TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1963)

VINCENT EDWARDS (Continued from page 28) cameras are being adjusted. This makes for a lot of movement and confusion . . . I had met Vincent before "Ben Casey" was even on the air, and he was then very gracious. Even after the series started and he became an overnight hit. he had been friendly and talkative to reporters. Now. I had heard, he'd changed and become very temperamental. I wondered if these rumors were true . . . and if they were, why had he changed? At 2:15 P.M., on Monday, my wife Helen and I arrived at the Gower Desilu studios, were met by the network publicist and went hippity-hop on to the "Ben Casey" set. There we saw Vincent in his blue medical jacket — blue, because it looks white on the TV screen: — working on a scene in which he came out into a hospital corridor and talked to Dr. Zorba, portrayed by Sam Jaffe. "He still has to learn" The publicist — sort of briefing us before we talked to the big star — said : "He still has to learn how to handle interviews. He doesn't understand why reporters ask the same questions — he forgets they aren't aware of what others have asked, and that each handles the material differently." Just then, he managed to get Vincent's attention — and relayed to us the news: "When there's a break in this scene. Vincent will come over to see you." And. after a while. Vincent did come over. He was cordial and remembered having seen us the year before. "Hello, Paul," he said. "I remember you." Nick Dennis — who plays the orderly. Nick Kanavaris, and is an old friend of ours from his New York days as a stage actor — had told him about our coming over. too. "When you come to New York again." I said to Vincent, "come over to our house and my wife will bake some Greek cookies, koulourakia. for you. Nick tells me you like them." "Great!" said Vincent. "I love Greek food!" Then he excused himself; he had to go back on the set. When the scene broke, he walked over to his dressing-room cottage and started talking to a man. I edged over, and he introduced me to "my music man, who handles my music interests." The man was studying the trade papers and telling Vincent how his records were doing: "Your new album is number-five on the national list." Edwards went into his dressing room, listened to a record — then went back to work on the set. 2:40 P.M. I looked around the dressing cottage, and noticed there was a desk outside and a phone. On the desk was a sign : Mr. Edwards' Personal Phone. A man busied himself around the desk. "Who's he?" I asked a passing technician. "That's Benny Goldberg. He's Vince's pal. Sort of a secretary." I waited. Then Vincent came by and huddled with his music man about recordings. Seeing me, he explained, "Capitol released one of my old records. Imagine ! I made it six years ago ! " He was munching polly seeds and offered me some. I accepted. "Yes," he brooded, "this one — and the other runawayrecords — are now on sale again." Why the girl cried He went into his dressing room, then returned to the set. The publicist came over to say he was sorry I had to wait so much. "Recently," he told me, "a girl reporter waited around for two hours and got only one sentence out of Vincent. She left in tears." I said, "Well, I can see he's busy. He seems to have so many interests." 3 P.M. I edged toward the set. and could see Vincent. He was kidding Sam Jaffe with a few words in Yiddish. Then he kidded Nick Dennis with a few words in Greek. "Vince is a great kidder," a carpenter told me. "He picks up foreign words easily. He has a good ear." I waited and waited, but Vincent was busy in the scene. 3:30 P.M. "Who's that man over there?" I asked the publicist. He answered. "That's Ray Joyer, former boxer. He's one of Vincent's buddies, and he's his stand-in." I went over to Joyer and was introduced. He was very friendly and eager to talk about his great pal. Vincent Edwards. "Yes," he said. "Vince and I met in 1951, out here. We were on our uppers. We were working out in a gym, the old Goodrich Gym out on Hollywood Boulevard. I was knocking around, and he was waiting for a break. He had done the movie, 'Mr. Universe,' and he was waiting for the next job. So he used to come to the gym for muscle-building. We met and clowned around. We became buddies. Then one day he said, 'We're working together tomorrow.' and I said. 'Doing what?' He said. 'Ben Casey.' and I said, 'What, another Western?' "Vincent said. 'You'll be my standin,' and I said, 'You kiddin'? You're six-feet-two and I'm five-foot-ten-anda-half.' He said, 'Don't worry; we'll figure it out somehow.' " I commented, "Vincent looks like he takes care of himself." "Sure," Joyer agreed. "He doesn't smoke much. Rarely drinks. He knows about food. Goes for health foods and eats at the Aware Inn. on Sunset Strip. He's not a vegetarian. He eats meat — but it's got to be from cattle fed on organically-grown grass. He has a blender to crush vegetables, and he likes papaya and carrot juice. "We go to the Beverly Hills Athletic Club three nights a week. He watches his physical condition — except he doesn't sleep enough. He'll bum cigarettes two or three times a day. Filtertip. And only when he's tired, after a hard day. Funny, but he used to go after me to quit smoking. When I had a cigarette, he'd knock it out of my hands." It was obvious that Joyer worshipped w FmGERNMLS '% Gelatin-Plus enriched with vitamins 30 capsules 2.00 90 capsules 5.00 Scientific research proves that new vitamin-enriched Gelatin-Plus gelatin in capsules harden and strengthen nails. Persons tested under strict laboratory controls reported that fingernails also grew faster, lustre improved . . . chipping, splitting, peeling and breaking were virtually eliminated. Improvement was noted in as little as one month and continued improvement maintained over the 5 month research period. 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