The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

Local News

Discussion

January 10, 2009

Keep celebrities’ lives private

BY BARBARA GREENBERG

I’m not big on celebrity gossip, probably because I’ve lost track of who’s a celebrity and who’s not.

But when I was in my teens, I had a long list of movie and music stars whom I followed. The criteria for making that list changed as I grew older, but I still kept some of my old favorites. One of them was Cary Grant.

Handsome, strong, witty and romantic, he personified to me all that made a man appealing. Little did I know that at the same time as I worshiped him from very afar, he perhaps forced his then-wife to indulge in recreational drugs. It was primarily LSD, as I recall.

I knew Cary, as I called him, primarily from the small screen. His old movies filled the TV schedule weekends while I babysat. He seemed eternally young. It was a shock when I finally saw an up-to-date photo of him and he had white hair.

Shortly before he died, Cary toured with his one-man show called “An Evening with Cary Grant.” I was lucky enough to see a performance. Yes, he was old, very old, but it hadn’t diminished his looks or his charm. And his accent was even better in person. If I remember correctly, he died right before a performance.

I mourned Cary, but I moved on. Actually, I didn’t have far to go — I’d already discovered John Travolta. I’d followed him through many of his incarnations: Vinnie Barbarino, Tony Manero, Danny Zuko and the rest.

The two stars really couldn’t be directly compared to one another except in terms of good looks. I thought they were both unbelievably cool, too, but for very different reasons.

For years, I thought of Travolta as more of a dancer than an actor. As he matured, though, his acting talent did, too.

I knew more about Travolta’s life than Cary’s. He made it easier by marrying only once as opposed to Cary’s multiple times.

It surprised me when I recently learned that Jennifer Grant is Cary’s daughter with Dyan Cannon. Although I knew Travolta had a son and a daughter, I had no idea what they looked like or anything about their medical conditions. And other than know the names L. Ron Hubbard and Tom Cruise, I was clueless about Scientology.

I know much more, more than I wish to, about these things now.

The huge differences between the Travoltas’ lives and mine really don’t matter right now. I’ve long believed that the worst fate that could befall a parent was the death of a child. They’re going through that nightmare and I pity them. They did the best they could as parents, but their son still died.

The comparison that can be drawn now between the two men has to do with things that are none of my business. What impacts the public about any celebrity’s life, including former and future presidents, is their body of work, whether it’s politics or entertainment.

The rest should be kept as private as they wish.

Reach Barbara Greenberg at bgreenberg@dancomnews.com.

Text Only
Local News
  • AmyandRomanSchweizer1.jpg Dad welcomes baby — while a world away

    Like most fathers, Brandun Schweizer wanted to witness his first child’s birth. There was just one problem, however — he was thousands of miles away in Afghanistan.

    May 27, 2012 2 Photos

  • Veterans ask people to pause

    Although the Memorial Day weekend is a time for picnics and pool parties, veterans’ groups hope people pause to remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty, as well as others who have died.

    May 27, 2012

  • Martha Stewart learns family’s roots

    Television viewers have been treated to two series lately dealing with genealogy.

    May 27, 2012

  • Haiti touches her heart Haiti touches her heart

    Janis Ostiguy of Danville experiences many emotions each time she visits Haiti — sadness at the poverty, happiness with the children, warmth for the people and their spirit.

    May 27, 2012 3 Photos

  • Turtles return to race

    Collected turtles are being fed fruits, meat and vegetables and will be ready to go for the 48th Annual Turtle Races.

    May 27, 2012

  • Hiker’s heart is in America's Highlands

    Robert Burns, the immortal Scottish poet, once wrote, “My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here; my heart’s in the Highlands, a’chasing the wild deer; a’chasing the wild deer, and following the roe; my heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.”

    May 27, 2012

  • Posters recall Cannon’s 1880 opponent Posters recall Cannon’s 1880 opponent

    In 1980, John Mendenhall found three 1880 J. R. Scott campaign posters in a home he was restoring.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • SoutheastFountainHersherder.jpg Longtime teacher finishes with kindergarten

    Jan Hershberger earned her undergraduate degree to teach kindergarten, but it wasn’t until her final six years in the classroom that she had a chance to do it.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Police to give away bikes

    May 26, 2012

  • Picnic planned for elderly

    May 26, 2012