No Laughing Matter: My Memory of the Courageous Comic Actress Teri Garr (1944 – 2024)

Teri Garr (1944 – 2024)

Professor Joe Goldblatt

In 1984, a major new shopping centre developer near Washington, DC contacted my special events firm for help in organising the grand opening of one of the largest malls in America at that time.

During this same time a former policeman named John Walsh had recently suffered the loss of his son Adam who at six years of age was kidnapped and murdered. Adam and his mother were visiting a local shopping centre in Hollywood, Florida when he suddenly disappeared. This crime created a period of panic about missing children throughout the United States and led to the development of the National Centre for Missing Children in Washington DC with a grant of 40 million dollars from the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

I suggested to the owner of the shopping mall that instead of solely focusing upon the usual balloons, fireworks, and bands that often accompany the grand opening of a retail business that we should also seek an opportunity to do something important and perhaps enduring for the local community.

My recommendation was to film a public service announcement (PSA) featuring a major Hollywood star that would warn the public about the importance of looking after their children and promote the new National Centre for Missing Children. All commercial broadcasters were required by the US Federal Communications Commission to reserve several minutes of each day to broadcast stories of benefit to the public. The National Centre immediately agreed to support this iniative and through my contacts in Hollywood, the now famous actress Teri Garr who had recently starred in the popular comic film Tootsie, agreed to appear in the film.

We then developed a script about a young mother who was shopping with her young daughter in the shopping mall that would soon open and Miss Garr, after discovering her child was missing, would turn to the camera and speak directly to millions of other parents and caregivers to solemnly remind them to “Pay attention! Your child may disappear in an instant. The National Centre for Missing Children may help you. And remember, always pay attention!”

The sixty second public service announcement played on television stations all over the USA and Teri Garr also appeared on the popular late night Johnny Carson Tonight Show programme seen by tens of millions of Americans. As she settled into her seat, Carson asked “What have you been up to Teri?”

She smiled broadly and animatedly said “I have been shopping at Potomac Mills Shopping Centre near Washington, DC where we filmed a very important message on behalf of the National Centre for Missing Children.” Carson was impressed as were millions of viewers and the owners of the shopping centre.

During my two full days with Teri Garr we visited several local television and radio stations to promote the opening of the shopping centre and the National Centre for Missing Children announcement we would film in the centre court of the new shopping mall. Teri, a former professional dancer and star of numerous major films, was always punctual, impeccably dressed, thoughtful in her answers to the interviewers many often silly questions, and our two days together were both fun and successful.

About ten years later I learned that sadly Teri had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She also lately suffered from a brain hemorraghe that required immediate surgery. Despite all of her health challenges, she managed to maintain her sense of humour and commitment to helping others by filming many programmes to promote support for MS research. She also adopted a daughter, Molly O’Neill, and became a grandmother of Tyryn whose presence in her life brought her infinite additional joy.

I often wondered if after filming the PSA about missing children if Teri as a new mum became even more concerned about the welfare of her own young daughter when they visited public places.

However, one thing I never had to wonder about regarding the irrepressible Teri Garr was that of her legacy as an actress and human being. I knew then and know now that she will be remembered and cherished as a humanitarian whose silly giggle in films was both natural and normal as it represented a light hearted view of life and living that was also underpinned by a strong conviction that life should be lived to the fullest. She did this by looking after others as she did so masterfully in a large shopping centre those many years ago.

Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University and the former Executive Producer of The Wonder Company in Washington, DC. His views are his own. To learn more about his views visit www.joegoldblatt.scot