Bart Greenberg spent four of his most satisfying professional years running special events at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble. Preceding that he had spent several years at Tower Records where he first learned how to be in charge of signings and performances. Throughout this time, he met a very wide range of celebrities (writers, actors, singers, broadcasters, etc.). In the coming months he will share memories of some of the amazing—and notorious—people he encountered.
By Bart Greenberg***These three stories of celebrity encounters seem timely for this month, especially as we close it out with PRIDE Day.
Story 1: I was working on the floor of Tower Records in the Soundtracks Department. It was a quiet midweek morning. Suddenly I saw a mountain moving toward me. As it grew closer, I realized it was a man I could easily recognize from his many film and television roles, often in his younger years playing psychos and baddies. In fact, I think the first time I ever saw him was in the Tallulah Bankhead campfest, Die, Die, My Darling, where he 
played her mentally challenged gardener who menaced poor Stefanie Powers (I met her some years later – but that’s another fabulous story). I was quite intimidated in the moment both because of the image in my head and because he was even larger in person—a very unusual situation, since most stars aren’t as physically imposing in real life as they are on film. Of course, I’m speaking of the recently passed Donald Sutherland.
And then he gave me the sweetest, gentlest smile, and in a soft voice politely asked me if I could help him. Of course, I asked what he needed. I was a bit surprised that he requested a recording of “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” if we had one. He was searching for it for his daughter’s wedding. I asked if the soundtrack recording would work, and his eyes lit up in surprise as if what I’d suggested was the Holy Grail. I took it from the shelf and placed it into his (very large) hands. He must have thanked me three times as if fulfilling his request was the kindest thing that had been done for him in several days. A true gentle giant.
Story 2: For Pride Month. I was working the register in the music department at Barnes & Noble at Christmas time. A very handsome male couple came to the desk and I instantly recognized one of them. Definitely older and with a full head of silver hair, plus a few marks of age on his face, but unquestionably one of the major heartthrobs of the ’50s, Farley Granger. I quickly figured out the other gentleman was his partner of close to 50 years, television producer Robert Calhoun. No attitude, no “hey look at us.” Granger pulled out his wallet to p
ay for their purchase and seemed befuddled when his credit card wasn’t where he thought it was.
Calhoun informed him it’s in the other section. Granger grumbled what’s it doing there? His partner happily said he’d reorganized the wallet for him. The actor said who asked you to do that? The producer glanced at me and grinned. Obviously this was the type of squabble they had all the time—and this was a partnership filled with love and great humor. I was single at the time and doubted I’d ever have such a relationship, and was both jealous and moved.
Story 3: Since June is considered a month of weddings—including mine, here’s another long-term marriage story. And there is a connection here with the Farley Granger story. At Barnes & Noble I was hosting a book event for Foster Hirsch’s excellent book Film Noir: 
The Dark Side of the Screen. The author had assembled an impressive roster of stars to appear, including Patricia Neal and Granger. Unfortunately, he had had to bow out at the last minute due to illness. Also as part of the panel was the veteran actor Eli Wallach, who lived in the neighborhood and brought along his actress-wife, Anne Jackson.
Before the program began, Mr. Wallach asked me the way to the men’s room. I offered to escort him, both to protect him from too-avid fans and to make sure we didn’t lose him to a book that caught his fancy (hey, it happened with Maestro Zuban Mehta and Senator George McGovern among others). While we were away from the event space, attendees had arrived en masse and when we returned they saw the star and broke into a lusty round of applause. We entered the green room where Ms. Jackson looked up from her needlework and dryly observed “they’re applauding you for that now?” Wallach doubled over, laughing, and walked over and kissed her. Another terribly happy show biz marriage.
