‘BRISCO COUNTY JR.’ HANDS ARE CRAFTING NEW TV WESTERNS

Back in December I was relieved to report that HELL ON WHEELS, whose 3^rd season was put on hold until a qualified show-runner could be found, was now merrily chugging down the track under the able hands of exec producer and show-runner John Wirth, who has previously performed similar duties on PICKET FENCES, FALLEN SKIES, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, and several other series. Most heartening of all, back in 1993 he was a writer and producer on THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR.  It was one of the few memorable Western efforts of the 1990s, which featured a wonderful line-up of genre-beloved guest stars, in addition to Bruce Campbell in the title role.   

This week I reported on the Round-up Facebook page that according to Deadline: Hollywood, NBC had ordered a Western pilot entitled ‘6^TH GUN’.  Based on the Oni Press graphic novel, it’s another supernatural Western, this one about six mythical, mystical guns.  It’s scripted by Ryan Condal, whose HERCULES: THE THRACIAN WARS, to star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, is in pre-production.  Producer is Carlton Cuse, who has two others shows coming up: BATES MOTEL for A&E and the FX pilot The Strain, in collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro.  I was contacted by Round-up reader Col. Kurtz, who informed me that Cuse had produced LOST, and was also one of the creators of THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR.  In fact, Cuse created the show with Jeffrey Boam, wrote fourteen episodes and exec produced all 27 episodes.   Nice to have two shows to look forward to!  I hope we see Bruce Campbell turn up in both!

S.A.G. AWARDS HONORS WESTERNS

Tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards recognized some of the very fine work done this year by actors in Western or Western-ish stories.  Kevin Costner won Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for his portrayal of Devil Anse Hatfield in HATFIELDS & MCCOYS.  Daniel Day Lewis won Best Actor in a Motion Picture for his portrayal of the sixteenth President in LINCOLN.   Tommy Lee Jones won for Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture for his portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens in LINCOLN.

‘CODY!’ DETAILS THE LIFE OF HERO IN ONE-MAN SHOW

There are few icons of the Old West more controversial that William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.  The Pony Express rider, Indian fighter, buffalo hunter, scout and showman has been worshiped and reviled since he first gained fame.  Playwright and historian Eric Sorg has crafted a historically accurate single-character play that reveals many aspects of Cody’s life, some of them eye-opening and amusing, but not all of them attractive, and some quite tragic. 

The real Buffalo Bill Cody

If there is one role Peter Sherayko was born to play, it’s Buffalo Bill Cody, and Peter covers the range of Cody’s moods, from the cheerfully cocky, to arrogant, wistful, and heartbroken.  The details of how buffalo were hunted, the encounters with unfriendly Indians, the story of how Cody came to be the subject of dime novels, are revealing and entertaining.  The details of his personal life are humanizing.  The downward personal and financial spiral of Cody’s life was, to me, unexpected and moving.  This is not a whitewashing of Cody, nor is it a hatchet job.  He talks easily of the best way to kill Indians, and later, his friendship with them.   And he talks much about his relationships with other legends of the west, notably Bill Hickock, as well Ned Buntline, Sitting Bull and Yellow hand.  Amusingly, he talks about one of Cody’s stage co-stars in his first theatrical appearance, Texas Jack Vermillion, whom Sherayko portrayed in the movie TOMBSTONE.

Peter Sherayko in TOMBSTONE

Sherayko has performed the play in Nebraska; Ohio; Pennsylvania; New York; Texas; in Sheridan and Cody, Wyoming; at the Autry; and at the Karl May Festival in Germany.  This filmed performance was done on a stage splendidly decorated with historical artifacts, without an audience.  Shot largely in a medium shot, there are a very few cutaways to a high-angle shot, and hardly any editing; it’s nearly a one-take, unbroken performance.  Faded in from time to time is historical footage of Cody himself performing in his Wild West Show.  The original stage production was directed by Ted Lange.  This filmed version is directed by Josh Seat, with music by Jon Butcher.  It’s available for $20 dollars from Peter’s company, CARAVAN WEST, HERE. 

WHY IT’S ‘ROUND-UP LITE’ TONIGHT

If the Round-up seems a bit briefer than usual today, I’ve got a good excuse.  Fellow screenwriter and western historian C. Courtney Joyner and I spent the day doing audio commentary for the Blu-Ray release of THE GRAND DUEL, the Lee Van Cleef spaghetti western from 1972, which BLUE UNDERGROUND is releasing.  It was a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of preparation.  They’ve done a beautiful restoration on it – I’ll have more information as the release date nears.

Until then, Happy Trails!

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright January 2013 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

  

GREAT EMANCIPATOR VS. BLOODSUCKERS! REPORT FROM THE FRONT

In case you haven’t heard, the Civil War is currently raging once more, this time in Louisiana, where the much-beloved novel ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, is being brought to the screen.

The Round-up is fortunate to have had war-correspondent Michael F. Blake reporting from the front. A well-known historian, biographer and writer on the western film, Mr. Blake was working in his capacity as a make-up artist when he filed his dispatch from the Battle of Gettysburg, portions of which follow:

“The film was okay. I was on second unit, so it was basically Rebs fighting Yanks, some explosions. According to the book and script, the Rebs are vampires, and by the time of Gettysburg the Union Army figures out to fire silver minie-balls. I guess they will do a lot of CGI when the Rebs get hit and dissolve or what have you.

“I had a great time as the re-enactors were an interesting lot and talked a lot about Civil War history. It was great to watch them march to the set, flags billowing in the wind, and hearing the drum & fife carry them along the road. I let my imagination take over and honestly felt I was back in 1862 or 1863.

“I did see pictures of Greg Cannom's makeup for Lincoln and it looks like the genuine article! You'd swear it was the man himself back to life.”

Written for both the page and celluloid by Seth Grahame-Smith, whose previous PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES was a New York Times best-seller, this tale of one of the less-remembered chapters (the vampire part, I mean) of the War Between the States is being produced by Tim Burton and directed Timur Bekmambetov, for a budget reported to be in the $70 million range. The major effects make-up is by the brilliant three-time Oscar winner (for DRACULA [1982], MRS. DOUBTFIRE [1993] and BENJAMIN BUTTON [2008]) Greg Cannom. It stars Benjamin Walker as Honest Abe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, John Rothman as Jefferson Davis, and Alan Tudyk as Stephen Douglas. I suspect it will be a tonic for those who felt there wasn’t sufficient action in the recent THE CONSPIRATOR.

But here’s what troubles me: I can certainly understand how muskets loaded with silver minie-balls could wreak havoc against an army of werewolves, but wouldn’t it have to be bullet-size wooden stakes against an army of vampires? I fear this movie may not be entirely historically accurate.

HENRY’S WESTERN ROUND-UP ON TCM!

Coming under the heading of shameless self-promotion, the newest TCM FANATIC segment started running last week. Done to go along with their July Salute to The Singing Cowboy, it’s about Westerns, and it features yours truly, Henry Parke, amongst other western-movie crazies. It’s five minutes long, and runs between movies when you least expect it! Let me know if you catch it!

OLD WEST AUCTION BRINGS BIG BUCKAROO BUCKS!

You’ve probably read here or elsewhere that the 22ND ANNUAL BRIAN LEBEL’S OLD WEST AUCTION, held in Denver on June 25th, sold the only authenticated photograph of Billy the Kid for a staggering $2,300,000. This is the photo which gave rise to the myth that the Kid was a southpaw since, being a tintype, the image is reversed, so his pistol appears to be on his left hip. But there were many other items of interest that fell under the auctioneer’s gavel.

Some were related to the Lincoln County Wars, and the Regulators. A receipt signed by Susan McSween, widow of A.A. McSween, employer of Billy, sold for $575. A letter written by Pat Garrett, the lawman who killed the Kid, says in part, “Dear Wife, Going to Santa Fe for the Governor’s inauguration. Send me my dress suit and my Prince Albert coat.” It fetched $1610.

A Colt model 1878 pistol that belonged to Walter Putney, a member of the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang, a.k.a. The Wild Bunch, sold for $8050.

A Portland Police Chief badge presented to Leo ‘Pancho’ Carrillo sold for $8,625. A Yakima Cannutt hat from John Wayne’s BATJAC productions, roped $17,250!

Many items were related to Buffalo Bill and his Wild West. A scrapbook belonging to one of his performers, Jordan Cottle, sold for $20,700. His Colt Double Action sold for $26,450. Photographs, prints, even punch-cards bearing Cody’s image were sold. There was also a note in Cody’s hand describing his killing of Yellowhand after the Battle of Little Big Horn, dated June 15th, 1907: “Dear Sir, Yellowhand a Cheyenne Chief was killed July 17th, 1876. And by my self in the battle of War bonnet creek troops 5th U.S. Cavalry commanded by General Wesley Merritt. Yellow Hand at the time of his death was carrying no saddle bag this known to be a fact as I was there. W.F. Cody” Cody famously scalped Yellowhand and waved the trophy above his head, calling to the troopers, “The first scalp for Custer!” The letter sold for $12,650. (I wish we had the letter he was responding to. I know in my heart it was the Cody equivalent of the Star Trek nerds who torture people with their inanely specific questions at Q & A’s: “Mr. Cody, my research suggests that Yellowhand was carrying a saddle bag in his left had at the time you were scalping him.”)

My favorite item of the sale related to a more private part of Cody’s life: his aborted divorce proceedings, which included allegations of attempted murder (which you can read about HERE). Press and Media person for Lebel’s, Melissa McCracken told me, “My second favorite moment of the night (Billy being the first obviously) was during the sale of the divorce papers. When the bidding stalled at $5,000, the ringman exclaimed, ‘They’re the cheapest divorce papers you’ll ever get!’” They sold for $6,325. You can learn more HERE.
http://www.denveroldwest.com/owaucthighlights.html

‘COVERED WAGON’ AT ACADEMY JULY 11TH

In L.A., the best entertainment deal of the summer has long been the film series at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This year it’s SUMMER OF SILENTS, featuring nine silent features that have won the Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor, an award that predates the Oscars.

On Monday, July 11th James Cruze’s 1923 epic of the Oregon Trail, THE COVERED WAGON, starring J. Warren Kerrigan, Lois Wilson and Alan Hale, will screen in 35mm, and tickets are still available for $5 a piece. Live musical accompaniment will be by Bill Ryan and the Cactus County Cowboys. Also screened will be the few reels that survive from ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1924). It’s directed by Phil Rosen, who started as a cameraman for Edison in 1912, and is best known for his Charlie Chan movies. The screenplay is by Oscar-winner (for THE BIG HOUSE and THE CHAMP) Frances Marion. An actress who was a child when she appeared in the film will be present to discuss it!

To buy tickets, go to HERE or visit the box office 9 to 5 on weekdays at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/venues-ticketing/index.html

ROBERT MITCHUM WESTERN FEST CONTINUES AT THE BILLY WILDER

On Wednesday, July 13th at 7:30 p.m., it’s his Aussie western, THE SUNDOWNERS (1960), directed by Fred Zinneman. On Sunday, July 17th at 7:00 p.m. it’s TRACK OF THE CAT (1954) written by A.I. Bezzerides and directed by William Wellman. To learn more, go HERE.

http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/calendar


TCM SALUTE’S TEX RITTER & JIMMY WAKELY FRIDAY 7/15

Continuing with their Salute to Singing Cowboys, TCM will be running five movies starting at 5:00 Pacific time. SONG OF THE GRINGO (1935) and at 6:15 P.m., THE OLD CHISOLM TRAIL (1942) both star Tex Ritter. At 7:30 p.m. COWBOY CANTEEN (1944), a War-Effort western musical features Tex Ritter and Jimmy Wakely. At 8:45 p.m., OKLAHOMA BLUES (1948) and at 9:45 p.m., BRAND OF FEAR (1949) both topline Jimmy Wakely.


HOLLYWOOD SHOW SAT. & SUN. JULY 16TH & 17TH

This is a fun event held several times a year, where movie and TV fans can shake hands with stars and buy their autographs. It’s also a big market for movie collectibles – posters, stills, video – you name it! But be warned – in ain’t cheap. It’s $20 admission -- $35 for both days. The stars charge $20 and up for an autograph, whether they provide the picture or you do, so know that if you go in and get a picture signed, you’re already in for $40 minimum. Of particular interest to Western fans, two of the stars of THE WILD BUNCH, Ernest Borgnine and Bo Hopkins, are scheduled to attend. So is former teen idol Leif Garrett, who co-starred in a pair of shot-in-Israel Westerns with Lee Van Cleef in 1977. It’s at the Burbank Airport Marriott, 2500 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY NEWS!

As you may know, Saturday, May 23rd, is the 7th annual National Day of the Cowboy. But while we call it national, getting it recognized has been an arduous state by state, volunteer by volunteer, campaign. Word has just come from Bethany Braley, Executive Director of the organization, that Senator Jean Fuller introduced the National Day of the Cowboy resolution in the California Senate. It passed on July 1, officially encouraging Californians to celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy. This is the first time the California Senate has heard and voted on the NDOC resolution! To date in 2011, we have official resolutions from New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Georgia and now California. To learn more, visit the official website HERE. www.nationaldayofthecowboy.org

CELEBRATING THE DAY OF THE COWBOY AND COWGIRL AT THE AUTRY!

It’s great news that for the second year, the Autry will be taking part in the celebration – last year was an absolute blast! This year’s festivities will feature a ton of activities for kids and families, leather-craft and blacksmithing, square-dancing, lasso demonstrations, gunslinging by the lightnin’ quick JOEY DILLON, and a musical performance by the delightful and downright legendary RIDERS IN THE SKY!

But wait, there’s more! In the Wells Fargo Theatre, Gene Autry’s delightfully whacky serial, THE PHANTOM EMPIRE will screen. And coinciding with the Day of the Cowboy, the Autry will the grand reopening of THE GREG MARTIN COLT GALLERY, featuring a phenomenal new presentation of the history of the Colt Firearms Company.

READ ‘EM COWBOY BOOKFAIR AT BARNES & NOBLE, REDLANDS ON THE DAY OF THE COWBOY!

On Saturday, July 23rd, from 11 ‘til 3 at the Redlands Barnes & Noble, 27460 Lugonia Ave. Western writer J. R. Sanders says, “Come celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy, and support Western literature, at Read 'em Cowboy! A portion of sales from the event will go directly to the Western Writers of America's Homestead Foundation, which promotes the literary preservation of Western culture, history and traditions.

“Western authors will sign books and give talks, children's authors will do readings and other activities with kids, and there'll be a cowboy/cowgirl costume contest for the youngsters. Along with the authors, there'll be live cowboy music by the Coyote Creek Ramblers, historical displays, roping demonstration, raffles, cowboy vittles in the B&N cafe, and more.” But, you say you don’t live near Redlands! How can you take part? Make a purchase at any B&N from 7/23-28. Just print a copy of the voucher found HERE. (The link takes you to a Facebook page, from which you can print the flyer with the voucher attached.) Show it at checkout. Or, order online at www.bn.com/bookfairs, and enter the Bookfair ID# (10510444) at checkout. Either way, a portion of your sale goes to the Homestead Foundation.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221304581236513#!/photo.php?fbid=203670429680595&set=o.221304581236513&type=1&theater

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.


EVENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IF YOU DIDN’T CHECK THE ROUND-UP FACEBOOK PAGE THIS WEEK

This week we featured a link to get into the Autry Day of the Cowboy Celebration for free; COWBOYS & ALIENS director Jon Favreau’s video interview of his producers Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg and Brian Grazer; Saturday’s Autry screening of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, featuring Paramount’s 35mm archive print. It’s updated almost every day, so check it out!

NEXT WEEK I’ll be sharing an exclusive preview of some of the fascinating items from the upcoming Autry Colt Gallery opening, I’m scheduled to visit the set of a new Western series pilot, and I’ve got some interesting casting news, once I’m given permission to share it! And starting now, you can follow us on Twitter (if that’s your idea of a good time). Have a great week!

Adios,

Henry

All contents copyright July 2011 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

BUFFALO BILL’S FIGHT FOR LIFE!

We all know that Buffalo Bill Cody led a life of adventure and danger, but few of us guessed how close to home that danger was, nor did we see parallels to Charlie Sheen’s recent troubles! But Brian Lebel’s 2011 Denver Old West Auction, in Denver, Colorado, from June 24th through June 26th, brings some amazing details to light. In 1905, Louisa Cody and Buffalo Bill were on the brink of divorce (they later reconciled). Her original copies of witness depositions are going on the auction block. Here are a few interesting quotes:

She was angry, and she shook her fist at me, and said “I will bring you Codys down so low the dogs won’t bark at you.”

She claimed that he was unloyal to her and immoral with other women

She said she would rule Colonel Cody or ruin him and I said, “You had better leave him alone.” She said “Before he goes from under my control, I will kill him.”

She gave him a drug she called “Dragon’s blood.” I don’t know what it is. She gave it to him in his coffee. She told me she had given him two doses and wanted to give him the third. She put it in his coffee and I switched cups and give her the Colonel’s cup and the Colonel the one that didn’t have anything in it and it made her sick.

She said he is a drunk. You are a drunken brute.

During the time that you have testified to his drinking, gambling, and frequenting houses of ill fame, where were his wife and babies?

The estimate is from $5,000 - $8,000. I’ve already described in the Round-up another item up for bid, the famous tintype of Billy the Kid, the only authenticated photo of the Brooklyn-born bandit. Among the other fascinating pieces of Western history are a pair of Clayton Moore's Colt Single Actions, a John Wayne movie hat, Buck Jones's belt buckle, and a gold and diamond presentation badge of Leo Carrillo’s.

To learn more about the auction, go HERE.

(Photos: Buffalo Bill poster, divorce documents, Cody's watch, Billy the Kid tintype)
http://www.denveroldwest.com/owaucthighlights.html

AT THE AUTRY

At Saturday’s screening of a 35mm print of George Steven’s SHANE, the most startling revelation about the film in curator Jeffrey Richardson’s introduction was that Jack Palance had so much trouble getting on and off of a horse in those early days that they actually played the ‘off-the-horse’ shot in reverse to get him back on!

But he also revealed some good news about up-coming screenings. On Thursday, June 23rd, the Autry will show the brilliant and often hilarious documentary REEL INJUN, which examines the role of American Indians in film from the American Indian point of view. Also shown will be the short AMERICAN INDIAN ACTORS. This program is from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and a Q&A with filmmakers will follow. Free tickets are available online and at the box office.

On Saturday, June 25th at 2:00 p.m. they’ll show HEART OF THE RIO GRANDE (1942), which, unlike the first-Saturday-of-the-month screening will be a 35mm print from the UCLA Archives. Speaking of first Saturdays, on Saturday, July 2nd at noon, the Autry will screen Gene in RYTHYM OF THE SADDLE (1938) and COW TOWN (1950).

Also, the titles and dates for the monthly ‘What Is A Western?’ series have been announced for the next ten months. All on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and all 35mm prints, the films will be:
July 9th 2011, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)
August 13th, 2011 GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957)
September 17th 2011 TOMBSTONE (1993)
October 22nd, 2011 WINCHESTER ’73 (1950)
November 12th,2011 UNFORGIVEN (1992)
January 21st,2012 THE PROFESSIONALS (1966)
February 11th, 2012 THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
April 14th 2012 MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946)
May 12th 2012 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
June 9th 2012 THE GUNFIGHTER (1950)



COMING SOON: JOHN CARTER OF MARS BY WAY OF MOAB, UTAH

Actor Joe Billingiere has doubled for Steven Seagal, helped bring Josh Brolin back from the dead in JONAH HEX, and will soon be seen as Chief White Eagle Feather in the upcoming YELLOW ROCK. But the picture he did that has all the steam-punks buzzing is JOHN CARTER OF MARS, based on the series of novel Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote before moving on to create TARZAN.

“Actually we shot JOHN CARTER OF MARS between JONAH HEX and YELLOW ROCK, but they’re shooting two movies at one time. And as we weren’t really on Mars, there’s a lot of CGI. I was involved in the opening scenes of the book, where John Carter is involved in the Old West of the 1860s or 1870s. He gets caught in a fight, a battle between the U.S. Cavalry and some native peoples.” Joe plays Apache #1. “He and his partner are caught in the middle, and escape to a cave. The Native Americans follow him, and they see some sacred symbol which scares them, and it’s unclear what happens in that cave, but somehow he’s transported to Mars. When I got the call to go for that audition, I was really excited, because I’m a reader, and I grew up borrowing those books from my library – I read so fast I used to take two or three at a time. I read that whole series, which is Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first series. The first book is called A PRINCESS OF MARS, and it’s really the beginning of what morphed into sword and sorcery.

“Luckily I was cast, and Andrew Stanton, the director, was fantastic, just what I think a director ought to be. He was friendly, personable, very accurate in how he directed us and explained what he wanted in the scenes. It was just a lot of fun. And of course we shot it in Moab, Utah. The red rocks of the Southwest, the incredible formations. We had a day off and four of us actors rented a Jeep and drove off to Arches National Park; awesome scenery, great heights.”

JOHN CARTER OF MARS stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins,Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church, and has a projected release date of March 2012. We’ll have a more extensive interview with Joe in the coming weeks.

Photos: Joe Billingiere between two John Carter of Mars illustrations)

EVENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IF YOU HAVEN’T CHECKED OUR FACEBOOK PAGE THIS WEEK

When events of interest come to my attention at the last minute, I post them on our Facebook page. We had a plethora of them for this Saturday, June 11th: a 70mm screening of GLORY at the Aero with director Joel Zwick; a 35mm screening of SHANE at the Autry; a Raoul Walsh bio-signing and double feature at the Egyptian with author Marilyn Ann Ross and actors L.Q. Jones, Jack ‘Jimmy Olsen’ Larson and Richard Erdman; and a four-day free preview of ENCORE WESTERNS CHANNEL, featuring a 24 hour James Arness marathon. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for late-breaking Western movie news!

DEBBIE REYNOLDS – THE AUCTION – JUNE 18TH

The beautiful and immensely talented Debbie Reynolds struck Hollywood like a comet when, in 1948, she won the Lockheed-sponsored Miss Burbank title, her talent being lip-synching to a Betty Hutton record (an odd choice, considering she also played the French horn, and was a champion baton twirler). On the panel of judges were talent scouts for both Warner Brothers and M.G.M. The Warner’s rep won the coin toss, winning the opportunity to screen-test the high-schooler, and the rest is Hollywood history. She was still so young when she did THE DAUGHTERS OF ROSIE O’GRADY (1949), co-star Marcia Mae Jones told me, that she sold her troop’s Girl Scout Cookies to all of the other actors on the set.

She became a star at the tail end of the Golden Age with films like SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN and HOW THE WEST WAS WON. Sadly, the Studio System began to implode in the late 1960s, and the majors began selling off their props and costumes and finally their real estate in a frantic bid to stay above water. Debbie, as big a fan as she was a star, was a ubiquitous sight at the MGM and 20th CENTURY FOX auctions, where she amassed the world’s greatest collection of movie wardrobe from classic films. Her goal was always to create a museum to share her collection with the public, and in 1993, after many false starts she got her museum, in Las Vegas, with the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Resort and Casino. Sadly, the museum only lasted for about five years, before financial problems forced the casino’s closure. Since then, re-openings were announced at Hollywood and Highland and adjacent to Dollywood, but neither happened, and now Debbie is selling her collection. The auction, by Profiles in History, will take place on Saturday, June 18th, at the Paley Center For Media, at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

Although the majority of items are not Western in nature, there is plenty to interest any movie fan. Among the items with a cowboy connection are Marlene Dietrich’s ‘Frenchie’ costume from DESTRY RIDES AGAIN; Cesar Romero’s pistol, gunbelt and costume from the CISCO KID series; Glenn Ford’s saddle, hat and boots; Howard Keel’s Winchester, boots and costume from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN; Marilyn Monroe’s saloon-girl gown, by Travilla, from RIVER OF NO RETURN; and costumes of James Stewart, Gregory Peck and Debbie Reynolds from HOW THE WEST WAS WON.

Previews continue at the Paley, Wednesday June 15th through Friday June 17th, from noon to 5 p.m., with the auction beginning Saturday at noon. To find out more, and download the catalog, go HERE.

(Photos: Debbie Reynolds in HOW THE WEST WAS WON; Cesar Romero's CISCO KID costume; guns - above, SGT. YORK guns, below, CISCO KID; Monroe RIVER OF NO RETURN dress; Glenn Ford's hat, boots and saddle and, in background, W.C. Fields' costume from MISSISSIPPI. All auction pics courtesy of Sabrina Parke)

http://www.profilesinhistory.com/debbie-reynolds-auction/debbie-reynolds-the-auction

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.

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

That's all until next week, folks!

Happy Trails,

Henry

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

RIDING WITH ROOSTER COGBURN & COWBOYS & ALIENS

(Updated Wednesday 12/8/2010 -- see SCREENING: RED AND WHITE)
Soon you’ll be seeing Cody Jones in TRUE GRIT and COWBOYS & ALIENS, but he jokes that you may have to look real quick. The stuntman and actor is an Eastern Shoshone tribal member of the Wind River Indian Reservation. He first rode across the TV screen in The History Channel’s CARSON AND CODY: THE HUNTER HEROES. Many American Indians have strong feelings about Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill. When I asked Cody if he did, he laughed. “Well, actually I’m named after Buffalo Bill Cody. I think it’s pretty cool. Buffalo Bill first incorporated Indians into the Wild West Show, and I think overall it was a good opportunity for those Indian guys back then. I know at one point he was considered an Indian fighter, when he was a scout. But from what I know, Buffalo Bill tried to be a friend of the Indian. I look on it as an honor to be named after him.

“Originally I’m from Wyoming, Fort Laramie Wyoming. And I also grew up in Texas, once my folks divorced. My dad went back to Texas, and my mom stayed in Wyoming. I ended up graduating from high school in Texas. I used to rodeo. I was down in Weatherford College, riding bulls for a little stretch of time. It’s something that I wanted to try when I was in high school, but I was playing a lot of other sports, and my parents were kind of discouraging me from doing it. I’d ridden a few bulls in high school, got real serious about it afterwards. I did that for a while, went pretty good at the start, then I went through a stretch when I wasn’t covering my bulls, wasn’t making a full ride, and then ended up being hurt. Got sort of banged up. So I took some time off, went back up to my grandpa’s place in Wyoming, stayed at the ranch.

“I was training horses on our family ranch, breaking them for other people to ride. It’s what we call ‘starting colts,’ getting the horse started. When they’re three, three and a half, you’re getting on them, riding them for the first time. Normally you put on sixty to ninety days, depending on who it’s for. If it’s for someone who’s pretty experienced I might only put thirty to sixty days on a horse, and they’ll take them from that point. If it’s somebody living in town who’s not very experienced, I might keep them ninety days, or even longer than that, get them really lined out and going good. At that point they can get on and usually handle the horse pretty well. And while I was working on our family ranch I did some college, at Eastern Wyoming College.”

(Photos - from top, Cody Jones, Cody Jones on horseback, DEADLIEST WARRIORS break for lunch, Will Rogers, William S. Hart, Red and White poster)

His work with horses is what eventually led him to the screen. “I was at home in Wyoming, in the summer of ’02, and I got a call from my cousin, Nobby Brown, who’d done stunts in a lot of movies – he’d done DANCES WITH WOLVES, GERONIMO – and he said, ‘Come down to Oklahoma to do this thing for The History Channel.’ It was CARSON AND CODY: THE HUNTER HEROES. They had a wagon we chased. They had us riding across a big wide-open prairie. They’d just tell us to ride from one point to another. I was just one of the guys in there, riding. I did that, and the next summer I toured in some Wild West shows. It was patterned after how Buffalo Bill did his show. They had their Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill. That took us into the Midwest. The biggest one we did was a ten day show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lot of fun – two performances a day, and on the tenth day we road through downtown Milwaukee in a big parade. They wanted to keep it going every summer. But it was that time when oil prices were steadily rising. The cost of getting the horses and all of the guys to each location was too much, and the show folded.

“The next year, Steven Speilberg was doing a miniseries for TNT called INTO THE WEST, so I worked stunts in that. They hired a bunch of Indian guys to do stunt riding, especially episodes 4 and 5. Episode 4 was the one where they had the most riding – it was called HELL ON WHEELS.”

Steve Reevis, from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, an actor with a long string of credits, is a good friend and mentor to Cody, and convinced him to move to Los Angeles. His first job in L.A. was a film called THE HIRED GUN, which sounds like a Western, but isn’t. “It was a modern-day crime movie. That was fun; that was the first thing I worked on. I knew a stunt guy by the name of Kerry Wallum, down in Texas, and he was coming here around the same time that I was, to work on that movie. He got me on that, maybe two weeks after I came out to California, so I thought, ‘Alright – two weeks and I’m already on a film set.’ (laughs) I spent the rest of the year working at Home Depot in Burbank.

“Mostly on HIRED GUN I was doing a lot of driving. It was my first chance to do something besides riding horses – they had a lot of hard driving scenes in there. I had a scene where I had a fight with a couple of cops. They ended up giving me some lines, but they got cut from the movie: when I went to the premiere, they weren’t in there.” He’s also done some modeling. “I was in the Native American Men’s Calendar for 2009.” I asked him what month. “It was actually May and December. (laughs) Yeah, I got two months out of that one. They called me for this year’s, but I’ve been gone so much I missed out on being in the 2011 one.

“When I came out here I just wanted to be a stuntman, that was my big thing, but you know they’re just not making enough westerns these days. And being labeled an ‘Indian stuntman’ can make it even tougher, because then you’re afraid they’re only going to call you if they need Indian guys who can ride or whatever. I’ve done six different things this year, and every one has been Indian-related. I realize that’s my look, how people see me. I can change my hair, but I can’t grow much facial hair. I came out looking just to be a stuntman, but Steve pointed out, you can act a lot longer than you can be a stuntman, so I’ve been giving acting a try. I started acting classes about a year ago, and I’ve really switched my focus to acting. It’s kind of half and half right now.”

I asked him about TRUE GRIT. “I was actually working on another set when I got the phone call, on a show called DEADLIEST WARRIOR: AZTEC JAGUAR VS. ZANDE WARRIOR, for Spike TV. I played the main Aztec warrior in that episode. I was supposed to work background stunts that day, but I got there, and they ended up making me the main guy, so that was pretty cool. So I was on the set, and I got the call, the lady said the Coen Brothers were down in Austin, going through (pictures) picking out people they’re going to use in Texas. And they like me, and a friend of mine, Picarni Reevis, Steve’s son. They were picking six Indian men and six Indian women. I was told there’d be horse riding, a scene in a Wild West show. When we got there, they had changed their minds, and we wouldn’t be riding. So we’re just standing around in this area where they do the Wild West show. That’s the scene. The other four guys were hired local, from the Austin area. They were going to just use Texans, but the Coen brothers like our looks, so they brought us in from California. At one point they had us six guys and the six women lined up, and the camera goes by us. Then there were shots of us mixed in with the cowboys and Annie Oakley. So now I don’t know what you’re going to see in that scene – and if you see any of us, it’s going to be kind of quick, I’m afraid. But Pikuni and I were there, and we got introduced to the Coen brothers. They were asking, ‘How’s your father, Steve?’ Because they’d used Steve in FARGO back in ’93.”

I asked him if he’d seen the original TRUE GRIT, with John Wayne. “Yeah, I actually saw it for the first time in May, when we were in Texas. My mother is living in Texas now, and when I was visiting with her, we watched it. I liked it. I didn’t know I was going to see a young Robert Duvall – I didn’t know he was in the original. And Dennis Hopper – he got killed early.” Did he like westerns before he started working in them?

“Yeah, I really did. For me, growing up, I really remember YOUNG GUNS. GERONIMO, of course DANCES WITH WOLVES. I’ve always loved those movies. I want to eventually make my own western, and I hope to do it on my grandpa’s place. He ranches on a little over ten thousand acres, so he’s got some pretty scenic-looking areas, places where you could have a camera and not see any modern stuff. I’ve got one I’m writing right now, and I’d like to take a shot at directing it. But if I could find someone who’s experienced, and saw my same vision, I’d be willing to let them direct it, as long as we could get the thing made.”

I asked him about COWBOYS & ALIENS. “That’s one that a guy named Rod Rondeau brought me on. He’s from the Crow Reservation in Montana. He knew me from when we did INTO THE WEST. He did a lot of stunts in it, and he had a big acting role, as Roman Nose. In episode four we had horses, we’re laying down, then we jump up, ride them up next to this wagon, and a guy jumps from his horse to the wagon, throws a couple of guys off, and then he jumps from the seat to some of the horses – that was Rod. Rod called me back in April, said he was putting together a group of guys to go to New Mexico. I rode with him most of the summer, and he said, ‘You’re going to be one of my guys I go to New Mexico with.’

“In COWBOYS & ALIENS I was one of the Apaches riding in the group, where the Apaches and the cowboys get together to fight off the alien invasion, in the town of Absolution. It’s supposed to be set in Arizona, but they shot it in New Mexico. A lot of hard horse-riding. They had us shooting down arrows at aliens that weren’t there, that they’ll add later. There was also some wiring going on, where someone would be pulled back out of their saddle or up into the air, supposedly by aliens. I’d see Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig or director Jon Favreau in passing. I got to meet Olivia Wilde, our female lead, and she was very nice. But a lot of the stuff we were doing was stunts, was 2nd unit. Terry Leonard was 2nd unit director, and I did get to meet and talk with him several times, which is very cool because he’s kind of a legend, because he started out doing stunts in Westerns, and now he’s 2nd unit director. He doubled for a lot of the western stars – he’s our Yakima Canutt.”

What else is in the works? “WUSS is a film we made in Dallas, Texas this summer, and we’re supposed to hear pretty soon if it’s accepted into SUNDANCE. The director already had one of his films shown there last year, so SUNDANCE is expecting him to come back with this one. It was cool because I did get a real acting role, and if it does get accepted into Sundance it would be some good exposure. And WARRIOR’S HEART is a modern film that I got to do some stunt-work in as a lacrosse player. They were looking for native guys who had played lacrosse in the past. Adam Beach is the main native guy in that one, mentoring a kid who lost his father. He also plays Nat Colorado in COWBOYS & ALIENS.”

And there’s one more Western. “DAWN OF CONVICTION is supposed to come out after the first of the year – it’s just going to go film festivals first. It’s made by a production company called Companion Pictures, in association with The University of Fairfield, in Connecticut. A couple of guys graduated from the university, and then went back there with this Western they’d written. And the film program director liked it so much that they got the University, and some more money, behind it. It’s kind of a student film/independent film. And the crew was students working for credit for their class. We filmed it in June of 2009, in and around the Black Hills of South Dakota, kind of close to Mt. Rushmore. That’s one I’m kind of excited about, it’s the one that I call my first acting role. It’s a small role, but I was on set for a couple of weeks, and it was a great experience, with a lot of other young actors. I’ve been on some really big sets, really grateful for that, but this had to be my funnest shoot ever. We shot with really nice Sony HD cameras from the university. We’re out on a 70,000 acre ranch, just a sea of grass. At base-camp they had cabins and trailers for us to stay in. A lot of the actors and crew were from New York and Connecticut, who’d never done any camping. The night we wrapped filming, a bunch of them didn’t stay in their cabins – they got around a big campfire and slept out there – they just wanted to sleep under the stars. It was a real experience for a lot of them. I don’t know if it’s going to be as good as TRUE GRIT, but it’s going to be a good one.” CLICK HERE to see a trailer for DAWN OF CONVICTION and visit the official website.

WILL ROGERS TRIBUTE AT LASKY-DEMILLE BARN WEDNESDAY 12/8

Cowboy Will Rogers became a vaudeville star with an astonishing rope-tossing routine that was billed as a ‘dumb act’, that is, one performed silently. Eddie Cantor said it was Ziegfeld Follies co-star W.C. Fields who convinced him that he was funny enough to talk on stage, and the rest is history. On Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m., the Hollywood Heritage Museum will present An Evening With Will Rogers, featuring his great-granddaughter, Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, who will discuss her predecessor’s legacy in film, print and radio. Also on hand will be Todd Vradenburg, Executive Director of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and Board President of the Will Rogers Foundation.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will premiere several documentaries produced for their Will Rogers DVD Collection, including ‘Back To The Ranch’, with family interviews, and ‘Jane Withers Remembers’, with reminiscences from Withers about their friendship when they were both making movies at Fox. Additionally, film historian Stan Taffel will screen rare film clips from his collection. The event costs $10 for the public, $5 for Hollywood Heritage members, and is, delightfully, located in Hollywood’s original studio, right across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, at 2100 Highland Avenue. For more information, CLICK HERE.

FREE THURSDAY LUNCHTIME SCREENING OF 'RED AND WHITE: GONE WITH THE WEST' DOWNTOWN

The Jules Verne Adventures folks -- the ones who brought you last year's WILD BUNCH 40TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING, and last month's Steve McQueen event, are presenting the documentary film narrated by Ernest Borgnine. They describe the movie as, "A journey unto the American Wild West, between past and present, from Buffalo Bill's last gleaming hopes to the Native Americans ressurection." It's at the Jules Verne Pocket Theatre at 7th and Figueroa. For details, CLICK HERE.

WILLIAM S. HART’S ‘THE DARKENING TRAIL’ AT THE EGYPTIAN SATURDAY 12/11

Hart, the first great actor of the Western screen, starred and made his directorial debut in this 1915 story of unrequited love, infidelity and revenge in frontier Alaska. Showing at 7:30 in the Speilberg Theatre (which I think is the smaller one in back), it is part of the Egyptian’s Retroformat Series, screening movies in obsolete formats, because that’s often the only way they are available. They’ll be showing an 8mm film print. Also in the program, a 1915 Pacific Electric film on trolley safety, and D. W. Griffith’s OIL AND WATER (1913) starring Blanche Sweet. For more information, CLICK HERE.


It's almost two a.m., Monday morning, so I'm not going to get the rest of this week's report up until later in the day. But please check back, there's more interesting stuff!

Adios,

Henry

All Contents Copyright December 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved

GENTLEMEN, WHAT AM I OFFERED?

Profiles In History, the auction house that specializes in show-biz memorabilia, will be holding HOLLYWOOD AUCTION 40 on July 10th, 11th and 12th. While most items are movie or music-related, there are some mighty interesting western items offered. As you can see above, there is lot #219, a written question and answer page from Buffalo Bill Cody, #221, a Carte de Viste of and signed by George Armstrong Custer, photographed by Matthew Brady, #150, a signed picture of Tom Mix – one of thirty-five pictures in the lot, and #220 a signed picture of Emmett Dalton. My favorite is the last, in that the auction catalogue describes him as a “lawman,” kinda like describing John Wilkes Booth as an “actor.” To see the whole catalogue online, CLICK HERE.

ADAM BEACH CHOOSES COWBOYS OVER ALIENS!

Adam Beach, the American Indian actor who played Ira Hayes in Clint Eastwood’s FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2007), and whose many credits include the excellent SMOKE SIGNALS (1998), the character Blue Duck COMANCHE MOON (2008), and a continuing role in this season’s BIG LOVE, will join Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and Wes Studi in DreamWorks’ production of COWBOYS AND ALIENS, directed by Jon Favreau and written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof. The comic-book derived tale revolves around the town of Absolution, in 1973, in the Arizona Territory. Jake (Craig), the amnesiac who wanders into town, finds the people crushed under the heel of iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). Beach will portray Nat Colorado, a half-Apache who works for Dolarhyde. The film is shooting this summer, with a release on July 29, 2011.

ANTHONY MANN FESTIVAL AT NEW YORK’S FILM FORUM

What a treat for all of you that live East but love West! From June 25th through July 15th, the Forum will be presenting 26 movies – most in double features and a few in triple bills! -- directed by the great Anthony Mann, whose post-war westerns brought a new-found maturity to the form, and gave James Stewart a chance to stretch as an actor as never before. In addition to the westerns being shown, Mann's fine crime and war stories will also be on view. Among the westerns: NAKED SPUR (1953) and WINCHESTER '73 (1950) on Friday and Saturday June 25th and 26th; BORDER INCIDENT (1949) and DEVIL'S DOORWAY (1950) on Wednesday, June 30th; THE LAST FRONTIER (1956) and GOD'S LITTLE ACRE (1958) on Thursday July 1st; MAN OF THE WEST (1958) and a new 35MM print of THE MAN FROM LARAMIE (1955) on Friday and Saturday July 2nd and 3rd; BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) and a new 35mm print of THUNDER BAY (1953) on Sunday and Monday, July 4th and 5th; CIMARRON (1960) on Monday July 5th, THE FURIES (1950) and THE TIN STAR (1957) on Tuesday July 6th; THE FAR COUNTRY (1955) and THE TALL TARGET (1951) on Friday and Saturday, July 9th and 10th. I know you've got a couple of weeks to wait, but to whet your appetite -- and this is for everyone, not just New Yorkers - CLICK HERE to see trailers of several of the Anthony Mann westerns.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

To read my review of The Good, The Bad and The Weird, check out May 9th's entry. It's currently playing at the Main Arts Theatre in Royal Oak, MI.

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.

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 THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 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.
More stuff is coming as the day progresses!

Adios,

Henry

All Contents Copyright June 2010 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved