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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL HATFIELD

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THE INTERVIEW

The following is a transcript of the interview of Paul Hatfield by Norm Vogel in September of 1996.


The Early Years

Norm (moving in front of the camera to sit down): "Let me sit right in here like that... oh, boy! Alright, I think we're gonna do it."
Paul: "Don't fool around, now, Norm... your knees are so close to me..." (Laughs) "I'm gonna start gigglin', I swear to God I am!" (Looks at Norm) "Hey, he's lookin' at me like he's gonna hypnotize me! Jesus..."
Norm: "Alright, ok..."
Paul: "Ok"
Norm: "'Sky High'. 'Sky High Hatfield'!"
Paul: "Yeah, you got it! How are ya?"
Norm: "A legend in your own time."
Paul: "Yes."
Norm: "I've heard a lot about you. First off, your name...
Paul: "Pardon me?"
Norm: "Your name is Paul?"
Paul: "L. Hatfield."
Norm: "P-A-U-L... Spell 'Hatfield' for me."
Paul: "H-A-T-F-I-E-L-D."
Norm: "Don't look at the camera, look right here at me."
Paul: "Yes... this isn't a take, right? You're just bullshittin' me."
Norm: "Yeah."
Paul: Sighs.
Norm: "I've uh...I'd found some old footage, probably goes back to the 20s, when men daredevils were climbing buildings, sitting on flagpoles, and doing all sorts of things way up in the air."
Paul: "Right."
Norm: "Do you recall that era?"
Paul: "A little bit... I was a little young then. There was a guy ahead of me, Flagpole Kelly, who had become famous 25 years prior to me."
Norm: "So here in Baltimore... Uh, first off, you are born and raised here, right?"
Paul: "Yes sir."
Norm: "Whereabouts?"
Paul: "Freedom, Maryland, near Sykesville, Maryland... I was born on a farm."

"I walked into the gym reminiscing, boxing, and I see these three guys doing Jitterbug acrobatics, and I said, 'that's for me'. I was 21 years old, and I was pro six months after. They said I was a natural."

That Showbiz Thing

Norm: "Uh... when did this showbiz thing hit you?"
Paul: "I discovered it. I'm self-taught. I started being a mason, and uh... I wanted to be a fighter. I couldn't be that because I had a hole in my heart, but I was ready to turn pro, and uh... the boys in Little Italy taught me how to fight, [when I was] between 16 and 18, because I used to be picked on in the neighborhood."
Norm: "Is that where you're from?"
Paul: "No, I hung out in Little Italy a lot. West Baltimore is where we lived after the farm. My daddy uh... moved into the city"
Norm: "So then you moved to West Baltimore, and then you went to Little Italy?"
Paul: "No, I hung out in Little Italy, because we used to train down there."
Norm: "Alright, let me ask you again. When did this..."
Paul: (Belches, twice) "Excuse me... uh... excuse me... I hope this isn't uh... a take."
Norm: "When did you know that you wanted to be in show business?"
Paul: "When I couldn't become a professional fighter. I discovered it. I walked into the gym reminiscing, boxing, and I see these three guys doing Jitterbug acrobatics, and I said, 'that's for me'. I was 21 years old, and I was pro six months after. They said I was a natural."
Norm: "You wanted to be a professional boxer"
Paul: "Very badly."
Norm: "You wanted to be a prize fighter."
Paul: "Oh, very much so."
Norm: "When you found out you couldn't do that, you saw some guys doing some acrobatics in the gym."
Paul: "Yeah. And I figured, well, I don't have to get checked for that, and I went for it. And I'm a self-taught hand balancer and acrobat."
Norm: "You and a friend performed at the Hippodrome."
Paul: "Right. We won a brand new car in 1950."
Norm: "How many cars?"
Paul: "One car, and he gave me $750, the value of half of the car."
Norm: "You were satisfied with that?"
Paul: "Sure, because I just bought a uh... '48 Chevrolet convertible a week prior to that."
Norm: "After performing at the Hippodrome and winning, did that spark you on to bigger and better things?"
Paul: "Yeah. He and I were sent to uh... New York City free, to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. And that was a fun thing, and a big thing in those days. We didn't win, but... because I feel like it was cut and dry... but it was fun."
Norm: "Alright, so you left your partner and you..."
Paul: "After he dropped me and broke my wrist."
Norm: "...reason enough to drop your partner. And you started a solo act."
Paul: "After I took the cast off, yes sir."

"Nobody was doing it, and I said, well, why can't I skate on my hands? So I made a piece of wood on the skates, wrapped 'em, and waited for the green light, and hit the skates, and [I was] going down St. Paul St., and cars are [going by, and people are] driving with their mouths open."

It was all downhill

Norm: "When did you roller skate down Charles, er... St. Paul Street?"
Paul (grinning): "Oh, uh... a hundred years ago." (he starts laughing) No, I forget what year that was. Uh... I think the year is on the uh..."
Norm: "1956."
Paul: "Ok."
Norm: "What ever made you do that?"
Paul: "Because in that time I liked to do different things. Nobody was doing it, and I said, well, why can't I skate on my hands? So I made a piece of wood on the skates, wrapped 'em, and waited for the green light, and I hit the skates, and [I was] going down St. Paul St., and cars are [going by, people] driving with their mouths open."
Norm: "Where did you start on St. Paul St.?"
Paul: "Oh, God... on the hill somewhere... I forget the cross street."
Norm: "But a pretty long ways."
Paul: "Oh, yeah."
Norm: "Of course, I guess it was all downhill. No way you can skate uphill, is there?"
Paul: "Right."
Norm: "Even Sky High Hatfield can NOT skate uphill."
Paul: "Right."

"So I called my buddy who trained me in boxing, Dominic Bakala, and he gave me the name within one minute over the phone... He says, 'well, you're in the sky, you're high... Sky High Hatfield!'"

It was all uphill

Norm: "What made you sit on a flagpole?"
Paul: "Well, at the time, the bricklayers were on strike. I belonged to the international union at that time, learning my trade. Well, I was a mason then... yeah, that's right... Yeah... I was a full-fledged mason. International. I held an international card. And this woman called me up... shall I give her name?"
Norm: "Alright."
Paul: "Penny Cameron. And she said, 'I have just the thing for you. You're the only crazy guy that can do this.' I said, 'what?' She said, 'Sit on a flagpole [it was really a telephone pole -g.h.] 50 feet in the air [or was it 65?], and advertise new Fords at DeFoe Motors on Belair Road.' I said, 'I'll think about it... that's pretty crazy.' So she called me back, and said, 'you have to do it, 'cause the pole's being built, and you have to do it. You have to get a name.' So I called my buddy who trained me in boxing, Dominic Bakala, and he gave me the name within one minute over the phone. I was talking to my son Greg Hatfield about this a long time ago. And uh... he wasn't that punchy, a great guy, still alive, and uh... he says, 'well, you're in the sky, you're high... Sky High Hatfield!'"
Norm: "Whatever made you climb the pole? And did you set some kind of a record or something?"
Paul: "I could have."
Norm: "How did you wind up in the newspaper climbing a pole?"
Paul: "It was advertised. It was good publicity, good advertisement. She did a good job. I was front page. Miss Maryland kissed me goodbye in 1958, and I climbed in my tuxedo, and uh... I tested the pole the day before, and I said [to myself], 'well, Paul, you've done it now... you can't do this,' but I did it, and after two days and two nights I fell asleep, and my feet were hanging off the pole, just strapped on the top."

"I advertised new Fords. 'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is Sky High Hatfield from your flagpole! We have a Sky High Special tonight!'"

Norm: "How long did you stay up there?"
Paul: "Thirty days, not coming down, and everybody used to check on me, three o'clock in the morning, four o'clock in the morning."
Norm: "You ate well while you were up there?"
Paul: "Very well. I had two shifts."
Norm: "Do you recall the time of year?"
Paul: "August."
Norm: "So the weather wasn't too bad..."
Paul: "It was cold up there. I slept in a flying suit."
Norm: "How far up were you?"
Paul: "Fifty feet."
Norm: "Do you recall where?"
Paul: "Yeah, Belair Rd. DeFoe Motors."
Norm: "So you sat up on a pole for thirty days..."
Paul: "Right."
Norm: "A publicity stunt for you and DeFoe Motors."
Paul: "Right. I made money. I advertised new Fords. 'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is Sky High Hatfield from your flagpole! We have a Sky High Special tonight!'"
Norm: "You were doing radio ads?"
Paul: "Exactly. I was on the radio also."
Norm: "Did they sell any new cars?"
Paul: "Oh, they sold 'em like hotcakes! He practically cried when I came down. He asked, 'when are you coming back, Paul?' No, he didn't call me Paul, he called me Sky High."
Norm: "Would you do it again?"
Paul: "Uhhh..."
Norm: "I mean, if one of these local automobile outfits said, 'Sky High, we got a deal you can't resist."
Paul: "Well, they gotta pay the nut."
Norm: "Would you do it?"
Paul: "If I got good bucks."

Norm: "So you've been all over the country performing?" Paul: "Yes sir. From Canada to Cuba." Norm: "Doing what?" Paul: "In the early days, my balancing act - full dress tuxedo..."

A class act

Norm: "Your son, who works at Channel 13, told me all about this, and about you, and..."
Paul: "Gregory Paul."
Norm: "And he loaned me some footage of you in Canada, doing this act that you do with two dummies... or I should say maybe three dummies?"
Paul: "Yeah, when I went over the border, they checked me out." [Paul laughs] "It's a dance comedy."
Norm: "So you've been all over the country performing?"
Paul: "Yes sir. From Canada to Cuba."
Norm: "Doing what?"
Paul: "In the early days, my balancing act - full dress tuxedo..."
Norm: "Now, what about the balancing things that you've done. You've balanced on bicycles? Tell me about that."
Paul: "Well, I dreamed that up at three o'clock in the morning, but it was too many props after a while, folding up the props, the tables, the bike and everything, and there weren't many places... places were dying, so I said [to myself], 'I gotta put myself a nightclub act together, where I can work with the people, do a couple of jokes, and get the people in the act, so that's what I did. I surrounded myself with a little bit of comedy, with the people, I put the people in the act, and it worked out real fine."
Norm: "There's a shot of you balancing on a... looks like a bowling ball and a bowling pin or something."
Paul: "Right, yeah, that was one of 'em, but I threw that out, 'cause it got on my nerves."

Norm: "Now your hands are where?" Paul: "In the woman's feet, the heels, and my legs are his legs, and I'm bent over like you're touching your toes to work out." Norm: "And so your head would be where?" Paul: "My head would be under her gown."

The Last Dance

Paul: "And then I bought this dummy act [Bory and Bor] from a guy from Europe, who got sick and I didn't want to buy it, I didn't want to do it, but everybody said, 'get it, because you'll never stop working.' And they were right. I did a lot of fairs, and did a lot of shows... banquets, what we call club dates, all over... everywhere."
Norm: "And people liked that?"
Paul: "Oh, they loved it. At certain conventions, I'd put the president of the company in the act, and put the dummies on him, and it was a riot. We should come to the studio sometime and get somebody out of the audience to do that."
Norm: "So you've had a lot of fun doing that."
Paul: "Oh, yeah. [At first] I didn't like doing it, because I was under the dress all of the time. I like to project out, and talk to my people. I did anyway, because I got someone out of the audience. I developed audience participation."
Norm: "Now your hands are where?"
Paul: "In the woman's feet, the heels, and my legs are his legs, and I'm bent over like you're touching your toes to work out."
Norm: "And so your head would be where?"
Paul: "My head would be under her gown." [Paul rolls his eyes, and says, "Ummmm!" He laughs loudly]
Norm: "You do that touching your toes, practically."
Paul: "Exactly."
Norm: "How old are you, sir?"
Paul: "I'll be 68 this October 16th."
Norm: "That's quite a feat for a senior citzen."
Paul: "Yes, I would say so. I did that, what... four years ago, actually. That was my last one."

"Well, it's nothing new, but no one ever catered to children, so I came out with a little Kooky Board that they can play on, and probably, their mom and dad are going to get on it also, because I've had this happen with families that I've gotten to do it, and uh, and the kids didn't want to let it go."

The Kooky Board

Norm: "Do you keep yourself in pretty good shape?"
Paul: "I try to."
Norm: "How?"
Paul: "Oh, different things... working out, balancing on the Kooky Board and stuff like that."
Norm: "Kooky Board"
Paul: "Yeah."
Norm: "What is that, one of those TV things?"
Paul: "Well, it's nothing new, but no one ever catered to children, so I came out with a little Kooky Board that they can play on, and probably, their mom and dad are going to get on it also, because I've had this happen with families that I've gotten to do it, and uh, and the kids didn't want to let it go."
Norm: "Wait, so this is something that you're going to market?"
Paul: "Yes sir."
Norm: "Soon?"
Paul: "I hope to, yes."
Norm: "Will it be in toy stores before the Holidays, do you think?"
Paul: "Well, I might get some uh... some out there by Christmas time."
Norm: "Well, you can give me a demonstration perhaps?"
Paul: "Yeah. Well, in here?" [Laughs]
Norm: "No, outside."
Paul: "Oh, ok."
Norm: "But you can give me a little demonstration."
Paul: "Oh, yeah."
Norm: "You haven't been in Baltimore recently, have you?"
Paul: "No, I haven't.
Norm: "Where have you been?"
Paul: "Vermont and Montreal."
Norm: "How long have you been away from Baltimore?"
Paul: "Thirty some years."
Norm: "You've been all over the country doing your shows..."
Paul: "Right. And I'm a mason by trade. I do brick and stone work, still today."
Norm: "So you're still doing brickwork."
Paul: "Yeah, brick and stone, special cement work."
Paul: "I used to do a newspaper trick. Would you like to see it?"
Norm: "Alright. How long is it going to take?"
Paul: "About three seconds."
Norm: "That camera's so close, I can't pick it up."
Paul: "It's a good bit. Well, I just won't do it, for ya, Norm."
Norm: "No, hold it, hold it, hold it... maybe we can do that at some other point. Not here. Not here. Ok, just keep looking at me. Alright now, hold on, uh... so actually, when you turned professional, when you became a professional entertainer, you were kinda young."
Paul: "Yeah. When I left Bill Weiderfeld, my partner, because of my fall, after I took the cast off, I use to practice a lot, and I put my own act together, and..."
Norm: "You didn't answer my question."
Paul: "What?"
Norm: "You were kind of a young guy when you first started?"
Paul: "Yeah, yeah, I was young."
Norm: "How old?"
Paul: "In the very beginning? after I finished boxing?"
Norm: "After the Hippodrome."
Paul: "Oh, after the Hippodrome. I was... Uh... when I first... Uh... After... Oh, I was uh... what, uh... 20... 3, 24? Yeah, around that. Yeah. 23 or 24."
Norm: "You got that down now?"
Paul: "Yeah."
Norm: "Let me ask you again. [Laughing] How old were you -- how old were you when you started this?"
Paul [Also laughing]: "Oh, around 23 or 24."
Norm [still laughing]: "You sure?" [he loses it, Hollywood style, and Paul follows]
Paul: "Yeah." [Laughing out loud] "Oh, shit!"
Norm: "Alright, we're gonna try this again. Standby."
Paul: "Standby. Oh, shit!"
Norm: "I'm gonna ask you again, because..."
Paul: "Don't make me laugh, now..."
Norm: "Now, look..."
Paul: "Be serious."

Long pause.

Norm: "Did you get into this outta high school? Did you go through high school and then become uh..."
Paul: "No, it was an accident, like I said. I walked into the gym reminiscing..."
Norm: "No, we did all that. This is after. I'm talking about... there's some shots of you when you were young... good lookin' guy!"
Paul: "Thank you."
Norm: "You were... did you go to Hollywood?"
Paul: "Yeah, I was in Hollywood two years."
Norm: "Doing what?"
Paul: "Uh... stand-in for stunts, and uh... grip... doing grip. A grip is a guy who fixes the stages, he wears sports clothes, a belt, and... Alan Ladd did this."
Norm: "But you were good looking enough to become a Hollywood star. What happened?"
Paul: "I did three days with Kirk Douglas, and... and they said uh... 'when are you gonna do a western with Kirk?' And some guy said, '[he won't], 'cause he's too heavy, that's why', in other words, I would project out. I was... I was good in those days, I really was. I didn't realize how good I was, or I would have really went after it. I was unhappy, I was going through a divorce, and everything else. I was very unhappy."
Norm: "You've uh... met some good looking women in your life."
Paul: "Oh, yes."
Norm: "The one with the uh... a dancer, looks like?"
Paul: "Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah."
Norm: "How long have you been with her?"
Paul: "Well... off and on, 31 years."
Norm: "Would it be fair to say that you've had your share of good looking women?"
Paul: "Well, I'm not looking for any good looking woman ever again."
Norm: "No, I didn't say that. I mean, would it be fair to say you've had your share of good looking women over the years?"
Paul: "Oh, sure, yeah, yeah."
Norm: "Alright, I can't think of anything else to ask here..."

Norm turns the camera off.

ABOUT

All About Paul Leroy Hatfield, a legend in his own time.

THE ENTERTAINER

Paul's show business career spanned three decades. Click on the photo above to read all about it!

SKY HIGH

My father's nickname was "Sky High". Click on the link above to find out why!

REALLY SKY HIGH

My dad's nickname "Sky High" followed him as a pilot. Click on the picture above and take off! - "Clear!"

On July 7th, 2000, at approximately 7:30 PM EDT, Paul Hatfield passed from this life to the next. He was 72 years old. This web site is dedicated with lots of love to you, Dad. You'll always be "Sky High" to me! I know you're flying high now, and your spirit lives on in this web site...