Personal Glimpses

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE LIVES OF THE FAMOUS

Houdini, the famous magician, was never too busy to compose a love letter to his wife, and from 1913 to the time of his death he wrote one of these letters every single day – many of them long compositions, none casual lines. If he was at home, he would hide them about the house; and for six months after his death Mrs Houdini continued at intervals to find these letters. THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE, RD FEBRUARY 1938

Comedy actress Joan Blondell, who often played the wisecracking blonde, describes her method of using a timer to get out of the dumps: “I set the timer for six-anda-half minutes to be lonely and 22 minutes to feel sorry for myself. And then when the bell rings I take a shower or a walk or a swim, or I cook something – and think about someone else.” ROBERT DE ROOS, RD DECEMBER 1969 Show-business people often get an exaggerated idea of their own importance, admits actor Mike Farrell, who played the part of B.J Hunnicut on the hit television series M*A*S*H. It’s good to have people around, especially your family, to see yourself in the right perspective, he says.

“I was at my house being interviewed, and the reporter kept telling me how great I was,” Farrell recalls. “My head was beginning to swell and my chest puff out when I heard my little daughter calling me from the bathroom with: ‘Daddy, I’m finished. Come help me.’”

“It brought me back to ground zero immediately.” BOB BARRY, WISN, RD SEPTEMBER 1984