The Day The Stars Fell

Emmie grew up listening to tales about the television stars her dad met through his job as a carpenter and stagehand. She eagerly waited for her dad to come home from work each night to fill her in on happenings behind the camera. How she longed to meet some of those famous people. Just meeting one would make me happy, she thought as she’d drift off to sleep each night.

Visions of Steve Allen and his crew, Milton Berle, and Mitch Miller danced their way through every dream. Arlene Francis became her role model. After hearing the wonderful stories of how Ms. Francis did so much for the stagehands in a tough but lady-like manner, Emmie decided she’d grow up being just like that wonderful lady.

Emmie, born Emily Anne, never dreamed of being famous, just meeting those who were. At age ten, while she kept her dreams to herself, she never thought for one minute they might ever become real. She resigned herself to lead a normal but hum-drum life.

One afternoon, Emmie’s older brother, Mike, raced home from school with some remarkably interesting and exciting news. A company, local to Emmie’s neighborhood, comprised of young men and women formed a small organization for children between the ages of 10 and 16. The purpose of this organization was to teach music and march in the neighborhood parades. It was as much to keep the kids out of trouble as it was to advertise the company.

After contacting many musical instrument companies, they purchased a few snare drums, a base drum, bugles and six glockenspiels (also known as bells). They decided to make the uniforms as simple as possible: blue pants and white shirts for the boys, blue skirts, and white blouses for the girls but the company offered to purchase regular band unforms to make the band look more professional. Plans developed quickly and the time soon arrived to find the children to make up the band. Maggie, the woman responsible for that task, sent fliers to the area schools hoping to recruit some children interested in learning to play an instrument and march in cadence.

Mike wanted to be the first one to join. His mother agreed since she never saw her son without sticks in his hands pounding out a rhythm on an imaginary drum or the kitchen table or the living room couch. She also thought of Emmie. Her daughter always listened to the radio and either hummed or sang along with the songs. Now she’d have the chance to play something.

The first band practice interested more than one hundred children. Some came out of curiosity, some because of the boredom without school activities and others because their parents wanted more free time for themselves. The elimination process lasted two weeks and among those accepted were Emmie and Mike.

For whatever reason, Mike chose to learn the bugle instead of the drums and although Emmie tried (in vain) to blow out one note on the bugle, she found herself learning to play the glockenspiel or as the band called the instrument, the bells.

Although Emmie met no celebrities and the attention focused on the band, she felt very much at home playing her bells and marching in each parade. By her 13th birthday, she became so engrossed in the band, Emmie began helping the music instructor with the younger members.

Soon, she found herself, not just marching in parades but playing in movie houses when celebrities came to town to promote their latest films. Then the unthinkable happened. That summer, in 1961, Troy Donahue along with his co-star, Connie Stevens, came to town.

As usual, the band entertained their guests but while adults ran the operation of the band, they felt as a children’s band, a child should represent it.

Mike, now the oldest child in the group at age 15, took on the responsibility of teaching the drums as well as playing the bugle. Thus, it seemed only natural for him to represent the band by shaking hands with the stars which never fazed him in the slightest manner. Since their arrival in town coincided with Emmie’s 14th birthday, the band’s owner arranged a surprise for her.

As the band played, the stars exited their limos and entered the theater where they signed autographs and made their way to the stage. The crowd cheered and applauded to an ear-deafening roar.

As the crowd began to settle down, the theater manager walked on stage and announced that he’d like the band’s representative to join him in introducing the town’s celebrity guests. Mike climbed the few steps to the stage while his friends hooted and hollered. Then to the frightening but delight of Emmie’s emotions, she heard that same manager call out, “And now, I’d like Emmie Harris to come on stage. Today is Emmie’s birthday and I can think of no better gift than to have her meet our guests.”

Emmie’s dream was coming true. She was about to meet two movie stars! Her heart pounded in her young chest. Playing for the various celebrities and meeting them were two different things and now, here, on her birthday, she’d get to shake hands with Troy Donahue – her latest heartthrob!

Feeling a nervous excitement run through her body, she almost dropped her bells on the floor as she removed the instrument from it sling which hung around her neck and shoulder. With trembling knees, she walked up the three steps to the stage. Connie Stevens met her halfway and gave her a huge hug while wishing her a happy birthday. Grabbing Emmie’s hand, Ms. Stevens led her to where Troy Donahue stood, waiting.

He took both of Emmie’s hands and the crowd in the theater came to a dead quiet. Everyone quietly waited to hear what he said. Everyone waited and waited some more.

In Emmie’s mind, what seemed like an hour, was probably no more than two minutes but for however long the time elapsed, Mr. Donahue intensely stared deep into her eyes. Then, he slowly leaned towards her and pulling her toward him, placed a huge kiss on her lips then whispered in her ear, “I hope your birthday is as beautiful as you are.”

Late that afternoon, Emmie left the theater with the other band members feeling as though her world crashed around her. At home, she moped around the house. Her mother wondered what happened to cause such a downfall in her daughter’s spirits.

“Emmie, what’s wrong,” she asked. “I thought meeting Troy Donahue would be the perfect birthday gift for you. What happened?”

Emmie let out a big sigh. “Oh Mom! I always dreamed of being like Daddy. Meeting famous people and having them greet you when you go to work. But this afternoon changed everything. Today, Connie Stevens hugged me, and Troy Donahue kissed me. I waited for the stars to shine, their faces to glow or something special happen. But nothing did. Her hug and his kiss were no different than a hug from you or a kiss from Daddy. In fact, yours are better. Yours mean something. They’re just like daddy said, they’re as human as we are.” She decided not to tell her mother that Troy Donahue's kiss unraveled her in a way that made her feel insecure and uncomfortable.

Emmie’s mom smiled as she realized how much her daughter grew up in the short span of two hours.

Calling her husband from another room, together, they handed Emmie a small box. “We thought of giving this to you earlier but decided to wait until after dinner. Now, while dinner is cooking, this seems like the perfect time. Happy Birthday, honey.”

Emmie opened the small box and found the prettiest little ring with a dark green emerald – her birthstone. She immediately put it on her finger, jumped from her chair and with both arms, grabbed her parents and hugged them tightly.

“Oh, Mom, Dad! I could meet all the stars in the world and none of them could ever make me as happy as you just did.”

All it took was one kiss from an adored celebrity to take the stars from Emmie’s eyes and put her feet back on the ground. To this day, it’s the day that Emmie laughingly calls the day the stars fell.