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Retired actor recalls area’s celebrity lifestyle
By Diane Welch (December 7, 2005) [Union-Tribune San Diego]
DEL MAR – Longtime resident Don Terwilliger is famous for his tales of a bygone era. His ability to recall Del Mar during the 1930s and 1940s, when celebrity sightings were common, make him a valuable resource for writers of local history. But Terwilliger’s stories retell only part of his colorful life.
Encinitas writer Wendy Haskett has featured Terwilliger’s recollections of stardom in her book, “Backward Glances,” an entertaining collection of San Dieguito-area residents’ stories. “Don is unfailingly interesting,” Haskett said. “His stories are so unique.”
As a professional dancer working in Hollywood, Las Vegas and San Diego’s Starlight Opera, then later as an actor on television, some of Terwilliger’s memories have a glamorous aspect with a humorous twist. There was the moment when one shoulder of Jayne Mansfield’s dress accidentally slipped down during one of her shows in Las Vegas. Terwilliger, who worked in Las Vegas for seven years, was partnered with her in the nightclub show, when part of her breast was suddenly revealed, he said during a recent interview. He let Mansfield know, in an aside comment.
Then there was the time when, on the sitcom “Murphy Brown,” Terwilliger had a single word of dialogue aimed at a very pregnant Murphy. As she stepped out of an elevator, he uttered, “Moooooo.” Terwilliger said he worked on the show for five years, mostly as a stand-in for camera blocking and as an extra.
Early in his show business career, Terwilliger appeared on television in the General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan from 1954 to 1962. “It was so much fun. I not only danced but did skits and comedy spoofs,” he said. Later, Terwilliger was seated behind Reagan at a horse auction at the Del Mar Racetrack. After tapping him on the shoulder, Terwilliger chatted with Reagan about the show and shared pleasantries with Nancy Reagan, who was with him. “A year later, exactly the same thing happened again, at the same auction. I tapped Reagan on his shoulder to get his attention, and said to him, ’It’s me again!’ and Reagan burst out laughing,” Terwilliger said.
When historical facts about Del Mar need verifying, Terwilliger is happy to oblige.Last month, he was invited to meet with movie stars Jane Russell and Terry Moore at L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa. “They drove up in a chauffeured limousine,” he said. “Still looking fabulous! We talked about Del Mar back in the 1940s and looked at vintage photos in the L’Auberge’s Jimmy Durante Pub. I was able to name unidentified figures in those photos for them.” His knowledge of Jimmy Durante’s connection to Del Mar will be used in the special features of a DVD re-release of the notorious 1943 Howard Hughes movie “The Outlaw,” which starred Russell and Moore.
When a cracked kneecap and, later, an Achilles tendon injury ended his 20-year dancing career, Terwilliger was hired by 20th Century Fox as a stand-in on several TV shows. “I knew the casting agent, who asked me if I’d consider doing stand-in work for Ryan O’Neal on ‘Peyton Place,’ ” Terwilliger said. His most memorable acting was an 11-year run on “Cheers,” where he had bit parts at the famous Boston pub. When the show went off the air in 1993, Terwilliger retired.
Today, at 74, he is the former president and a current active member of the Del Mar Historical Society. Terwilliger is helping preserve the past by sharing his knowledge of local history. “It’s something that I’m very proud of,” he said, adding that he’ll continue to do it as long as he is able.
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1930 - (93 years)
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