(My Travels with) Agnes Moorehead – The Lavender Lady (21 page)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I always believed that I would be writing this book with Agnes. But that was before April 30, 1974, the day I heard the news that she had died. It was a huge shock to me. I didn’t want to believe that the Lavendar Lady was gone.

In all the years I worked/traveled with Agnes we encountered a lot of amusing situations that would always prompt her to say, “Joseph we’ll have to put “that” in the book”. And I began keeping notes in a sketchpad.

Molly Moorehead, Agnes’ 84 year young mother who lived in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, often accompanied us on trips between Beverly Hills and the east coast. Molly at the age of 84 was an absolute delight and loved to travel. We would stop and stay over night in her home, get refreshed, then up early to continue East to New York or the venue Agnes was scheduled to do her one-woman show. Molly loved Howard Johnson Restaurants along the way, especially their fried clam dinners.

I’ve been often asked why it has taken me so long to write this book . . . It took several years to get over this great loss of my friend. In the grieving process I looked at the sketchpad that Agnes prompted me to keep and it finally dawned on me that I was now supposed to do the book from my rough notes by myself. This brought Agnes back into my life. By 1980 I had finished 180 pages. Several friends of both Agnes and mine urged me to complete the book and get it to publishers.

I thought I handled rejection from music publishers pretty well. but the book people were something else. I spent months trying to get them to see the worth of this book but always got the same feeble critiques, such as, “he talks as much about himself as he does about Agnes”. Many of the publishers would tell me they couldn’t publish the book because there was “no dirt” in it. I politely reassured them our book was not about dirt. Being the naïve soul I was at the time, it took me a few days to discover what they meant by “dirt”. They wanted the low-down on the rumor/gossip in Hollywood regarding Agnes and Debbie Reynolds close association. It was difficult for me to keep my Italian temper in check at such nonsense. I reminded them that Agnes Moorehead and Debby Reynolds were “contract players” at MGM Film studios for years and had appeared in many important movies together. Usually most people who work that closely for as many years as Agnes and Debbie did, become great friends. I then realized that the “dirt” they were referring to was in their own minds. Disgusted with having to deal with such trash, I shelved the manuscript in my studio where it has been until now.

Self-publishing was becoming popular and my writer friends asked me to look into the possibilities of doing it on my own. The end result is that Xlibris Publishers told me they felt, I had an interesting informative book about one of the most gifted artists in the entertainment business. They further said it would have been a shame not to share this with Agnes’ fans and the world. I wholeheartedly agree.

Here I would like to thank the many people in my life who influenced and believed in me starting with Agnes and her mother . . . . . . . . thanks to my parents from whom I inherited my good work ethics and my stick-to-it-iveness . . . My dad, sister Violette and one of my dearest friends, the late Giuseppe Balestrieri, (a voice builder and one of Agnes’ most revered instructors in her acting school), inspired my passion for literature, music and the arts.

. . . I am deeply indebted to Margaret Reyneau, a New York psychologist, attorney and friend, who taught my late wife and I how to be better parents to our four wonderful children. Michael, David. Ann Therese and Mark who will always be in my thoughts & prayers.

It was Hal Stone, a psychologist at UCLA who introduced me to Jungian therapy and journaling where I learned invaluable new ways to look at myself and the world which helped me rid myself of all the guilt from the many years of my Catholic brainwashing.

Thanks to Judy Williams of Zanesville, dear friend of Agnes and mine who was invaluable in coordinating many of the details in getting the new farm house in Rex Mills and new Concord areas ready for Agnes and entourage arrival.

. . . A huge thanks to my creative nephew Franck Benedetti who patiently helped me organize the photos for the book and archived them to a CD Disc for safe keeping. . . . . I would like to thank my (expriest) brother. a master graphologist, who offered to do an analysis of Agnes Moorehead’s handwriting (for the book) from a signature she autographed on a photo of herself for one of her fans.

. . . I am grateful to Dr. Michaelson, MD and the entire staff of The Veterans Hospital in LaJolla who saw me through my bouts with colon cancer, P.T.S.D., two cataract surgeries and presently with spinal stenosis so I can walk again. And thanks to Dr. Susan Holt, psychologist who is helping me understand/accept the process of growing old.

To my cousins Pat and Bill Peterson for their love, encouragement and belief in me I want to acknowledge my many acquaintances all of whom have come in and out of my life when I had need for a friend and some empathy. A big hug and thanks to Steve Gonzales, my Jungian friend and masseuse and to my dearest friends, Armen Del Core and her sons Dario and Fabio and his wife Katy, Mannie Rodriguez, Curt and Carol Jungerheld, who have all stood by me for many years.

To Jim Mahoney, my CPA who has always believed in my ability and has kept my finances in tiptop order the past 20 years.

To my seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Austin Jude and Aris Adele and their wonderful mother Marguerite and Aunt Rebecca all with whom I have been blessed . . . . . . to Edward Lee Williams, my significant other, who has patiently helped me through the emotional obstacle course of writing a book and for loving me unconditionally, for without his patience, faith, commitment, encouragement and caring, I would never have finished this book.

And lastly to the staff/people at Xlibris Publishers . . . . Rey Andrew Soriano, my literary consultant, Simone Rodriguez, my Submissions Representative, Lani Meyer, my Author Services Representative and and Lynn Chavez, Marketing department all of whom guided me with their invaluable expertise to make this book a reality.

Quint Benedetti, author

PHOTO CREDITS for (My Travels with)
AGNES MOOREHEAD—
The Lavendar Lady
(more BEWITCHING than ENDORA)

Allied Artists

Buena Vista Studios

Columbia Pictures

MGM Productions

Paramount Studios

Republic Studios

RKO Radio Pictures

20th Century Fox

United Artists

Universal Pictures

Warner Brothers Studio

Screen Gems Television

CBS Radio & TV—New York

Quinto Productions

Alvin Beam N.Y.

Conrad Fulton

New York Public Library Center

Michael Dolan, Washington, D.C.

National Archives, Washington, D.C

AGNES MOOREHEAD AUTOGRAPH

“Best Wishes

Agnes Moorehead”

Analyzed by Charles Benedetti

Certified Graphologist

From this small sample of writing a richly talented personality unfolds:

1 - The writing does not slant to the right (which would mean emotionally driven), but is more upright, which means she’s ruled rather by her head and good judgment

2 - All letters in her name taper down, lower and lower, which show her to be very polite, tactful and understanding of society..

3 - She is idealistic, philosophical and ethical; this is evident in the letters h’s, which are quite tall and full.

4 - The t crossing is precise, slanted uphill and strong, which means she has strong will power, practical purposes and is optimistic in attaining them

5 - The letter W is smooth and symmetrical, meaning artistic development

6 - The capital letter A is large and very full, revealing an extremely hugh Ego.

7 - The letter d in her name is unique: first, it’s very tall, meaning strong self confidence and pride in her deportment. Then the letter d does not return to the line of writing, but stays high afloat, meaning she wants— no demands— recognition, so much so that people might think her to be terribly vain.

8 - The middle zone letters e, o, a are not closed, but open wide, meaning she loves to express herself, and could talk endlessly if the moment invites. She’s an excellent communicator.

In summation, Agnes Moorehead’s writing is smooth, clear, strong and expressive—all excellent grapholigical signs of a lady whose professional career was richly colored by gracefulness, poise, self confidence, intelligence and excellent communication skills.