Flashback


Today in my "Prisons in Cinema" class, we're watching the 1989 Tom Selleck movie "An Innocent Man". A good chunk of the movie was filmed in Carson City at the medium security prison; as i remember, it was big news for CC to have A) a real Hollywood movie made in town & B) to have a real live Magnum PI visiting the micropolis.

I was working for Domino's Pizza at the time (11/88-2/89); one of the 'perks' of driving for Domino's is that you get to deliver pizza's all the time to people that order them. (Try & contain yourself at my grasp of the obvious. Just try.) Anyway, one fine Friday evening, I was driving & delivering in the manner & style that earned me the "Domino's Pizza Hustler of the Month" award for 2/89, when the manager, Tom, & owner, Jerry, pulled me aside to let me in on a special privilege that I had been accorded. Evidently, this fine Friday evening was the date that the cast party for "An Innocent Man" was happening at the Happiest Place In The World -HPITW (anyone, anyone?) & for some reason, this party needed 25 assorted pizza pies from Domino's. And I was the chosen one; rather, the one chosen to deliver these pizzas to Tom Selleck. Or so I was told.

I loaded up my VW Rabbit with the pizzas, & was given a phone number to call to alert Tom Selleck that his pizzas were ready. I practiced my TC & my Higgin's voices while I drove to the HPITW so that I could have a witty interchange with Magnum. The problem was that there was no parking at the HPITW - so my attempt to park was stymied, probably because Magnum was in town. Still, I was on a mission from Tom & Jerry to get Tom Selleck his pizzas, so I parked the car in the walkway of the HPITW, & ran to a pay phone (pre-cell phones) to call Tom Selleck to set up where he wanted to rendesvous to pick up the pizzas. Parking on the sidewalk seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem was that the HPITW security guards didn't approve of my park job, & told me so. I couldn't be bothered with these trifles - I was on my way to deliver pizzas. To Tom Selleck.

The guy who answered the phone at the number at the HPITW was not Tom Selleck. He sounded annoyed & told me in no uncertain terms that under no circumstances was I to move from where I was in the entry to the HPITW. He would be down in a couple of minutes to pick up the pizzas. No mention was made of Tom Selleck. I asked if he'd be coming too, & didn't get a response. That I can repeat, that is.

About 5 minutes later, 3 guys that looked like escaped roadies from the GnR tour, or carnies that had lost their way came towards me. How surprised was I to find that they came to me & asked where the pizzas were. No Tom Selleck.

After hooking up the guys with about 8 pizzas each (one lucky guy got to carry 9) I asked why Tom Selleck didn't come down for the pizzas himself... Really, I did. No answer, just a little roadie giggle or two. Then, I checked to see if they needed me to follow them up or help them to the cast party. They didn't. They just took the pizzas & left. No Tom Selleck. Bummer.. The security guard was in a frenzy at that point because of where I'd left the Rabbit. He had called a tow-truck - good news for me, it takes tow-trucks in the CC about 3 hours from the time they're called to show up. I climbed back into the Bunny & it was back to Domino's for me.

That's what I'm thinking of while watching "An Innocent Man." That, & I'm practicing my TC voice. And Higgins too.

6 launchings into the blogosphere....:

georgia said...

Okay. I never watched Magnum. So tell me, who is Higgins (besides your canine nephew) and who is TC?

scoeyd said...

Brief primer on TC/Higgy baby & other things Magnum...

TC is Theodore Calvin, Magnum's chopper flying soul brother Nam buddy.

Higgins is the uptight major domo that runs Robin Master's estate & oversees (micromanages) Magnum's stay in Robin's guest house.

That's a brief summary, & doesn't include Orville "Rick" - Magnum's other Nam buddy.

TimmyMac said...

Great story! Sounds like a typical road trip event on the journey from downtown Naivete to Cynical City.

Didn't Higgins turn out to be Robin Master himself?

scoeyd said...

Yes. And no. He said he was. Then when Rick's bride was coming down the aisle in the series finale, he told Magnum that he had lied to him about being Robin. Silly Englishman.

Jeni said...

Can you use your Higgins voice when you're speechin' one of these Sundays. I really think it's something that we all need to hear! :)

TimmyMac said...

I never have seen the last episode. Dang!