 The Ultimate Conan the Barbarian Reunion!
Two Fools Live Forever at The Hollywood Show!
Reported By: Rick "CromIsGod" Henriques
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Just for a moment I would like you readers to flash back to 2003. My writing skills were raw, my voice nervous during interviewing. I had submitting my first interview, with Ben Davidson, to Jennings for approval at TAFs. I had no idea what to expect. The world was finally able to see my passion for all that is Conan. Nearly eight years later I arrive in San Diego for my first Comic Con and meeting Randy for the first time. I almost didn’t make it out there having been foolish enough to wait till April to attempt to book a hotel room. I knew that Ben Davidson lived in San Diego, so I called him to find out if he had any hotel connections in the area. In his normally gruff voice he said to me “Why don’t you just stay at my house?” An opportunity I couldn’t pass up. A week of all that is Conan was on!
Ben’s house was to scale at what I expected for a football, Conan and Miller Lite commercial legend. He had also invested in real estate wisely and was quite the tycoon. The house was ample with picturesque views of San Diego.
My room was fantastic with a mountain top view of downtown and the whole of La Mesa.
Randy has done a more than great job of reporting what we did at the Comic Con and the panels that we sat in on. I will add my two cents to it a bit. The best part about SDCC was the people that I got to meet during that time. Randy was as genuine as they come and a fun guy to talk to about all that is Arnold. John and his wife April (of www.sandwichjohnfilms.com fame) were awesome to hang out with and two of the coolest people I’ve met in a long time. I also met a couple of great guys from Arnocorps who I will refer to as Holzfeuer & Vielmehr Klampfe. These two were as badass as they come and have moshed on Arnolds old stomping ground in Austria. Hanging out with all these people made the Comic Con that much more enjoyable. I also enjoyed all the panels that I watched including chillin in the press pit with Randy during The Expendables Q&A. The only negative part about the experience was the crowded pushy nature of the Comic Con. There were lines upon lines upon lines. There were crowds of people waiting hundreds deep in line just to get a tin of Vampire Diary’s mints! Some were pushy, some were rude, but most were just there to have a cool experience, but……………I, Cromisgod, while I love all that is Arnold am, in essence, a Conan reporter. So it will not come as a surprise to you that the highlight of my Comic Con experience was not at the Comic Con, it was at the Hollywood Show.
Randy and I had worked for months to help line up a mini Conan reunion at The Hollywood Show. Sandahl Bergman (doing only her second autographing event), Olivia D’Abo and William Smith were already going to be there. I was already staying with Ben “Rexor” Davidson and Randy knows Cassandra “The Wolf Witch” Gava & Sven Ole Thorson. What a great accomplishment it would have been for us to be able to reunite all 6 of them together for an ultimate Conan reunion. Right away Ben wanted to go and meet up. Randy was able to get a definite commitment from Cassandra and a possible commitment from Sven (we also ALMOST had John Milius there as well if business didn’t keep him in NYC for that week).
So, on early Sunday morning Ben and I jumped into my rental, picked up Randy at his hotel and made the two hour journey up to Burbank, CA. During the trip Ben was his usual chatty self about the production of Conan. Telling us wayward stories of riding horses, working with the cast and general production notes.
One thing that we learned about Ben during our trip to the reunion was…..he has the most superb memory of anyone that I have ever met. We would drive by highway exits and Ben would tell us: what was off that exit, what used to be off that exit, where that exit takes you and who built that road in 1865. Ha. His recollection of his youth and stories of it made for a really enjoyable ride.
About two hours later we arrived in Burbank and headed into the show. It was an interesting set-up with celebrities scattered among venders selling posters, lobby cards and trinkets. We noticed Sandahl’s table immediately, but she had some patrons there with her. We walked around the show for a bit and I had to laugh. I laughed because Ben KNEW EVERYBODY. From some of the Bond girls, to Dan Haggerty, to Michael Dante and many others. We stopped over at William “Conan’s Daddy” Smith’s table first. Ben and William reminisced about the days of yore on the set in Spain when Rexor sent those dogs to his ultimate doom. William has just been inducted into the Bodybuilding Hall of Fame at Venice Beach in California.
After chatting with William Smith for a bit we made our way over to Sandahl’s table. Ben stepped in front of it and said “Hello Sandahl”. Sandahl instantly leaping out of here seat, “Oh my God, Ben!!!” She made her way around the table and gave Ben a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
Her excitement could not be contained and Ben had a huge grin on his face as well. Randy & I snapped pictures with pride and we believed that we part of creating a grand memorable experience. Sandahl and Ben chatted for a bit and posed for pics for the throng of people that were bustling around to see what was going on. It was the beginning of a fantastic reunion. Next was my turn to interact with Sandahl. Randy had pulled her aside a bit earlier and did the first part of our tag team interview. I wanted to get her autograph on some pieces and present her with a gift that I brought.
I first had her sign some lobby cards and a few movie posters. Before I had her sign my last two pieces (the Demon Artwork) I wanted to present her with her own set of memorabilia. When I gave Sandahl a matching set of Demon artwork I was pleasantly surprised by her heartfelt reaction. What I did not realize was that Sandahl had had some tragedy in past years. Both an earthquake and a fire had destroyed much of her reminders of her past. Multiple items that were given to her from Bob Fosse and other things from her showbiz past had all been destroyed, so my give went straight to the heart. She was more than gracious in her thanks and exclaimed “I now have something from my past that I can frame”.
I did well up a bit knowing what I had done for her. After that I did have her sign two of the pieces of artwork for me with some quotes on them. My interview segment with Sandahl was short as Randy had already asked most of the pertinent questions. During the interview though Sandahl told me something that I took as a huge compliment and will remember always. When I was talking to her about Conan she looked at me and smiled. I coyly smiled back and said “What?” Sandahl said “You know, when I look at your eyes so look so much like John….John Milius”. I was taken back a bit and may have even blushed. I considered this a great honor to be compared with such a great man.
In the mean time Cassandra Gava had arrived at the hotel and met up with Ben, Bill and Sandahl. They all exchanged pleasantries and reminisced about old times.
Randy and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get them all together in a group photo together and then with him and I. And why not Randy and I? The two men among men that were responsible for assembling this one of a kind mini Conan reunion. The only missing member was Sven, who sadly could not make it out due to a prior commitment. After we all chatted a bit more it was time to take the long trek back to San Diego. We all shared some hugs goodbye and left feeling that this was an amazing experience for both the celebrities and thearnoldfans alumni. I don’t think Randy or I could have been happier about the outcome and the experience.
I know that I look back now and think to myself how lucky that I am to have made so many great friends through this website and within the Conan world. I know now that as I walk this great Earth that is beneath my sandaled feet, once thinking I was alone, I know now that I have a great group of Conan alumni and Arnold enthusiasts walking with me. While Crom does not listen from his mountain he certainly looks down at us all with great pride. We shall all sit by his right hand one day….together.
Stay tuned for more articles and interviews from the Hollywood Show and Cromisgod’s October Chiller Report (Sandahl has already committed to be there and I’m sure there will be more Conan & Arnold related guests).
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Rick "CromIsGod" Henriques
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