OK so Saturday Ry sends me this poster about being an extra in a movie. I had done something like this before in 1981 for a movie that ended up being called ALL THE MARBLES with Peter Falk. It amounted to sitting around most of the day and then doing something for 15 minutes and then collecting your money. It was kinda fun (we were at the MGM Grand in Reno) boring (sat most of the day) interesting (got to see Peter Falk and a couple of hot babes) and you got $25 which was close to my daily wage as a change guy at Harrah's. So anyway, I emailed and got hired BUT they wanted me to be clean shaven and have a dark suit. Clean shaven - no problem but I needed a haircut. Dark suit – problem---I mean I am from Guam—What the hell is a dark suit. BUT I don't have to be there – Martinsburg -- until 2:30 on Monday. No problem!!! Martinsburg is an hour and a half away. So Monday morning I'm up bright and early and I'm off to Goodwill who just happens to have an ok blue suit that fits, shirt, tie, a PERIOD t-shirt all for $17. What a deal!! Take it home and throw it in a bag along with some other pants, etc that they told me to bring. By this time the barber is open so I get my $15 haircut and, after lunch, I'm off to Martinsburg. I get there about 1:00 and find the place which is just a large room in a shopping mall that they are using as a holding area. When they want you they put you in a van and bus you over to the filming location. I notice there are 20-30 guys dressed just like me. The girls running the place tell me to sit down and they'll get to me. Some paperwork...........and wait. After a couple hours one of the girls motions me to come with her to the hairdresser, but she's not quite ready yet so just sit right here and wait. 20 minutes later the hairdresser can't improve much on my new haircut so she just hardens it and back outside..... to wait. 20 minutes later to wardrobe and there the nice lady doesn't like my blue suit much but she does like my grey slacks which fit better 20 years ago. She gives me a better white shirt, a better tie, and a jacket, and conversation how she's been working for production companies for 20 years when she's not working at her family business in eastern Tennessee. And now dressed, back out..... to wait. I did find out though that I am officially “Reporter #1” which leads me to think “Hey! I might have a line or 2”. A few minutes later they give ma a script and WOW! Reporter #1 says “Frank, how are you feeling today....?” ---Now I forgot to mention that the movie is supposed to be a 5 part mini-series on the beginnings of the Mafia and organized crime. My line is said to Frank Costello before he goes in to testify before the Kefauver Committee (Look it up). Visions of a Best Supporting Oscar dance through my head. Who should I thank in my acceptance speech?? 20 minutes later after having thoroughly practiced my line I hear “Reporter #1 – Meyer on the bus.” and with 10 seconds to secure my bag and belongings I'm off. Now filming is in this vacant building in a room on the 3rd floor and it's cold. Temp outside that day was around 40 and now it's late in the afternoon and the sun is going down and they only have a couple space heaters going. Luckily I'd brought my coat. But it was still cold. I stood and watched as various scenes were being shot in this room which was supposed to be Senator Kefaufer's committee room. It seemed laughable to me that this small room could ever be taken as a Senate committee room but such is the magic of the movies. Then all of a sudden one of the guys said “We need everybody in the gallery” and then pointed to me to stand on a ledge behind other people in the gallery for Costello's testifying scene. The ledge was about 2 feet high so I grab part of the set to help myself up and since it wasn't secure--I knocked it over. We got it fixed. I was part of the gallery. We laughed appropriately as Costello fended off the Senator's questions—6 or 7 times and then the director called a wrap and began to thank all the extras and to shake their hands as we left. When my turn came I asked about “My Scene” and he told me they bagged it and that's why they put me in the gallery. No problem. I mean my scene had been cut from ALL THE MARBLES too. So downstairs to the bus...which just left so we had to wait until it got back. Then back to the holding area where we couldn't leave until we were called to wardrobe and turned in our stuff which took about 45 minutes for me. Then sign the paperwork and I realized it was $100 if you worked the 12 hour day that some of these people had been there. Mine was ….... let's see......3½ hours. Probably close to that 25 bucks I got 30 years ago. And then, of course the hour and a half drive back to Harrisonburg. Was I ever glad they didn't want me to come back Tuesday. It was supposed to be REALLY cold.