacity, faith, and talent (and a gorgeous smile doesn’t hurt) can get you where you need to go, with or without hair. Reading his book has been a little unnerving for me because I know Gavin as my friend and neighbor and love him dearly, but now, after reading about his sometimes difficult journey, I treasure him even more. What a wonderful man, a true American ambassador.”
—NANCY SINATRA, SINGER, ACTOR, AND AUTHOR
“When The Love Boat set a ‘course for adventure’ in 1977, who could have predicted the enormous impact this TV show would have on the then-nascent cruise industry, let alone how it would introduce Princess Cruises to a wonderful ambassador? I’ve had the privilege of calling Gavin my friend and inspiration for over two decades. Like a rising tide that lifts all boats, I’ve seen him lift the spirits of all he comes into contact with. His enthusiasm for life, for people, for storytelling—and also for cruising—is infectious. I don’t think there’s ever been a better spokesperson for a company or industry, ever. Sailors set their course by the stars, and Gavin has been our shining star.”
—JULIE BENSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF
PUBLIC RELATIONS, PRINCESS CRUISES
“I just got back from the most delightful cruise and I never got seasick! I just cruised through Gavin MacLeod’s wonderful book This Is Your Captain Speaking, and only a real cruise on the real Love Boat would equal it. Like everyone else in America, I knew he was a great actor and always seemed like the kind of man you’d love to live next door to and have as a friend. After reading his compelling and candid story, I understand why I felt this way. Gavin’s life story is fascinating just to read, but I found it far more than another book about a celebrity’s life. It’s a book about life, period, and the insights, lessons, and life experiences he so honestly shares will leave you inspired, refreshed, and encouraged. Whether you feel like your ship is setting sail or sinking, you will be in good hands with this Captain! This book is like the midnight buffet without the calories!”
—MIKE HUCKABEE, SYNDICATED TV AND
RADIO HOST AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
“Who wouldn’t love to spend an intimate evening or two with one of the most beloved actors in the country? A few hours in which he tells of his countless experiences with a who’s who of show business and then takes you behind the curtain into his own checkered, almost unbelievable life, with its highs and lows and remarkable accomplishments. Best of all, he shares how he came to know and love and devote his life to his own Captain, the Creator of the Universe.
“I love it. It’s a modern-day Pilgrim’s Progress.”
—PAT BOONE, ENTERTAINER
“Gavin epitomizes the old-fashioned concept of a gentleman. He is a loving, generous, and authentic seeker of God’s truth. His life story speaks for itself.”
—KATHIE LEE GIFFORD, COHOST OF THE TODAY SHOW
“You will love this book. It’s filled with fun, faith, and hope. Just like my friend Gavin MacLeod!”
—FLORENCE HENDERSON, ACTOR, SINGER,
AND AMERICA’S FAVORITE TV MOM
“With his characteristic, contagious exuberance, Gavin recounts his life story with unvarnished candor—beginning as a young boy from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ who goes on to reach the pinnacle of acting success while encountering a lot more than just bumps and bruises along the way. Inspirational and richly evocative, Gavin’s story isn’t simply a celebration of his life and those with whom he’s worked—it’s a heart-lifting, encouraging celebration of that often forgotten American dream itself.”
—JOHN TINKER, EMMY AWARD-
WINNING TELEVISION PRODUCER
Copyright © 2013 by Gavin MacLeod
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group. W Publishing is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.
Author is represented by the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920; alivecommunications.com
ISBN: 978-0-8499-4762-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013941972
Printed in the United States of America
13 14 15 16 17 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is dedicated to the Captain of my life, who came that I might have life and have it more abundantly.
CONTENTS
Preface · One Door Closes . . .
Chapter 1 · Pleasantville
Chapter 2 · Life Goes On
Chapter 3 · The Big Apple
Chapter 4 · Broadway, Baby!
Chapter 5 · Hurry for Hollywood
Chapter 6 · The Elevator Goes Up . . .
Chapter 7 · Connections
Chapter 8 · Glorified
Chapter 9 · Half-Full . . .
Chapter 10 · You’re Gonna Make It After All
Chapter 11 · Love Is All Around
Chapter 12 · Chuckles
Chapter 13 · Learning to Quit
Chapter 14 · The Fame Game
Chapter 15 · Climb Aboard
Chapter 16 · Shipmates
Chapter 17 · My Crew
Chapter 18 · Seeing Stars
Chapter 19 · Man Overboard
Chapter 20 · The Life Boat
Chapter 21 · Moving On
Chapter 22 · Back in Port
Chapter 23 · The Sea’s Highs
Chapter 24 · New Callings
Chapter 25 · Not So Gracefully
Chapter 26 · Enjoying the Blessings
Acknowledgments
Photo Credits
About the Authors
Photos
PREFACE
ONE DOOR CLOSES .
. .
I REMEMBER IT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. I WAS SO excited. Here I was, this young actor with a single Broadway credit to his name, newly planted in Los Angeles with my beautiful wife, ready to take on the world. It was my first day shooting on a new television sitcom pilot with Hal March. Hal March! The incredibly popular host of The $64,000 Question! I couldn’t have been happier if I’d been called to sing opera at the Met straight out of glee club, or to pitch for the Mets straight out of the minor leagues. I went out and bought myself a new sweater at Bullock’s. (I wanted to look good for my first day.) I didn’t own a car then, so I rented a car to drive to the studio. I was flying.
My call wasn’t until late morning, around eleven o’clock. All the other actors were already rehearsing as I walked onto the set as quietly as I could. I’ll admit I was delighted when one of them spotted me and everyone stopped to say hello.
“Gavin, how are you?” they said. I met Hal March right away, and he didn’t seem all that friendly, but that was okay. It was just great to meet him and to think that I was about to work with him. The great comedic actor Stubby Kaye was there. I knew Stubby from New York, so I said, “Great to see you!” And the talented actress Jeanne Bal was on set too. “I loved you in Guys and Dolls,” I said. She was so gracious. They gave me a desk where I could lay my sweater and my script, behind a canvas lean-to where I could get changed if I wanted to. I was just buzzing. I was raring to go.
Finally we started rehearsing. Hal and I did a scene and there was a sofa between us. Hal said, “I think it would be fun if you go down on that line and I’ll go up, and then I go down—like a see-saw.”
I said, “Oh, that sounds good. Okay!” So we started to get into it when someone called, “Lunch!”
Union rules are strict, so we broke and went to lunch even though I’d barely begun. I was watching my weight at the time (as most actors are prone to do), so I just ate a little Jell-O and sat with Stubby. After a few minutes I excused myself so I could go inside and look over the script, and that’s where I was when the assistant director came over and said, “Gavin, Kerwin Coughlin wants to see you.”
“The casting director? Okay.” I noticed no one else had come back from lunch yet. “Where is everybody?”
“Oh, they’re coming in. They’re going to a different setup,” he said. I started to go and he added, “Why don’t you take your script and your sweater with you?”
Why would the casting director want to see me? I wondered. I didn’t ask. I just grabbed my things and walked to his office. It had a screen door on the back, I remember, and as I put my hand on the door handle I thought, You know, Hal March wasn’t all that friendly to me. Could I be getting fired?
All that glorious excitement I had felt suddenly wrenched into a knot in my stomach. I stepped into the office and asked the secretary right away, “Is something happening to me that I think is happening to me?” She said, “Yeah. They let you go.”
It was like a dagger to my heart. I’d never been fired. From anything.
Coughlin called me in and said he was sorry. He explained that Hal had someone else in mind and that I was still going to get paid. “I don’t care about that!” I said. Acting is the only thing I know how to do. How can I be getting fired? The explanations were all a bunch of baloney. This is Hollywood? I thought. I didn’t even get to show them what I can do! How can they fire me?
I was destroyed. I held that sweater in my hand and cried all the way back to my rented car. I didn’t know what to do, so I drove to my agent’s office.
“What are you doing here?” he said.
“Hal March fired me.” My agent couldn’t believe it either. He called over to the production office and they assured me I was going to get paid, which my agent thought would appease me, but it didn’t. I was crushed.
My happiness was so tied to my work back then that I thought it was all over. I honestly wondered if I would ever act again. I’ve barely begun, and my career is already finished. I’d never even entertained the possibility of getting fired, so I let that news destroy me. And now, I thought, I have to go home and tell my wife?
Harry Guardino, another great actor, lived right across the way from me in those days. I ran into him as I got home. He and I had gone on the road together in A Hatful of Rain, but he had come to Hollywood much earlier and had done Houseboat with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren by then. I really looked up to the guy. He knew I had a big show that day and he was surprised to see me. “What are you doing home?” he said.
“Hal March fired me.”
“That no-talent . . .” Harry picked up an ashtray and threw it. He was a real Italian guy and on the volatile side. “That show’s not gonna work,” he said. “This is gonna come back to him, you watch. You gonna get paid?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well, that’s all right,” he said. “I never liked Hal March anyway.”
It was nice to have the support. I thanked him for saying it. But it didn’t help. I walked in as my wife came out of the kitchen.
“What are you doing home?”
I was so ashamed I just looked at the floor. “They fired me.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes!” It felt like my whole life was over. I’d let her down. I’d moved us all the way to California from Manhattan, and now I’d let her down. “I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to do this again.” My mind started racing, wondering what I did wrong. I didn’t even have a chance to show them anything! I sat there lost in the fear that I’d made a mistake, that everything I’d done in my life had led to this failure. I’d blown it somehow, and I didn’t even know how. Thank God I didn’t have kids then and have to tell them. I don’t think I could have faced it.
I sat there wallowing in that horrible feeling of failure for the better part of the afternoon. And then the phone rang. It was my agent: “Gavin, do you know Blake Edwards?”
“I’ve heard of him,” I said. In fact, I think I sent him a flyer with my picture on it, trying to promote myself.
“Well, he’s doing a new pilot called Peter Gunn. Can you go over to see him at four o’clock?”
“I guess so,” I said unenthusiastically. Why would anyone want to hire a guy who’s just been fired?
“Should I bring my hair?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, “bring your hair.”
I had been bald since college. There wasn’t much work for a young bald actor, so I kept my hairpiece in a box, ready to go. (I’ll tell you a funny story about that hairpiece a little later on.)
It was almost four, so I got up, kissed my wife good-bye, and hurried over to Blake Edwards’s office. I tried to be cheerful after what had just happened to me, but I felt defeated again as I walked in. There was another actor there waiting to be seen, a very handsome actor (whom I would later recognize as Carl Betz, the guy who played the husband on The Donna Reed Show). I thought, What am I here for? I can’t be here for his part!
They finally called me in, and I met Blake Edwards and another guy with a bald head—his friend, Dick Crocket—and we started talking. I didn’t mention that I had just been fired. Instead, I mentioned that I had recently done a small part in a film called I Want to Live! Blake perked right up. He told me his stepfather was the production manager on that, a guy named Jack McEdward. “I remember him!” I said. Suddenly the conversation seemed energized. We started talking about my other credits. He was aware of my performance in A Hatful of Rain, which had picked up some really good reviews.
I said, “I’ve been acting since I was a kid, but I’m new out here.” We talked and laughed about a bunch of stuff. Then all of a sudden, he stopped. “You know what?” he said. “The lead heavy in this pilot was gonna be Italian.” (The “heavy,” for those who don’t know, is an old Hollywood term that refers to the bad guy in a film.) “But I want you to play him,” he said. “I’m gonna make him Irish. His name’s gonna be Fallon.”
I could hardly believe it. Blak
e Edwards was re-envisioning and rewriting a part right there in his office, just for me. “Thank you so much, Mr. Edwards,” I said.
What I wanted to do was drop to my knees and say, “Thank you, God!” I was floored. Gee whiz, I thought. What a day! To go from being fired and thinking I was finished to a thing like this, where a director is going to change and rewrite a part just for me? Wow.
My agent told me Peter Gunn was the fastest-selling pilot ever made up to that time, and as fate would have it, that meeting would mark the beginning of a long and fruitful working relationship with the great Blake Edwards. A couple of weeks later I was invited to go to the show’s first screening, and I brought my wife to mingle with all those big stars. Oh, and by the way: Hal March’s pilot never sold! If I hadn’t been fired, I would have been tied up for months and I never would have had the chance to work with Blake.
A couple of months later, Blake hired me again—this time for a role in a film called Operation Petticoat, starring Tony Curtis and Cary Grant. A film that would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay. He’d bring me back for roles in three more films after that, too, including The Party with Peter Sellers and High Time with Bing Crosby. (I’ve got a picture from that set where Bing’s in drag and I’m dancing with him! How many actors have that?) It was all those great parts that eventually helped me land The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love Boat.
So I’m here to tell you: even on what you think is the bleakest day of your life, don’t give up. In the acting business, you learn that lesson pretty quickly. You work, you don’t work, you work, you don’t work, you work. Life is like that too. One door closes; another one opens. It all works out eventually. For a lot of years I wondered, Why is that? Only now I know: even if you don’t believe it, even if you’re not fully appreciative of it, God is there watching over you. Always.