ROBERT GOULET IS NOT STANLEY APPLEBAUM
December 8, 1999
Many years ago, when I was in the B'Way musical "Camelot", I was occasionally allowed a leave of absence to travel to L.A. to appear on important TV show - :Lucille Ball, Bob Hope Specials, the Academy Awards etc..., and on one occasion, for reasons I cannot remember - I had to do two days of seemingly constant radio, Television and press interviews.
Earlier, that last day, I had been interviewed by a charming young man named 'Stanley Applebaum'. When at last, I was stepping into my limo to (take me away from the fray), leave - one last question was fired at me (amidst a horde of writers and photographers), asking if my real name was Robert Goulet! Exhausted, yet seemingly holding on to a tentative sense of humor - I answered - "No, it's Stanley Applebaum!" I thought it was humorous & knew that the Stanley would think so as well but suddenly the press seemed to find a seam on which to stitch a by-line. My manager, my lawyer & accountant, my P.R. man were all Jewish & not really having ever had any in-depth conversations with me, called each other to say --: "He's one of us!"
Now -- had I been born a Jew, I would never had denied that fact. But, I was born into French Roman Catholic home in Lawrence, Mass., and my real name is Robert Gerard Goulet. I do have a strange sense of humor, and didn't intend to insult anyone. So please -- laugh with me.
Robert Goulet
