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BLACK AND GOLD, BABY... STEELERS ALL THE WAY!!!
 AND THEN THERE'S EVERYTHING ELSE...                       AW 5-14-24
 

                                                                                      
BOXING MOVIE STARRING JAMES EARL JONES AND BILLY DEE WILLIAMS
  JUST HIT ME--MUHAMMAD ALI KISSED MY SON ON THE CHEEK!
Son and Mother with Ali signing personal "Remembrance"...
         Ali addressing Son...while signing something to "him"...

        Ali having a "ONE ON ONE"  TALK with young Zacko...
 Young Zack gets a GOOD LUCK kiss on the cheek by
                                          The
            "GREATEST OF ALL TIME"...
... A SMALL ADDITION:  Right after, young Zack would ask his old man
             (and I quote) "Daddy, Why you let that man kiss me?"

  I "think" I said something like: "Zacko, someday you'll totally understand".
             He definitely DID question me.  With those exact words. 
                            
         I "think"--as I foggy-remember....the above was my response.       AW 6-27-24
...one of my greatest dreams came true...EXCEPT... I was in the wrong place:

Back in the day,  Muhammad Ali was my biggest hero--outside of Jim Brown
 in football--
 
14 years old,  I sat nervous as hell in the family small  living room in steel-mill
 small-town Western Pennsylvania.

 I "thiink"  I remember actually sweating...and maybe even shaking a little bit.
  I wanted Ali to win sooooo bad... but had heard from MANY media  folk that
  Liston was gonna walk right through him.  And shut him up!

I suspect they heard me next door both sides and across the street...when Ali
 won.  I went nuts.

Fast Forward :  I'm now in in Los Angeles. Steven Spielberg had chosen my
 script from among a group of others to direct.  'Met the fella a couple of times
 in his studio-lot office. 
 
 'Seemed nice enough.  He'd said he wanted to direct a "boxing movie"--and
 we  discussed a range of things as to how to go about it.  He seemed enthused
 and even excited.  When I asked about the timetable--when?  He said something
 I have found to be true in my experience in TV, Movies, and even theater. 

Spielberg: "I've found that the only way to get a movie done is to put it on the
 fast track".  Yep True. (In Hollywood--and elsewhere)...

With a few "intervening events"--the movie ended up getting done.  Lotta stuff
 no need to mention here because up top, I introduced what, to me, was an
 "odd" twist of fate...per my childhood hero.

Cut to the crux:  We were shooting in South Central Los Angeles at the old 
 Historic boxing gym on Gage.  I read that Ali was going to be signing boxing
 gloves and other memorabilia in San Francisco.  Sooo--I decided to leave the
 shoot for a day or so... and drive up to San Francisco to stand in what I knew 
 would be a long line to meet my childhood idol--WITH my young son... and my
 Lady(who were at our home, in Bay Area) .

Got there early.  Stood in the LONNNNG line to see THE GREATEST up close
 and personal--and maybe get a pic, or something. Line was long. It was a usual
 very cold morning in SF.  Sooo After the long wait the doors opened and the line
 moved forward... into the store.  My toddler son has no idea what the hell I've
 come up with this time.  FINALLY...we get close to Ali.  WOW!  Talk about
 charisma.  He was a LIGHT.  Finally, we get to where we're next.  Ali stops!
 Stands...and stares me down. And at same time OTHERS notice and are looking
 at what The Champ is looking at:   ME? (I think my Lady even took a step back
 with our son in her arms... unsure like everyone else...(including ME).

Then in one of the ways ONLY Ali could do it. He breaks out in a big friendly
  smile and says. "Man, you lucky I ain't jumped up and hit you. You looked to
 me like JOE FRAZIER!"  Instant laughter(and relief) all around. 

 Ali graciously signed gloves, trunks...and I got a picture of my baby boy with Ali
 kissing him on the cheek! (will dig up and post, later). 

HERE'S THE KICKER IRONY!!!  I go back to Los Angeles..after spending an
 extra day hanging out in San Fransisco Bay Area with my Family.  And what do
 I hear.  "Art, you missed it.  "What"?  "MUHAMMED ALI AND SIDNEY
 POITIER dropped by the set--and spent pretty much the WHOLE DAY
 HANGING OUT with Ivan Dixon(who I was given the opprtunity to choose as
 my "replacement" director for Steven(may visit that later).

But as I type this... what I felt to this VERY MINUTE(seriously)..was a
 MISSED OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME?  I JUST THIS INSTANT
 CHANGED MY MIND. WOW!  I MISSED A DAY OF HANGING WITH ALI ON
 MY SET.  BUT!!!DAMMIT-NEVER HIT ME UNTIL NOW. 'GOT SOMETHING
ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!  I HAVE/WE HAVE... A PICTURE OF
 MUHAMMAD ALI KISSING MY SON ON THE CHEEK!!!  WOW! Glad I
 somehow came up with the odd idea of putting up the movie--and launching
 into this remembrance of Ali.  One of my earliets of few heartfelt HEROES...

To me?  Ali WAS THE GREATEST... and that is  a "STILL"...

Change the opening line: I was in the RIGHT" PLACE...and just, this moment,
 discovered it...

Hope you enjoy the movie...                                                              AW 6-24-24

12th MEN is  3 HOUR SHOOT that was done some 10-11 years ago, or
 so.  HELLUVAN ACTOR and friend, HARRY LENNIX, flew in for the
 shoot--flew out same day.   SHADEED SALUKI and son, KAMAL
 "DROVE" up from LA--to SF.  Presently messin' around with possible internet
 series.  KEEP A LOOK-OUT...  AW 8-25-2
                           ...'meantime...