Memories, always worth another look.
Garry Armstrong, my charming husband, wanted to be in the movies. His original aim was stardom on the silver screen. Somewhere along the line, he and I and a whole bunch of people we all knew, found our way to the studios of WVHC, the radio station of Hofstra College, now Hofstra University. It was just 10 watts when Garry and I met in the studios. I was 17, Garry was 22. He was a little older than most of the undergrads because at 17, he’d enlisted in the Marines and by the time he got out, a few years had passed.
Gary, me, and President Clinton on Martha’s Vineyard.
He was the Program Director. I was dating the Station Manager, who was, coincidentally, Garry’s best friend, which is where our personal history gets pretty complicated. I was also the Chief Announcer. I knew that I wanted print, not electronic media, but the radio station was a great place for those of us who had never found a place where we fit in.
Hofstra University logo flag,
We were all oddballs, variously talented, and pretty much all of us went on to have careers in media and the arts. We turned out a couple of authors, quite a few audio engineers, a variety of talk show hosts, DJs, TV and radio producers, several news directors, a bunch of commercial writers (in which group I fall), a college professor (maybe two, I’m not sure) … and Garry, the only one of us who became a successful TV reporter. Garry’s career spanned 45 years, 31 of them at Channel 7 in Boston.
Surprisingly little footage of Garry’s on the air career has survived and until today, we had nothing at all from his years at ABC Network. Today, a friend of Garry’s found this footage from 1969, the last year Garry was at ABC before he made the jump to television and working in front of the camera. It’s a promotional piece for ABC News and it features a lot of faces and voices from the past … and one young up and coming fellow, Garry Armstrong.
Let us return to those days of yesteryear, when television cameras used film and there was a war in Vietnam. It was 1969, the year my son was born, the year of Woodstock, the end of an era, the beginning of everything else.
This is how it was, back then. Tape recorders that used tape. I used to know how to edit tape. I bet if you gave me an editing block, tape and a razor blade, I could still do it.
Look at the state-of-the-art equipment circa 1969. The equipment may be antiquated by today’s standards, but the standards by which the news was gathered and reported were incomparably superior to what passes for news reportage today.
November 17, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Very cool clip.., Garry looked great.., really professional ‘n’ stuff. They all had a stuffed shirt air about them though. Garry seemed more relaxed, at least to me anyway. I guess it’s the “cool” gene we brothers are born with eh?
November 17, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Garry will get a kick out of your comments
He has been called many things, but rarely cool. It was really great just getting the clip. These were faces he hadn’t seen in a lot of years … the better part of an entire lifetime. Amazing the things you find on the Internet.
On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 10:41 PM, Serendipity
November 16, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Marilyn and Garry, I absolutely enjoyed this so much. I LOVE the photo of the two of you with Bill Clinton. Your story is truly a story cast in the stars. I had no idea you’d known each other for so long. What a wonderful history of the life you’ve shared together and now with us. I couldn’t get over that handsome young “kid” you were Garry at ABC and I had no idea that you were a Marine. Thank you for your service.
I too, am amazed at how little there is of you out there on the internet. I know I’ve seen you many times over the years as I was growing up so you’d think there would be more of those videos out there somewhere. I’m very glad this piece of history was found and will now be enjoyed.
I also LOVE the story of a particular jealous movie star because YOU, Garry, were stealing the limelight. LOLOL. I personally feel you would have made one heck of a “mature actor.”
Wonderful blog entry, Marilyn.
Love you both,
Debbie
November 16, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Our story is so absurdly complicated that it falls into the “you can’t make this stuff up” category. What’s particularly nice about having such a long shared history is that we know the same people, we went to the same college, we worked at the same radio station(s) (not just at college, at others, too). There’s a lot of stuff we don’t have to explain because we were both there
November 16, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Debbie!! I think, in part, the stars were aligned for me way back then. Right place, right time, and a very pushy young man who wouldn’t take no for an answer. I got so much great advice from established stars. Merv Griffin told me I might have a future. I asked “why”? he said because I listened to what he was saying. I always thought that was what you were SUPPOSED to do. I remember going to “Jilly’s Restaurant” in NYC in the 60′s at the owner’s invitation. Jilly Rizzo, as it turned out, was a good pal of Francis Albert Sinatra. Yep!! I got a sit down, a free drink or two or three from ol’ Blue Eyes and the same advice about listening. Hard to believe but so very true!! Now, I listen to our four furry kids.
November 16, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I’m telling you a book about your lives would be an awesome addition to our library. You have experienced many wonderful adventures as well as trials and tribulations but you arrived alive with one heck of a story to tell. Not too shabby about ol’ Blue Eyes too. That must have been just incredible!! Glad Merv gave you some positive feedback that helped you on your way. Perseverance paid off.
You guys ROCK!! Those are some very lucky furry kids too. LOL.
November 16, 2012 at 7:55 pm
I think my book writing days are done. The writing is the easy part. Marketing is the other. I don’t have the strength of character to go through it again. Once was bad enough. For everything else, there’s the blog. It will have to do.
The fur kidz think they are underfed and not given nearly enough attention. We are their craven slaves.
November 17, 2012 at 10:02 am
what a great video and story. recognize a lot of ABC faces. those were good times.
you’re a star !!!
November 16, 2012 at 10:18 am
I am so grateful to Jim Powers, the friend who found this video on You Tube. Jim and I became friends working as “background actors” on a movie set a few years ago. I had brief dreams of being discovered and becoming a “mature” film star. But the early morning call hours were too reminiscent of all my years on Television when I had to cover stories at ungodly hours. I did enjoy hanging out with background (please, we do not say “extras”) actors on the handful of movies I worked. I also had a few interesting encounters with major film stars baffled by my local celebrity. But I digress–as usual. The 1969 ABC Network video brings back a flood of memories. I was “The Kid” covering major international and national stories of the late 60′s. What a way to begin a long career which I so thoroughly enjoyed!!!
November 16, 2012 at 10:06 am
Although I was never affiliated with the media I was a sound buff that used reel-to-reel recorders. I use to splice leaders onto new reels to give extra time to setup recordings. That sure was a long time ago.
November 16, 2012 at 10:59 am
Bet you still remember how to splice. Like riding a bike. You never forget.
November 16, 2012 at 11:17 am
I do indeed. I was splicing cassette tape for years after reel-to-reel. That was 40 years ago.
November 16, 2012 at 8:24 am
How wonderful! The methods may have changed and evolved to means once only fathomed in scifi movies but the goal remains the same. . .communication! I know both you and Garry treasure this memory…perhaps others may yet surface along this journey called life! Thanks for sharing:>)
November 16, 2012 at 9:23 am
The thing that’s probably most noteworthy is how seriously reporters and other people in the news biz took their jobs back then. It wasn’t about being a star … it really was abot making sure that the truth and the facts were given to the public. Now it’s about rating and careers; then it was about good journalism. Ed Murrow cast a long shadow.
November 16, 2012 at 5:52 am
How fun to see this and to “meet” Garry! Thanks for posting.
November 16, 2012 at 9:24 am
That was the Garry I knew back in college. It’s 43 years since then. Whew! We were so young. I think we thought we’d never get old!
November 17, 2012 at 10:00 am
marilyn….what a great video. …and the story was fabulous. brought back so many memories of you and gary and my short time with him at ABC news. i recognize a lot of faces. you are so right….that was when news was news and not about ratings. hope all is well with you guys.
November 17, 2012 at 10:35 am
Garry was really happy to see it. It reminded him of so man people he hasn’t seen in years .. Many years. And when news really was news, not whatever passes for it now.