This week is a double whammy for me. Friday June 17th will mark the 5-year anniversary of my father’s passing…and then on June 19th it will be the 6th Father’s Day without him. So needless to say, my father has been on my mind recently. My father is a huge reason why I love movies. One of my most popular pages on Hub Pages was My Dad’s Top 5 Movies of All-Time…which I wrote in June 2011. I think that page is still BERN1960’s favorite page that I have ever written. FYI – This page was written in 2016…so the above numbers are much biggert today.
Recently I was responding to a comment on our Steve McQueen page when I remembered one of my favorite stories my dad used to tell me. Since it revolves around a famous movie star, and I have a movie website…. I have decided to share it here. Shockingly there will be no tables of stats on this page…. but don’t worry Flora and Laurent…Michael J. Fox and Josef von Sternberg pages are coming very soon.
I am sure I will get some details wrong about this story…. but give me a break I was not there…. heck….I was still 10 years away from being born.
The Place And Time
This story takes place in either 1958 or 1959 in Roanoke, Virginia. Roanoke was having a parade. Steve McQueen was the Grand Marshall of the Parade. My dad and his friend were covering the parade for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. McQueen was starring in the television show, Wanted Dead or Alive, and was still a couple of years away from superstar status. I am sure McQueen’s agent thought this would be great publicity. I can only imagine McQueen’s disbelief when he arrived in a town that closely resembled Andy Griffith‘s Mayberry. Turned out that McQueen, my dad and his friend were staying in the same hotel.
The First Encounter
My dad and his buddy were standing right outside the front door of the hotel when McQueen drove up in a fancy sports car and with a very good-looking woman. McQueen jumped out of the car, walked up to my dad and handed him the keys to the sports car…and told him, “Be real careful when you are parking the car.” My dad handed the keys back to McQueen and said, “Sorry there is no valet service here…. you are going to have to park your car yourself.” McQueen took back the keys and they went their separate ways.
The Second Encounter
Later that night my dad and his buddy were drinking and talking about how they could not believe that McQueen thought they were valets. At some point they decided to call McQueen’s room (how they got his room number is unknown, but this was 60 years before the Erin Andrews lawsuit). So even though it was early in the morning…. they called McQueen’s room. McQueen answered the phone and my dad said, “We are down in the bar having some drinks and we were wondering if you would like to come down and let us buy you a drink or two”. McQueen responded, “Well right now I am sleeping so I will have to pass on the offer”. This is probably why celebrities use fake names these days.
The Third and Final Encounter
So, the next morning……my dad and his buddy are eating breakfast at the hotel restaurant when McQueen and his lady friend sat down at the table across from them. Feeling a little hungover and feeling a little bad about calling McQueen’s room in the middle of the night…. they walked over to McQueen’s table and said, “We are sorry we woke you up last night when we called your room”. McQueen said, “Don’t worry about it, normally I would have been down there with you.” After breakfast they all headed to the parade…and a few hours later they all left Roanoke. Pretty sure Steve McQueen probably never thought about his encounters with my father…. but sharing this story was one of my father’s favorite stories he liked to tell. I think in his dealings with my father…. McQueen was indeed “The King of Cool”.
Thanks for sharing your memories and this story.
Thanks for reading my story Timothy B. It is greatly appreciated.
Very funny story. I enjoy reading this. Sorry about your father.
Thanks for stopping by Helakoski….glad you liked the story.
Grandpa was a great man. I will never forget his efforts and grandmas in raising me, always helping out with you at work and such. I find it extremely funny that Grandpa “drunk dialed” someone as famous as Steve McQueen. One of my fondest memories of with him was spending the night and him making waffles in the morning. I still put blackberry jam on my toast and waffles. Love you Grandpa
You know this reminds me. I actually did meet one of my great grandparents. He was in his 90s when he died.
Hey Flora….that is cool….I met my great grandmother a few times….but I was about 2….so the memories are only via seeing pictures.
Hey Grandson #2…..I liked your comment…as did your grandmother….yep your granddad drunk dialed a movie legend. Thanks for sharing your memories of him. You are the man….and you got here before Bryan….that has to make you happy.
I love this page! I am not worrying at all! I sent your an email about your father. Take all the time you want.
I am thrilled to hear this story!
I never told you that my father met James Garner at the Abbotsford Airport, did I? I was not there, unfortunately, although I used to fly with my father when I was a child and grew up around the local airport.
He and Mr. Garner talked for quite a long time. The topic of conversation? Airplanes and flying. My father never mentioned acting once.
I will talk about my father meeting Michael J. Fox when you do the page.
I still cannot believe that your father died before I met you on Hubpages – a site where I no longer publish. You remember why. Yes that “other” website where we met in 2011 along with Steve Lensman from England.
Weird that we have never met in person because I love you like you were my older brother.
Fantastic that your dad met Steve McQueen! I never got to meet him, although I was alive when he died at the tender age of 50. Smoking killed him.
Since we met online my father has now died too – November 2013 at the age of 70. Heart attack.
Father’s day is still hard for me. Frankly, I’d like to skip it, sleep through the day and then wake up the next day – First Day of Spring.
But well, it does not work that way.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story.
Hey sister Flora.
1. After I get done with these comments….your Michael J. Fox will be published….it is researched, written and ready for publication.
2. That is cool about your dad meeting James Garner & Michael J. Fox….look forward to reading about the Fox encounter.
3. Writing that page about my dad’s favorite movies made me feel better…..in some ways I am surprised how much BERN1960 likes that page…..but it has some many good thoughts and wishes it makes her happy to read it.
4. I wonder what would have happened if the same incident happened after he was a superstar….would McQueen have acted the same, better or worse?
5. Yep we have both lost our fathers since our HubPages days……but they live on….in our minds and hearts.
6. Yep the day after Father’s Day is the first day of Summer…..beach and good times.
Thanks for checking out this page….it is greatly appreciated.
Well son, the remembrance you did in 2011 when your father died was very moving and emotional to me and I read it many times. Reading the above encounter your father and friend had with Steve McQueen was moving as well. I remember him telling that story quite a few times and it brought back some memories. Your father would be so pleased that you remember and of course many other stories he told you. Thank you so much for the wonderful memory of your father and his story. I love the photo of Bob above – thanks for sharing this site with me and many others who will be reading it. Your father was a good husband, father and grandfather. He knew of our great granddaughter and was pleased and perhaps he even knows that there will be another great grandchild for us in November. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING YOUR MEMORY OF THIS ENCOUNTER. It means a lot to me, your mother who loves you and all the family.
I am thrilled to see the photo of your husband, Bern. Now I know what he looked like. 🙂
Hey BERN1960….glad you liked this page. I think his older grandkids….are understanding the story for the first time. Samantha and Emily have a ways to go for that to happen….but now the story is out on the internet forever. The photo is the one on the staircase…it did not turn out as well as I wanted….but he is either telling a story or giving a toast in the picture so it seems like the perfect one for this page. You speak the truth when you are talking about dad. Once again…glad you like the story….it has done very well…and lots of comments….thanks for sharing it through your e-mail contacts.