The first step of the secret operational plan resembled an opening scene from
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The limousine would arrive at 10:30 A.M.
and move directly into freight elevator 60 for the trip to the fifth floor.
The limousine did arrive at 10:30 A.M. and the freight elevator, on West 35th
Street, was waiting-but there was no trip to the fifth floor.
About 15,000 girls, screaming "We Want David," were on the fifth floor
of Macy's-and on the fourth floor and on the sixth floor-waiting to catch a
glimpse of that blond, boyish and very cool co-star of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,"
David McCallum.
Girls fainted and wept; stock clerks and store executives joined Macy's police
in keeping the crowd under control; 20 policemen from the nearby 14th precinct
rushed to the store, and Mr. McCallum was utterly dismayed.
A Tough Assignment
"I'm a little shaky," he said in the 13th-floor executive dining room.
"They looked like they would tear the place apart."
Because of the early morning turnout, Macy's announced to the chanting girls
that the 32-year-old Scottish-born actor would not appear, as advertised, to
autograph his new album, "Music-a Part of Me."
"We felt the safety factor was much more important than keeping faith,"
said a harried store spokesman while Mr. McCallum and a half-dozen Capital record
company executives and aides took bites of lobster salad.
William H. McCarthy, vice president in charge of operations, shook his head
and sighed heavily. "I haven't seen anything like this in 25 years. We
did have Shirley Temple once-that was an exciting one."
Most of the girls who showed up yesterday, who probably haven't even heard of
Shirley Temple, were too stunned, too dazed to leave the store when they were
told that Mr. McCallum would not appear.
Five Are Hysterical
About five became hysterical and were taken to the store's 19th-floor dispensary.
Several fainted. Others suffered bumps on the body. "Thank God there was
no major injury," a store spokesman said.
Under Macy's five-page security plan on the appearance, Mr. McCallum was scheduled
to sign autographs in Macy's from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. Instead, he was whisked
off after lunch to the East Side apartment of Eleanore Bruce, the store's public
relations director, to play dominoes and relax with several aides. He was to
return to Los Angeles last night.
Most of the teen-agers who remained at Macy's yesterday were angry at the police,
angry at the store and even at Mr. McCallum for not appearing.
"At least he could have seen some of us," said 14-year-old Susan DiSalvo
of Syosset, L.I.
Her friend, 13-year-old Michele Boyle, was more emphatic. "I'm going to
Gimbel's from now on."