Do You Know Who I Am?

One dilemma that the super famous face is balancingwere startled when she took a detour. "Oh my God.
the needs of privacy and recognition. One time inShe's going into Grand Central Station!" Someone
New York an unnoticed Marilyn Monroe was walkingshouted," Look it's Joan Crawford!" and she was
down Madison Avenue accompanied by Eli Wallach. "mobbed, it took thirty minutes to escape the crowd
My God, don't these people know who you are?"and get back to their hotel suite. Her hair disheveled,
Wallach asked her. Marilyn, whose application ofher dress torn and her face scratched, Crawford
make-up took nearly as long Boris Karloff''sleaned against the door out of breath. "Oh. . .oh my.
Frankenstein Monster, grinned at him. "I'm onlyThat was wonderful. Lets do it again!"Notoriety can
recognized when I want to be. Watch this." Sheget you out of a jam. Tired of being identified as
began to swing her hips and walk in a way that wasJames Bond, Sean Connery took an unusual step for
familiar to movie goers and was eventually mobbedHollywood leading man by publicly revealing his
by adoring fans.For some stars privacy is anbaldness on screen, beginning with The Man Who Will
overrated commodity. In 1919, Douglas Fairbanks andBe King (1976). On location in Casablanca, the
Mary Pickford went on their European honeymoon.Scotsman rejected the use of a chauffer and limo,
The two international icons had divorced theirchoosing instead to drive himself in Volkswagen Bug.
previous spouses and were concerned about howOne day he drove around town dressed in a sweat
they would be greeted. They needn't have worried.shirt and shorts and was stopped for questioning by
In London their limousine was surrounded by admiringthe local police. The former Mr. Universe runner-up
women who pulled Mary out of the car to shake herhad unfortunately left his passport back at the hotel
hand, still grateful after two year for her effortsand was arrested as a suspicious character. Just as
selling war bonds. In Paris they couldn't get any sleephe was about to be locked up, Connery
with crowds gathering below their hotel room toshouted,"007! I'm 007 damn you!" They recognized
serenade them. In Amsterdam they attended a partyhim and let him go.If you lose your hair, you can
and were mobbed by other guests who wanted tokeep your privacy. Rob Reiner's big break was
get close to them. The acrobatic Fairbanks placed hisHarrison Ford turning down the role of Meathead on
wife on her shoulder and escaped through theAll In the Family (1971-1980) because Ford couldn't
window. Finally, they found privacy in Hamburg,stand Archie Bunker's bigotry. When the show first
because of World War I their movies were notwent into production, Reiner and his fellow castmates
shown there. For an hour the famous newlywedswould leave the CBS lot to eat lunch at the
walked the streets unnoticed until the bored Maryneighboring Farmers Market. Initial low ratings meant
turned to her husband and said,"Doug I'm sick of this.they were mostly ignored by the tourists. A few
Let's go back to one of those countries were theymonths later All In the Family was a monster hit and
mob us."Joan Crawford had similar sentiments. Oncethey received Beatle's like attention. From then on
in the 1930s she was staying in New York gettingthe cast generally preferred to stay in their dressing
over her breakup with Clark Gable. Tired of mopingrooms at lunchtime. All except the ever hungry
around her hotel she told her entourage they shouldMeathead who removed the toupee he wore on the
go out and get some fresh air. The sycophants whoshow and continued to eat at the Market in peace.
had trouble keeping up with the star's brisk pace,