Mid 70s Radio - Syracuse
By 1976 Jack Mindy had left 62 WHEN and gone crosstown to WFBL to do mornings. It was while he was at FBL he had opportunity
to make an appearance in Paul Newman's classic 1977 hockey film "Slap Shot". Jack tells the story...Swimmin' Pools n Movie Stars: Slap Shot was filmed in '76,
I was doing mornings at FBL. PD Jim Ashbery knew a guy who was an Assistant Producer for the movie, much of which was being filmed in various places
in Central NY. One of the former morning team at FBL (Downes & Merchant, I think) had been picked to do the part, but filming was behind schedule and he
(Downes or Merchant) was committed to something else that weekend, so Jim gave the Slap Shot AP a list of a half dozen or so who might be appropriate.
We all auditioned and I got the part. It was filmed at the Utica War Memorial. It was there I learned I can't act my way out of a wet paper bag. Nevertheless....
I was told that I'd get paid a wardrobe allowance if I'm filmed in my own clothes. Figuring this was all a bit of a hoot anyway, I went down to the Big Men's Store
in Shoppingtown. This was back when TV sportscasters usually were the more flashy dressers on the TV set, so I told the nice lady I wanted a sport coat "like one of the local flashy
dressing sportscasters would wear". She reached into a rack and pulled out what you see in the photo above.
Awhile after the filming, I was scheduled to be a guest auctioneer on the annual WCNY-TV fundraiser, so I donated the sport coat to be auctioned off the evening I was on.
I don't recall how much they got for it, but it was at least reasonable.
FYI- To this day I still get residuals, three checks per year. Only a total of about $50/year after taxes, but what the hey! I get the feeling Cool Hand Luke and
The Entertainer still don't get the play Slap Shot gets. Seems to always be on some cable system in some country somewhere.
The answer to the inevitable next question: I saw him briefly from 30-40 feet away. But I did have my own "trailer" off the set.
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