A while back I was rummaging through my closet off the bedroom, probably to find something that wasn’t a black T-shirt to wear that day, when I came across a shirt that seemed familiar but it looked like it was sized for a teenager.
I never throw or give away any clothing, figuring that when my up and down weight hit the right size I could wear it again. Of course, the last time that actually happened was before the Millennium. Drives my wife crazy.
It is a short sleeved cotton shirt with a collar in a pattern that I think we used to call Madras. Or close to it anyway.
Then I realized how old it was and when I had worn it.
It was 1988 and we were working on Burt Reynolds’ ABC TV series, B.L. Stryker. The first shooting season had come to an end and he put on an extravagant wrap party for the cast and crew which is a tradition in the film business, even for us peons in the art department and construction crew.
While it’s fun when you occasionally get to meet the actors and famous people, if only briefly, it’s a meeting ground for the peasants also.
Artists, craftspeople and technicians use these events to network with each other to line up their next job. Most film jobs are maybe one to three months unless you’re lucky like we were and land a TV series job.
After stopping by the Big Boss and “kissing the ring” like everyone else, I hit the open bar and visited with some of my friends in the art department. After a while I took a break and sat for a bit.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone walking over and sitting next to me.
I was greatly surprised when it turned out to be Ossie Davis, famed Black actor who played Burt Reynolds’ happy go lucky sidekick in the show.
Maybe he was bored or wanted to rest like me, but he introduced himself (not that he needed to!) like he was just one of the guys.
Ossie and his wife Ruby Dee were an acting power couple who starred in movies for decades and were especially prominent in some of director Spike Lee’s Black-oriented films such as “Malcolm X” and “Jungle Fever.” They were married for 57 years.
He started in 1950 in the movie “No Way Out” and went on to do 108 movies and TV shows for 55 years, including Bonanza, Grumpy Old Men, Dr. Dolittle, the Client, Hawaii 5-0, the Cosby Show, Gladiator and the list goes on. And on.
We talked for a good 30 minutes and shared stories about our lives and families. His son Guy Davis was at the time a well known blues musician, and he wanted to hear about my early time doing that. Ossie chuckled at my story about an “old” Black man who taught me my first guitar chords at age 15.
“Just how ‘old’ was that guy?” he asked. I had to think for a minute, and then it dawned on me. “Probably about 25.” I replied.
He threw back his head with a laugh in that deep voice he was known for.
“He seemed old at the time!” Another laugh.
“Well…he WAS Black!”
Ossie about fell out of his chair.
Such a kind and gentle soul, Ossie Davis died in 2005 while working on what would have been his last movie.
Thom Caraccio ([email protected]) is a retired musician and retired motion picture scenic artist living in West Palm Beach, Florida who hails from Columbus. He graduated from S.D. Lee High in 1968 and still considers Columbus his real hometown.
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