DR. FRANK-N-FURTER VS. CHEWBACCA, OR WHY EWOKS AND GELFLINGS THINK HARRISON FORD IS UNPLEASANT AND VADER GROKS THE TIME DANCE

My flight in late July from Heathrow to JFK included an unexpected surprise. Two of them, in fact, one about 4 feet tall, another seemingly twice her height.

Sadie Corre and Stephen Calcutt. Certainly no one you would know. In 1975, Sadie and Stephen played the very short and very tall Transylvanians in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

I was in a middle seat, Sadie sat to my left. She is 86 years old, with a thick Kent accent ("I don't talk Cockney, Cockney says 'nk' instead of 'ng,' like 'nuffink' (nothing) instead of 'nuffin.'" Uh-huh.) I had no idea who she was and after three or four hours in the air, after small talk and crossword-puzzle collaborations, and a few cocktails, her very tall travelling companion, Stephen, stopped by to say hello.


Stephen introduced himself and Sadie as guests of the Horror Show's 30th anniversary convention in New York that weekend. As if that wasn't cool enough, I learned that Sadie played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, and a slave master in Jim Henson's Dark Crystal. She also played -- get this -- Hugo The Dummy in 1964's Devil Doll, the precursor to 1978's Magic, in which Anthony Hopkins creeps us out as a sensitive psychopath with a very special doll. Finally, Sadie was in Dick van Dyke's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Stephen was an extra in the first two Harry Potter movies and in the 80s Dr. Who series.

Does that rock or fucking what?