Radio-CanadaA short stay. |
Of all the people I remember most from my stage at Radio-Canada, Guy Sanche comes to mind. He also became a very good friend of mine. While I worked at Mail Dispatch, in a very low-level job, Guy was already an upcoming star at Radio-Canada, having his own program on television. I do not recall just exactly what it was called but it was half-hour kiddie program aired daily in the morning. Guy was the one responsible for getting me jobs, paying jobs no less, as 'figurant' in various popular programs then playing on TV. These are described later on...
Guy and I first met in fact in the Iberville tramway, on our way to work. Indeed, although he already was well established at Radio-Canada, Guy did not own a car and was, like me, relying on the tramway to make it to work. The first day I reported for work, I sat next to that fella in the tramway. As was current inthose days, we got talking and we soon discovered we both worked at radio-Canada. Small world. Needless to say, I was impressed; imagine me, talking to a 'star'. Well, I was quite impressionable in those days. In any case, as it turned out, we soon became friends and we met every day on the way and back from work.
Guy loved pranks and loved making fun of people. He could imitate just about anybody and was especially good at imitating whoever happened to be the star of the moment at Radio-Canada. In those days, the place was full of homosexuals or, as we then called them 'tapettes'. But it was not that evident as most of them were still very much in the closet and were known but to their own kind. In the case of many of them however, one would have had to be totally blind not to notice them. They talked like, walked like and generally acted like who they were. And, it goes without saying, they were the source of much fun.
I remember one in particular; I don't remember his name and it is as well but he 'was' one of the top actors playing in some of the top acts of the day. His overall comportment, the way he looked and talked and walked was so 'rosy' that he made Liberace look like Kenneth Galbraith! Often when we met, either at his or my home, Guy would put on a show. One day, we were at André Coté's house. The usual gang was there, André, his brother Roland, the Trahan brothers etc. The previous week, one of the invited guest 'star' at Guy's show on TV had been our 'no-name' fella described above. Someone asked Guy what he was like to work with etc etc. We shouldn't have asked.... it fired up Guy.
It was one of the most comical act I ever witnessed, only equalled but not surpassed by another act put on by Jean-Pierre Coallier, another 'friend' which took place in the same house at about the same period of time. Guy played himself and our no-name star in a fictional interview having taken place sometime earlier at Radio-Canada. He was hilarious. I don't remember laughing so hard and for so long. We were all rolling on the floor. Only Guy, as expected, kept a straight face. Boy he was good. This is one act he could not air on TV. It would have been an instant hit but he also would have been fired.
I tell you... these people are spies!
So much for radio-Canada - You're fired!
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