Hollywood hits the water

BY NICK THOMAS
Special to the Bristol Herald Courier

There could be many reasons why some 2,000 people from across the U.S., Canada and Europe made their way to Miami last December to take a four day round-trip cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. But it wasn’t the golden beaches or sparkling blue waters that united this dedicated band of travelers. It was the onboard events and list of eminent guests.

While celebrity cruises are nothing new, this one truly was a classic: the inaugural Classic Cruise hosted by the cable channel, Turner Classic Movies, which brought together thousands of film fans with their favorite Hollywood legends on the Celebrity Millennium cruise ship.

Along with TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz, celebrity shipmates included director Norman Jewson, as well as veteran actors Eva Marie Saint, Tippi Hedren and Ernest Borgnine.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Borgnine served 10 years in the navy before studying acting at the Randall School of Dramatic Art in Hartford. He then spent several years in the late 1940s working at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., before tackling Broadway and eventually Hollywood, in 1951. 

With the average age of the four special cruise guests being around 87, it was clear the crowd appreciated their efforts to join the cruise. Each looked relaxed, healthy and genuinely pleased to be a part of this special event.

“Oh my goodness, I couldn’t have been treated better by the TCM folks or fans. I don’t know why, because I certainly don’t deserve it,” said a humble 94-year-old Borgnine, when I spoke with him during the cruise. “It’s one thing to like an actor, but the kind of love people have shown me is amazing. I just want to be one of the gang on the ship!”

Borgnine was typical of all the celebrities. Far from retiring to their cabins and emerging only to fulfill their obligations, they regularly roamed the decks, mingling with the passengers, eating at the buffet, chatting, and posing for photographs.

Aside from snagging a much sought after celebrity snapshot, passengers were able to partake in a selection of scheduled events that TCM had planned: movie screenings, often preceded by introductions with the stars from the films; Q & A sessions with all the stars, and panel discussions with Osborne and Mankiewicz.

During the cruise, the ship docked at Key West and Cozumel which allowed passengers to go ashore and enjoy the many tourist attractions each stop offered. These were an added bonus on this particular voyage, because clearly most passengers anticipated the onboard program of events such as the celebrity presentations prior to film screenings.

For instance, Saint talked about the making of “North by Northwest,” Hedren spoke about “The Birds,” Jewison featured his film “The Thomas Crown Affair,”  and Borgnine discussed “The Poseidon Adventure.” At the time, of course, passengers seemed to appreciate the irony of the latter being shown on a cruise ship; but I’m not sure they would have been so dismissive today, given the tragic Jan. 13 capsizing off the Tuscan island of Giglio, in Italy.

In the past decade alone, Borgnine has appeared in almost 30 films and many TV shows, a number that could be considered a career for some actors. His latest feature, due for release this year, is titled “The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez.” Since he has worked with so many young actors in recent years, I wondered how they reacted to a veteran of his status on the set.

“Some act a little amazed initially, kind of like I did when I first worked with people like Spencer Tracy, but then they settle down once the work begins,” he explained. “But I tell you, I do have one problem with today’s actors – they don’t speak clearly and break out in this Marlon Brando style of mumbling. That’s because they expect everything will be redone in the dubbing room later. But that’s not for me. I say do it right now, because that’s what comes from the heart.”

Borgnine says he has known TCM host Robert Osborne for many years. “He came up to me one day when he was first starting out and asked for an autograph, and we’ve been buddies ever since.”

Osborne, as charming and knowledgeable as he appears on TV, said he was not only delighted to be sailing with his celebrity friends, but was appreciative of the passengers’ response to the cruise.

“Fans have been coming up to me throughout the cruise, talking about their favorite movies. I love that, because it really means they love the channel and love the work that I do,” said Osborne, adding that he hopes TCM will consider another cruise.

Cabins for this cruise went for around $800-$2,500 per person, and sold out within 70 days. Announcements for any new cruise will be made on the TCM web site, tcm.com.

Nick Thomas is a freelance writer and was a passenger on the TCM cruise. He is author of the recently released book, “Raised by the Stars: Interviews with 29 Children of Hollywood Actors” and can be reached through his web site www.raisedbythestars.com.