Finally! Flirting!

I’m in the liquor aisle deciding on what beer to buy. A woman in the cutest little jean shorts is sorta trailing me. She passes and stops in front of the Vodka and Gin. We both have our masks on. Boy, how do I flirt with masks on during a pandemic? But there’s a sexiness about her.
“I’d go with the vodka, ” I say. ” It works great against COVID, but I’d stay away from Lysol and Clorox.”
She laughs, a real laugh, and says “right.”
Even with her mask on I could tell she was blushing.
The masks added something, an unknown anticipation of what I don’t know. I took a picture of her in my head, her presence in case I would see her again without masks. Then and only then we would know.
Daniel Beer

Little Lost German Boy, Found.

 

I received an email from the German Consulate Los Angeles that read.  “I am pleased to inform you that we have received your Certificate of Citizenship.”   A two year process to regain my German Citizenship that was given up by my parents at the age five to become a United States Citizen.  I remember wearing a suit, which meant it was an important day.  Bare white walls, white ceiling,  the lights bright.   I remember that moment, but I don’t remember your name.

At the age of two and a half Mom and I came to America from Germany.  Before our connecting flight to Rochester N.Y., where my new father was waiting, we landed at JFK.   I remember looking out the egg shaped plane window.   My second birthday was in Peising Germany a Bavarian village with only an onion domed church I could see from my Tante Hilda’s window.  I remember pedaling the green plastic  hollow bodied tractor truck I received for that birthday.  I remember this, but I don’t remember your name.

When I applied to regain my citizenship, I discovered that I was technically still a German Citizen.  It wasn’t my choice at the age of five to become an American Citizen.  Therefore it wasn’t my choice to give up my German Citizenship.  None of this guaranteed me regaining my citizenship.  Many times I had asked Mom about becoming a German Citizen again. “Oh no, I don’t think you can do that,” she said. “It would be impossible.”  She never talked about the old country, nobody in our family really did, which sends the message to a kid that is must be, “not okay.”   Much later I found out why the silence.  Mom had secrets back across the ocean that she had hoped were left under blankets of lies.  A child will lose who they are to  be a part of a family held together by secrets and lies.  Because that is its purpose,  that is how one survives.  With time the questions get answered,  the true pieces of the puzzle show the real picture.   The episodes of all the questions are too long to list.  Maybe this is why I remember these things.  But I don’t remember your name.

The German Consulate is on Wilshire and Crescent, a short drive from where I live.   I wore my best dress shirt, and was clean shaven.  Surprisingly, I was calm and excited.  I hadn’t told anyone in my family.  I didn’t want it to be taken away again.  Today was my day, I was moving forward by going back. I didn’t come to America in steerage.  I came here on a plane as a boy who lost his first language, which I was learning again.  In the waiting room everyone spoke German, and much to my delight I understood  most of it.  When it was my turn to approach the glass divider,  I greeted the woman in German.  Then in English I told here why I was there.                                                                          “How cool  is that?” she asked.                                                                                                            I almost laughed, I was smiling so much.

She handed me the light yellow certificate of citizenship.  I recognized at the top of the document the BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSHLAND, and the coat of arms of the Black Eagle for “Federal Eagle.”   It’s on my child passport I still have from when I came to America.   I remember this.  In the middle of the certificate above my birthdate, and the city where I was born Regensburg, I see it. I’ve seen it a million times, but it felt like the first time I see the whole of it.  Mein Name.

Ich heisse Christian Daniel Beer

 

 

Creepshow 2, Stands The Test Of Time

Groovy

Thought you all would dig this. For some reason, I’m seeing a lot of Creepshow 2 on my FBook.  Anyone know why?  Yes, I was in this film. Yes I froze my butt off.  Oh, it was released 31 yrs ago around this time?   Fright Rags is doing these T’s in honor of the release. Fright Rags does high quality stuff, and they are located by coincidence near where I grew up, Rochester N.Y.   I grew up in Honeoye Falls.  Fright Rags did a Raft T years ago, that I’ve signed a few times.  Hopefully, I’ll get to sign one of these. No, I do not received any royalties from sales of these T-Shirts.  Posting this for any fans of the film, who would like this.   Crazy how long ago it was.  So much fun that the film keeps being rediscovered.

It’s an honor to be immortalized on a T-shirt!

21 Jump Street

Nemesis.  Toadman

Here are some great memories of guest starring with Richard Greico, and my fellow cast mates.  The show was filmed in Vancouver.

The director Ken Wiederhorn had to fight for me to get the part of Toadman. The network didn’t see a  young leading man playing the part who’s name comes from doing too many mushrooms. They saw the part going to a weird character actor. The director said, “Wait till you see this kid Daniel act.”  Ken told me that on the set. Television moves so fast that seldom does a director fight for an actor.  That day I thanked him. Thanks again Ken. Love you for that.

I’m a highly trained actor. An Actors Studio member. I started training at 18 yrs of age, and I still study at The Studio.  For Toadman I worked on an animal exercise. What kind? A gorilla.  A friend of mine saw the episode and said, “you don’t walk like that.”  Exactly I was slightly using a gorillas walk.  Also, I was so much taller than the other actors, Ken kept asking me to slouch, so a gorilla is slouched.  Acting is so much, when you have training.  Yes, I worked on other things for the character too.

Richard Greico and I hit it off. It was his first solo episode; he had a lot riding on it. He made sure we were okay with everything on set.  You can see in our scenes that Richard and I were really having fun. Richard is so unaffected by stardom. Down to earth guy.   He’s a helluva artist, you should see his paintings.

The photo of all of us sitting on the picnic table takes place in the morning at the high school.  You can see in the photo that I’m holding a book. It’s the book Less Than Zero, which I was reading at the time. And I was drinking a coke. None of which was in the script. I added it, thinking what would I be doing in this scene before school starts. I remember the stoners from school would be drinking soda. I wanted Toadman to be smart, so I added the book.  The director loved it, but right before we shot he had to clear the coke with the network. If coke sponsored the show?  Yes they did.  Another scene I start by writing in my journal.  I wanted Toadman to be smart.  I added so many little things like that to Toadman.  The director gave me free reign.   At The Actors Studio West Martin Landau would always tell us, ” eighty five percent of an actors work is never seen.”  I miss you Martin.  In the episode Nemesis I got to really use many things I learned studying as an actor.  I thought you all would get a kick out of these behind the scenes photos and stories.  Oh I have more, like partying in a stretch limo. But some memories I’ll keep for myself.

 

 

A Moment With Faye

I’m heading for the exit to walk out of The Actors Studio. By the door, sitting in the front row is Faye Dunaway with a boot on her foot for a broken foot. She’s kinda struggling to get up. No one notices. I give her my arm. “Darling, do you need some help?” Yes, I called her Darling.
She takes my arm, “Thank you, aren’t you sweet.”
“My pleasure,” She stands up, her arm in mine, like we’re on a date. “What did you do? Go skiing and break it.”
“No,” she looked at me like, don’t be silly. Well, I was, and she got it.
“I like your hat.”
She blushed, “Oh thanks.”
It’s good to find something in a woman’s out fit and compliment her on it.
She was wearing a cool fedora style hat, and she looked great, very thin, and I felt that she was fit , her arm entwined with mine was strong.
The whole time she had been quietly sitting in the front row, leaning forward, listening, looking back at another Actor Studio Member when they commented on the scene. I thought, my goodness, she’s an actress beyond accomplishment and she still comes here-to her roots. She’s the real deal, and loves this craft of acting with passion. I look forward to seeing her again.

First Podcast Interview For My Debut Novel

http://profondo-cinema.blogspot.com/2016/06/episode-185-daniel-beer-interview.html

It’s much harder to talk about my writing than my acting, and films. I loved the challenge of making it interesting.  Eric was a great host. I have to give a special thanks to Lee Karr for the introduction. For you all fans of my films, and TV shows I do discuss them too. When you order my debut novel, you can read a sample chapter, synopsis, and my bio. Pretty cool.  You can order here https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-silence-of-remembering        Here’s quote from my book.

WHEN I died, I didn’t see the long dark tunnel with a bright light at the end that would take me up above the clouds.  For a moment, I thought it was just a dream, being in a coma and all, because when I awoke, I was back at my Victorian home on North Main Street in Honeoye Falls New York, a one-stop-light town named after the Seneca Indians, and the waterfall that once powered the old saw mill.

Look forward to your responses.

It’s More Than A Fitting

Every time I have an audition, fitting, and am shooting something on one of the grand old studio lots, I feel the lineage of those who’ve passed through the gates.  Studio lots are magical. They are a world unto themselves. With in the gates a cool breeze always seems to be at your face. Only one word to describe it, ‘tranquil.” I could stay there all day.

The studios used to be three times the size they are now.  It had to be jaw dropping back then. I like to picture it, when I walk the narrow studio streets, the sound stages, and the buildings named after the golden era movie makers.  I so appreciate that this kid from a village of two thousand in Upstate NY gets to feel the breeze.  I had no business ended up here.  No help from family. No one where I came from set their sights on being in front of a camera in show business.  I was a country kid. I’m proud of that.

I’ve worked on all the major studio lots. Each time I’m reminded of the images we all have grown up seeing of the Hollywood Studios.  The day I took this photo I had a fitting on the Paramount Lot for the show Rizzoli & Isles. I’ll being guest starring on the show. My fitting was in the Edith Head bldg.   “Edith Head was an American costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, starting with The Heiress and ending with The Sting.”  Before I walked into the building, I knew who she was.  Was I in awe? Yes. Am I in awe of having a drive on pass to the studio? Yes, every time.  This kid, who fished in a creek, and bailed hay in summer does not take for granted where has has ended up.  My name will never be on one of the studio lot buildings.  I can say this though, “I have been there, I’ve worked there. I am in the building.  Pretty good kid. Pretty good.”   And thank you Edith Head, after all you helped build the place.