Grandpa Frank

In my father's retirement years he was "discovered" by a talent agent while walking through a mall with my mom. He started an acting carer which consisted of occasional commercials and several "extra" roles in movies. Generally he was in the background somewhere and you never really saw him unless you knew were to look (which we ALWAYS did). There was one movie, Angels in the Outfield  where he had a real role, though no speaking lines. He played the third base coach in that movie. He was visible numerous times and actually had one frame with just his face. I can tell you it is very strange to see your dad's face on a movie screen that's as big as a house.

The movie came out in 1994 (the year Maggie was born) and was filmed in The Oakland Coliseum. I remember going over there after a court appearance all dressed up like a lawyer and watching the filming for a while. It was fun for everyone, but no one more than my dad.When the movie came out on video the boys used to watch it over and over shouting "There's Grandpa" whenever his face was on the screen. They knew when it was coming and each tried to beat the other by yelling it first.

Eddie recently happened upon the movie on DVD and bought it. He watched it last night, while wearing the very same  hat Grandpa wore in the movie. He kept texting me lines from the movie. I was sitting at the Giants game with Tim and Steve and we were all laughing at the lines which were especially ridiculous out of context. .

Then he must have stopped his movie to take a picture of the one shot featuring my dad's face. which he sent to my phone. The message that accompanied this picture from his television screen. 


"Miss him. But he sure does look Gangster in that hat." 


I laughed out loud. My dad was many things, but "gangster" was not one of them.


My dad was told to look shocked as a runner is bearing down on him. After raising seven kids, nothing really shocked him, but he pulled it off. He was a natural

Eddie said he stilled yelled "THERE'S GRANDPA!" every time he came on and wondered if that was weird. Not to me, but I know his girlfriend was a bit confused. 


Eddie said in a later text that seeing Grandpa (who died in 2007) moving around on the big screen kind of bummed him out - but I told him he completely make my night. .