Anything Goes : Close encounter of the starring kind..."on stage with Bill Murray." by Eric Ross Gilliatt

Stephen Mitchell, Stage 32 Screenwriter, producer, and director from Los Angeles, California and I connected recently here on Stage 32 and started sharing stories about some of the show biz celeb's he and I had known and/or worked with over the years, like Jack Palance and others. I mentioned to him I'd had a chance encounter breakfast with Bill Murray once and shared this story with him...Stephen said it was a great anecdote and asked me to share it with all Stage 32 people here on the lounge so I am offering it for all to hopefully enjoy.... *************************************************** "On stage with Bill Murray...Mr. Insanity" By Eric Ross Gilliatt Okay, Stephen...I have some time now... The story of having lunch/brunch with "Mr. Insanity," Bill Murray is as follows...maybe we should call it "The accidental tourist..." Some years ago I was on summer vacation traveling up the old California coast highway 101 from San Diego, (my home then) to Morro Bay. Along the way I had decided to stop for the night in Santa Maria, get some of the famous oak wood pit barbeque they have there, and stay at the famous Santa Maria Inn. It was a particularly busy tourist season that year for some reason and the Inn was completely booked solid, so I was glad I had a reservation. After a nice evening in the city, I got up the next morning early to go down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Well, since the hotel was full, the restaurant had a 20 minute waiting list for a table. I put my name and room number down and sat down in the lounge area to wait. No sooner had I sat down than in walks Bill Murray, who looks over at me, nods and smiles as though he knew me. He didn't, of course. He looks around at all the people, then walks over to me and asks, "There's a waiting list?" I said not very loudly, "Yes, unfortunately there is, Mr. Murray." He said, "Thanks" and turned and walked back to the Maitre de station to register. The young man looked at him very strangely, at which point both myself and Bill knew that he didn't realize who it was although he thought he recognized him as someone familiar. The young man asks, "May I help you, Sir?" Bill turns to me again and smiles and winks, I smiled, and he turned around and said, "Yes, I need two tables for four people," to which the young man says, "I'm sorry, sir, it will be at least 30, maybe 40 minutes wait as we have a full house." At this point, I jumped up and walked over and said to the young man, "Excuse me, this gentleman is with me, so, please find one additional table for him as I am already in line for one and we want everyone to be together." Bill, laughs and says to the young man, "Oh, I thought you knew we were together." The young man ignores the comment and asks Bill, "...and what is your name sir?" I smirked at Bill and he looks at this guy and says, straight-faced, "It's Bill...Bill Smith." The young man stares at him again with the same look of familiarity, but didn't say a word... Bill takes my arm and says..."My fame has failed me again," and laughs. I said, "He doesn't look like a golfer..." Bill laughed again and asked my name, which I told him, adding I was an actor, director and producer on vacation from San Diego. He says as we walk over to the waiting area, "Thanks...I have to run upstairs to get my wife and baby, and see if my brother is here yet. He lives in Santa Maria and we're here to see him. If they call us, I'll be back in 10 minutes or less." I said, take your time. He returned in about 5 minutes, wife and child in tow, and his brother arrived just as we were going into the restaurant. It was a wild breakfast since the entire restaurant recognized him immediately (I am sure the young man at the registration desk was feeling a bit foolish by then). Bill is the same in real life as he is on film or anywhere he is...he is ALWAYS ON, as we say. He was joking with everyone, being very congenial and still managing to talk to me, his brother and family. At one point there were some senior people seated a couple tables away and he got up, walked over and started talking to them about their visit to SM. The said they were in town for a square dancing convention at the local convention center. Bill ceased the moment as only he can do and started having them give demonstrations of square dancing moves. He had full control of the house and, much to the chagrin of the staff, wasn't giving it up easily. Personally, I haven't laughed that hard since...he is truly one spontaneously insane genius in the comedy department. His wife, brother, and family took it all in stride and paid little notice. For me, it was a moment to remember for a lifetime..."on stage" with Mr. Caddyshack, the one and only Mr. Bill Murray. And, yes, he got a rousing ovation when he finally sat down to eat! The calmer side of Bill is intelligent and interesting...I saw him outside his room by accident again the next day as I was leaving. He came and thanked me once more for helping him with the table...I didn't ask for either a photo or autograph...it just didn't seem appropriate...after all we were 'comrades in arms,' and my experience with him was worth more than any fan memorabilia. He is, as Steve Martin's old SNL moniker used to go, 'A wild and crazy guy!"