Like so many others we grew up watching BURT REYNOLDS PLAYING THE MACHO CHARACTER IN ALMOST ALL OF HIS FILMS. from DELIVERANCE, LONGEST YARD and OF COURSE THE SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT series with his famous black Trans AM. His undeniable walk and trademark black mustache , he kept a presense on the screen that most of us enjoyed if not envied. He had his personal life somewhat unfavorably flash in front of us on programs and gossip magazines with his relationships with JUDY CARNE, SALLY FIELD and LONI ANDERSON. With financial and also medical woes soon following he really left the public eye quickly and was more an after thought to most except the die hard fans. Pictures would pop up and all were trying to show how much he has aged and was not the robust actor we once knew. So think about it WHO DOES NOT AGE. Some do better than others either by good genes of the family or some assisted by a medical procedure. We all thought that BURT REYNOLDS would be the one that didn't but I am sorry he like the rest of us has not found the Fountain of Youth. Burt over the past few years will occasionally and more like rarely will make an appearance at a Celebrity or Car Show where he signs autographs for a fee and also charges for a picture with him. He recently which I have reported before was at as how charging 75 dollars to sign his name on any item and 75 dollars for a picture with him at a table. Then we heard he was doing another at a car show in the middle of nowhere with mush confusion on what he was charging but was going to draw a crowd with one free and the others 25 dollars. A few us could not resist as his days of doing such events are waning down as it takes a toll on him to sign over and over. Now maybe it was a ploy to get people to pay the entry fee but the autograph was NOT FREE. The first one was 25 dollars and the next would be 75 dollars with the same fee if you wanted a picture with him. I decided to pay the fee to get a football signed as part of the Longest Yard and we waited for almost 2 hours on line with a small crowd patiently. When the crowd was not what they expected( Most of the people were furious on the charging fee which is not Burt's doing but his handlers and management) we were able to get a few others for the same fee of 25 dollars each. As I approached BURT my eyes could see he was a tired 79 year old man. He still carried the famous smile but had difficulty in his posture and needing a cane and assist of another to get around. We chatted for a few when I explained some of the traits he processed analyzing his hand writing which really caught his attention. He Thanked me and with a gentle voice he said" GOD BLESS YOU" As I walked away I turned one more time to look at the legend who was was tiring quickly and fading fast. Though he has dropped from the mainstream of the public life , many of us will never forget him and I was lucky enough to share a few minutes with a one of a kind actor and I can say person also..
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