Eve Arden

While living in North Hollywood, one Saturday afternoon I was grocery shopping in a supermarket (don't remember the name, could have been Lucky's or Alpha Beta, as I alternated between the two), and in the dairy section, I picked up a container of yogurt and looked for a freshness date. I couldn't find it immediately, so I took my time slowly looking over the entire container again. A voice from behind asked, "Well, are you going to buy it, or just stand there looking at it?" I turned and it was Eve Arden.

Ms. Arden was doing her shopping, too, and apparently I was obstructing the dairy section. I recognized her, but didn't say anything other than, "I'm looking for a freshness date." To which she replied, "Oh well, I guess that's something we should do."

It wasn't until many years later, when I was once again living in New York, that I sent her a photo to sign, and she did so, returning it within a week.