TALKING TO HARRY DEAN STANTON ON THE FLIPSIDE (PART 1)

“Just open yourself up to the possibility that there might be an afterlife.”

Luana on the Flipside (or a mirror in Rockefeller plaza)

This is a post about my pal Luana Anders (who passed away in 1996) and my pal Harry Dean Stanton (who passed a few weeks ago) and my conversation with them via Jennifer Shaffer (JenniferShaffer.com)

First some bonafides; I’ve known Harry Dean Stanton since I appeared in an episode of “Laverne and Shirley” with him back in the 80’s. I played a pizza delivery guy who whenever he rang the doorbell, was always shy a couple of slices of pizza. “Hey fur face, where’s the rest of our pizza?” (Shirley’s line) And I’d make up some story “Well, I was on my way here, and suddenly I saw this fire in a building, and I set the pizza down, and went over to the building and caught this baby that fell out of window… but when I got back to your pizza, a few slices were missing.”

All the while, wiping pizza crumbs out of my beard.

Charles Grodin got me the part, it was his idea, he called his pal Penny Marshall and she brought me in to do an episode. I filmed the bit on the same night that Harry Dean Stanton was performing — singing songs actually, and later, when I ran into Penny she said “Oh, I forgot. We had to cut you. Harry’s song…