Sci-Fi Con Memories

Program from the DoctorWho Event 85
which I attended nearly 40 years ago

Writing up my experiences at the LIWho Doctor Who convention attended last weekend brought back memories of similar events I used to frequent in the 1980s and '90s. Apart from the occasional comic book show, this recent pop-culture gathering was the first one I had been to in about 35 years. The first one I ever attended that I can remember was a Star Trek convention in Philadelphia. Except for the Big Three-Shatner (Kirk), Nimoy (Spock) and Kelly (McCoy)--it seemed the entire Enterprise crew was there. I have no evidence or pictures from that event since I did not stand in line to get autographs, but I remember having fun which was the main purpose. In college I rented a car along with two other students and drove from Pittsburgh to NYC to attend another Star Trek con. Shatner was at this one and I asked him what it was like starring in the TV version of The Andersonville Trial and being directed by George C. Scott in a role he originated on Broadway. I don't recall the answer. I do remember seeing Forbidden Planet there for the first time.

My first Dr. Who event was in Valley Forge, PA with numerous Doctors and companions including Jon Pertwee and Nicola Bryant. There were no autographs given out and my chief memories were of watching Dr. Who episodes not yet available on our PBS stations. According to broadwcast.org, there was a Who event on Feb. 23-24, 1985 at the Valley Forge Convention Center as part of the Whovian Festival tour and the only guests listed are Colin Baker and John Nathan Turner. The website lists additional tour stops in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Florida, Portland, Oregon, and San Jose, Calif. There is also a DW event called Spirit of Light in Valley Forge on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 listed so it could have been that one that I attended. Now I look further and it was probably the WhoEvent 85, held Oct. 18-20 at Valley Forge. This one lists Pertwee, Bryant, Colin Baker, Anthony Ainley (The Master), John Levene, Janet Fielding, Terry Walsh and Carol Ann Ford as participants. I do remember there being a lot of guests, so this was probably the one I attended. Upon further digging through my collection of theater programs (none of which I have thrown out), I found the program (see picture). By now DW shows with Tom Baker were being broadcast on WHYY, the local Phila. PBS station with narration by Howard Da Silva and I was hooked. 

Cinderella vs. Batman and the Passage of Time

Seeing the new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway reminded me of how much I used to look forward to watching the 1965 version on TV every year (This should have been a sign to my parents that I was gay, but never mind that.) It was a big deal because in those days there were only three TV networks and a big, lavish, full-color musical worthy of Broadway was a rare event. Even though we saw it in black and white, it was still a thrill. We did have an aunt and uncle who had color TV and I used to ask if we could go to their house for dinner on Wednesday nights because that was when Lost in Space was on. This was in the second season when the Robinsons finally changed their clothes and got full-color outfits. Now that I think of it, I don't believe I've ever seen that Lesley Anne Warren Cinderella in full color outside of YouTube clips. We didn't graduate from B&W until the mid-1970s. So we must have seen it in grey tones with the whole family including my grandparents visiting from Maine.