Mr. Holland shows up for his first day of work as a music teacher. Has a long walk and talk down the hall with the principal (Olympia Dukakis). I pop out of a doorway on the left just before they get to the classroom. Except that was cut in the reformatting for TV. Now if they'd just release the letterbox edition...

Later that day, he's in the cafeteria, where the coach (Jay Thomas) educates him on the finer points of teachers cutting line. Cut to the teachers' lounge. Camera starts on a cigarette (notice the mess in and around the ashtray and under the coffee cup - 18 takes gives lots of time to make a mess), follows it up while I take a puff (I'm busy grading papers), and pans over my left shoulder to Richard and Jay having a conversation. For a brief instant I fill the screen. Then watch close for occasional glimpses of my bald spot.

At the '64 graduation, I'm sitting immediately on Richard's right side, vice principal (Bill Macy) on my right. They panned cameras back and forth for hours and all you saw of me on the wide screen was my left shoulder. Also cut for TV.

Pay particular attention to the parade in '65. I'm not there, but that's downtown St. Johns.

Finally, '70s graduation where Richard gets his compas, I'm on the front steps of the school congratulating Bill on his promotion to principal. The one shot I was sure I could tell it was me was to far off to the side to survive the TV cutting. I think that's me in a drab green suit in another shot, but it's hard to tell.

So... the smoking teacher. That's me. And the punchline is, I smoked for 10 years, quit on September 25, 1980. I'm now what's known as a militant reformed smoker. I'm the kind of guy who would pack a water pistol to the restaurant in case someone lit up too close to the non smoking section if I thought I could get away with it).