‘MAGNIFICENT 7’ MEMORIES, PLUS WESTERN PORTRAIT PROJECT, ME ON WRITER’S BLOCK, AND DON RICARDO RETURNS TO THE PICO ADOBE!

PRODUCER WALTER MIRISCH ON ‘THE MAGNIFICENT 7’

On Tuesday night, July 14^th, at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre, an invited private audience attended the annual James Coburn Movie Night, part of the weekly KCET Cinema Series.  The James Coburn film to be screened was THE MAGNIFICENT 7, and it was that much more special a night, because the movie’s famed producer Walter Mirisch would be attending, and receiving the KCET Lumiere Award, recognizing excellence, artistry and innovation for outstanding contribution to film.

I spoke to Mr. Mirisch on the red carpet, and we talked about his early Western days, when he produced Joel McCrea Westerns at Monogram Studios (if you missed that, HERE is the link).

Also present were Coburn’s son and daughter, James Jr. and Lisa, and Lynda Erkiletian, exec director of the James and Paula Coburn Foundation.  Mirisch’s son and frequent collaborator Andrew Mirisch also attended.

The Coburn family

Onstage, KCET head of development Mary Mazur introduced Mr. Mirisch. “I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to present this award to Walter tonight.  My first job in television was at NBC, and one of my first executive assignments was as the program executive on a series of TV Movies called DESPERADO, which were produced by Walter and his son Drew.”  There were five DESPERADO movies, the original written by Elmore Leonard.

WALTER MIRISCH: Somehow or other, receiving awards never gets old.  This is a wonderful evening.  It gives me a great opportunity to see one of my really treasured memories, THE MAGNIFICENT 7, which is really a milestone film in my career and in my life.  And I am deeply moved, honored and proud to receive this most distinguished award here this evening.  I am particularly proud to remember that it comes from KCET, whose studio was my home for ten years in the very beginning of my career, and where all the films of my earlier career were made.  (Note: the original home of KCET was Monogram Studios.)  I’m also proud that a sponsor of this event is the James and Paula Coburn Foundation, because Jim was a friend of mine.  I was crazy about him.  We first met when he was in a segment of a television show I was making, that starred Joel McCrea, WICHITA TOWN.  He was in the pilot episode, which was called THE NIGHT THE COWBOYS ROARED.  Jimmy was just great in it, and I remembered him, and as my career progressed, and as his did, I kept looking for opportunities to find a role.  It didn’t happen until THE MAGNIFICENT 7 came along, and then I did find the right role for him, and I think you’ll agree when you see the picture, because he’s just marvelous in it.    Later on we continued to work together, and then Jim appeared in THE GREAT ESCAPE, also a signal film in my curriculum.  And then finally, the last one he did for me was MIDWAY, in 1975.  I’m also proud to be a part of this continuing saga of KCET’s contribution to our community.  I’ve enjoyed it all my life, and I continue to.  So here we go, and if you ask me some questions, I’ll try to answer them, Pete, and I hope they won’t be too embarrassing.

The Mirisch family

DEADLINE: HOLLYWOOD writer Pete Hammond then took the stage, with a recommendation that we all read Walter Mirisch’s autobiography, I THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING MOVIES, NOT HISTORY.

PETE HAMMOND:  Look at the cover: all of those Oscars, and the Thalberg Award, and the Golden Globe.  This is one helluvah career that you’ve had.  I’m curious how MAGNIFICENT 7 came about, because there was this Japanese film, SEVEN SAMURAI.

WALTER MIRISCH:  Kurosawa, the great Japanese director, made THE SEVEN SAMURAI.  I saw it and thought it was wonderful.  It starred the great Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, who I had the privilege of working with; he appeared in my film MIDWAY many years later.  For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the story of Japanese soldiers of fortune, in the medieval period of Japan.  And I kept thinking about whether it could be translated into an American picture, when a friend of mine who was associated with Yul Brynner called me up.  He said, you’d asked me about the rights to SEVEN SAMURI.  It’s funny, Yul Brynner brought the same question up to me, because he also had Japanese connections.  We both thought that perhaps he could intervene with Toho, the Japanese company that had produced it.  I had just succeeded in attracting to our company John Sturges.  I was a great fan of John’s movies, and I called him up and said, John, I think I’ve got the first movie for us to make.  I want you to come over, and I want to run THE SEVEN SAMURAI with you.  The two of us sat alone in a projection room and watched it, and had the best time ever, talking while the movie was running, and translating all of the sequences of Mr. Kurasawa’s movie into the western motif.  So in the projection room we made a western of THE SEVEN SAMAURI.  Then we hit on a marvelous writer, Walter Newman, who did the basic script of THE MAGNIFICENT 7. 

PETE HAMMOND:  I notice Walter Newman is not listed on the posters on the lobby.  Was he a blacklisted writer at that time?

WALTER MIRISCH:  No, he was not a blacklisted writer.  Don’t let that get around.  However, Walter was very stubborn.  While we were shooting the picture, we needed some work done while we were down in Mexico.  I asked Walter to come down, and for one reason or another, he couldn’t come.  I think the Writer’s Guild then had an arbitration, and decided the writer we had brought down had made a significant contribution, and should receive some kind of a shared credit.  Walter resented that; he was angry at his Guild, not at John or I, and he said that if they didn’t give him sole credit, he didn’t want anything.  It was a very serious career mistake that Walter, who was a wonderful writer, made.  And it was Bill Roberts who did the work down in Mexico, and helped us field the suggestions that came from our always cooperative cast, all of whom wanted to enlarge their roles.  That’s how that came about.    

PETE HAMMOND:  Actually I think James Coburn was one member of the cast who liked not having many lines in the film.  Does he have eleven lines?

James Coburn, Horst Bucholtz

WALTER MIRISCH:  I never counted them.  However, he plays this laconic character.  I shall never forget, one day Walter Newman came in to my office and said, I’ve got to ask you about something that I’ve been noodling with, and can’t make up my mind.  If two men faced one another, and one man had a gun and the other had a knife, and they both fired at the same time, which would arrive first?  I said, no question about it, the bullet would.  He said, I was thinking about having the knife-thrower do it.  I said that’s a great idea; and that’s how that got into the movie.  It was showmanship, and Jim was the perfect one to execute it. 

PETE HAMMOND:  Talk about the rest of the cast, because Steve McQueen was starring in a television series, WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, at the time.  

WALTER MIRISCH:  The casting of THE MAGNIFICENT 7 was kind of a fun exercise for John Sturges and myself.  Because we had these wonderful roles to fill.  And I’d try and get all of my favorite actors in, and John would try and get his.  That’s how Jim Coburn got in, because I had been looking for a really good Jim Coburn role since WICHITA TOWN.  John Sturges had made a movie for MGM with Frank Sinatra called NEVER SO FEW.  And he kept telling me he had this kid in it, and the kid is marvelous, and we’ve got to find a part for the kid.  And the kid, of course, was Steve McQueen.

PETE HAMMOND:  Charles Bronson?

WALTER MIRISCH:  Charlie Bronson I had known for a long time, and the O’Reilley part just cried out for Bronson.  I think the most exciting piece of casting comes with the story.  A couple of years ago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York honored me.  At the event they asked Eli Wallach to come and speak about me.  I hadn’t seen Eli a lot in recent years; he always lived in New York, and we didn’t run across one another too often.  Eli got up and said, I think I owe my whole career to Walter Mirisch.  Well, I perked up.  I didn’t know why he felt that way, but I was interested, as I hope you all are.  And Eli said, before I met Walter Mirisch, I was just another Jewish actor in New York.  After I met him, I became a Mexican bandit for life!

PETE HAMMOND:  It was Sturges’ idea?

WALTER MIRISCH:  It was John’s idea.  And it was brilliant.  I said, are you crazy?  He said no, no, think, and we looked at some film, and then I met him, and it came together.  John and I had a wonderful relationship.  As a matter of fact I am indebted to him for the title of my book.  He had called me once, while I was writing it.  He was retired by then.  He loved boats, and he was down in Mexico someplace, on his boat.  He called me and said, Walter, I’ve been asked to do an article about THE GREAT ESCAPE.   And I don’t really remember some things that I wanted to write about.  And I was wondering if you still have a copy of the script?   I said John; I can’t believe you don’t have a copy of the script: this is one of the best movies of your whole life.  He said, what are you talking about?    I thought we were just making movies, not history.  So that resonated with me, and I used that as the title.

PETE HAMMOND:  You really didn’t think you were making history when you were making all these movies?

WALTER MIRISCH:  No – I was trying to make a living.

PETE HAMMOND:  They say music is the soundtrack of your life; your movies are the soundtrack of my life, from SOME LIKE IT HOT to WEST SIDE STORY.  WEST SIDE STORY and THE APARTMENT were back to back Best Picture winners.  Billy Wilder, you did nine films with him.

WALTER MIRISCH:  Actually he worked for nobody else during the period of seventeen years when we were together.  However, the important thing in my career was not just making those movies with Billy Wilder; what was more important was having a thousand lunches with him.  He was the most interesting, stimulating, brilliant man.

KCET CEO Michael Riley, Mirisch, KCET COO Mary Mazur

PETE HAMMOND:  Can I say how old you are?  Because you’re still working every day, going to the office, developing movies.  And you’re 93 years old.

WALTER MIRISCH:  I have done nothing to deserve that.  It’s probably genetic.

PETE HAMMOND:  I heard you just had a Hallmark movie done.

WALTER MIRISCH:  Yes, they just reran it a couple of weeks ago.

PETE HAMMOND:  And another PINK PANTHER?

WALTER MIRISCH:  Yes, I’m working on the script of that for MGM now.  It’s going to be a combination of live action and animation.  It’s really challenging and something new, and I’m very excited about it.

PETE HAMMOND:  Do you have any favorites among your films?

WALTER MIRISCH:  How many children do you have?  Do you have a personal favorite?  If you have, you won’t tell.

PETE HAMMOND:  Your films really hold up.  They live on.

WALTER MIRISCH:  That’s what classic movies are, I guess.  And that’s the exciting thing about living to this ripe old age.  You get to see how succeeding generations react to your films, and to the things you wanted to say to your audiences.  And it’s particularly true to WEST SIDE STORY, and the message of WEST SIDE STORY.  That message needs to be repeated again and again, because we still haven’t learned our lesson.  IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, in which attacked the racial issue right in the heart of the civil rights revolution, I hoped would make a real contribution to better understanding, and tolerance.  I like to think that it made some kind of contribution, but it didn’t solve it; the problem is still with us.  Motion pictures, besides entertaining, can be tremendously important in educating people.  Because it’s a way to make people understand issues in a way that’s easy to accept.  And hopefully they will come away from it feeling much more sympathetic to that black detective who is the protagonist. 

PETE HAMMOND:  Now THE MAGNIFICENT 7 lives on; you made three sequels yourself to this movie.

WALTER MIRISCH:  Yes, the first one, Yul Brynner appeared in, RETURN OF THE 7.  Then other people played him.  And over the years we used the franchise a number of times. 

PETE HAMMOND:  The TV series.

WALTER MIRISCH:  And it is now being remade.  We’re shooting it now, down in Louisiana.  It stars Denzel Washington, who plays the part that Yul Brynner played.  Chris Pratt, who plays the lead in JURASSIC WORLD.  And Ethan Hawk.  It’s got a wonderful cast.

PETE HAMMOND:  And you’re going to have an executive producer credit on it.  Is it going to have any of that iconic theme by Elmer Bernstein, one of the most famous pieces of music in movie history?

WALTER MIRISCH:  It was not nominated.  Actually it was nominated in one of the sequels; but not in the original.  It just goes to show you that the Academy Awards are not perfect. (Note: Elmer Bernstein’s scores for MAGNIFICENT 7 and RETURN OF THE 7 were both Oscar-nominated, and both lost)

Mirisch and Hammond admiring a huge poster

PETE HAMMOND:  This coming from a man who used to be president of the Academy.

WALTER MIRISCH:  It is a magnificent piece of music, and it developed its own life.  It became the theme of the Marlboro cigarette company, and they played  it for years and years and years.

JAMES HORNER COMPOSED ‘MAGNIFICENT 7’ REMAKE’S SCORE BEFORE HIS DEATH!

And on the heels of our MAGNIFICENT 7 story, a remarkable surprise!  While composer James Horner recently died in a private plane crash, we will hear more of his music.  During an NPR interview, MAGNIFICENT 7 remake director Antoine Fuqua revealed that Horner, who also scored Fuqua’s just-released SOUTHPAW, surprised him with a completed score for MAGNIFICENT 7 based on the screenplay – currently shooting.  For the complete interview, go 

HERE.  

SPENT SUNDAY WITH BRUCE BOXLEITNER!

watching the GUNSMOKE and HOW THE WEST WAS WON star pose for photographer/action director Steve Carver (LONE WOLF MCQUADE, BIG BAD MAMA).  For his upcoming photography book, UNSUNG HEROES & VILLAINS OF THE SILVER SCREEN, Carver uses 19^th Century photo techniques, and he’s been taking these portraits of stars and characters actors for 22 years!  There aren’t a lot of smiles in them, either: just like the old tintype days, they have to pose motionless for 8 seconds.  Try it!  The whole story, and wonderful portraits, and my interview with Bruce, coming soon to the Round-up!

I’M THE ‘WRITER’S BLOCK’ GUEST THURSDAY NIGHT!

Jim Bell, Bobbi Jean Bell & me

On Thursday, July 30^th at 8 pm, I’ll be joining hosts Jim Christina and Bobbi Jean Bell for an hour of talk about writing and up-coming Westerns on their weekly show, Writer’s Block, on L.A.Talk Radio.  You can listen live (at ‘Listen Live 2’) HERE.  You can call in live at 818-602-4929.  And if you miss the live broadcast, or want to catch up on earlier shows, you can find podcasts of them HERE .

SEE ‘DON RICARDO RETURNS’ FRIDAY NIGHT AT ANDRES PICO ADOBE!

The Andres Pico Adobe Museum is a jewel in the San Fernando Valley.  The headquarters of the San Fernando Valley Historical Society, built in 1853, it is the second oldest home in Los Angeles.  On Friday night, July 31^st, at 8 pm, they will screen the 1946 swashbuckler DON RICARDO RETURNS, starring Fred Coby and Lita Baron (a.k.a. Isabelita).  This rarely seen (I’ve never seen it) PRC Studios Spanish adventure story was filmed in part at the Pico Adobe itself, so seeing it there should be particular fun.  The story is by Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro.  The screenplay is co-written by Jack DeWitt, who would later gain fame for scripting A MAN CALLED HORSE, and Renault Duncan, pen-name for the screen’s Cisco Kid, Duncan Renaldo!  The address is 10940 Sepulveda Ave., Mission Hills 91346.  Their phone is 818-365-7810.  Their website is www.sfvhs.com. 

The movie is free, the gates open at 7 pm, so you can come early, and bring snacks or a picnic dinner.  If you’ve never visited the Adobe before, here’s a perfect opportunity.        

AND THAT’S A WRAP!

Have a great week – or what’s left of the week!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright July 2015 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY -- NATIONWIDE EVENTS PLANNED

Next Saturday, July 28^th is the 8^th National Day Of the Cowboy, and Wyoming and California are the first two states to recognize the day in perpetuity.  Other states celebrating this year include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Texas.  A visit to the official NDOC calendar page HERE will give you a community by community listing.  There are parades, rodeos, historical demonstrations and displays, shooting competitions, musical performances, arts and crafts for kids, and much more. Some of these are one day events, and others are for several days, so check your local area, and don’t miss out!  Events are planned in Spearfish, South Dakota; Cumberland, Virginia; Dubois, Wyoming; Sedona, Arizona; Redlands, California; The Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora, North Dakota; Sullivan, Missouri; Slipoff Hollow, Alabama; Flagstaff, Arizona; Dalton, New Hampshire; Sacramento, California; Vernon, Texas; Altus, Oklahoma; Jefferson, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; The Autry Museum in Los Angeles, California; Kissimmee, Florida; Madera & Porterville, California; Santa Clarita, California; El Paso, Texas; Norco, California; Malta, Illinois; Mesquite, Texas; Grapevine, Texas; and Crockett, Texas.

Of particular interest, Belle Fourche, South Dakota is celebrating with their CRAZY DAYS, Friday the 27^th and Saturday the 28^th.  In addition to the NDOC, the 28^th also marks the 40^th Anniversary of the 1972 film THE COWBOYS, directed by Mark Rydell and written by Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. and William Dale Jennings, from Jennings’ novel.  In it, (as many of you recall) John Wayne hires a string of school-boys to drive his herd to Belle Fourche – and it’s the only major Western that mentions Belle Fourche, for years one of the nation’s largest livestock shipping points.  There’ll be a screening, and several cast members will attend, including Nicolas Beauvy, who played Dan; Al Barker Jr., who played Fats; Stephen Hudis, who played Charlie Schwartz; and Sean Kelly, who played Stuttering Bob.  Incidentally, my interview with Nicolas Beauvy about the making of THE COWBOYS will be coming soon to the Round-up. 

The Autry’s full day of events will feature live music, square-dancing, roping and gun-spinning demonstrations, arts and crafts, an Olde Time photo-studio, a scavenger hunt, a chance to rope a cow, and screenings of episodes of THE GENE AUTRY SHOW.

Western writer J.R. Sanders, of Redlands, California, working with the Barnes & Noble is Redlands, last year started READ ‘EM, COWBOY, a program to introduce youngins to Western writing, and it’s spread like a prairie-fire!  There are several Read ‘Em Cowboy events in California, five in Texas, and one each in South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado, most or all featuring readings and book-signings by Western authors of fiction and non-fiction.  And no matter where you are, you can take part by printing out and using the voucher below, at a Barnes & Noble store or at their on-line site.  A part of each purchase will go to your local school or worthy organization. 

The Will James Society, named for the Western author of such beloved novels as SMOKEY and SAND and LONE COWBOY, will present four sets of his books to Read ‘Em Cowboy ramrods J.R. Sanders, Francie Ganje,  Liz Lawless, and Julie Ream, who will present them to their local libraries.  Julie Ream’s Read ‘Em Cowboy event at the Barnes & Noble in Santa Clarita will feature authors Peter Sherayko (TOMBSTONE: THE GUNS AND GEAR) and Peter Ford (GLENN FORD: A LIFE) as well as displays of a Nudie-customized car and a trailer he made for Roy Rogers, and a baby-animal petting zoo from the Iverson Ranch.

Incidentally, J.R. has a full week of events planned, starting today with the 50^th Anniversary screening of THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE at the beautiful Fox Theatre in Redlands.  And he asked me to highlight the Under the Cowboy Moon: An evening with Belinda Gail and Dave Stamey.  “It's a fundraiser for Redlands High School's historical mural project.  The school was built in 1891; the mural will feature the original buildings, sadly long gone.”  It’s on Friday, July 27th: at Clock Auditorium, Redlands High School - 840 E. Citrus Ave.

JULYAMSH POWWOW IN POST FALLS IDAHO

From Friday, July 20^th, through Sunday, July 22^nd, the Coeur d' Alene hosted one of the largest Powwows in the area, which is a short drive from Spokane.  There was music, drumming, dancing, food, venders, and a wide range of artwork.  There was even a live radio broadcast on Saturday night, from 4 to 8 pm on KYRS.  A great time was had by all, and many commented on what fine hosts the Coeur d' Alene were.

ANDRES PICO ADOBE CELEBRATES ‘SAN FERNANDO VALLEY’

On Thursday night, June 28^th, The San Fernando Valley Historical Society had a special Adobe Under The Stars evening featuring a tour of the Andres Pico Adobe, displays of several personal collections, and a screening of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in one of their charming Republics musical actioners, SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. 

The Adobe is in the Andres Pico Adobe Park at 10940 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills.  It was my first visit to the Adobe, the 2^nd oldest standing building in Los Angeles.  Built in 1845, it was the home of Andres Pico, who needed more space for his cattle, and had taken a nine-year lease on the entire San Fernando Valley – it probably helped that his brother, Pio Pico, was the Governor, in fact the last Mexican Governor of California.  The adobe contains a beautifully furnished living room, dining room and, upstairs a bedroom and research library and exhibit hall.

Metal mitts to keep toddlers from thumb-sucking!

Pennant from L.A. Aqueduct opening ("Forget it, Jake.  It's Chinatown.")

Just outside the adobe is the Lankershim Reading Room, an octagonal building built from a kit in 1904.  The Lankershims were one of the early ‘land’ families of Southern California, and this structure is perhaps the only one left from their once-vast holdings.  Back in 2001 it was about to be demolished when SFVHS veep James Gulbranson drove by, saw what was about to happen, and crammed his truck between the structure and the bulldozer.  The SFVHS bought it, moved it and restored it.

Not nearly so grand, but interesting, is the 5’ X 8’ Southern Pacific Railroad flagman’s shanty, once a common sight, and now one of the last known.  The SFVHS also is preserving the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, the burial place of over 600 between 1889 and 1939, which had fallen into disrepair, and was the victim of disgraceful vandalism over the past few decades.

Among the interesting displays that night were John Brooks’ percussion pistol collection; grandfather Peter Fontanili and grandson Shawn Garrison’s collection of Civil War weapons and tintypes; Pat Coscia’s collection of toy horses; and Mrs. Fontanili’s collection of quilts.  There were also several classic cars.  Fresh popcorn was provided for the SAN FERNANDO VALLEY screening, which was particularly enjoyable because the event attracted an older crowd, which meant that no one talked, no one texted, and no one’s cell phone went off during the movie.

The Adobe is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the third Sunday of every month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and if you want to see it, do it in the next couple of weeks or you’ll have to wait for a year.  The park is slated to close on August 20^th, and reopen August 19^th of 2013 as the Park undergoes extensive renovations.  The dates are subject to change.  You can call at 818-365-7810, or visit their website: http://sfvhs.com/

TREMENDOUS SPAGHETTI WESTERN FEST MOVES FROM N.Y.’S FILM FORUM TO HOLLYWOOD’S CINEMATEQUE!

The hugely successful East Coast festival from earlier this summer has moved west, and will screen from Thursday, July 26^th through Sunday, August 12^th, mostly at the Egyptian in Hollywood, but with some programs at the Aero in Santa Monica.  Included are 

THE HILLS RUN RED, DJANGO, DJANGO KILL… IF YOU LIVE SHOOT!, THE MERCENARY, THE PRICE OF POWER, DEATH RIDES A HORSE, SABATA, IF YOU MEET SARTANA PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH, THE BIG GUNDOWN, THE BIG SHOWDOWN, HELLBENDERS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, THE RUTHLESS FOUR, KILL AND PRAY, COMPAÑEROS, TEPEPA, CHINA 9 LIBERTY 37, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE and THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.  Thursday it’s THE BIG GUNDOWN and THE HILLS RUN RED.  Friday, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.  Saturday, THE MERCENARY and DEATH RIDES A HORSE.  Sunday it’s SABATA and IF YOU MEET SARTANA PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH.  The fest then takes a hiatus of a few days, returning on Thursday, August 2^nd with CHINA 9 LIBERTY 37 and THE SHOOTING (actually a Utah western), with the director of both, Monte Hellman, in attendance.  I’ll have more details next week.

SCANDALS SHAKE CAL. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

In a state famous for world-class fiscal incompetence, it was upsetting to see a list of seventy public parks scheduled for closure due to lack of money, among them parks of great Western historical importance like Los Encinos, Fort Tejon, and Will Rogers.  Upsetting, but not surprising in a state that plays ‘chicken’ with its citizens year after year.  Last month it was announced that most of those parks would not be closed after all!  Big sigh of relief! 

Then last week, the story broke that one Manuel Thomas Lopez, a high-ranking deputy director in Parks and Rec., had without authorization started a vacation buy-back program, where employees would be paid for unused vacation time, with fraudulent work-hours entered on the books.  Not surprisingly, he got over $20,000 for himself.  He’s been allowed to resign.  Then, on Friday, July 20^th, Ruth Coleman, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, resigned, and chief deputy Michael Harris was fired, when it was learned that, while their department was crying poor, they had $54 million dollars in surplus money (what the Hell is surplus money?) that they’ve been hiding for a dozen years!  Resignings and firings are nice, but when do the prosecutions start?

That's going to be it for tonight, partners!  It's about ten o'clock, and ever since I spoke to Nicolas Beauvy this afternoon I've been dyin' to stop, and watch him and the Duke in THE COWBOYS!  I'm doin' it now!  Have a great week!

Happy trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright July 2012 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved