Chamber, Theatre Salute ‘Mayor’ MacLeod

The Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Theatre Palisades, devoted an evening last Wednesday to Gavin MacLeod, who announced that he has agreed to serve for an unprecedented third two-year term as honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades. About 75 people braved the rain-soaked streets and chilly weather to attend the retrospective of MacLeod’s diverse career in film, television and the theater. Audience members included actress Marcia Wallace, filmmaker Steve Vittoria (who worked on the event’s centerpiece, the documentary ‘The Life and Times of Gavin MacLeod’) and Chamber presidents past, current and future: Brad Lusk, Ramis Sadrieh and John Petrick. Andrew Frew provided the event’s technical direction. Prior to the screening of ‘Life and Times”’which details MacLeod’s early life and career with a mix of archival photos, film clips, and interviews with MacLeod, wife Patti, daughter Julia (from a previous marriage), brother Ron See, and actresses Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper and Marion Ross”the evening’s emcee, Theatre Palisades actor George Lissandrello, announced MacLeod’s third term, which was met with resounding applause. After the movie, MacLeod, 77, emerged onstage dressed in suit, tie, and a silver wig. Taking off the wig, the animated and robust actor revealed that he wore the prop on an episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ in which his newsroom writer character, Murray Slaughter, takes over a newscast for a sick Ted Baxter (played by MacLeod’s longtime friend, the late Ted Knight). Scenes were screened from MacLeod’s most recent movie, ‘The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry,’ a faith-based film by Rich Christiano that arrives on DVD in May. ‘This was the first time in my life I’ve been in a film in which I believed every word I said,’ said MacLeod, who added that he may also appear in Christiano’s next film. Taking questions from the audience, MacLeod spoke about his guest appearances on the popular Disney Channel show, ‘The Suite Life on Deck.’ From the audience, Bobbie Faberow, former owner of the now-defunct Mort’s Deli, informed MacLeod that one of the show’s producers is a Palisadian. MacLeod credited ‘The Love Boat’ not only for inspiring his role as the spokesman for Princess Cruises, but for popularizing the cruise industry on an international level. He recalled a time when”taking his role as the show’s genial ambassador very seriously”he welcomed guest star Ginger Rogers and innocently mentioned that another guest on the episode was going to be Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. ‘Oh, no!’ Rogers exclaimed. ‘I haven’t seen him since we were engaged!’ But MacLeod became visibly emotional when praising his wife for helping him rescue himself from the demon that has plagued his family history: alcoholism. ‘Patti MacLeod changed my life,’ MacLeod said. ‘She’s a wonderful, wonderful element to my life.’ Dressed in a black gown highlighted by sequined butterflies, local singer Linda Jackson surprised MacLeod by serenading him with her rendition of ‘One’ from ‘A Chorus Line,’ the lyrics altered to rhapsodize the man of the evening. Then Lissandrello read a pair of letters from former honorary mayors Peter Graves and Steve Guttenberg, who wrote, ‘Whether on sea or on land, I love you.’ ‘It’s been such a gas being the mayor. Um, honorary mayor,’ MacLeod told the crowd. Actress Wallace, best known for her work on ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ and ‘The Simpsons,’ chose the winning raffle ticket that awarded one lucky audience member a white captain’s hat autographed by the ‘Love Boat’ captain. MacLeod praised Wallace’s memoir, to which a blushing Wallace said, ‘Aw, Gav!’ (sounding a lot like her ‘Newhart’ character, Carol). Vittoria told the Palisadian-Post that when Princess Cruises approached him about making his straightforward documentary, he only knew MacLeod from his signature TV roles. ‘I really didn’t realize the depth of his career,’ including movies such as ‘The Sand Pebbles,’ ‘Compulsion,’ and ‘The Party,’ and playing opposite such actors as Steve McQueen, Orson Welles, Donald Sutherland and Peter Sellers.   Ever the storyteller, MacLeod told about running into Cary Grant at a fundraiser in the 1980s, some 30 years after sharing screen time with him in ‘Operation Petticoat.’ MacLeod reluctantly approached Grant at the urging of his wife, who wanted to meet him. But it turned out to be a terrific, if bittersweet, moment for MacLeod. Grant told MacLeod, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ Just a few days later, Grant died. ‘Do something for somebody else,’ MacLeod told the audience, ‘and maybe you’ll have a nice moment for yourself.’