Back to Heaven
Ojai, California
Larry and Maj Hagman hosted a fundraiser for NPR radio station KCLU at their home on May 31, 2008. The event included a party and auction and, for additional cost, a lunch with Larry and Maj. Other celebrities were scheduled to appear, including Linda Gray. We decided to attend the entire event, an amazing five hours at what has become one of my favorite destinations.
We only had two weeks to prepare for this trip, but that was probably a blessing. The usual pre-trip jitters were worse in this case, not only because the event was at Larry's house. I had just seen Larry on May 15th. This event was May 31st, a bit too soon. I didn't want Larry to think I was following him everywhere he went! Still, I knew this trip would be more fun than the last, partly because I was going with friends, including Kimberlee, Linda Gray's Number One Fan!
I met Kimberlee at LAX and we drove up towards Ventura, where we were staying. I missed the exit for the hotel and saw route 33 to Ojai, so we decided to do a dry run to Larry's house to check the travel time, and to make sure I remembered where it was. How could I have possibly thought I would forget how to get THERE? I didn't, and we had no trouble finding the place. The road to Larry's was longer than I remembered, twisting and turning up the mountain. We both had our ears pop because of the altitude. We got to Larry's gate, and snapped a few photos of the home from a distance. That was fun! A mini-Larry high, a taste of what was to come!
The next day we both were getting nervous, and left with another friend for the event. We were very early, having thought the lunch started earlier than it did. Luckily we checked the invitation on the way and were able to pull over at one of the many scenic overlooks along the road. Motorcycles were going up and down the mountain road. Looked like fun, reminded me of Larry and his Harley! We moved on to a park, and waited a few minutes longer. Next we stopped by a field that I wanted to photograph. A long caravan of sports cars came down the road, heading for the curves ahead. More people having a great time on a beautiful day!
Finally, it was time, we found Larry's road, and started the climb. We spotted signs directing us along the way, and got photos of them. That diverted us enough so we got there only slightly early. The gate was open, and we started up that spectacular driveway. This brought back so many memories of the 2006 dinner Maria and I had with Larry. I would be reminded of that last fantastic visit numerous times. We saw a spot for the shuttle that was mentioned in an e-mail to us prior to the event. No one was there. Soon, another guest came by and they were as confused as we were. One of Larry's employee's came down the road and told us to go up, which we did. I guess the shuttle was for the people that were to come after the lunch.
They had valet parking at the house, and we proceeded to the registration table, where we got our name tags. We then went into the house. We were told no photography, that Larry would "crush any cameras," and the event photographer would make their photos available to us.
The house, as I knew, was breathtaking. Kimberlee agreed that there are no words to adequately describe Larry's home, it simply has to be experienced to be believed. Soon, we spotted them: Larry and Linda. Larry was impossible to miss, dressed like a pimp in a bright purple suit, a neon yellow shirt, and a tie with cartoon condoms on it! Topped off with a cowboy hat, of course! As we stood by nervously, we were treated to the sight of Linda helping Larry put on a pair of suspenders. Red, naturally. What else would go with purple and yellow?
Kimberlee asked the official photographer if she could get a photo of her with Linda and Larry. She said yes, but we would have to grab them. Not easy! Kimberlee managed to get Linda and Larry to pose with her for a photo. Over the course of the event, we would get many photos taken of us with Larry or Linda, but Kimberlee was the only one of us to get a photo of herself with both of them at the same time.
Linda and Larry went their separate ways for a while, mingling with the guests. I finally got up the nerve to approach Larry, still afraid of his reaction because I had met him only two weeks before. I shouldn't have worried. He did a double take and said "Long time no see!" When I mentioned that I had been to the house before he, said "I know!" So he DOES remember me. He asked if I was the one who drove across the country to see him, and I said that was Maria, who was with me the last time. I also said that Maria wanted to be here and said "Hi" for her. The fact that she was willing to drive across the country to see him really made an impression! I posed for the first of many photos with Larry. That having went well, the nervousness I had earlier was gone. Larry likes it when fans go to see him over and over! No, he LOVES it! He's so sweet!
Lunch was in the living room open to the outdoors, overlooking a valley. Larry took credit for the beautiful weather. The three of us sat together, since the people at the radio station knew we were friends. Don Murray and his wife Elizabeth were at our table. I sat next to Elizabeth. She was SO nice, charming woman! She said Don is very shy, and that is common among actors. Not Larry, I replied, and she told of a party at Henry Fonda's house in 1964, where Larry showed up wearing a fireman's hat! Don's brother has written a computer science textbook. It sounded like something I may have read (computer architecture) in school. I'll have to check that out!
Lunch was delicious, and the desert, a chocolate mousse cake, to die for! They were supposed to do musical chairs with the celebrities after each course, but they didn't Got us all excited for nothing! Linda Gray did come to our table to say Hi, and spoke to Kimberlee and I. I told her I have a web site about Larry, showed her a photo of the main page. She expressed interest in it, so I gave her my card for the web site. Linda was very warm and friendly, and had a nice conversation with Kimberlee!
They called us for photographs with Larry, which are to be put in frames they had on the tables that were used as place cards.
We then wandered around the house, checking out photos and rooms. Some paths were blocked off, such as Larry's office (where I once sat in his chair), and the tower with the bed suspended from the ceiling. Passing the dining room brought back a flood of memories of the 2006 dinner, I even remembered where everyone sat. There were so many photos and art in that house! Jock's portrait from Dallas was leaning against a wall. I suspect it hangs in one of the prohibited areas, and Larry still wanted to show it off. There was one striking photo of Larry in a hot tub from around 1970. He had a beard with a little bit of gray, but it was his eyes that stood out. They glowed, as they often do in B&W photos. That's one of many photos I would love to own a copy of!
We spied Linda giving someone an autograph, and headed for her. She signed all of our items. Kimberlee had several, and Linda personalized each one. They had another great conversation! Linda signed a TV Guide I had, with Larry, Linda, and Mary Crosby on the cover.
Later, we caught Larry signing one of the invitations to the event for a man. When opportunity knocks..... This time it was me with the most stuff, and he didn't mind at all! Kimberlee asked him to sign some post cards of two Annie Leibovitz photos. Larry said he loved them, and enjoyed the photo shoot. He told of asking Annie if he could have a copy of a photo. She said yes, for $5000! Larry's response: "Eat Shit and Die!" I then asked him to sign the TV Guide Linda had signed earlier, and a photo of me with Larry from the event in Charlotte, NC. He smiled at that one! I also had the TV Guide with Larry and Joan Collins, one of my favorites. He signed that in gold, and it is absolutely beautiful! He said they (a network?) wanted to have a show with Larry and Joan. Larry didn't think that would work, because each had their own qualities. I had a photo of my web site's main page, the one I has shown Linda earlier. He signed it on top of "I Dream of Larry"! The photo is a collage of Larry photos, and I don't think he could bear to sign over his own face! He pointed out the Orleans photo and said he liked it. I agree. Larry looked wonderful in all of the Orleans publicity photos I have seen. Kimberlee told him he would love my web site because it is all about him. "Shit, yeah!" he said! I gave him my card. He complained about computers, saying his Mac didn't work, and everything is obsolete in a few years. Needless to say, Linda will have to show Larry my web site. I doubt he will look on his own, but I had to try! Before he left to mingle with others, Larry pulled out some of his $10,000 bills, signed in red, and gave one to each of us!
At one point I was watching Larry from behind, admiring him. Yes, the purple suit was wild, but it really did fit him well. At 76, he's still nicely proportioned, his broad shoulders giving him that classic inverted triangle look.
They called us for the auction. Larry was hilarious as an auctioneer, pitting one bidder against another, egging them on. There was one woman who kept bidding very high on almost everything! The only item I was tempted by was his cowboy hat, but after having shelled out at least $3000 for this trip and the previous one combined, I had to cool it for while! The hat went for $1000, but was topped by other items, including a Mario Della Casa Jeannie Bottle signed by Larry, that went for $1400! Linda Gray got up to join Larry for part of the auction, and they were, as usual, adorable together. Linda was losing her voice, and Larry said he was too, but he still had no trouble making himself heard!
After the auction, Kimberlee followed Linda, and I looked around the house a bit with our other friend, a Larry fan. we were in a room adjoining the living room, near the foyer when the Purple Pimp spotted me, and headed right for me! He asked if I had gotten anything in the auction, and I said (jokingly) that I had already spent enough on him! He said "I know!" and gave me a big hug, then went up the stairs!
We ended up in the living room again, when we saw some people taking photos with Larry with their own cameras. OK, it's his house, and we had been warned about Larry "crushing cameras." We asked Larry if it was OK, and he said yes. We also got some gorgeous photos of Linda Gray with all of us individually, with the valley as a backdrop. They then called Linda away for a photo shoot with Larry. We had our cameras out, Larry didn't care, Maj didn't seem to mind either. Larry, Linda and Maj posed for photos with the valley behind them, then on a swing in the living room. I got two nice shots of Linda, Larry and Maj on the swing. Maj then got up and left him to his "other wife" and stood by me. I said that the three of them looked adorable together, and she replied that she loved Linda!
The photo shoot of Linda and Larry was really cute, their affection for each other obvious. Linda put her hand on Larry's face, then kissed him.
The party was winding down. When Linda left she hugged Kimberlee and said she'd see her in October. I then hugged her and said I'd be there, too. We stuck around a little be longer, but decided to leave when it looked like they were starting to clean up. We found Maj, and thanked her for opening her home to us. She thanked us for coming. We found Larry to say goodbye, and got some more hugs!
Yes!!! We floated down the mountain.
For the complete story of a series of Larry Hagman events, see About This Site.