I'm Who? I did what?

I'm on  a mission to have a little fun at my own expense. If you haven't participated in what I'm about to talk about yet? Some day you will, and let this be a lesson for you.

One day you'll be on line, and say, "gee I wonder? If I put my name into one of these search engines, I wonder if MY NAME will come up?"

Be prepared my fellow egos. It may not. It didn't the first time I jumped in. But much has changed since then.

I used to search with Dogpile. The late Dave Green with HDNET, KMGH, and ABC convinced me it was the way to go.  And hey, Dave, wherever you are, it worked just fine.

But a few months ago I say to myself, " you should join the rest of the planet and give Google a shot."

 Well, to be blunt Google shot right back.

I'm going to take some time telling this story, but don't get itchy. I'm going to do it chapters. Chapter 1:

While I never really tried to make a living at it? There was a time when I could legitimately label myself an actor,  model, and voice over talent. I belonged to AFTRA, and the SCREEN ACTORS GUILD.  I had an agent, and showed up here and there in local commercials, on radio spots, in a couple of movies, and a couple of TV series.

 

 

 

As you can hopefully make out way up top, I showed up in a Perry Mason episode.  (Just about every actor in town did while the show was being produced here.)

Anyway, with Google there is about 10 Paul Reinertson references associated with Perry Mason, and "The Case of the Glass Coffin." One of those references appears in Turner Classic Movies.

And here is today's fun:

There is an icon you can click that says something to the affect, "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?"

If you click on that icon, it is as if I disappeared from the face of the earth. Let me paraphrase what you'll read. 

"There is no current information on Paul Reinertson's appearances in any recent films. If anyone knows what Paul's up to please let us know so we can pass it on."

Well, I did just that. I let them know I was still alive, and what I was up to. They actually responded with something like, "thank you for that information. We'll pass it on if we can verify it."

If anybody has seen me lately, please verify it and pass it on.

I wanted to start with this angle so I can tell you WHAT I THINK is a funny story. And I swear it's all true.

While I am working in a TV newsroom, assignment editor, KMGH TV, my agent says go audition for a Perry Mason episode. They need some reporters.

Well I do, and I get the part. I have one line that with the high energy of the scene, I deliver in less than 10 seconds. For that exertion I am paid an embarrassingly large sum of money. And therein lies the REAL STORY.

Don't ask me why, but the contract agreed upon with local actors and the production company is that RESIDUALS (aka extra money) will be paid whenever that espisode of Perry Mason runs in the Denver market.

I never pay attention to contract details. They give me headaches.

 But it is interesting that these checks keep showing up four or five times a year? And some of you may doubt my veractity, but it really did take several years for me to figure this out.

You see local television stations in these pre-digital days have to plan for disastrous contingencies. And that means they needed programming they can insert "on a dime" if something collapses.

Well is just so turns out that KMGH TV's (where I work) favorite fill-in? Ah you guess right. Its the Perry Mason espisode of "The Case of The Glass Coffin."

I DOUBLE SWEAR, I knew no one in programming. I can tell you you'd have to be a hawk to have caught my time on tape.  And I'm pretty sure none of those production guys stuck around for the credits. So how did I find out?

I need an old file tape for a story, and the chief engineer ushers me into this locked vault to look for it.  And THERE it is (not the file tape), sitting RIGHT there on top of a stack of video tapes. THE CASE OF THE GLASS COFFIN.  "What's THIS doing here, I query."

Since you already know his answer, let me say my ONLY sin was saying NOTHING. And as fate would have it, within a year they come up with a new FAVORITE crisis tape, and my pocket change does a quick dwindle.

If nothing else, expect these ego searches to kindle some memories, good and bad.

If this tickled your fancy MAKE SURE you come back for the coming chapters. You have my warranty it will be worth your time.

I am going to at least make these suggested readings for my students. I'll let you know when the next chapter is ready.