ONE-TRICK PONY trailer 'C' (a.k.a: my feature film debut)

My feature film debut … more than 40 years ago.

My 42-year quest to see this movie trailer, and to own it, is at an end, thanks to pure luck and the procurement and skillful commitment of my oldest, best bud Bob Tetzloff.

Forty-THREE years ago almost to the date, I and some of my fellow WBWC-FM and Baldwin-Wallace College students were paid extras in a concert scene in the Paul Simon movie, ONE-TRICK PONY. We were each paid one dollar in cash as we entered Ursprung Gymnasium for the shoot. The location production was tedious. I sat in the first row of the bleachers for two or three hours, next to my WBWC cohort and longtime bud Mike “Woosh” Wolschleger (Woosh Mike). At one point, Woosh had to leave and another WBWC cohort took his place next to me, Patricia Pellegrino (my first boss at the radio station). Between takes of filming of the band and the audience, Paul Simon and his four backup aces (Tony Levin, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale and Richard Tee) performed for us college pukes while the crew changed camera setups.

ONE-TRICK PONY was theatrically released almost exactly a year later and promptly stiffed at the box office. I never saw the movie in the theater. I remember finding out, probably from another WBWC cohort, David V. Allen, who participated in other location shoots on campus and at the Cleveland Agora, that the gymnasium scene had been cut from the film.

However, Bob T., who was attending Bowling Green State University while I was at B-W, rang me up one September 1980 weekend to tell me that he’d gone to see ORDINARY PEOPLE and it was preceded by a trailer for ONE-TRICK PONY … and there I was plain as day in the trailer, visibly digging on the playback music (in other words … ACTING!).

For the next 42 years, I never had the opportunity to see that trailer. The movie has never been properly released on DVD or Blu-ray with extras, and it’s been nowhere online, ever. I’ve never seen it or possessed my performance. Until now. The O-TP quest is at an end. Bob procured it … actually some time ago, and never knew he had it. But once he found it a couple of weeks ago, he jumped through technical hoops to get it on watchable phone video and make me a dub.

And here it is: The first minute or so of ONE-TRICK PONY theatrical trailer ‘C’, followed by my appearance slowed down, followed by three stills in case you miss me the first two times.

That’s Woosh seated to my left, who gets even more screen time than I do, and fellow B-W student Mary Jane Dzurilla to my right at the very last millisecond.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I must update my IMDB credits listing. (Thanks, Bob.)

[gimlicharms]

Haha love this ! I enjoyed seeing that movie at the Cinematheque a few years back!

[dondifrancesco]

So you were in the trailer, but not the movie, right? I think you asked me if the Cinematheque showed the trailer when they played O-TP a couple years ago…

[williamsanchez]

Allen Garfield dead April 7 2020 so sad sad rest in peace man now you don't have too worry about mask or social distanceing make sure too say hi too my grandma for me and give her a big hug and a high five and Betty white too and paquite la de barrio too and gene hackman Christmas present is here today Christmas past is past Christmas future Is far away