GANG OF ROSES RETURNS!

Many of us watch TMZ (even if we don’t admit it) but few know what the letters stand for, and even fewer know what they actually mean. TMZ is an acronym for Thirty Mile Zone, as measured from the intersection of West Beverly Boulevard and North La Cienga Boulevard – right where the immense Beverly Center shopping mall now sits. It was chosen as dead center of the film industry, because it was once the location of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (now they’re in Beverly Hills), and the movie production unions base their daily rates on whether a filming location is within or beyond those thirty miles.

This mostly affects movies and TV shows shot at movie ranches, which is why, no matter how rural they seem, they are nearly all located within thirty miles of the center of L.A. This includes the Paramount Ranch in Agoura (to read about the history of the Paramount Ranch go HERE ), and close as it is to the city, you know you are in the country as soon as you step out of you car. In the dirt of the parking area I spotted not only the tracks of shorn horses’ hooves, but the split hooves of deer, and the tiny human-like handprints of raccoons.

It was Wednesday, August 24th, and I was there to watch the filming of GANG OF ROSES: THE NEXT GENERATION, the sequel to the very popular GANG OF ROSES (2003), a western which featured a cast of female hip-hop stars in the leads, including Li’l Kim, Macy Gray, and Bobby Brown on the male side (see the trailer HERE).

(L to R, Teyana Taylor, Claudia Jordan, Rocsi Diaz)

When I arrived onset, they were shooting an interior/exterior -- a scene shot in a set, but with the windows and doors wide open, to let in the light and atmosphere of the western street just outside. With the temperature at over 100 degrees, and electric fans forbidden because of the noise they make, any possible air circulation was desirable – and so were the women in the scene: Claudia Jordan (model on THE PRICE IS RIGHT and DEAL OR NO DEAL), Teyana Taylor (rapper and actress) and Rocsi Diaz (host of BET’s 106 & Park). They were filming a scene crucial to virtually all westerns, war, crime or caper movies, the ‘set-up’, where one character lays out for the others the heist or military operation at the core of the story.

Writer/Director Jean-Claude La Marre had the actresses try different readings of their lines while cinematographer Morgan Schmidt coordinated the two Red cameras that were recording the scene, one stationary, one on dolly-tracks moving across the cramped room, picking out close-ups.

(Director Jean-Claude La Marre watches dailies between scenes)

When the crew needed a few minutes to relight, Jean-Claude strolled over to the saloon set to chat. The saloon would be their next interior, and the set was ‘dressed’ to look busy. We sat at a poker table set up with liquor, glasses and hands of poker all dealt out. I don’t know if Jean-Claude is a magician or a gambler – in this business it helps to be both – but he has their mannerisms. As we spoke, he lifted a stack of chips, split them in half, and repeatedly shuffled them the way you shuffle cards, as we spoke. A very busy guy, Jean-Claude has forty acting credits, sixteen writing credits and eighteen directing credits, several of them for the PASTOR JONES films, a series of faith-based romantic comedies.

HENRY: I understand this is your third western, following GANG OF ROSES and BROTHERS IN ARMS. Why are westerns a specialty? What keeps bringing you back to the genre?

JEAN-CLAUDE: (chuckles) I seem to write them pretty fast. It’ll take me several months to write a romantic comedy, and it probably takes me a week and a half to write the westerns. I started them, thinking BAD GIRLS, with Drew Barrymore, was kind of a cool movie, and we could do sort of an urban version of it, as a revisionist approach to the old genre. I decided to approach the studios and see what they said, and they were interested in doing it, so we made it, and it became a huge, huge urban classic. The first GANG OF ROSES has an immense African-American and Latino following. So we thought that it was appropriate to do a follow-up, a sequel.

H: Speaking of sequels, I know BROTHERS IN ARMS was released in Germany as GANG OF ROSES II. Is that, really, or is this GANG OF ROSES II?

JEAN-CLAUDE: No, this is GANG OF ROSES II, it’s an all-female western, as the title implies. H: I saw the first one; it was a fun picture. JEAN-CLAUDE: It’s fun – it was my first western ever, so I wasn’t thinking as much about story as much as, hey, it’s a fun piece. It was very experimental on my part. This one is a little more true to the Western genre, in terms of the way we pace it, the way we develop the characters. The classic pitting of villain against hero is better played out in this one than in its predecessor.

(Candise plays a saloon girl)

H: Have your characters from the original GANG OF ROSES come back?

JEAN-CLAUDE: No, this is the next generation of girls, although the first film’s characters are referenced.

H: In BROTHERS IN ARMS you directed David Carradine. What was he like to work with?

JEAN-CLAUDE: David was amazing. It was his last American movie before he died, before he went to the Far East to do a picture, but he was an amazing talent, a legend: if you’ve worked with David Carradine, you’ve worked with one of the greats. He was so full of life at his age, and very very funny as I remember.

H: What other favorite actors have you worked with?

JEAN-CLAUDE: Obviously Denzel Washington is one of my favorites, I costarred with him in a picture (MALCOLM X). And Laurence Fishburne, I costarred with him in a picture. As far as directing, Whitney Houston was a great person to direct -- she did a picture with me called NORA’S HAIR SALON II, she was great in that, and a good person. Kellita Smith is a really good person to work with on this picture, she’s immense.

H: You’re a young guy, so I wonder, did you grow up watching Westerns?

JEAN-CLAUDE: Well sure, the classic Sergio Leones, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY; Clint Eastwood was a favorite. But I went even further back. The Gary Cooper films like HIGH NOON. And the more trendy stuff like DESPERADO, and as I told you, even BAD GIRLS was an interesting picture. Jim Jarmusch had a great picture with Johnny Depp (DEAD MAN). Obviously the classics are what come to mind. I’ve always loved the genre, and you’re not going to establish yourself as a filmmaker unless you’ve tackled the genre. It’s really, really hard to get, and I’m still trying to get it exactly, the right recipe.

H: With the ‘disappointing’ box office of COWBOYS & ALIENS, and the cancellation of THE LONE RANGER there’s been a lot of talk that Westerns are in trouble. Do you think they are?

JEAN-CLAUDE: Westerns will never be in trouble, because the themes are classic. And they’re simple. It’s the good guy, the bad guy, and the good guy prevails. That’s a classic story, and the western tells it in a very simplistic form. 3:10 TO YUMA, that was a hit, and that was a couple of years ago. The Western isn’t in trouble, it’s when you look at a movie like COWBOYS & ALIENS, and your only selling point is Daniel Craig with some laser thing on his arm, who are you selling that to? Techies? You’re not selling it to western fans just because he has a cowboy hat on. I think it was just marketed wrong. And as far as Johnny Depp and THE LONE RANGER, the reason they canned the picture was because Disney asked them not to go over $200 million. He felt like he needed to make the LONE RANGER for $250 million. I don’t know what he was looking to do: buy mountains? It seems like you could make a western for $200 million. I always make these movies with very very small budgets, and I’m really looking forward to making them with…

H: $200 million?

JEAN-CLAUDE: No... Give me fifty grand, I’ll make it. (laughs) It’ll be a dramatic improvement over where I am now!

(Peter Sherayko and his omnipresent cigar)

Just then a production assistant came over to tell Jean Claude they were ready for him. Peter Sherayko, who supplies the art direction, props, costumes, saddles and guns, in addition to playing the bartender, commented, “I can tell you why COWBOYS & ALIENS failed, in my humble opinion. Look at the suppliers of the westerns, look at the way it looked. You had Daniel Craig, and you had Harrison Ford. They looked the same, they dressed the same: they had their collars open three or four buttons, they had their sleeves rolled up. Harrison Ford is a great actor and a wonderful Indiana Jones. And if you look at him in the Indiana Jones films, everything fits (with the period). You look at him in this western – he had a brand new cowboy hat on. Everything was brand new – these guys weren’t dirty, no sweat at all. You look at the saddles – they spent hundreds of millions of dollars on that movie, and yet they still had modern saddles on it. It’s the suppliers. They don’t pay attention to the artwork. One of my friends told me, ‘We’re in the business of art, but 90% of the people working in it are blue-collar workers, and they do the same job no matter what kind of film they’re doing. Your lighting guy, your gaffer, pulling cable – he can do a porno movie, a western or a World War II movie, he’s still going to pull the cable the same way. You have to separate it from the art -- the 10% of the people who are working on the art have got to do it right. The director is the artist, and everybody else is the paint-brush and the paint and the pallet. If you’re supplying him with cheap paint, it’s not going to come out right, it’s going to chip and fall apart. They hire a lot of people who know nothing about the west, and they don’t care. A producer said to me, ‘Who knows the difference? Maybe one percent of the people?’ Yes, 1% of the people know: we have 300 million people in this country, and 1% is three million people. It costs $12 now to go to the movies, times three million people is $36 million. And COWBOYS & ALIENS made $36 million in the first week. And those people said, ‘You know what? This is not what it’s supposed to be: a western.’ And they did not go back, and they did not spread the word-of-mouth to make it a hit. We have an obligation to the audience, if we’re doing a historical piece, to do it historically correct. If they’re going to do a Roman movie, they’re going to try and do that. If in England they’re doing a movie on knights, that armor will be correct, the horses will be correct, the saddlery will be correct. But when it comes to a western they say, ‘who cares?’” Peter’s new book, THE FRINGE OF HOLLYWOOD, will be available by the end of September.

(Lamont Clayton)

When I stepped out of the saloon, I was surprised to run into Lamont Clayton, writer/director/star of SHADOW HILLS, the pilot that had been shooting at Melody Ranch a few weeks ago (see my coverage HERE) In the dialog I’d heard a reference to the town of Shadow Hills. I thought it was a coincidence, but Lamont told me it wasn’t, and that he’s playing the same character, Hessie Tatum, in GANG OF ROSES. “We’re doing a collaboration of GANG OF ROSES, which leads you into SHADOW HILLS.” I asked him how that would work, but he smiled cagily. “We’re not going to talk about that just yet.”

(Nikki Pelley creating buckskin fringe)

One of the busiest people on the set that day was wardrobe woman Nikki Pelley, whose Collie was the set mascot. She was constantly running for shirts and hats for the various characters. She was gone for a little while during lunch, and came back with a yard of fawn-colored fabric. When she wasn’t fetching various wardrobe items, I watched her cutting and shaping the cloth, occasionally holding against herself to measure. When I asked her what she was making, she told me that one of the girls would be dancing in the saloon in a later scene. When she found out they wanted her to wear little more than a g-string, the girl had not been happy. So in her spare time, of which there was very little, Nikki was fashioning a buckskin-looking outfit that would be more period and less immodest.

(Cowboys Ardashir, Kyle, Brian, Logan, Peter and Steve) 

The cowboys hadn’t had much to do that morning, because all the action had taken place inside the girls’ room. Head wrangler Ardashir Radpour, 2nd wrangler Ariel Fisher, and other cowpoke/actors Kyle Kalama, Logan Joseph, Brian Fertal, Steve Savage and Chris Shumway were very happy when, right after lunch, a street scene was set up, and they all had something to do, whether riding or just filling in background. The scene involves Claudia Jordan and Teyana Taylor on opposite ends of the street, Claudia with an arrow pulled back in her bow, Teyana with her gun drawn, both about to fire, when an off-screen gunshot startles them both. Clearly Steve Savage had the best job, coaching lovely Claudia Jordan on her archery.

(Steve Savage instructs Claudia Jordan)

After the scene was completed, I asked Claudia about her character in the film. “I’m half black and half Comanche Indian. My husband died, and I’m forced to work in the saloons, which I don’t like doing. And I’m caught up in a bank robbery. It’s very exciting! It’s my first movie – first role with more than a couple of lines. I’ve done a lot of hosting and modeling – I was a model on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, DEAL OR NO DEAL. I was on CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, and then I hosted the MISS UNIVERSE pageant. Now I’m fighting my New England accent. I’m from Rhode Island, and we are all known for leaving off our ‘R’s, like ‘pak the ca’.”

(Teyana Taylor is ready to draw)

The next set-up was in the saloon, and as the lights were getting set, Jean-Claude put a lap-top in front of me and said, “Take a look.” He played a scene of a woman on horseback riding up a hill to a house, having a conversation with the woman who opens the door, and riding away. It looked very good. I asked if it was from the first movie. “No,” he said. “It’s the first two and a half minutes from this one.” My jaw dropped – I knew they’d just started filming.

“When did you shoot this?” I asked.

“On Sunday.”

Keep your eyes open for GANG OF ROSES – THE NEXT GENERATION. I don’t know exactly when it’ll be at a theatre near you, but it’ll be soon!

THREE NEW WESTERN PROJECTS AT THE NETWORKS

ABC has hired BATTLESTAR GALACTICA producer Ronald D. Moore and CAPRICA writer Matt Roberts to develop HANGTOWN, a Western procedural set at the turn of the century. Three central characters – a traditional lawman, a young doctor pioneering forensics, and a female dime novelist – will work together to solve crimes.

ABC has also ordered a pilot for GUNSLINGER from ER Producer David Zabel.

NBC has ordered a thus-far untitled western script from Pete Berg and Liz Heldens, of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS fame.


TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!
And speaking of TCM, have I mentioned that the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here?




THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

RFD-TV has begun airing THE ROY ROGERS SHOW on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., with repeats the following Thursday and Saturday.

Also, AMC has started showing two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN on Saturday mornings.
That's it for this week, pardners!  I've just come back from visits to Old Tucson and Tombstone, and I'll tell you of my adventures in the near future.

Happy Trails!

Henry

All Contents Copyright September 2011 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

NEW ‘WINNETOU’ ON AMERICAN TURF!

(Author Karl May dressed as Old Shatterhand)

Winnetou, the Mescalero Apache chief created by German Western writer Karl May well over a century ago, may have a new life onscreen. Virtually unknown in the United States, where they are set, the tales of Winnetou, Old Shatterhand, Old Surehand and Old Firehand are among the most beloved and oft-read stories in the non-English-speaking world. But they’ve rarely been translated into English.

In the 1960s, the tremendously successful series of Winnetou films based on the books, made my Germans in what is now Croatia, were the start of the European, later Spaghetti, western film industry. All starring Pierre Brice as Winnetou, and most starring Lex Barker as Shatterhand, the mostly European casts included Rod Cameron, Stewart Granger, Guy Madison and Mario Girroti, later known as Terence Hill.

The shooting locations are the site of annual pilgrimages (see my article WINNETOU-PALOOZA HERE)
http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2011/04/winnetou-palooza.html
and various German television versions have been made over the years. Now the German film mini-major Constantin Film announces that they’ve signed Michael Blake, who scripted DANCES WITH WOLVES from his own novel, to adapt WINNETOU. Intended to shoot next year in New Mexico, it would be the first time one of May’s stories was filmed near its geographical setting. Incidentally, May did visit the U.S. once, in 1908, and despite frequent claims to the contrary, he wrote at least one more Western, WINNETOU IV, after the sojourn. Incidentally, there are other Winnetou projects in the works – the property is in public domain – and I’ll tell you more when I know more.

HONEST ABE SURROUNDED!

You may remember that the previous Round-up was devoted to the proposition that Westerns are NOT dead in spite of industry disappointment at COWBOYS & ALIENS’s box-office take (currently $110 million!). Speaking of bloated budgets, I said, “We’ll have to wait and see how ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER does with its $70,000,000 outlay. As a Paramount Pictures insider put it to me, it’s a movie that should be made. But it should be made by The Asylum for $250,000.”

I just heard from The Asylum partner and production honcho David Latt: “Hey Henry! Thanks for the suggestion...and you'll be happy (sad?) to know that ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS. ZOMBIES is already in the works. Ours will cost less than $70 million. Promise.” And I bet I’ll enjoy their’s more.

ROY ROGERS’ 100th BIRTHDAY CELBRATIONS CONTINUE!

Events have been going on all summer around the country. Roy’s actual 100th birthday will be on November 5th, and the summer is a whole lot more convenient a time to celebrate. What promises to be a terrific event will be taking place Saturday, August 27th at Roy and Dale’s old Double R Bar Ranch in Victorville. Among those taking part in the festivities will be Roy’s daughter Mimi Rogers and grand-daughter Julie Ashley Pemilla, actors Dick Jones, Ty Hardin, Hugh O’Brien, Andrew Prine, Bo Hopkins, Dan Haggerty, Donna Martell, Darby Hinton and Beverly Washburn, and authors Julia Ann Ream and Charlie LeSueur. For all the particulars, go HERE.

AND WATCH ROY IN ‘BELLS OF SAN ANGELO’ AT THE AUTRY

Also on Saturday, August 27th, at 2:00 p.m., the Autry will celebrate Roy Rogers’s 100th birthday with a special screening of Bells of San Angelo (1947). It features Roy, Dale, Andy Devine, David Sharpe, and of course, Trigger. It’s directed by William Witney from a Sloan Nibley screenplay. There will also be a discussion about the Autry’s efforts to conserve the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Archive.



THE WEST OF LEONE RETURNS - ALMERIA WESTERN FILM FESTIVAL

Spain’s fabled location of hundreds of Spaghetti Westerns will play host to the ALMERIA WESTERN FILM FESTIVAL September 8th through the 11th. In addition to screenings of TRUE GRIT and RANGO, here are some of the films which will be featured: BLACKTHORN, starring Sam Shepherd as Butch Cassidy, living in Bolivia under the name of James Blackthorn. GOODNIGHT FOR JUSTICE, a new western directed by Jason Priestly and starring his BEVERLY HILLS 90210 costar Luke Perry. THE MOUNTIE, a north-of-the-border tale starring Andrew Walker as a lone man in red who comes to clean up a corrupt town. THE WARRIOR’S WAY stars Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, and Dong-gun Jang, who plays a warrior/assassin hiding out in the American Badlands. THE SCARLET WORM, starring Spaghetti Western vets Brett Halsey and Dan van Husen. THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED, about ‘49ers getting Zombified. The festival jury will be presided over by actor Fabio Testi (FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE) and director Eugenio Martin (BAD MAN’S RIVER). For more information, go to the official website HERE. http://www.almeriawesternfilmfestival.info/home.html

FAY MCKENZIE, JULIE ADAMS, JIMMY LYDON TO BE HONORED AT CINECON AUGUST 1ST THROUGH 5TH

For 47 years the Cinecon Classic Film Festival has been a Labor Day tradition for Hollywood movie-lovers. Based at the Egyptian Theatre, the screenings and shopping at discussions start on Thursday, August 1st and end on Monday, August 5th. Among the highlights will be Q&As, by Julie Adams on Thursday at 8:35 pm; Jimmy Lydon on Saturday at 4:53 pm (I’m not making these times up); and Fay McKenzie on Sunday at 5:53 pm, following a to-be-announced Gene Autry film.

It’s almost hopeless trying to pick movie highlights because the range is so wide and eclectic. Western fans will be delighted to see the Civil War story THE COWARD (1915) from Ince Triangle Kaybee, just after noon on Monday, the western BLAZING DAYS (1927) directed by William Wyler on Thursday at 9:10 pm, but you’ll really need to visit their site to plan your time. The cost is $100 for the entire event, or $25 to $30 a day (some days are longer than others). Get all the details HERE.

http://www.cinecon.org/cinecon_home.html

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

And speaking of TCM, have I mentioned that the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here?




THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

RFD-TV has begun airing THE ROY ROGERS SHOW on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., with repeats the following Thursday and Saturday.

Also, AMC has started showing two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN on Saturday mornings.

That's it for this week! In the next week or two I'll have the story of my visit to the GANG OF ROSES II set at Paramount Ranch!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Contents Copyright August 2011 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

WESTERN PRODUCTION PULSE STRONG

With the disappointing grosses for COWBOYS & ALIENS, and the abrupt halt on production of Disney’s THE LONE RANGER, there’s been, understandably, a great deal of hand-wringing over whether we’re hearing the death-knell for the current western revival. I don’t think so. When a New York Magazine blog posed the question, based on the public response to COWBOYS & ALIENS, whether the western was dead, a frequent response was, “Huh? Was that supposed to be a western?” Just to keep things in perspective, C&A, as of Thursday, has grossed a very respectable $92,000,000. This is only a disappointment if you’re dumb enough to spend $230,000,000 making the movie.

Having learned that the plot of THE LONE RANGER involved the masked rider of the plains doing battle with werewolves, I can’t be too upset that Disney has decided to rethink their approach, and try to bring the budget down from a high of $285,000,000. Maybe the industry is learning the lesson they should have gotten from JONAH HEX, that scifi and horror elements rarely mix well with western stories.

Granted, no one lost any money on the very good CURSE OF THE UNDEAD, or the very bad BILLY THE KID VS. DRACULA and JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER -- because no one spent any money on them. We’ll have to wait and see how ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER does with its $70,000,000 outlay. As a Paramount Pictures insider put it to me, it’s a movie that should be made. But it should be made by The Asylum for $250,000. (Incidentally, last year The Asylum made the very watchable western 6 GUNS, and I’ve been bugging them ever since to do 7 GUNS.)

But the good news is that there are a lot of good projects in the pipeline, for big-screen and small!

FEATURES:

‘YELLOW ROCK’ EDITING LOCKED

Lenore Andriel, who co-wrote, co-produced and stars with Michael Biehn and James Russo in this tale of greed and deceit, tells me, “The picture is now ‘locked’. It’s in sound editing, sound design, sound fx at Monkeyland Audio. The score is being composed by Randy Miller, an incredible award winning composer.” You can hear an impressive example of his music when you visit the YELLOW ROCK site.

“We've added pickup shots that Daniel Veluzat was our 2nd Unit Director for, which really add to the levels of tension, production value, and clarity to the film. He did an amazing job, as did the actors, James Russo and Peter Sherayko, and our wonderful crew in the 110 degree heat!” To learn more, visit the YELLOW ROCK website HERE. For Round-up articles on the filming of YELLOW ROCK, read part one HERE, part two HERE.

‘COWBOYS & INDIANS’ READY TO GO TO MARKET




The third feature, and first Western by brother co-writers and co-directors Aaron Burk and Tyler Burk, was shot at the Whitehorse Movie Ranch in the Mojave Desert, and as you can see by the trailer, there’s plenty of action. Aaron tells me, “Our sales agent is currently shopping it around for domestic sales. And we’ll probably be going to AFM (the American Film Market) to sell it internationally.”

I’ll soon have an extensive interview with the Burk brothers in the Round-up, but in the meantime, you can learn more about COWBOYS & INDIANS at their website HERE.



‘THE FIRST RIDE OF WYATT EARP’ NEARS COMPLETION

Toplining Val Kilmer as Earp, THE FIRST RIDE is based on the true story of the murder that brought together the Earp brothers along with Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Charlie Bassett and Bill Tilghman. From ARO ENTERTAINMENT, the cast also includes Trace Adkins, Diana DeGarmo, Shawn Roberts as a young Wyatt, Levi Fiehler, Matt Dallas, Scott Whyte, Wilson Bethel and Daniel Booko. It’s directed by Michael Feifer from a screenplay by Darren Benjamin Shepherd. When I asked producer Jeffrey Schenck how post-production was going, he told me, “We’re almost there. Check with me next month.”

To read the Round-up’s two-part coverage on the shooting on FIRST RIDE, go HERE and HERE.



‘MORGAN KANE: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS’, BEGINS




The folks at WR Films continue to keep development of the Morgan Kane franchise, based on the best-selling Norwegian western series, shrouded in mystery. What I can tell you is that they’ve acquired the right to all 83 of Louis Masterson’s novels, and are planning to start with a trilogy of films, the first, MORGAN KANE: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, based on two of the books, EL GRINGO and EL GRINGO’S REVENGE. I understand that a first draft was delivered the first week in August, but they’re playing it so cagey that I still haven’t found out the screenwriter’s name. I’ll tell you more when I know more, but in the meantime, you can read about my visit to their set, for the shooting of e-book covers, HERE.

http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2011/07/who-is-morgan-kane.html

TARANTINO’S ‘DJANGO UNCHAINED’ TO ROLL IN AUTUMN

Aiming for a Christmas 2012 release, the long-rumored Quentin Tarantino ‘spaghetti southern’ is set to roll shortly in Louisiana. With Jamie Foxx as the title character, a freed slave turned bounty-hunter under the tutelage of dentist Christoph Waltz, the film boasts a striking supporting cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and most recently Kevin Costner, as the sadistic trainer of ‘Mandingo’ fighters at a plantation/brothel known as Candyland. Also rumored to be involved are Treat Williams and Franco Nero, cinema’s original Django.

TONY SCOTT IN TALKS WITH WARNERS TO REMAKE ‘THE WILD BUNCH’

Why?

‘AMERICAN BANDITS: FRANK AND JESSE JAMES’ TO STARZ



Producer Jeffrey Schenck tells me AMERICAN BANDITS will premiere on the STARZ network on September 11th. Written and directed by Fred Olen Ray, it’s the story of what happens when the brothers must split up until the wounded Jesse heals. It stars Peter Fonda, Tim Abel and Jeffrey Combs. At the recent B-MOVIE CELEBRATION, Fred won two Golden Cobs, for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and Jeffrey Combs won for Best Lead Actor. To read my review, go HERE. To read my interview with Fred Olen Ray, go HERE.

And that's not all! On Wednesday I hope to be on the set of a new Western, GANG OF ROSES II!


ON TELEVISION:

HIGH HOPES FOR ‘SHADOW HILLS’

The pilot for the series about a former buffalo soldier-turned horse breeder in an ethnically mixed town in the Oklahoma Territory is taking shape in the cutting room. Executive Producer Scott Steel tells me, “Things are great! We are in Post and editing. After seeing some of the footage, we really feel we have something special, and know that your readers are really going to love SHADOW HILLS when they see it!”

Lamont Clayton, who wrote, produced, and stars in the show, agrees. “It looks amazing. John Amos (who plays the town’s blacksmith) said he had the same feeling he had about ROOTS that he has for SHADOW HILLS. He and I really think we have something here!” To read my article about the shoot, go HERE.



AMC’S ‘HELL ON WHEEL’S GETS PLAYDATE!



AMC’s long-anticipated Western series, centered on the building of the trans-continental railroad, will premiere on Sunday, November 6th, following an episode of their highly successful THE WALKING DEAD.

Starring Anson Mount, Colm Meany, Wes Studi, and Common, it follows Mount’s character, a former Confederate soldier out to avenge his wife’s death. The title refers to the traveling saloons, brothels and gambling dens that moved on wheels to follow the track-layers -- Historian Stephen Ambrose wrote a wonderful book on the subject by the same title.

HISTORY CHANNEL’S ‘HATFIELDS AND McCOYS – AN AMERICAN VENDETTA

The History Channel will produce it’s first dramatic, non-documentary miniseries, telling the true story of America’s most deadly blood-feud. Kevin Costner will star as Devil Anse Hatfield, and Bill Paxton will star as Randall McCoy. Kevin Reynolds, who directed RED DAWN, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, and previously directed Costner in ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, will be at the helm. Writers are Rod Mann (DEADWOOD) and Ron Parker (BROKEN TRAIL).

TNT ORDERS ‘GATEWAY’ PILOT

TNT has given a cast-contingent order for a westerns series, GATEWAY, about a Colorado town in the 1880s. A lawman has been killed, and his three sons must step in. The script is by Exec Producer Bruce McKenna (BAND OF BROTHERS, THE PACIFIC), and Danny Cannon (CSI) will direct.

‘RECONSTRUCTION’ GOES FROM FX TO NBC

Developed for FX, RECONSTRUCTION has been shot as a pilot at NBC, directed by Peter Horton and written by three-time Emmy winner Joshua Brand (NORTHERN EXPOSURE, A YEAR IN THE LIFE). Set in Missouri after the Civil War, it’s the story of a war vet who settles in a town where he is greeted as its savior. It stars Martin Henderson (OFF THE MAP), Emma Bell and Rachel Lefevre.

AND IN PRINT:

THE TRADITIONAL WEST

Western fictioneers


A brand new anthology of traditional western stories from The Western Fictioneers, the only writers’ organization devoted solely to traditional Western fiction, has been published in both e-book and print version. The authors include Matthew P. Mayo, Robert J. Randisi, Dusty Richards, James Reasoner, Larry D. Sweazy, L.J. Washburn, Jackson Lowry, Larry Jay Martin, Kerry Newcomb, and C. Courtney Joyner, who has lectured on how to break into Western print (see HERE).
http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2011/04/winnetou-palooza.html


THE NOT SO TRADITIONAL WEST




Michael Druxman, screenwriter of the excellent CHEYENNE WARRIOR (see my review and interview HERE;), has published a new book of short stories entitled DRACULA MEETS JACK THE RIPPER & Other Revisionist Histories. The story entitled THE OLD COOT is about Jesse James.
http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/search?q=cheyenne+warrior

EXCELLENT ‘GATHERING REMNANTS’ ON THE DOC CHANNEL

Though you might not know by the title, GATHERING REMNANTS is a documentary about cattle-driving cowboys. What they have to say about their way of life is, by turns, fascinating and heartbreaking. Much of it is startlingly beautiful. It’s showing twice on Thursday, August 25th on the Documentary Channel, locally at 6:30 p.m., and again at 9:30 p.m., but systems vary, so check your listings.

CELEBRATE ROY ROGERS’ 100TH BIRTHDAY AT THE DOUBLE R BAR RANCH!

Head to Victorville on Saturday, August 27th, for a celebration of the King of the Cowboys and the Queen of the West! Among those taking part in the festivities will be Roy’s daughter Mimi Rogers and grand-daughter Julie Ashley Pemilla, actors Dick Jones, Ty Hardin, Hugh O’Brien, Andrew Prine, Bo Hopkins, Dan Haggerty, Donna Martell, Darby Hinton and Beverly Washburn, and authors Julia Ann Ream and Charlie LeSueur. For all the particulars, go HERE.



http://cowboyjerryandthepioneers.com/

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

And speaking of TCM, have I mentioned that the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here?




THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

RFD-TV has begun airing THE ROY ROGERS SHOW on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., with repeats the following Thursday and Saturday.

Also, AMC has started showing two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN on Saturday mornings.

Just as I was about to shut down, I spotted an interesting email from Nikke Finke's DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD. Disney's Rich Ross attended D23, a sort of Disney-only Comic-con this weekend, and in an interview said he was eager to try again with THE LONE RANGER. He said he was eager to work with everyone involved, and he named them all...except director Gore Verbinski.

Happy Trails!

Henry

All Contents Copyright August 2011 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

DISNEY PULLS PLUG ON ‘LONE RANGER’

“What we do now, Kemosabe?”
“We wait, Tonto.”

Johnny Depp has been on board as Tonto for over two years, and Armie Hammer, late of THE SOCIAL NETWORK, was recently trumpeted as the Masked Man, but now Disney has pulled the plug on the Jerry Bruckheimer LONE RANGER project to be directed by Gore Verbinski. Verbinski’s previous collaborations with Depp and Bruckheimer include the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films, Disney’s most profitable franchise. The actor and directed also worked together on this year’s hugely successful ($243 million) western cartoon, RANGO.

The problem is the budget. Disney wants to spend $200 million, and while the budget had been brought down from a reported high of $275 million to $232 million, Disney says that isn’t close enough. And Disney’s concern is understandable. Currently the western of the summer, COWBOYS & ALIENS, while in the number three box office spot this weekend, behind PLANET OF THE APES and THE SMURFS, has grossed $81,476,000 domestically, with a budget of $163 million. The westerns that have done well in recent years have kept the budgets comparatively small: 3:10 TO YUMA cost $55 million, and grossed $70 million. TRUE GRIT cost $38 million and grossed $251 million.

No doubt Bruckheimer, Verbinski et al will not give up without a fight. We’ll see where it leads.

TY HARDIN INTERVIEW PART TWO:

In last week’s Round-up, Ty Hardin discussed his life, from his childhood, through his discovery by Paramount, his move to Warner Brothers, and his four years starring on BRONCO. (If you missed, go HERE) http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2011/08/bronco-layne-talks.html

Now we continue with the post-BRONCO years…

H: If you didn’t have any favorite BRONCO episodes, how about favorite movies of the period?

TY: I had a couple of pictures that I liked, PT 109, and I liked MERRIL’S MARAUDERS. I worked with Jeff Chandler. It was a good picture. It was authentic. We shot it over in Europe. We had a lot of good people in it. And we used all those tanks. We were shooting in Spain and we actually had the last Sherman Tanks in existence. And we tore up a couple of them.

H: While were doing BRONCO, you did THE CHAPMAN REPORT for George Cukor. Then after BRONCO you did P.T. 109, WALL OF NOISE, PALM SPRING WEEKEND, all in 1963. Then your next western was MAN OF THE CURSED VALLEY in 1964, which was shot in Spain.

TY: Well, what happened was Sergio Leone wanted me to do PER UN PUGNO DI DOLLARI (A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS). I could hardly understand the guy; he had hardly any English at all. And I was so busy working in Europe that I just said, “Sergio, I just don’t have time to do it.” You know, he flew me from Spain – I was working on BATTLE OF THE BULGE I think – over to Rome. We went to a theatre, sat down and watched a film that was in Japanese, with Italian subtitles, called SAMAURI. I remember a dog running down the street with a hand in his mouth: all the time I was sitting there, and that’s all that I remember. And he said, “Why don’t you do this film?” He really wanted me to do it. First of all he bypassed my agent, the top agent in Europe or anywhere, MCA. I told him, “Well, get in touch with me when you get a script.” I went back to Spain, back to work again on BATTLE OF THE BULGE. He kept persistently asking me, “When are you going to be free?” And I said, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll give you the names of some actors that are going to be out of work.” So I gave him Clint Walker, Clint Eastwood; three or four actors that I had known. And I was sitting on the Via Veneto, kind of a hangout for the actors in Madrid, and I run into Clint Eastwood. And he says to me, “You S.O.B.! I’m down here working with Sergio Leone, nobody here speaks English, and it’s a pile of crap!” I said, “Don’t worry about it.” “Don’t worry about it? I ain’t been paid!” He was one upset character for doing it. And I could understand, because when I saw the film that Sergio wanted me to do, I couldn’t see any way in the world that it would be a western. How he could get it together. But he did. That film was released in Spain. They pulled it out, did some more shots, some re-doing on it. They kicked it into Italy, and a few other places in Europe, and suddenly it took off: it was amazing. The rest is history. And that’s how Mr. Eastwood got his game together. Looking back I’d have done the same thing over again. Plus I was working on too good films over there, all-American films; I wasn’t doing any local films. Even though I did do some after that. A couple of them. Terrible.

H: Were they recording sound live?

TY: They usually dubbed later. Because he’d be talking in Italian, and I’m talking in English. When he’d stop talking, I’d say my line. Soon as I’d finish my line, he’d talk. They were pretty good productions as a whole. But the Eastwood film was a fluke – it’s amazing how that took off. And the credit goes to Eastwood – he gave it the balls that it needed, you know? It needed that kind of strength , because the story line was nothing. You don’t remember anything – there wasn’t any love or loss or anything like that in it. It was just another beat-up Western. But Clint made the thing, himself, with his looks – and the music was dynamite. Genius. You’ve got to appreciate that; there is talent in Europe.

H: When you were doing these films where they were not recording sound, would you record your own dialog later?

TY: Oh yeah, that was in my contract. I didn’t want anyone else dubbing my voice. As far as dubbing it in Japanese and things, I didn’t have anything to do with that. But if they were going to sell in the international market, I wanted to be there to do it. You see, Americans coveted their own market, and it wasn’t easy for these films to get in. I knew they didn’t have a chance in the American market. I didn’t give a damn; I was just having a ball, running around the country and making forty or fifty thousands dollars I could just put in the bank, and it’s like having three hundred, three hundred fifty-thousand in the States.

H: So were you living in Europe at this point?

TY: Oh yuh, I was living mainly in Madrid. I like Madrid, and I had three bars on the coast of Spain – so I’d put in a big investment. I had one in Malaga, one in Touremolinos, and another one in between. So I ran my business down there at the same time. I had a pretty good life: I married Miss Universe!

H: How did you enjoy doing BATTLE OF THE BULGE?

TY: Any time American films came to Spain, any time ‘runaway’ films came, I was in it. And I enjoyed working with Robert Shaw. He was a good, solid actor, and BATTLE OF THE BULGE was a good show, a good picture.

H: You went to Argentina in 1966 to do SAVAGE PAMPAS with two of my favorite actors, Robert Taylor and Marc Lawrence. What was that like?

TY: (laughs) Don’t remember a lot about it, I really don’t. The problem in the industry is, you don’t need to be on the set until they need you. So I don’t know really what’s going on. I don’t think the film turned out really that good. But it was a very good experience for me. You work with these people, but you don’t get to know them. As soon as it’s ‘Cut!’ ‘Print!’, they’re off the set. And they don’t sit around and gab with pissant actors like me. (laughs)

H: Continuing with your globetrotting, you did DEATH ON THE RUN for Sergio Corbucci in Spain, then went to England for BERSERK. How’d you like Joan Crawford?

TY: She was a neat gal – a tough old broad and she’d been down the lane a couple of times. But this was her money, and she wanted it good. I think the problem was, there wasn’t that rapport between us that really makes it work. She was so busy working at being the director that I think her acting suffered from it. There wasn’t that sensitivity that her part (called for), for the problems that the circus was having – that’s just my personal opinion.

H: In 1967 you were in CUSTER OF THE WEST.

TY: Right, with Bob Shaw.

H: I was just watching that last night, and the logo is Cinerama. Was that shot in the Cinerama process, with the three cameras?

TY: Oh yuh. It was wonderful. We shot that in Spain. And all those Indians were Gypsies.

H: Really?

TY: (laughs) Yeah! We don’t have any Indians in Spain! They were all Gypsies, and they was fearless, man! They’d fall backwards off a horse, get run over and get right up! I was impressed, I really was. I couldn’t believe it, and they were so believable. Needless to say, I thought it was a pretty good film.

H: It’s a big movie. How long did it take to shoot?

TY: Took us about a month or so to shoot the thing.

H: Is that all?

TY: They’re pretty efficient. You don’t realize we’re getting seven or eight setups a day, and you have a second unit shooting your close-ups and everything. The industry has become very efficient to work with.

H: You had some excellent actors there, like Robert Shaw. What was he like?

TY: Robert’s a fun guy, I liked Robert. He was just a wonderful guy to work with .

H: How about Jeffrey Hunter, who played Benteen?

(Ty with Jeffrey Hunter in CUSTER OF THE WEST)

TY: Well Jeff and I got along real good. He’s more my type of man. Robert was just uptight all the time; he’s the same as he is in CUSTER. I was real fortunate to work with people like Lawrence Tierney. And Robert Ryan was wonderful, he really was. These are all committed actors. They’ve all been in the industry longer than I have. So I felt very humbled having them to work with.

H: Now Robert Siodmak, who directed, was born in Germany. He had a big career in the U.S., went back to Europe in the 1950s and was directing westerns in Germany before he did this one. What was he like?

TY: I felt he was a little loose. He’d sit there and…he could move the camera good, but I don’t think he knew how to deal with the people themselves. So he didn’t give you (direction). You like to get personal with your director, like to know that what you’re doing is what he’s looking for, and I didn’t get the feeling that he knew what he was doing. I don’t mean to be derogatory, but at the same time, it wasn’t like working with somebody that you had confidence in.

H: Well, what director did you work with that you had confidence in?

TY: Oh, there were a couple of directors that were really hot – they just did not like me at all, and they were my best directors; I worked with some really fine directors. You know, I’m intimidating in some respects, so a lot of lead actors did not want to work with me, so they minimized the work that I did with them. I didn’t realize that I intimidated a lot of people, not so much with my abilities, but that being an extraordinarily good-looking man, I would draw a lot of attention to myself. And I didn’t realize how involved the industry was with egomania. So some of the actors, like Robert Shaw, I had a hard time with him. Bobby was a good friend but, boy, he didn’t want to work with me. He made sure he got all his shots separate. And I didn’t realize this. I was so naïve about the industry, but when I look back I realize that there was a lot of that. And I wasn’t a part of it. I held my own, and did my own series. I did another series, RIPTIDE, right after that.

H: In Australia. How was that?

TY: It was fun. The sad part was that they couldn’t get a sale in the States. And that’s what they needed to continue on, because the budgets were pretty heavy, and we had to mail in a couple of actors from the American sector. It should have gone about four years. Because it was outdoors, it was fun, and with good writing it could have gone into other areas – drug-running and so forth.

H: Before we leave CUSTER, I read somewhere at Akira Kurasawa was supposed to direct that.

TY: That’s correct. He fouled out the first day. Something went wrong between him and…no one ever found out just what went wrong.

H: But he was actually there the first day?

TY: He was certainly hanging around. I wasn’t there, but that’s what I heard, so I’m not sure exactly what happened.

H: In 1968 you starred in KING OF AFRICA, which has been described as a South African western.

TY: That’s about right.

H: Your female lead was Pier Angeli.

TY: She was a doll. And KING was a good picture. You know what happened was, it didn’t get support. You need to have people get behind it and put money in it to make it happen. It’s not all about just shooting, it’s about what you put behind (a film) to get it exposed properly. It was quite an interesting concept, you know, and we actually shot it down among the Zulus. You should have seen those bastards pokin’ me with their swords! Those guys are tough, and they get carried away – I was scared shitless! But it was good and authentic, and the problem with a lot of that foreign stuff, again, was Americans wouldn’t let it in to the American market. Our pictures were made in Europe with European people, and the whole purpose of me being in it was the hope that we’d open the market for them. And it happened in a very special occasions, like P.T. 109, and there was a lot of American money in that too. But a lot of those films we’re talking about, there was no American money in it, and consequently there was no American distribution tied into it. So they had to go on their merits, and it wasn’t that the film wasn’t good; it was that the market wasn’t available. So needless to say, a lot of people have never seen three or four or five of my movies.

H: What about THE LAST REBEL, starring Joe Namath? That was also shot in Spain, and for a change you were playing a bad guy, a crooked sheriff.

TY: Oh, I enjoyed that; if I had my druthers I’d be doing bad guys all the time, but you can’t get away with it too often.

H: You’re just too likable.

TY: That’s it!

H: In that one you had a couple of great pros, Jack Elam and Woody Strode.

TY: Woody Strode, what a neat actor he is. He was just a good, genuine all-around man, just standing tall. I liked Woody; he was just a likable person, very perceptive, and a very good actor.

H: Joe Namath is such a likable guy, but not a great actor.

TY: Well, you said that, I didn’t. The thing is, you’ve got to have compassion. Joe’s working for himself, he visualized himself where nobody else does, so you play to that fantasy, you kind of support it, so you can embellish it a little. Joe doesn’t know he’s a bad actor, and I’m not going to tell him. So what you do, when you realize, and the director does, is you cut away as much as you can when he’s saying his lines, but you give him the reactions. So they’re able to protect him in some degree. We’ve got to protect his money. He had a big investment; otherwise you wouldn’t see Joe Namath in it.

H: After that you did a couple of spaghetti westerns I haven’t been able to find. ACQUASANTA JOE and YOU’RE JINXED, FRIEND. YOU’VE MET SACRAMENTO.

TY: I couldn’t tell you anything about them, because I was the only one talkin’ English.

H: Then in the late 1970s you were back in Hollywood doing an episode of THE QUEST, which was a western series a lot like THE SEARCHERS, with Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson. After being in Europe so long, how did it feel being back doing American TV?

TY: Well, things had changed a lot. My agent, William Morris, wanted me to do another series, but I didn’t want to. I got disenchanted with the film industry as a whole. And I just kind of walked away from it soon afterwards.

H: In 1977 you did a picture called FIRE! for an old pal of mine, Earl Bellamy. You had a great cast in that: Ernest Borgnine, Patty Duke, Vera Miles, Lloyd Nolan, Neville Brand, Gene Evans.

TY: Some real icons in the business. I’ve always enjoyed working with people of that caliber. They’re very interesting people; they’ve had a wonderful life. But they’re surprisingly introverted, you know? You have to kind of flavor up to them to get them to talk. It was almost like do your lines and walk off the set. It never got as personal as I kind of like the film industry to be. That’s one of the disenchanting things about the film industry, why I kind of walked away, said this is no fun anymore. It’s too serious. It’s all about money. Nobody’s interested in having a good time: it really did get boring.

H: You did TV episodes in the 1980s, FLYING HIGH, DAVID CASSIDY – MAN UNDERCOVER, THE LOVE BOAT. In 1988 you were back in the saddle in a remake of RED RIVER, with a lot of good people: Jim Arness, Bruce Boxleitner, Gregory Harrison. Then great pros like Guy Madison, Robert Horton, L.Q. Jones. What’s L.Q. Jones like?

TY: He’s a character, he really is. He’s got diarrhea of the mouth. Everybody likes him. He plays great character parts – he’s just a very fine actor. I think a lot of it is his personality is so good. You’re gonna like him on film, you’re gonna like him in person.

H: How’d you like Jim Arness?

TY: I like Jim. Jim has been in the business a long time, he’s a real pro. He’s Jim Arness on the screen as he is off he screen. He has that appearance, that prestige, an aura about him.

H: You were Sheriff Stone in 1990 in BORN KILLER, an escaped maniac movie. Then you did a western, BAD JIM, which toplined James Brolin and Richard Roundtree. And you’re there with Harry Carey Jr. and Rory Calhoun and Clark Gable’s son.

TY: Big cast, wasn’t it? I didn’t see it, so if you get the chance, let me know.

H: How did you like Harry Carey and Rory Calhoun?

TY: Honestly, I didn’t work with them: I’m in scenes that they’re not in.

H: Now I understand we’re going to be seeing you soon in a romantic comedy called HEAD OVER SPURS IN LOVE, where you play Col. Sanders. Do you have other upcoming stuff we should be looking for?

(Ty speaking at Republic Pictures' 75th Anniversary last year)

TY: Not that I know of. I’ve been retired for quite a while in principle. I don’t even have an agent. But it’s funny you should mention that, because I was thinking the other day that at 80 years old I look good, I feel good, I’m in good shape. What I want to do is do parts to my age; I want to do good supporting roles.

H: What are your favorite westerns, TV or movie, that you’ve been in? What was your best work?

TY: Well, I enjoyed BRONCO. Because it was all centered around being good, and revealing good over bad. I liked that, I liked the concept that we have values, and principles that we live up to. It never got romantically heavy; it avoided a great deal of that, which is often more of a distraction than an attraction. Stay away from that and direct yourself to the plot, and develop the plot. Because there’s a story to tell, and that’s what I’ve been more dedicated to than anything else.

H: What are your favorites of other people’s westerns?

TY: Well, I grew up as a kid with Bob Steele and Roy Rogers and all the others. And as a kid I loved them. And I grew up in Texas where westerns were the big thing. Johnny Mack Brown and all that. And of course going to Hollywood I never had any idea of getting in the film industry. My model was Gary Cooper. Him and John Wayne were my two people, and when I met John Wayne and he helped put me in the industry. I never met Cooper. Wait, I take that back. He was down on the set there at Warners one time. I don’t know what he was doing, but I went down to the set and watched him. And I went up to him, I said, ‘Hi Cooper,’ that kind of thing. He wasn’t very friendly to me. But those two people were I thought a great image for a kid growing up. I’ve always admired their work, and always wished I was as good as they were.

H: Aside from poker, how do you like to spend your time?

TY: Well, I’m in the process of finishing my second book. And I’ve enjoyed it, but I’m just not a good writer. I’ve been trying to find a ghost writer who would do kind of a look-over for the book, because my first one didn’t do good at all. (laughs) Mainly I think because it wasn’t legible, and the company didn’t put any money behind it. That was a big disappointment, and it took out a lot of my money, too.

H: Is there anything your fans don’t know about you that they should know?

TY: I think you should tell everyone that I am a Christian, and that I have tried to hold up those values, that I think are important to make a person feel like he is in essence a creature of God, that he is not just an animal living out of instinct. That he has a value and importance that is inherited in being a part of a belief system. We all know it’s just a belief system, but at the same time, what are we except what we believe ourselves to be? I believe there is purpose behind life, and meaning in life and I think that’s one of the great values that we are losing in our society.

HARRISON FORD SIGNS TO PLAY WYATT EARP!

The current COWBOYS & ALIENS star will portray Earp in BLACK HATS, based on the novel by Max Allan Collins. A blend of fact and fiction, in 1920s Los Angeles, 70ish Earp is working as a film technical advisor and p.i. when Doc Holliday’s widow, Big-nose Kate, approaches him for help. Seems the Doc had a son, who is now in trouble with Al Capone. Also in the mix is Bat Masterson, now sports-writing for the New York Telegraph.

The project is being produced by Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Kickstart Productions’ Jason Netter. Script is being penned by 300 co-writer Kurt Johnstad.

INSP-TV TO SHOW ‘THE BIG VALLEY’

If you’ve been missing the Barkleys, and getting impatient for the big-screen version of their stories, here’s great news -- The Inspiration Channel, found in many basic-cable plans, will begin airing the classic series THE BIG VALLEY on September 26th. Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Lee Majors, Peter Breck and Richard Long will soon be back on the air. A family-friendly outfit, INSP-TV currently shows THE WALTONS, and will soon be adding BONANZA and DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN.

SILENTS UNDER THE STARS FEATURES TOM MIX ON SUNDAY

On Sunday, August 21st, The Silent Society will present their 24th annual Silents Under The Stars program at historic Paramount Ranch in Agoura. THE GREAT K&A TRAIN ROBBERY (1926) stars Tom Mix, Dorothy Dwan and Tony the Wonder Horse, and is directed by Lewis Seiler. The talented Michael Mortilla will present a live musical accompaniment. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for kids under 12, free for kids under three, and $5 for Hollywood Heritage members. The movie starts at 7:30 pm, and you’re encouraged to come early and bring a picnic dinner. As you’ll be in a National Park at night, a flashlight is a good idea as well. For details call (805) – 370-2301.

WILLIAM SMITH AT COMIC BOOK & SCI-FI CONVENTION SUNDAY

LAREDO fans can meet William Smith, who co-starred with Peter Brown and Neville Brand in all 65 episodes of the series at the convention, held at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 West 32nd Street, Los Angeles, Ca. He’ll be signing autographs, and his new book of poetry, from noon ‘til two. Admission to the event is $8. To find out more, go HERE.

http://www.comicbookscifi.com/

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

And speaking of TCM, have I mentioned that the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here?




THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepeneur Gene Autry, and designed by the Disney Imagineering team, the Autry is a world-class museum housing a fascinating collection of items related to the fact, fiction, film, history and art of the American West. In addition to their permenant galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.


FREE WESTERNS ON YOUR COMPUTER AT HULU

A staggering number of western TV episodes and movies are available, entirely free, for viewing on your computer at HULU. You do have to sit through the commercials, but that seems like a small price to pay. The series available -- often several entire seasons to choose from -- include THE RIFLEMAN, THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, BAT MASTERSON, THE BIG VALLEY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, and one I missed from 2003 called PEACEMAKERS starring Tom Berenger. Because they are linked up with the TV LAND website, you can also see BONANZA and GUNSMOKE episodes, but only the ones that are running on the network that week.

The features include a dozen Zane Grey adaptations, and many or most of the others are public domain features. To visit HULU on their western page, CLICK HERE.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run DANIEL BOONE at 1:00 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

RFD-TV has begun airing THE ROY ROGERS SHOW on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., with repeats the following Thursday and Saturday.

Also, AMC has started showing two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN on Saturday mornings.



EDITORIALIZING

More than once in the Round-up I’ve made comments to the effect that every western that does well helps the cause of all, and every western that does badly makes it more difficult to get another made. So while I’m sorry that THE LONE RANGER may not happen in the near future, I’d rather see it pulled than see it made for so high a price that it could never be profitable.

I think that there are two absolutely crucial elements for making a good, successful western, and the first is a strong plot and screenplay. It’s not by chance that both 3:10 TO YUMA and TRUE GRIT, the two most successful westerns of recent years, were based on an Elmore Leonard story and a Charles Portis novel. Conversely, the potentially upcoming LONE RANGER and the current COWBOYS & ALIENS and the recent JONAH HEX were all based on comic books or graphic novels (and no, this LONE RANGER is not based on the radio or TV series, but on a comic). COWBOYS has a strong screenplay considering the source material, and I found the movie very enjoyable, but it still is saddled with a comic-bookish premise.

The second crucial element to a western film is some humor. There’s humor throughout the films of Howard Hawks and John Ford, and those who imitate just the dark elements of Leone and Peckinpah need to watch the whole of the films: for all of the grimness, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY and THE WILD BUNCH have hysterically funny moments. If the west was as relentlessly bleak as a lot of recent films show it, there’d be no need for shootouts: everyone would have shot themselves.

Happy Trails!

Henry

All Contents Copyright August 2011 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved