When I first seriously considered attending AG '99 about 2 months before the event, I pretty much talked myself out of it right at the start. The cost of airfare alone was frighteningly prohibitive. (Why is it that airfare wars with all the nifty low prices always seem to stop the day *before* you want to book tickets???)

Then came Kristin's announcement on the List that that, as in previous AGs, the library at USC would allow a private viewing of the Ross Martin Special Collection. When it was mentioned that the USC library would shortly be undergoing renovation, and that the Collection would probably not be available for more than a year, I knew that I absolutely *had* to go. I *had* to see this Collection ... because I didn't know when (or if) I would ever have such a rare opportunity again.

As quite a few of you already know, I am a loyal devotee of Ross Martin. Have been since I was 9 years old. My love of Artemus Gordon introduced me to a fabulously talented and handsome actor, and the actor introduced me to myriad characters and roles. Is *still* introducing me, actually, as I continue to discover "new" roles (such as the recent WGN airings of his Hawaii Five-O episodes). Not only Ross Martin the actor, but also Ross Martin the man & humanitarian. In 1972, I was one of those who was fortunate enough to see -- and remember! -- the Merv Griffin show devoted to RM's first celebrity tennis tournament to benefit the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital in Denver (CARIH). Appearances on game shows and telethons had enabled me to look through a small window at what Ross Martin the man was like, and the coverage of his charity tennis tournament for CARIH gave me the best insight into the humanitarian. There could be no mistaking that benefiting the kids at CARIH was as much his passion as playing tennis.

Ross Martin is, was, and always will be my hero. How could I *NOT* go to the AG and see the RM Special Collection?

Those hardy souls who planned to attend met in front of the Doheny Memorial Library at about 9:45 a.m., for a scheduled viewing between 10 and 12. We were a small but enthusiastic group. The USC Cinema-Television Library is a wondrous place. We were given a brief overview tour of the facility by Ned, the Archivist. (BTW, I must pause here to offer my sincere apologies to Ned, our gracious library host, and any of the list members I met during the weekend -- I am absolutely *terrible* with last names.) The library is available to USC students and researchers of cinema history, and has a huge collection of books, manuscripts, and private collections donated by folks from all walks of the entertainment industry.

The Ross Martin Special Collection fills more than 15 (archival safe!) boxes. To see the entire collection and truly appreciate every item would take *weeks*!! Since we were limited to 2 hours, Ned by necessity could only bring forth a select few boxes of items for us to enjoy -- but OH, what items!

The items were brought into a private reading room and arrayed in a way that they were easily accessible to us. Under the friendly, and very helpful, supervision of our host, we were allowed to touch, read, and examine anything/everything present. I cannot stress enough how very important that was, since many libraries/archives with similar collections are strictly prohibitive about actually *touching* an item, much less several boxes worth at one time!!

I started with the 5 scrapbooks of clippings, beginning from the mid-1950s. Within these books were reviews, articles, and program books RM had collected throughout the years pertaining to his career and myriad roles. Every now and then a clipping would have a notation in the margin in RM's distinctive handwriting. One of the memorable ones I encountered was a color brochure for listing those films that were eligible for voting/nominating for the 35th annual Academy Awards. The first film mentioned was Blake Edward's EXPERIMENT IN TERROR and included a list of the cast beneath -- probably for the benefit of those who had not yet submitted their votes for nominee for that year's best actor/actress award. Conspicuously missing is Ross Martin's name (a publicity campaign that billed the psychopathic villain of the piece as Mr. Blank, and which worked too well). On the brochure, RM has circled the paragraph and written a little comment about the classic "omission." There were brochures and reviews from his stage performance as "Beckett" -- a play in which he and the other lead (whose name escapes me) would occasionally switch roles. One night RM would play the martyred Beckett, and the next the accusatory Henry. (And I discovered that in 1976 RM played John Adams in my favorite play of all time, the musical "1776!")

Other marvels in the scrapbooks included Western Union telegrams (pre 1970's email) to RM from friends and associates upon various occasions, such as Jerry Lewis' thank you for RM's agreeing to attend one of the first televised Muscular Dystrophy Telethons. My personal favorite was from John Vivyan, who played the dashing title character in the MR. LUCKY television series. For those who have been fortunate enough to see this classic show, you'll know the best known catch phrase of Andamo (Ross Martin), Lucky's Latino partner, is "that's it and that's all." The telegraph from Vivyan, on the eve of RM's opening in Beckett, says simply, "Break a leg. That's it and that's all. John Vivyan." The scrapbooks were a rich time capsule of RM's career, up to, including, and after the role of Artemus Gordon that we've all come to admire him for.

Against the back wall of the reading room was an array of large color photographs of RM in just a few of Artemus Gordon's disguises. These photos were originally part of a photo collection (or rogue's gallery, if you will) on RM's wall at home, and included beautiful close-up shots of him in such roles as the elderly priest from TNOT Skulls and the chef from TNOT Big Blackmail. Arrayed on the table before the pictures were samplings of scripts from Wild Wild West and, a first for this viewing, MR. LUCKY. These were RM's personal scripts, and full of pencil notations in the margins, dialogue changes, doodles and sketches. Acting is very much a hurry up and wait occupation, requiring lots of sitting around while camera angles and light are set up, or waiting for your appearance in a scene. Some of the doodles on the covers and margins are abstract little things -- we've all done them, haven't we? -- and others are sketches that have taken some thought. Some of the The Wild Wild West scripts include his pencil drawings of proposed make-up for Artie's disguises. His "vision," for instance, of what the official at the end of TNOT Skulls should look like, down to the glasses and muttonchops.

On the back of one piece of paper, RM has thoughtfully drawn and mapped out his plans to landscape his garden at home, including a grocery list of some of the items he'll need to buy to begin!

Oh, so many scripts, so little time! I had to be very selective, and started with the MR. LUCKY scripts -- but only those episodes which I'd been fortunate enough to see. In that way, I felt I could better appreciate any changes RM had made to the dialogue. Well, folks, let me tell you that the dashing Andamo's clever wit and joyful sense of humor is just about 98% Ross Martin! In each of the MR. LUCKY scripts I looked at, just about every line Andamo has is *subtly* changed with little pencil notations from RM. And every single one of them is a change for the absolute best. A line as written may be cute, but in those instances where RM has simply omitted a single word and added another they become *funny* -- and another delightful bit of Andamo. Much of the banter between Lucky and Andamo is enhanced by RM's notations -- several scripts have him *adding* lines for John Vivyan. And remember that catch phrase from the series I mentioned earlier? The one that was *the* most recognizable line, a sort of private in-joke between the characters, and which made an appearance in just about every episode? On one of the pages of the script for the very first episode, "The Magnificent Bribes," RM has added a line for Andamo in response to something Lucky has said. Penciled in quite clearly in the corner is Andamo saying "That's it and that's all," a phrase that does not appear in type anywhere in the script. Did RM invent that little Andamo-ism? Very probably; and seeing that little bit of trivia was a delight.

RM has made similar notations and changes in dialog from TNOT Lord of Limbo, TNOT Big Blast, TNOT Murderous Spring. Did you know that the "Who were you expecting, President Grant?" was RM's line? So was "It's me, remember? Artemus Gordon, Mrs. Gordon's son." Subtle changes to the original dialog that have given us what we see and remember today. Exhibiting Ross Martin complete understanding of the character he was playing. Where Artie's dialog in some of the WWWest scripts are somewhat stilted and/or simply there to further the plot, RM has made a few of his deft little pencil changes and created wit and humor and the warmth we've come to know as Artemus Gordon.

Other items on display were some of the WWWest merchandise, given to RM by the companies that made them. There was a mint condition set of the WWWest board game, the metal lunchbox and thermos, and WWWest comics. RM's personal scripts and stills from THE GREAT RACE (a *fantastic* film), the gripping EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, and both Wild Wild West reunion movies.

To me, there was one very special item among all of these others -- a care worn, leather-bound script binder embossed in the lower right hand corner with Ross Martin's name. Inside, in pen, is an August 1972 date and a notation in RM's hand. He tells us that this was the *only* script binder he used from Dorso, DA (1958), through the entire MR. LUCKY series and the WILD WILD WEST, THE GREAT RACE, etc., until August 14, 1972 when the spring binding finally broke while filming the McCloud episode "Solid Gold Swingers." Signed Ross Martin, Beverly Hills. How on earth did the man know to donate such a thing -- that fans such as myself would be thrilled and awed by such an artifact years later?

As a personal little note, the binder was not only special to me because it was something RM used constantly through his best-loved performances (and is exactly as old as *I* am), but because it broke -- and the notation within written -- at almost exactly the time I received the handwritten note from Mr. Martin that is my most prized possession. Now, looking upon and actually touching the binder, I can imagine Mr. Martin writing that little note to me, and know that he was filming the McCloud episode at the time... I'll never see that performance in quite the same way again.

I am *very* grateful that Mr. Martin had the foresight to donate these wonderful items to the Library archives for the enjoyment of future generations of fans. (And considering the sheer volume of what was contributed, the man was a total pack rat!)

Noon came around entirely too soon, and we had to bid adieu to the items and our gracious host. It was hard -- just a fraction of the collection arrayed before us, and none of us could take all of it in. If the AG consisted of nothing but this rare private viewing of RM artifacts -- items that had the hand and spirit of Mr. Martin all over them -- then IMHO I *still* would have been content and found it a trip *well* worth making. Many, *many* thanks to Ned at the USC Cinema-Television Library for graciously hosting us -- and a resounding, heartfelt *thank you* to Kristin for setting it all up. For me it was a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Now all that remained was a pilgrimage to The Gene Autry Museum and a chance to worship at the hem of THE JACKET of ARTEMUS. (But that would have to wait until Saturday.)

The Friday night Barbecue and Poker Party may sound anticlimactic by comparison, but it certainly wasn't. Lady Luck officiated over the grill on the deck, turning out very yummy hamburgers (...well, in all honesty, I can't speak for the salmon burgers...). Those in attendance also feasted on pork ribs, salad, and assorted munchies -- and a lucious ice cream mud pie for dessert! -- and then crowded round the table for a few hours of playing nickel-anti poker before calling it a night around 11:30. Saturday was going to be a big day -- the AG!! -- and we all needed our beauty rest.

BTW, I should warn anyone who may in future find themselves in a position to play poker with James, Ross S.'s younger brother (forgive me, Ross, for not remembering how to spell your last name!) Don't let the kid fool ya -- he's a card shark in disguise. Anyone under 15 years of age that can produce that many winning hands of poker has gotta be a midget in disguise!!!

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"When you cannot confound the enemy, then you have lost to him."
-- the *original* Artemus Gordon (accept no substitutes!)

"Don't look at me, it's *your* wild west!"
-- Andamo