Cannes-T'is Friday afternoon here at the Cannes Film Festival in France. From a blue sky overhead, the bright sun shines down on the white Festival Theatre and the wide, bright red carpet, stretching from the street entrance along the expansive approach and up 30 steps, and stops at the front doors of the Festival Theatre
at 7:00 p.m., appropriate movie music began; the host announces the events; the appearing celebrities, tuxedoed and gowned, begin arriving along the Boulevard de la Croisette, in shiny black limousines. They disembark into beams of TV lights and flash cameras and walk a hundred yards to the entrance of the red carpet and make their way gingerly across the red expanse of rug, basking under the gaze of their fans, live or on two large screens. as they walk casually, celebs wave to the fans and mutually greet each other across the red sea of carpet.
Somehow the actions of the uncomfortable actors and actresses seemed somewhat stilted. Most of them are used to acting in bit segments without a live audience. How different it was back in the days of abbot and Costello, Red Skelton, Bob Hope and Harvey Korman and company They got their live training in vaudeville and could ad lib with the crowd and enjoy it.
as for the audience, the best seats were across the Boulevard up on the balconies of the 3rd to the 6h floor condominiums. My seat was probably the worst. When I arrived all the seats were taken. It was a long time to stand, so I sat my little red suitcase on end and sat on it--reading my prayer book. Every once in awhile I'd glance up at the screen and see the sea of red rug disappearing under black tuxedos. But all at once I saw nothing. My little red suitcase slipped from under me, depositing me flat on my back on the pavement. For all those around, my fallen situation stole the show from the actors, me on the big red carpet, sprawled on my little red suitcase. People gasped and hurried from all directions to help.... I reached up my arms. They reached down and grabbed my hands and hauled me to my feet. Many people in the stands, stepped back and made room for me to sit at the front of their bench. That was kind. That was unintended.
That was my debut in show biz in Cannes?
To Reach Father Heffernan by CELL PHONE in Cannes, France Dial 011 33 685 8800 30
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