Earl Watson, The Knickerbocker's Doorman to the Stars autobiographer and WWII war hero with his wife of 63 years, Melba, take a break from their book signing tour of Southern California. Photo by Tim Smith
Earl Watson penned an autobiography of his life titled Earl, The Hollywood Knickerbocker's Doorman to the Stars, and recently self-published the book that takes the reader on Watson's journey from the south side of Chicago to the battlefields of World War II Europe to the intimacy of "Doorman to the Stars," at the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel.
Watson served as supply sergeant for his regiment in Europe during World War II before coming home to become "The Doorman to the Stars." "I became the company supply sergeant for my honesty," Watson said. He parlayed that integrity into a confidant and friend to many of Hollywood's elite entertainers and top sports figures from the 1940s to the 1970s.
I had the unique opportunity to interview Watson and his wife Melba for two hours prior to the event. He described their 63 year marriage to Melba as "a 63-year honeymoon." The couple raised three sons and a daughter together.
Watson hails from Morgan Park on the south side of Chicago. He was 18 when he was drafted into the Army during WWII and was assigned to Company C, 1317th Engineers, a black regiment used in support of George Patton's 3rd Army. He served his country for three years in the European theater from 1943 to 1945.
First, he was deployed to assist with the arsenal build up in the south of England that lasted 17 months. Then he unexpectedly found himself on a troop transport to France, the D-Day invasion. When the gate on the transport was dropped and his regiment waded to shore Watson said, "In three or four minutes I was out of ammunition and laid on the beach playing dead," wondering what to do next. But he knew he couldn't remain there because his fellow soldiers would lose respect for him. Watson started grabbing ammunition from all the fallen soldiers around him and moved forward, taking the fight to the Germans.
Later in the war, while travelling in a truck convoy, Watson's vehicle was hit by a bomb, or maybe it was a mine, he said. He didn't remember because he was wounded and ended up in a coma for three days and spent 11 days recuperating in the hospital. His whole left side, body, arm and leg were ripped up by shrapnel from the explosion. Friend Lawrence Farabie carried him to safety, he said. Being a young man, "I healed quickly." He caught up with his regiment in Belgium, and he was back in the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression.
Watson went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest single battle the U.S. has ever fought. A buzz-bomb landed 10 or 12 feet from Watson at one point and he and his fellow soldiers lost most of their hearing for several days after diving into a fox hole full of ice water to avoid the blast. "When a buzz-bomb stopped buzzing, you knew it was going to hit," he said.
Later, a German soldier snuck up on him and took his rifle and tried to shoot him, "I stuck my arm up to block the gun" and the shot went wide as his comrades jumped and subdued the Hun.
The 1317th regiment moved on to the Battle of the Rhine River. Watson said he saw a magnificent site as they approached the river; it was a dark sky full of U.S. planes bombing ahead of them. "That's our team," Watson said.
The engineers were constructing a train bridge across the Rhine River to keep supplies rolling for U.S. forces. "We could only work two or three hours at a time because of the smell of dead bodies." Watson said he could see burned bodies in the bombed-out buildings across the river.
The 1317th crossed the Rhine and met up with Russian soldiers. "We knew the war was over when we met the Russians."
Watson's regiment sailed from Marseilles in the south of France after the Rhine battle. But the troops were unhappy with their destination, Manila, Philippines in the Pacific, a 65-day trip. One day all those on board the ship were called to the top deck. The men were instructed to look at the bow of the ship. They were informed that the bow of the ship was now pointed toward New York City. The men were elated. The war in the Pacific was also over.
Watson said, watching the Statue of Liberty grow larger and larger as they entered New York Harbor was a beautiful site.
The 1317th regiment was moved to upstate New York by train to muster out of the service. They had a half-hour stop on the way and begged to be let off the train to get an American hot dog after three years in Europe. The troops all ordered hot dogs. The white soldiers got them. Watson was denied service because he was black. He was incredulous at the insult and began to cry. He couldn't believe that after serving his country for three years during the war he still couldn't buy a hot dog from a white vendor in his own country.
Watson made his way to Los Angeles and started looking for a job. He found one shining shoes at the Wilshire Country Club. He worked there for a month and was never paid, not even one tip, he said. Frustrated, he quit and went to Watkins Bar, a black establishment, and ordered one beer that he made last as he asked around for leads on employment. Finally, a man tapped him on the shoulder and told him the Knickerbocker Hotel needed a restroom attendant. He went to the hotel and secured the job. "My first day I made $17 in tips," Watson said.
One day Watson returned to the restroom after emptying ash trays and he recognized the lone gentleman in the facility, but he couldn't remember his name from the movies he'd seen him in. The man struck up a conversation with Watson and identified himself as Ronald Reagan.
Over time Watson became friends with Reagan, John Wayne and Gene Autry, all who frequented the Hollywood hotel. He told the actors of his service during the war. Then one day Reagan along with Wayne and Autry went to the Knickerbocker management and complained that Watson, a war hero, should have a better job than restroom attendant.
The hotel management eventually offered him a position as doorman for the Knickerbocker, which Watson accepted. He was thrilled with the new opportunity and made $20 in tips his first day. "That was when most people worked five or six days a week for $25," he said.
Watson became friends and a confidant to many people in the movie industry and pro sports including Elvis Presley, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, Nat King Cole, Jackie Robinson and Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant. He worked as Elvis' first body guard and protected DiMaggio and his new bride from unwanted visitors while they honeymooned at the Knickerbocker.
Watson told a story of a man from Ohio who wanted to get a baseball signed by DiMaggio. The man had contacted the Yankees' organization to try and get his ball signed. They told him that he needed to contact Earl at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Los Angeles in order to get the ball signed by DiMaggio. Next, the man travelled to L.A. and met Earl. Earl called DiMaggio in his room and he came down and signed the ball for the persistent Ohio gentleman.
I asked Watson who he admired most from all the famous people he has met. He said, "Ronald Reagan was a dynamite human being." Watson said he held Johnny Grant in the highest esteem for his efforts to entertain U.S. troops. Grant was the man behind all the Bob Hope tours to entertain our troops all over the world. Watson said of Grant, "He was not just the mayor of Hollywood; he was the Mayor of the America."
Watson went on to help break the color barrier in Los Angeles when Bing Crosby brought Louis Armstrong to town. Armstrong and his band eventually got to stay at the Knickerbocker Hotel through Watson's efforts.
To get a copy of Earl, The Hollywood Knickerbocker's Doorman to the Stars call (559) 298-0764 or request a copy by mail from Earl and Melba Watson at 9763 N. Paula Ave., Fresno, CA 93720. The book costs $24.95 plus shipping.
CONTACT:
Tim D. Smith
951-769-6928
tntsurf@aol.com
