Gary'sGlimpses

  "In 1977, I had the privilege of hosting the hospitality suite at the TIFF. Among the many famous faces that graced the event, I had the pleasure of meeting Donald Sutherland. Although we had crossed paths at the club 22 in the Windsor Arms, we had never really had a chance to converse. That all changed when he arrived at the hospitality suite accompanied by the legendary Peter O'Toole. In need of a private space, they approached me and I quickly showed them to one of the bedrooms, fully stocked with a bar. They were grateful and thanked me profusely. With almost 200 credits to his name and 6ft 3in to his frame, the late Donald Sutherland cast a literal and figurative shadow over his industry for almost 50 years. Born in July 1935 in Saint John, New Brunswick, he was a radio news reporter in his youth and graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in engineering. But it was not long before the acting bug took hold, prompting him to leave his native Canada and tra...

MacLean and MacLean The MacLean’s came to my club one night and we immediately became fast friends. Soon after I became a small part of the act whenever they came to Ontario. I was the Lobsterman. I joined them in performing the second-oldest recorded song in the English language. It is an old Scottish Ballad called the ‘Lobster’ and I was known as the Lobsterman. I couldn’t sing that well but mostly got through it. To begin with I took it very much in stride. But eventually, I began to care about how I did. That is when I ran into trouble and got stage fright and I actually used to sweat before I did my bit. Then one night I did it, but I forgot the words. They waited through a chorus and then Gary Looked at me. “Did you forget the words?” I nodded my mind racing trying to find the words. “You Arsehole!” says the ever-helpful Gary. Somehow I found the words and finished the song and never really had much trouble again.  One of my favorite memories of the boys is with Murray McLa...

Catherine was a good friend she loved the after-hours scene. her brother Marcus ran the 505 another After Hours spot on Eastern Queen Street. But she often came to my place and always brought interesting people. So there I was at the Club 22 at the Windsor Arms. With my then-buddy Michael Ironside. Michael and I were trying to break our record of drinking about 80 margaritas. When Johnny Hart and Jack Caprio the cartoonists showed up and we were really throwing the drinks back and having a great time. When I saw Katherine waving at me. She had just come from the Courtyard Cafe where she had treated her parents to dinner. She waved me over and I gave her a peck and she says Gary I want you to meet my mother and father. 'Really How nice"I said trying to be polite and bent over with a little bow and extended my hand when: from out of nowhere Ironside bit my ass really hard. I don't know how he did it, but I screamed and jumped and kicked. He hung on like a pit bull. I writhed...