Lost in Space - Jonathan Harris at Orlando MegaCon 1998
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Jonathan Harris . . .
"It's been a wonderful ride. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who were kind enough to write me over the years. I answer ALL letters. I always have. There was a time where I was receiving over a 500 letters a month from all over the world. And it's very gratifying, very rewarding. This is the terrible truth. So many people have written me wanting to know how I got into "Lost in Space." And I'm going to tell you. It's a lovely story, I think,. And it happens to be true.
In 1965 I got a telephone call from my then agent, and he said "Irwin Allen is doing a series at 20th Century Fox. It's called 'Lost in Space' and he wants to see film of you." He said that.
In Hollywood where there is absolutely no vision, a producer is loathe to hire you unless he is absolutely sure that someone else has hired you. And he has seen you in a piece of film, walking and talking and chewing gum all at the same time. Ah! He's an actor. Now in my career, I hesitate to show film unless I was sure that the part that was in question, I had on a piece of film. It's lack of vision. They don't understand that you can do other things. So I said to the agent 'What's the part?'
'I don't know." said Mr. Ten Percent. [audience laugh]
And I said "Well, You tell Mr. Allen to bring his chauffeur around and I will show them the real thing . . . me."
"Mr. Allen's Not going to like that."
And I said, "Tough." And of course you know that's not what I said.
Suffice it to say that the phone rang and he said "Mr. Allen wants to know who the hell you think you are, and he'll see you at four o'clock."
Well, so at four o'clock I was at 20th Century Fox. It was my favorite movie theatre. I have been star struck all of my life. But that's neither here nor there. So I'm on my way to Mr. Allen's office. And I was shown to his private office. And I was introduced to his private secretary. And in his office, I was agasp. I was shocked. There he sat at a huge desk surrounded by at least 12 or 15 yes men. The chief yes man was a man named Frank Lateraina. He was a college professor, and he turned out to be a very nice man.
And I was serious, I was. So I said "Good afternoon gentlemen."
And they said "Who the hell do you think you are no film." That was a lovely how do you do.
And I said "Well, Mr. Allen, I hesitate to show you the wrong film. I prefer to show you the real thing, me."
And he turned to Frank and said "What did he say Lateraina?"
And Lateraina said "He said he didn't want to show us the wrong film."
And I thought (about the secondary conversation between Allen and Lateraina) "What's this? Is he deaf or what?" [Audience laugh]
Allen said, "Do you want to be in this series?" [gestures pointing with finger] with a finger, that I threatened years later to bite off. And I'm sorry I didn't.
"Mr. Allen, I don't know, I . . . I haven't read the script."
[Allen] "What did he say Lateraina?" [audience laugh]
[Lateriana] "He hasn't read the script."
[Allen] "Somebody give him a script."
Now I'm really wondered what was this game, or how he really acted, or what? I never knew for sure.
Somebody gave me a script [and after I read] and he turned to his cast of men in his office, and . . . this is engrained in blood in my head, by the way, I'll never forget it. It was the weirdest experience of my theatrical career. And he [Allen] says, "Hire him up, and don't pay him too much money." [audience laugh]
I changed that very soon, too. [audience laugh]
Then he [Allen] said, "I suppose you want billing?"
"It is only proper that an artist of my stature receive proper billing on the screen."
[Allen] 'What did he say Lateraina?'
[Lateriana] "He wants billing." Now my head is spinning. What is going on here? In 40 years I never figured it out. Never. I never knew whether it was a game, or whether he was stalling for time, or what? But I've never gotten to the bottom of it.
And he [Allen] said, "Well let me tell you, you weren't in the pilot, your character didn't exist in the pilot, everyone else is signed, sealed and delivered, and as far as billing is concerned you will have to be last."
And I said "Oh, and Would you mind telling me who else is in the show . . . eh huh . . . very nice people I'm sure. But I don't want to be last."
[Allen] "What did he say Lateraina?"
[Lateriana] "He said he didn't want to be last."
I don't know if you can imagine how crazy this was.
And he {Allen] said, "You go home. And you think about it. Now out. Get out."
[j_harris3a.jpg]
I staggered out of that office, I tell you. I'm a well known actor with vast experience, but I staggered out of that office. The script was sent and I read the script and I said 'Hmm hmm hmm . . . Jonathan this is a good one. But last position . . . shh . . . not a chance! However, you cannot tamper with other actor's billing."
I could not decide never in my full life, what to do. Be in last position. Last position... Hmmm . . . well, sometime special last position? I wonder. So I called an old friend of mine who was head of casting at ABC.
And I said "Have you ever heard of a regular member of the cast being given the title 'special guest star' ?"
He said "Certainly, no. I've never heard of that."
I said, "That's all I need to know."
I called Irwin and I said "I've solved the billing problem."
[Allen] "Yeah," he said with a tone. "What?"
I said "I will accept last position on a separate card - 'Special Guest Star Jonathan Harris'."
Well, for the next 20 minutes I never heard such language in all of my life. [Allen] "%&**&% actors, can't act anyway, who told you you could act, you don't know %^&*&%^ about acting. Err . . . err . . . errr . . . " and this went on and on, and I just sat back and listened.
And then he said "OK" and hung up. [audience laugh]
That was the first time ever in history that anybody got Special Guest Star. I started that whole nonsense. [Applause]
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This story is continues next week!! Please press "Next Article" to hear more of what Jonathon had to say!!! And more pictures!
Robert
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