I heard about the DVD signing event from Allyce Beasley. She told me that she and Curtis Armstrong were going to be at Rocket Video in Hollywood on Thursday, February 9 at 7 PM to celebrate the Season 3 DVD release of Moonlighting. She invited me to stop by as it would be a lot of fun, and she was right. Although I’d seen Allyce a couple of times since I moved to Los Angeles last year, I hadn't seen Curtis since early 2004 and I was really looking forward to seeing them together.
When I entered the store at approximately 6:45, I immediately noticed a huge television monitor hung up high on the back wall playing Atomic Shakespeare. Under the monitor, there was a black couch where the guests of honor would sit. Looking around, I spied Jeff Miller, the manager of Rocket Video and a big Moonlighting fan. I spoke to him earlier in the week and thanked him for holding the event. Jeff told me that he hosts fan events once or twice a month and they are always interesting. He also shared with me that he checked out www.moonlighting21.com and thought we had a great site, which always feels good to hear.
A few minutes later, I saw Curtis enter the store and I waved "hello" to get his attention. We hugged and chatted for a few minutes. I told him that I saw the interview he and Allyce did together on Memories of Moonlighting and that they both looked great. He confirmed that he and Allyce enjoyed being interviewed together and that he was happy that it turned out so well. Allyce then came bounding into the store and the flurry of greetings began once again. Fans started to gather around them and it was time for the show to begin.
Allyce and Curtis sat down on the couch under the monitor (still playing Moonlighting episodes, with the sound turned down) while Jeff sat in a chair beside them. I sat down in the back row of the audience so I could better observe everyone's reaction and basically stay out of the way. Jeff asked them questions about the show before turning it over to the audience for an informal Q&A. Many of the anecdotes they shared we already reported in Moonlighting Strangers. For instance, Moonlighting fans will remember that we were first introduced to Herbert Viola in the episode, Yours, Very Deadly. It was Herbert's first day at the Blue Moon Detective Agency and let's just say that Agnes shows an immediate liking to him by pinning him down on the desk and suffocating him in kisses. The reality was that this was their first scene together as actors and they barely had a chance to say hello to each other. As a way to break the ice, they asked Glenn if they could spend a few minutes alone with each other over a bagel and coffee before they were to be thrown together in the heavy make-out session. Glenn obliged. They also discussed the grueling shooting schedule and because script pages came down late, how the set would become a bit chaotic, throwing some guest stars for a loop. Curtis and Allyce took it upon themselves to take care of and look after them (as Mark Harmon gratefully attested to in his commentary for Sam and Dave). Back then, Moonlighting was a tabloid target and even Curtis and Allyce became victims. Curtis related a memorable story published by the National Enquirer. It reported that he and Allyce were having an affair and enjoyed "evenings together watching old movies and eating popcorn."
When the Q&A was over, fans lined up to have their DVD's, photographs and other items autographed. Curtis and Allyce graciously posed for pictures with them too. Once the evening wound down, we said our goodbyes and that we'd keep in touch. Watching the easy chemistry between Allyce and Curtis that night, it's no surprise that they have remained friends 17 years after Moonlighting ended. To give you an idea of what I saw that evening, just watch them together in Memories of Moonlighting.