BY BRADY RHOADES: This story begins with my first Garden Grove Strawberry Festival and involves a brief encounter with the late, great Billy Barty.
I was covering the festival for another media outlet in the 1990s. Barty, an actor famed for his work with Spike Jones musical comedy shows on TV and stage, and for a children’s show called Billy Barty’s Bigtop, was the celebrity grand marshal.
BY BRADY RHOADES: This story begins with my first Garden Grove Strawberry Festival and involves a brief encounter with the late, great Billy Barty.
I was covering the festival for another media outlet in the 1990s. Barty, an actor famed for his work with Spike Jones musical comedy shows on TV and stage, and for a children’s show called Billy Barty’s Bigtop, was the celebrity grand marshal.
It was a different time. Folks were less enlightened and less sensitive. Mr. Barty, 3-feet-9, must have been pretty sick of the constant chuckles behind his back, and the inane questions to his face.
He was a proud man. I got the feeling he just wanted to be treated like a man, nothing more, nothing less.
He once said, “The general public thinks all little people are in circuses or sideshows. We have doctors, nurses, just about every field covered.”
On that day, he was quick-tempered. Also, at times, witty and mischevious. He carried out his duties, endured some bullying and managed to make children smile.
God bless Mr. Barty. May he rest in peace.
That was my first brush with celebrity at the annual festival. My second came a short while later.
Ed Arnold, most known as a sportscaster and newsman for KABC, KTLA and KOCE, was the celebrity grand marshal. I had the pleasure of speaking with him. I’ll describe him in five ways:
1)Polite;
2)Easygoing;
3)Humble;
4)Professional;
5)Great voice, great cadence. It was like watching TV. I wanted to sit back with a cold glass of lemonade and listen to the broadcast.
My third has not exactly happened, unless you count Facebook messages. But I expect to make it happen by phone this week.
Burt Ward is this year’s celebrity grand marshal.
Freaking Robin.
The original! The one I watched as a kid!
He couldn’t have been nicer via text. He spends a lot of time helping dogs through his organization, called Gentle Giants. He’s done a lot since “Batman,” but he’ll always be Robin to me.
Am I starstruck?
OOMPH!
POW!
SOCK!
When I get him on the horn, let’s hope I don’t devolve into that 8-year-old boy in a batsuit.
