| Gene Hackman once lamented that the worst thing | | | | rise up several notches when he played the title role |
| about becoming a famous actor is that you lose the | | | | in MacArthur (1977). Peck's wife Veronique wished to |
| ability to observe people without being noticed | | | | buy a new lot in Holmby Hills and wanted Greg's |
| yourself. But some performers are so good at | | | | approval. Local residents were amazed to see what |
| disguises that notoriety is no obstacle. A case in point | | | | looked like Douglas MacArthur chauffeured around in |
| was John Barrymore trying to buy his first house in | | | | an open convertible, wearing his full General's Uniform, |
| Beverly Hills in 1926. Frustrated by rising real estate | | | | complete with the pipe and dark glasses that he was |
| prices due to stars like Tom Mix and Charlie Chaplin | | | | famous for. When he arrived, Veronique began telling |
| moving into the neighborhood, Barrymore went to | | | | him about the property. After two minutes he |
| look at a lot dressed as his most famous movie role, | | | | interrupted her,"Buy it!" He saluted, got back in the |
| Mr. Hyde. The realtor was taken aback by the long | | | | car, folded his arms and ordered the driver to move |
| haired, wild eyed, fiendish looking man who got out | | | | on. Later the former Berkley student said," How |
| of the limo. Every time the broker would suggest a | | | | refreshing to have the General's decision making |
| price he was met by an intimidating growl. Finally he | | | | ability, Greg Peck would have dithered around for |
| made the sale by lopping twenty thousand dollars off | | | | days."Method actress Kim Hunter was shocked when |
| the initial number.Barrymore's penchant for disguises | | | | she saw her chimp make-up in the mirror for the first |
| did not end with his home purchase. The actor was | | | | time while playing Dr. Zira in Planet Of The Apes |
| often arrested and locked up for vagrancy, | | | | (1968). She actually started crying. "Oh my God. I'm |
| specifically being drunk and going through his rich | | | | not Kim anymore. I'm an ape." After she calmed |
| neighbor's trash cans to find scraps for his pet | | | | down she turned in a great performance. The star of |
| buzzard. His experiences were put to good use when | | | | the film Charlton Heston attended the Planet Of The |
| he showed up to a costume party put on by Marion | | | | Apes premiere with his wife Lydia. Rare for a |
| Davies dressed as a bum. Unfortunately, his outfit | | | | Hollywood leading man, Heston's marriage has lasted |
| was so authentic he was turned away.Sometimes an | | | | over fifty years without a hint of an extramarital |
| actor will believe that they are turning into the | | | | affair. A strange woman came running up to him. |
| character that they play. The disguise will give them | | | | "Chuck, how are you? Nice to see you." She began |
| a confidence they don't have in their own lives. | | | | hugging him and kissing him. "Hey, get off me lady," |
| Before Dustin Hoffman was famous he used to | | | | said Heston giving Lydia a bewildered look. Of course, |
| follow movie producers into bathrooms, wait till they | | | | it was Kim Hunter who Charlton had never seen |
| got into the stalls, slide his head shots underneath the | | | | outside her ape costume.Heston and Hunter's Apes |
| door and run away. He almost blew his audition for | | | | co-star Roddy McDowall kept his humor throughout |
| The Graduate (1967) by getting nervous and | | | | the make-up ordeal. He loved driving down the 405 |
| grabbing Katherine Ross' breasts during his screen | | | | freeway in his full ape costume waving at the other |
| test. The insecure actor became more comfortable | | | | cars while stuck in traffic. Roddy also had fun at the |
| as he got outside his own skin, especially when he | | | | expense of his old friend and Camelot co-star Julie |
| played Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie (1982). Dustin was | | | | Andrews. Miss Andrews was working on the |
| so convincing as a flirty southern belle that he actually | | | | Twentieth Century Fox lot, near where workmen |
| fooled his uncomfortable Midnight Cowboy (1969) | | | | were building the Ape City. One day she was in her |
| co-star Jon Voight in New York's Russian Tea Room. | | | | dressing room, agitatedly smoking a cigarette talking |
| Their real life encounter was later turned into one of | | | | to her analyst on the phone. "My God these people |
| the film's funniest scenes. After the experience was | | | | here. I don't know who to trust. They're all trying to |
| over he didn't want to be Dustin again. "Maybe there | | | | backstab me. Don't tell me I'm paranoid! My God |
| can be a sequel where I give birth."Another uncertain | | | | there's a giant ape coming through my window! |
| star, Gregory Peck had his decision making powers | | | | |