Ernest Borgnine as Lt. Cdr. Quinton McHale
NOTE: this story was originally written for the STORY SALON’S evening of 90-second stories June 29th 2005.
My wife Donna and I were grocery shopping at the old Hugh's market on Ventura & Coldwater Canyon in Studio City CA. We were heading to the checkout line. Donna, as always, has to go back to get one more thing. I reached the checkout line at the same time as McHale's Navy’s PT 73 commander, Ernest Borgnine.
Mr. Borgnine was gracious and asked me to go first. I responded with, "No Mr. Borgnine. By the time my wife comes back with the one more thing she went back for, you will be halfway to your car. So Ernest Borgnine is unloading his cart and starts pointing the prices on each item. "This is a good deal on ground round", "Hey 3 for a dollar", "Have you ever tried this?" Only in Hollywood.
With Mr. Borgnine's groceries bagged and ready to go, Donna shows up with the one more thing. Mr. Borgnine, my wife Donna. Donna, Ernest Borgnine. Mr. Borgnine says, "Nice to meet you," and leaves.
Donna asked, "What were we talking about with Ernest Borgnine?" I answered, "You".
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
2 comments:
You're right, only in Hollywood can you compare produce prices with an Oscar nominee (or winner, I'm not sure).
I met him once in Manhattan, trying to get a cab. He was having a hard time flagging one down, so I just screamed at one that screeched to a halt. Borgnine thanked me and drove away. He's always been one of my favorites, and I'll even forgive him for that silly role on that awful "Single Guy" series.
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