Leapcon 95
Scott and Dean take questions
Wednesday, February 15, 1995 was my travel day to the Quantum Leap convention. Two days prior, we got word on-line that Scott Bakula WOULD be at the convention. At first, he wasn’t going to be able to make it because of the opening of Lord of Illusions but that movie was being postponed. Later, we would learn at the convention that the reason for the postponement was to give the movie a chance to garnish a good audience. Clive Barker had two movies already scheduled for release in February.
My plane was scheduled to leave at 1:05 in the afternoon. I woke up around 9 and still had several hours to kill. I had been packing since Sunday, so I was set that way. I decided that since I was going to be sitting on a plane for many hours, I ought to take a long walk for some exercise. First, though, I stopped at the mailbox. In it, I discovered my newsletter from Project Quantum Leap and a postcard from Scott Bakula! It was that great pose with him leaning against a tree and it was in color. This was truly a shock because I sent him a letter 11 months ago! Even though the picture is gorgeous, the main thrill is getting it the day I was leaving for the convention.
I spent my walk reading my PQL newsletter as I went. Attached with the newsletter was a Quantum Quarterly. This was another surprise. I kept checking and rechecking, but there was no separate mailing label with the QQ.
I got to the airport early and discovered a huge crowd in front of the check-in counter. The woman in front of me said she had been scheduled on a Northwest flight that had been cancelled due to bad weather up north and passengers were being rerouted to other airlines and flights. My flight wasn’t scheduled to leave now until 2:15. That would be too late to make the connection in Charlotte for Los Angeles. Luckily I was able to reschedule at the plane check-in counter and take an earlier flight. This plane, a 757, didn’t take off till after 2, but the connection was also delayed by half an hour so I made it with 35 minutes to spare.
The LA leg had an in-flight movie. It turned out to be a highly edited version of “Color of Night” with, who else, Scott Bakula! Was all this coincidence? WOW. BTW, the edited version played quite well without the gore and blatant sex.
I arrived in LA without incident and rented a Voyager (shades of Star Trek!) minivan. Apparently, I followed the wrong map and wound up lost, but a good sense of direction saved the day and I made it to Burbank and the Hilton, stopping only twice for directions. A big problem in Los Angeles is the freeway. Being a tourist, I stayed to the far right and the slowest lane. Problem with that was that often the lane turned into a double lane exit! Being in the far right, it was impossible to get back on the freeway and I was forced to exit.
As soon as I hit the hotel, people were looking for me. I had barely entered my room when the phone rang. It was Myrna, and she came over to introduce herself and meet me. By the time she left and I wound down from all the excitement, it was 2:30 a.m. Florida time. Myrna and I spent the next two days touring in and about LA.
Saturday morning the con began. First on the agenda were some composite videos of Quantum Leap and a short welcome. I found my seat, S108, on stage left (the right side as you face the stage) about half a dozen rows from the front. The room was long and narrow. Each row was 8 to 10 seats across on each side with a wide aisle in the middle. The stage had a lovely but distracting backdrop of Stonehenge with lightbulb stars. Cameras aimed at the stage were trying to focus on the “stars” instead of the STARS.
Assistant Editor Jim Thompson told about editing QL and then we had our first guest panel with John D’Aquino (Frank from “Jimmy”), Richard Herd (Captain Galaxy) who came on stage with his trihat, Mary Gordon Murray (Leda Aider in “Trilogy”) and Brad Silverman (mirror image “Jimmy”).
Mary wasn’t anything like the character she played and proved to be warm and humorous. I got to ask John if his mother had recovered from the earthquake, which brought a laugh from the audience. John looked nonplused and explained the reference for those who had not been at the con in 1994. Later, I told John that I didn’t mean to embarrass him, I was just trying to be humorous. He said that it was all right, he had been expecting that question.
I’m not sure why, but I missed the author’s panel and the autograph session. I had my book with me and wanted to get Ashley McConnell’s autograph for Random Measures. I think I was eating lunch and talking with Myrna. After lunch there were several guests in the hallway and I spoke with them and got their autographs. That was great fun also. I was back in the auditorium for the 2:00 p.m. panel.
I forgot to mention that before anything else happened, I hit the dealer’s room Saturday morning. They were late in opening and I only had twenty minutes. This was practically the only time I was there. I didn’t buy zines this year, but bought key chains, magnets, and pictures. I got the last one of Scott and Candice facing each other on the bed from Murphy Brown. I also bought the LeapCon ‘95 tee shirt and zippered bag. Later, when I was talking to Rich Whiteside, I got the impression he designed the con logo. He told me he does do graphic art. It is a wonderful and simple design that I like a lot. Instead of the atom symbol, it looks like a star with many points. Under it, the planets start large and diminish in size (or they could be stars from large to small). The wording says, “Leap Con 1995, The Year the Leaps Began.” It is really great. The bag was navy blue and the shirt I got was black.
I also bought a LeapCon calendar that has a wonderful picture of Scott and Dean and the leap dates on it in chronological order. It also shows birthdays. Dean’s is given as March 5, 1936. Another panel featured Otto Coehlo, Jennifer Rhodes (the mother in “Blind Faith”), K Callan (Superman’s mother in Lois & Clark), Pat Skipper (”The Beast Within”), Gregory Miller (Lonnie in “Black on White on Fire”), Corie Henninger (Susan in “Black on White on Fire”) and Jeff Corbett (Chip in “A Leap for Lisa”).
The 2:00 p.m. panel featured Willie Garson (Seymour and Lee Harvey Oswald), Cheryl Harrington (the woman who brings the hurt child to the clinic in “Black on White on Fire”), Michelle Joyner (the sister in “Right Hand of God”), and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the singer Sue Ann in “Memphis Melody”). A disappointment was that Bruce McGill had hurt his back gardening and couldn’t make it. Don Bellisario, who was busy with production on a new series (JAG), was also a no show.
Michelle was very bubbly and the first thing she said when she sat down was that she was no longer in the habit. She wore her hair long in braids.
Several people told us that their roles on QL were very early in their careers. That, I thought, was great that QL gave them such chances and they performed like pros who had been around the block several times.
One of the big pleasures of this con was the one-on-one conversations with the QL personalities. Even in line for autographs, people were patient and the celebs talked with each fan, posed for pictures, wrote personal notes to them. Everyone at the con enjoyed the event, whether a fan or a celeb. A con organizer told us that most of the celebs expressed a desire to come back and do it again next year. I know I was considering this being my last for awhile, but I am already planning next year and hope to bring my family along.
When Jean-Pierre Dorleac, the costume designer, was on, I was in the hall talking to Rich Whiteside, Arthur Rosenberg (father in “Raped”) and Mike Genevese (Don Giovani in “Double Identity”). I discovered Arthur Rosenberg has a very droll sense of humor. I saw Rodney Kageyama in the hall, but couldn’t get his autograph just then.
In the hall, I also talked with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and told her I thought a gospel album with her and Scott would be great. She loved the idea and proposed that I ask Scott about that.
After the panel, everyone rushed out of the auditorium to queue up for autographs. The con committee even provided two blank pages in the program for autographs! How nice of them.
When I got to John D’Aquino, he said he remembered me from last year, especially when I showed him the picture of us together. At Kinkos in Ojai, I had that picture Xeroxed. One copy I asked him to autograph and the other I had to give to him. I asked John to sign the program, the original print, and one of the Xeroxes. Surprisingly, he asked ME to autograph my Xerox copy to him! Neither of us was looking at what we were writing to each other, but I wrote, “Thanks for everything” and he wrote the exact same thing to me on the Xeroxed copy. The picture he autographed with, “Love, John.”
Later, John was surprised to see me back in the line. I had the camera on and captured that look of surprise. I had one picture I wanted him to sign for my daughter, Karen. He also said something special into the camera for her. When I got back home and showed this to my daughter, she was ecstatic. The autograph and special message made her day.
I thought I had gotten Mary Murray’s autograph, but I can’t seem to find it in my book. I have to say, though, that some of the signatures look like doctor scrawls. There is one I absolutely can’t read and it doesn’t seem to match any of the names printed in the program. I have to send a Xerox of that one to friends and see if they can read it for me.
Next, we broke for lunch.
The 5:00 p.m. event Saturday night was Clive Barker. Rumor had it that Clive asked to speak at the con rather than being asked to speak. Apparently, he sees a strong need to convince Leapers to see “Lord of Illusions”. He explained that he held off on the release of the film to give it a good chance in the theaters. Two Barker movies were being released in February/March and he felt that to release LOI at that time would be detrimental to the film.
When I got home and showed that portion of the tape to Richard, he turned off the sound for awhile and just watched Barker’s gestures. Richard felt Clive Barker was in a hard sell mode. He was very intense in his presentation and the audience was intensely listening to him as well.
Clive was also very humorous. He showed clips from LOI and told us he thought Scott was an extremely talented actor and very under rated. Clive named other actors (Keaneu Reeves, Bruce Willis) who he didn’t think could act. Clive also said that Scott would do at least two more d’amour films for him and that Clive couldn’t picture d’amour anymore without seeing Scott. In Clive’s mind, Scott is Harry D’Amour.
Sunday morning I was able to sleep a little later. Myrna went home Saturday night to finish preparing Sunday’s dinner. She had invited around 10 people, but only three of us actually went. She cooked turkey and we had a feast. The company was great and for desert we watched an interview Myrna had taped locally of Scott and the con tape we had both recorded. The first event Sunday morning was a behind the scenes look with Michael Stern (Assistant Editor), Michael Watkins (Director of Photography) and Diamond Farnsworth (Stunt Coordinator). Watkins is a prankster and the panel agreed it was best to stay on his good side. When Scott injured his foot, Watkins hot-wired Scott’s horn to his brake so every time he hit the brake the horn went off. Later, when fans asked Scott if he ever got even for this, Scott looked totally nonplused. He told us he never forgot that prank but never got even. Watkins was also responsible for the tape ball fights and filling Dean’s Cadillac with golf balls up to the dash board.
Watkins had a habit of blushing a lot when he was excited. His face would turn blood red. Diamond told us Scott’s dancing ability allowed him to pick up the back swing kick readily and although Scott never studied martial arts, Diamond felt he could master it in no time.
Michael Stern didn’t have a prank story to tell but said he had an image of Scott that would live with him forever. Scott was directing one ep and was dressed as a woman for a scene in another. He came into the editing room to see how things were going on Leap Home and Michael has this image of Scott as a woman looking at himself as his father.
Diamond told us that Scott became an aficionado of everything new he tried. Diamond and Clive Barker both said that Scott was very physical and did all his own stunts, but had enough sense to back off on anything really dangerous. Diamond said that often actors’ egos got in the way and he had difficulty getting them to back off. However, as stunt coordinator, Diamond had the last word on any set.
Once again, after the panel, we queued up for autographs and I got a wonderful picture of Diamond as well as pictures of the two Michael’s.
The next panel featured David Brooks (the sleaze photographer in “Deep South”), Otto Coelho (”Disco Inferno” and “All Americans”), Jeff Corbett (Chip in “A Leap for Lisa”), Corie Henniger (Susan in “Black on White on Fire”), Gregory Millar (Lonnie “Black on White on Fire”), Jennifer Rhodes (the nasty mother in “Blind Faith”) and Pat Skipper (the sheriff in “Beast Within” and Tequila in “MIA”). Jennifer told us that she once had a part in a horror flick in which she was a nun. She said she took the role because she got to kill the baddies with holy water shot from an Uzi pump water pistol. This cracked up Otto Coelho, and his laugh, in turn, had the audience in stitches. Jeff Corbett told us he became engaged on Valentine’s day. Later, I told him I hoped his marriage was as good as mine. I’ve been married twenty years and each year gets better. Jeff thanked my for my wishes and said his marriage would be the same because he was engaged to a wonderful girl.
Like Myrna, my wallet and I skipped the charity auction. My pockets were pretty shallow by now and I had bought an autographed picture at last year’s auction. I’m glad I did because things were VERY pricey. I heard that the towel Scott wore in “It’s Like Riding A Bike” went for $3500! Other items were going for big bucks as well. I’m happy that the Con did so well on the auction, though.
At 3:00 p.m. we had a panel with Maree Cheatham (the aggressive boss in “Play Ball”), Renee Coleman (Alia), Carolyn Seymour (Zoe) (both in the evil leaper eps), Susan French (Ms. Melanie in “Color of Truth”), Rich Whiteside (the shadow in “Leap for Lisa” and he was also in “Leap Home Part 2″), and Leila Hee Olsen (Machiko). Leila and I had a great conversation and I learned that her father-in-law lives in Orlando. I also had a long chat with Rich before the panel discussion. Carolyn thought I was a trooper for coming so far for the convention.
Sadly, Ms. French came and went so quickly that no one was able to get her autograph and very few questions were directed her way on the panel.
Gads! Have I been living on sugar! But those Danish from Solvang were wonderful.
Again, with autographing, I missed the tribute to Dennis Wolfberg, which I truly wanted to see, and most of the session with Mark Banning of Crescendo records. I did pop in toward the end and asked him about producing a gospel album with Mary Elizabeth and Scott, but he said he didn’t do that type of production.
Then came what we all had been waiting for! Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell!
Scott was the first to walk on stage and, of course, the audience went wild cheering, but his appearance shocked me, just as it did last year. Last year, Scott wore his hair very short and close cropped. This year, it was long and wild. I wanted to take scissors and brush to it, right from the start! He once told a TV audience that his background was Bohemian and this look was definitely that. He wore light blue jeans, a blue jeans jacket open at the neck and sleeves and, Myrna noticed, his shoelaces were untied.
Last year’s con was very special for me because Scott and Dean seemed more emotional with each other and they called on the audience to ask their questions. That was special. Dean picked me, not those controlling the mics.
This year, Scott and Dean seemed more distant from the audience. It was more like a press conference than anything, but both men were more playful with each other and Dean was more relaxed and comfortable than I’ve ever seen him. Also, this year the session ran longer.
Just before this session, I was sitting with Myrna’s husband when I noticed a TV camera and interviews being done. Being the ham that I am, I made a beeline for Myrna, hoping the interviewer would call on us. Sure enough, and we did a lengthy interview with sustenance, but our piece wound up on the cutting room floor. Turns out it was E!. Oh, well.
Shortly after Scott arrived and before Dean came out, I got to ask my question. I told Scott I was the one who gave him the shark tooth last year and he remembered me. I asked him, “What about the movie and can you tell us something about your new series?” Scott gave a lengthy answer, basically saying he thought the movie was coming within the next couple of years and as to the pilot he was shooting, it was a darker character, an LA undercover cop with psychological problems. (NOTE: This pilot never sold.) Shortly after this, Dean walked on stage and the audience again went wild.
Dean looked great. Very relaxed, laid back, and well rested. He wore a colorful golf shirt and tan pants.
At one point in the session, Dean complained about too many orange question placards in the audience (there were 3) and Scott ribbed him no end about his “confusion.” One of the staff brought a placard to Dean. It turned out to be stuck on a LOI knife - the kind that when you “stab” someone, the blade disappears into the handle. While Scott was talking, Dean stabbed him repeatedly in the leg. Later, Scott made as if to sidearm Dean and Dean stabbed the knife into his middle, making a grimacing face. He then stabbed the knife into his head, again with lots of facial expression. Scott then tried to take the “toy” away from Dean, but to no avail.
The shenanigans continued for almost an hour and a half. When it finally ended, we learned that Scott was not leaving right away. He was cornered by the French delegation and E! and so we decided to wait for him to come out. We waited over an hour.
At first, a bunch of us stood in the hallway with items to be autographed, but we were told by the staff that Scott would not be signing autographs. However, if we wanted to leave something with her, she would give it to Scott. No promises, but she would try to have Scott sign what we requested. I left one of the A Passion To Kill posters in hopes that Scott would write a personal note. (He did sign it and I received it in the mail. It was signed, “To Jo, All the Best!!! Scott Bakula”) Then I went outside to join Myrna and two other friends to wait and see if Scott came out.
He did. Scott came out to head for his vehicle. He told us he was rushed and couldn’t sign autographs, but he did sign for some people who shoved papers at him. I got to shake his hand and thank him again for the special attention he gave me last year. Scott started to lean over as if he were going to hug me, but someone shoved a paper under his nose so he backed off. Myrna said the same thing happened to her, but she didn’t get to shake Scott’s hand. Some of the crowd were being very rude. Scott, through all of this, remained the gentleman he is and tried his darndest to please everyone, even while trying to leave. At last he made it to his car and waved to all of us as he drove off. I heard later that Dean came rushing out to yell, “Stop that Trooper!” but I didn’t see him so I can’t verify this.
