The second Hollywood Show of this year, the last one was January 10th, https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2026/01/hollywood-show-2026.html, this show featured guests from American Graffiti (1973), Jaws (1975), Grease (1978), Mamie Van Doren, and more favorites! The show takes place at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel Convention Center, check https://www.hollywoodshow.com/default/main for the next show! I wandered the halls, the one at the side had Englebert Humperdink, Priscilla Presley, and the guests from Jaws on one side and American Graffiti on the other. In the main convention room at the other side table was the Grease filmmakers. I walked around a bit and the first celeb that I met was Margo Apostolos, she played Tokkat, a dark-furred Ewok who drew a bow in Return of the Jedi (1983); GC-OT3. Tokkat was the Ewok who was behind C-3PO when our heroes are captured.
Grease Reunion panel at the Hollywood Show, Randal Kleiser, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, and Lorenzo Lamas, author’s photo.
Next, I saw Joe Alves, the designer of the three sharks in Jaws, and Daniel J. Prince who wrote the book of Alves’ designs and artwork with the book Designing Jaws (2019). I also met Heather Locklear of Melrose Place fame. I kinda liked her Abby Arcane from Return of the Swamp Thing (1989), but c’mon!, I couldn’t get a photo signed from that movie. I went to the Grease panel with director, Randal Kleiser, Barry Pearl, “Doody” of the T-Birds, Michael Tucci, Sonny, Jon “Bowzer” Bauman from Sha Na Na, Johnny Casino & The Gamblers in the film, and Lorenzo Lamas, Tom Chisum, the football player who makes Danny jealous. Kleiser was asked about the ending with the car flying into the clouds and he said, “We wanted the audience to know that this is not a documentary” to the laughter of the audience. It was really to bookend the animated opening of the film. It was Llamas’ first film and he said that he improvised at the coaches’ speech, mouthing words to Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy, she had to respond when it was her take.
I had a great conversation with Bob Gunton who played Warden Norton in Shawshank Redemption (1994). He mentioned the three wardens that were in Stephen King’s novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982). It would of course be difficult to restart relationships with the lead character, Andy Dufresne, with new wardens. Then, I saw Annabella Lwin from the band, Bow Wow Wow. The music video, “I Want Candy” (1982), just made an impression for New wave fans.While taking some photos with Lwin, she just sang some beautiful, random notes into my ear, wow, made my year. I went to see Randal Kleiser and picked up the last copy of his Grease The Director’s Notebook (2019). The Jaws Reunion Panel was also fun. Joe Alves said about the shark not working, “Let me tell you, it’s really hurtful, the people that worked on it, the effects people, [hearing] `Well the shark didn’t work, the shark didn’t work’, that’s total nonsense. I really get upset about it.” The shark was perfect. Outside of the panel, there was a photo op for $5, the lowest price at teh show. This was for a life-like figure of Quint on his fishing chair crushing a beer can. Next to him was the open mouth of the shark next to the yellow barrels. What a way to end the day at the Hollywood Show, with panels, incredible guests, and photo ops!
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