Comments on: Take me to “The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance” by Elna Baker

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:32:57 +0000

Sam Shepard?

By: Tambi

Tambi — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:21:56 +0000

I am completely with Darren. She’s hiding Warren Beatty in plain sight by saying it’s not him.

It sounds exactly like him.

And she doesn’t seem like the type of person who would casually draw an innocent person into the story, even as an example.

The guy who *isn’t* Warren Beatty… *is* Warren Beatty.

By: Angela DiGiovanni | Living Out Loud

Angela DiGiovanni | Living Out Loud — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:54:56 +0000

But Steve Martin and sex appeal just don’t go together. Not for me, anyways. When reading the book, I originally thought Harrison Ford, like many others, but then, yeah… the writer part…

I like Darren’s Warren Beatty theory!

By: Mr. Applecot

Mr. Applecot — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 09:00:09 +0000

I’m a little late here (just listen to this story on the Risk! podcast) but I think it’s a close tie between Sam Shepard, Steve Martin and Woody Allen. That said, none of them fit entirely.

They’ve all written plays and are all massively successful enough to have the crazy entitlement of the “Warren Beatty” character featured in her story.

Woody Allen definitely has some iconic kissing scenes (Manhattan or Annie Hall, maybe?) but Mr. Allen would NEVER have a 310 area code.

Sam Shepard doesn’t have an academy award, so that doesn’t quite work, but both Steve Martin and Woody Allen do (Steve Martin won for a short film he did in the seventies). The 310 area code makes me think it’s Martin, though the famous on-screen kiss is a bit of a throw. Steve Martin’s pretty lacking in that department, though maybe there’s something in Roxanne or Shopgirl perhaps? Steve Martin’s also quite well-known for his plays (Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Wasp, The Underpants). I can also totally see him struggling to say please and half-jokingly say “Show me your tits”. He also hasn’t visibly aged since the 80s, so the author’s surprise about finding out his age works as well.
My money’s on Steve Martin.

By: Staci Kramer

Staci Kramer — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:41:16 +0000

Seriously this mystery is gonna keep me up at night. How in the world does no one know the answer to this question? Isn’t there someone who heard the story from her before she wrote the book? Theres no way she didn’t tell people all about this. The Sam Shepard theory is really disappointing for me because I swear I have never even heard of him. I like the Warren Beatty theory and when I was reading it I pictured De Niro or Connery. I hope this gets difinitively solved! Elna, You have got to spill!

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:33:16 +0000

@Darren – Sorry, I meant “hear” not “here”!

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:31:27 +0000

Ok, so check this out. It’s the most obvious choice of all- Warren Beatty. I know she says it’s not him, but think about it. That’s the one way she can protect herself, yet reveal it as well. He’s married, he’s won an Academy award, he’s a womanizer, he’s a big star. And besides, it wouldn’t be fair to use his name as a proxy if it weren’t. People like Jenni above could misunderstand the story and just here “Warren Beatty”. By saying it isn’t Warren Beatty, she has it both ways.
Now, my question is what is the best screen kiss. She’s Mormon, so she probably hasn’t watched Shampoo. My guess is at the end of Heaven Can Wait on the football field in the empty stadium.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:04:43 +0000

So I need to check my research better…Gene Hackman was born in 1930, making him 80…shoot this is not the first week my math skills have failed me…back to square one

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:56:24 +0000

Okay so I have way to much time on my hands and my curiosity always gets the best of me. My mother in law recommended this book because she says Elna reminds her of me…hmmm. So after much research based on what we know and the previous blogs where someone correctly guessed the famous actor; this is a pretty good narrowing down of the suspects. Here it goes;

Al Pacino – never married
Micheal Douglas – too young
James Brolin – no oscar
Harrison Ford – no oscar, a little too young, not married
Dustin Hoffman – too old
Patrick Stewart – no oscar
Alan Alda – no oscar
Sam Shepard – too young, no oscar

Those were the closest to the known variables. The one that fits best is….Gene Hackman. He is 70, married, oscar winner and writer. He does not have a 310 area code, but that would be because his agency or manager set up the phone number is based out of L.A. I am not familiar enough with him to know his on screen kisses; plus, what one person thinks is a great kiss another might not.

By: slam

slam — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:41:56 +0000

My guess before coming here was Steve Martin. Sam Shepard doesn’t have the right fame profile to be “Warren Beatty”. And Steve Martin has written quite a few plays. But he hasn’t won an Oscar, and the NYPost blurb is compelling, so maybe it is Sam.