Part 41: The Producers, Jan and Riley Painting
Dad was pacing the room, saying what a great concept the scam was in the film.
Part 38: Riley Shepard was Riley Cooper in Minneapolis
Dad, using the name Riley Cooper, produced a live radio show called "Hootenanny Jamboree" from the Flame Cafe in Minneapolis.
Part 37: Jan and Riley
Once, when they were in a group of people, Riley said, "Remember when we met Kris Kristofferson?" Everyone turned to look at Jan.
Part 36: My Mother, Art, Social Security Cards
Around the time my father met my mother in 1962, his "creative identity factory" was in full force.
Part 35: The Women, The Encyclopedia
When I saw this drawing in my late father's box of personal mementos, I was stunned. How on earth did Riley get his wife to pose for this?
Part 33: Burgess Meredith and The Gold Rush
I have no idea if he and Burgess Meredith and Gary Romero made a dime off this album. Or The Quartones, for that matter.
Part 27: Lou Levy, Harry Belafonte, Wife Number Four
Leslie repeated a story her mother told, that Harry Belafonte had come to their apartment for dinner, and sang to her when she was a baby.
Part 23: "He Enjoyed Tricking People," She said.
Here's what I grapple with. Did my father believe his lies sometimes, or lie so often that he became confused about reality?
Part 22: Making A Brand New Start of It, New York, New York
If I had to point to a time when my father had some prestige and success, it would've been the years from 1944-1948. He was young, talented,
Part 20: WWll, Chicago, and Those Wacky Lectures
Dad was in his early 20s when the war broke out, healthy as a horse, tall, handsome, articulate. So why didn't he serve in that war?