Meeting Tommy Kirk

I met Tommy Kirk today at a Hollywood autograph show. He's no spring chicken, but was still lively and seemed happy to be there. It was $30 to buy one of his photos/posters for him to sign and you could be photographed with him. It was all Disney stuff - Old Yeller, Hardy Boys, Swiss Family Robinson, Merlin Jones - no AIP or his other stuff.

He kindly chatted to me and another fan for a decent period of time. Some random things:
* The film he was proudest of was Swiss Family Robinson.
* He was ashamed of some of his later movies, and wish he hadn't made them. Said he did them for the money and that he made too many films with people who didn't know what they were doing.
* He didn't like It's a Bikini World calling it "shit".
* He had fondness for Pajama Party and Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. He enjoyed working with the talent on those films such as Basil Rathbone. He also didn't mind Village of the Giants.
* He had no interested in writing his life story. I pressed him about this several times but he really didn't want to do it.
* He quoted Wordsworth and Churchill.
* He had no enthusiasm to go back to acting - said he lost the spark. He enjoyed meeting fans, said he had a nice life, was comfortable, had friends, had all his marbles. Was enthusiastic about a new vitamin program he was on.
* When I told him I was from Australia he asked several questions about it. He admired Russell Crowe and the films Priscilla and Crocodile Dundee and wondered if people still had slang terms for grey white sharks. I told him about the outback and crocodile attacks.
* He really liked Jean Hagen although was shocked as a kid to hear her say "move your butt". Had great admiration for Dorothy McGuire. Liked John Mills. Admired Fred MacMurray and was defensive of him when I asked if MacMurray was tight.
* He said his acting school was all the live TV he did especially Matinee Theatre. He enjoyed doing Turn of the Screw with Sarah Churchill.
* He thought the Merlin Jones films were OK but admitted he got sick of wearing a "thing on his head with wires sticking out."
* He wasn't a fan of Savage Sam, thought it wasn't a good film and was insulting to Indians.
*He couldn't remember much about Moon Pilot.
*He spoke very highly of Bill Walsh, calling him a great writer.