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

‘SHADOW HILLS’ PILOT ROLLS AT MELODY RANCH

Melody Ranch, the Newhall western movie town that’s been a home to filmmaking for about a century, is home base for the pilot for a new Western series, SHADOW HILLS. Created, written, co-produced by, and starring Lamont Clayton, it’s the story of Hessie Tatum, a former Union Army veteran and Buffalo Soldier. On Tuesday, July 12th I had the pleasure of visiting the set, watching the filming, and chatting with some of the principals.

Lamont Clayton (above right)and Scott Steel (above left) are co-producing SHADOW HILLS. Lamont plays the lead character, and Scott plays Syd the saloon-keeper. Friends for a decade, they’ve been involved in projects together before, but this is the first time on a TV series. Not that Scott is a stranger to the tube. A TV and radio host, he’s frequently seen and heard on Rick Dees In The Morning, and on VH1 and the E! Entertainment network.

This is not Lamont’s first western. He’s acted in GANG OF ROSES, BROTHERS IN ARMS, and produced and acted in RIDE OR DIE. I suspect Westerns hold a special place in his heart.

LAMONT: That’s true. I like westerns: I watch them every night before I go to bed – I watch the Encore Western Channel – I ride horses, and I always wanted to be in a western. I wanted to do a western series. So what we’re doing here, we’re shooting a pilot, and we’re going to shop it and see where it goes. I’ve surrounded myself with a bunch of stars, and their experience is going to make up for what I don’t know. This is my first major production.

SCOTT: We have John Amos, Bobby Brown, Jackee Harry -- and Tommy Davidson makes a cameo appearance. Lamont and I have been friends for a lot of time, and this is a passion project of his. It’s such a great story, and a message that Lamont’s wanted to get out for such a long time, regarding the Buffalo Soldiers and their history.

LAMONT: (People) don’t speak about the Buffalo Soldiers a lot. And I’m trying to give my community some heritage; who they are and where they came from. Because I don’t see a lot of it. I wanted to educate the youth, and help them see where we came from. And maybe it could change the direction that they’re going. (In the pilot, Hessie explains to his young brother that the Indians called the African American cavalrymen Buffalo Soldiers because they thought their curly hair looked the wooly coat of the buffalo.)

(make-up artist Pat Harris at work)


SCOTT: Not only has this TV show got action, it’s fun, it’s educational, there’s comic relief – it’s got everything. It’s one for the families. It’s a great cast, and a lot of fun just being on the set – there’s such energy. And we’re shooting here at Melody Ranch, which is amazing. You feel the history here, with Gene Autry, and they shot GUNSMOKE and they shot DEADWOOD here, and BONANZA – you really feel the energy. It’s a great vibe.

HENRY: Can you give me an outline of the show?

LAMONT: It’s about Hessie Tatum, a Civil War veteran who took his earnings and started a ranch, ten years after he was emancipated. He’s going through the trials and tribulations of being a black man in 1875, owning his own ranch in the Oklahoma Territory and breeding horses. And he’s raising his little brother that’s 14, Jonas, and he lives with his aunt Dessa. And his nemesis is Melvin Butler – played by Bobby Brown -- and his gang.

(Willy searches for Hessie. Below frame, Lamont holds horse in place)


HENRY: I understand the pilot story turns on who will win a horserace.

LAMONT: That’s right. I’ve bet my prize stallion on a horserace against Bobby Brown, and the last thing he says before the bet is ‘A no-show is a forfeit.’

HENRY: I’m not going to give away too much plot, but some of the story involves Comanche Indians.

LAMONT: We were shooting at the Chumash Museum. It was a reservation years ago, but now it’s a museum, and we used a lot of their artwork and things.

HENRY: Who’s your target audience?

LAMONT: I want anyone from twelve years old to eighty. I’m going to be putting in pop stars – Amber Rose was here yesterday, riding around on a one-eyed horse. She’s not going to be in this episode but Bone Thugs n Harmony are going to be in the pilot, leading up to the next episode. They’re just scoping out the town in this one.

(Bone Thugs n Harmony up to no good)


HENRY: When you were a kid did you watch a lot of westerns?

LAMONT: Every chance I’d get. My favorite one – the first one I can remember, when I was four or five years old – my baby sitter used to watch MR. ED. And when she wouldn’t let me watch MR. ED, when she was watching PEYTON PLACE, there was a problem when my mother came home. Okay, it’s not really a western, but there were horses. Of course of course.

HENRY: Now in SHADOW HILLS, the horses aren’t talking, are they?

LAMONT: (Laughs) No, but I give the horse character. When a guy shoots me, and tries to get my horse, the horse runs off. Then the horse comes back to my side. Like Trigger would have done. He goes and gets my best friend, and brings him back to me, and… you’ll see how it unfolds.

HENRY: I understand these are some of your own horses in the show. Horses must be very important to you.

LAMONT: Originally I’m from Chicago. People say, how does a guy from Chicago ride a horse like that?

SCOTT: I’ll take it farther – how does an African American from Chicago…?

LAMONT: My father was from Mississippi, and I’ve had a horse ever since I was eleven years old. When I was in Chicago, like nineteen or twenty, I used to bring my horse and ride around the neighborhood. And the cops were like, “Can you do that?” And I was like, “Yeah.” “Where you going?” “To the store.” “You can do that? You can ride a horse in the city? I’m calling headquarters.” I heard the lady from headquarters tell him, “What law is he breaking? The only thing we can find is, if a horse and a car come to a stop sign at the same time, the horse has the right-of-way.”

SCOTT: There’s lot’s of horse action – any horse enthusiast is going to love it. There’s a great race, the scenery’s beautiful.

(Bobby Brown and his gang ride into town)


HENRY: What side of the camera do you prefer to work on?

LAMONT: I like both. I’ll get in wherever I can fit in. If it’s a part in front of the camera, I’ll get in. If not, I’ll stand behind. I love being in Hollywood and doing the work; the motion picture business, I love it.

Prolific actor John Amos is recognizable from sitcoms like GOOD TIMES and THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW to dramas like ROOTS, but to me he’ll always be Major Grant in DIE HARD 2. In SHADOW HILLS he’s working hammer and tongs.

JOHN AMOS: Correct. Mr. Sam is the blacksmith for the town, and according to him, business is terrible. I guess they had economic downturns even in those years.

HENRY: A man of your imposing physical stature seems like a natural for a western, but as far as I know, you haven’t done too many.

JOHN: I did BONANZA: THE NEXT GENERATION. That went very well; it was a lot of fun. Before that, K.C. and I did a sort of a docu-drama called SONGHAI SAM. In West Africa there was a tribe called the Songhai, who were excellent horsemen. They had a unique way of training and establishing a rapport with the horse. They would literally sleep in the stall with the horse for days, sometimes weeks at a time, rubbing the horse down until the odor of the human being and the odor of the stall became almost like one. And by smoothing the horse and massaging the horse and by lifting the horse’s feet, and breathing in the horse’s nose until you got in synch with the horse, it gave them a special insight into the horse’s personality, and their ability to tame and train the animal. That was the premise of our film. As the blacksmith of SHADOW HILLS, I still have a wonderful rapport with horses; don’t do as much riding as I used to, but can literally fix most horse’s problems as relates to their shoes, their harnesses.

HENRY: What appealed to you, particularly, about this part?

JOHN: Well, number one, my son is directing. K.C. is an accomplished filmmaker. He’s provided me with a chance to participate in this film, which is being shot at the Melody Ranch. So many western series have been shot here, and I’m honored to be working here, or anywhere. And especially with my son directing, there’s a slim chance I may be able to get some of the tuition back.

(Long shadows of late afternoon)


HENRY: Is it the first time you’ve been directed by you son?

JOHN: No, we’ve worked together in the past. When he was a student at Cal Arts in Valencia initially, even his grandfather was involved. In one project, SONGHAI SAM again, his mom was one of the head wranglers, she being a horsewoman out of Iowa. His grandfather helped him transport the cattle and the horses, and of course I was there to fill in as talent, and a writing source when he needed additional dialogue. It was a wonderful family effort.

HENRY: Does it feel strange taking direction from your son?

JOHN: I’ve gotten used to it. And we have an understanding. He’s a great director from the standpoint of setting up his shots, continuity. We have a spoken agreement. I said I’ll work with the actors in any projects in which we collaborate. But I’ll merely be an extension of you. I will not change your vision as to how you want the final shot to look, but I’ll try to enhance it by giving the actors whatever individual specific direction I can as they go into a scene, to make the scene better.

(Bobby Brown with his riding double)


HENRY: When you were growing up, were Westerns a big deal to you?

JOHN: Oh my God yes! We’d grab our broomsticks, those would be our horses, after every western we’d see. We’d ride around the block on our broomsticks. We played cowboys and Indians or we played army. We called it playing army or playing war. Of course, we know now that war is no game, and we don’t make light of it. In fact now, I devote the better part of my life now to doing fundraisers for Veterans. I’m a strong supporter of veterans, having been with the New Jersey State National Guard, and the son of a veteran, United States Army Sergeant John Amos. Our objective is to raise funds for the Malone Homes, working in conjunction with Walter Reed Hospital. They’re residences for families visiting their wounded warriors. Very often they don’t have the money to stay in a decent accommodation. I think it’s a great opportunity to help these families that have already made an incredible sacrifice, giving their sons and daughters in the cause of freedom.

HENRY: Do you have any favorite western movies?

JOHN: Absolutely. Sam Peckinpah’s THE WILD BUNCH. I later got to meet and work with Ernest Borgnine, who was one of my heroes. There’s so many. THE CULPEPPER CATTLE COMPANY was one of my favorites. Of course THE MAGNIFICENT 7, with that incredible musical score, and with Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, and the other wonderful actors in it. I’ve always been a lover of western movies. I raised horses for a while, just pleasure-riding horses. And I find the better rapport I establish with horses, the less I like human beings. Horses don’t lie to you: if they don’t like you, they’ll kick the stuffing out you. And they don’t borrow money, and they don’t spread malicious lies about you.


HENRY: Tell me about your upcoming ZOMBIE HAMLET.

JOHN: Oh, that was a case of the mortgage being due. I did that flick down in Louisiana several months ago. It hasn’t been released yet. The premise is almost self-described by the title. Two young filmmakers want to make a movie. One is Hell-bent on doing something of a Shakespearean nature, because he’s an elitist. His friend tells him zombie movies are ‘in’ -- it’s like having a negotiable bond. So finally they compromise, and you can only imagine the outcome. I love to do comedy, so I jumped all over that one. Shelly Long is in there as a super-uptight schoolmarm. June Lockhart from LOST IN SPACE. Working in Louisiana was hot and muggy, but they had the right setting because of the swamps out there. When they shot the scene where the disciples of Voodoo king gathered, it looked so realistic that it gave you chills at night.

I suppose you could make a western without Peter Sherayko, but I’ve never been on a Western set where I didn’t run into him. In addition to being an in-demand character actor, he’s an expert in Western history details, and his CARAVAN WEST company, formed when he was working on TOMBSTONE, supplies anything western that you could ask for. “We’re doing the same thing we do on all the westerns you come out and meet us on: the set dressings, the props, the costumes, the guns, the saddles. We’re not doing the horses on the pilot because it’s too short a time to get my head wrangler down (from Wyoming). Lamont is bringing his own horses. But if it goes to series we’ll do the horses as well. I worked with Lamont twice before on other films.”

HENRY: What’s your on-screen role in this one?

PETER: I’m playing a corrupt, racist sheriff. Part of my character is I don’t care what they do as long as I get a piece of the action. Anything is allowed as long as you pay me for it. So I’m just like today’s typical politician. I think now, the public knows who the Buffalo Soldiers were. Probably sixty years ago, except for John Ford’s film, SERGEANT RUTLEDGE, they wouldn’t. They did a lot to help settle the west. Most of them were former slaves. It’s a part of American history, of Western history, that should be told. We’ll be learning more of the backstory as the series goes on.

HENRY: How’s the shoot been going?

PETER: Very well. We’re shooting here for two days. We shot two days last week at the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks. It’s pretty nice. They have a village there, we brought in tepees because they’re supposed to be Comanche. They had all the Indians there from the various shows. We brought in all the instruments and accoutrements, the set dressing, had a very nice couple of days, and shot part of the horse race. We’ll do a little bit of the race here, and then the next three days we’re at Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, and we’ll do the rest of the horse race. It’s 7,500 acres; it’s where they shot LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.

HENRY: Do they still have those buildings?

PETER: No, that was part of Michael Landon’s deal; at the end of the show they burned it down or blew it up. But there is a barn, and there are a couple of ranch houses. There was a small town there, but I don’t know if it still exists. We did a show there back in the early 1990s, and we used that town. It was called GREY KNIGHT or THE GHOST BRIGADE (1993). It’s a Civil War movie with zombies. Billy Bob Thornton and I were in it. I played a captain, he played a Confederate soldier. It was great to work with him – I’ve worked with him three times since then. He kept telling me, “I’m tired of this business over here, they don’t hire you, so I’m gonna write my own stuff.” I told him, “Billy, you’re a hick from Arkansas: forget about it.” Boy did I make another mistake.

Another familiar face on the set was professional polo player Ardashir Radpour. A ubiquitous sight at UCLA football games – he’s the Trojan Knight on the horse – he’s also an actor and a wrangler. And on SHADOWS HILLS he is both, costumed in a dashing outfit that calls to mind the Argentinean gaucho. He looks good, but he’s not playing a good-guy. “I’m one of the gang, and we are trying to rig the race. I’m the guy who cuts the cinch, so the good guy will fall off his horse. I’m one of the bad guys.”

HENRY: It must be cool doing a western at Melody Ranch.

ARDASHIR: It’s an amazing place, because you see it in DEADWOOD and a bunch of other things, but when you’re here, you realize how big this set is. Most things look bigger on film; this set actually looks bigger in person. It makes you respect, when you see them doing a huge western, the people they have to get to fill this place. It’s pretty impressive. So it’s been fun. This is our last day here, and then I’ll be riding at Big Sky Ranch.

HENRY: Will you be riding for yourself, or doubling for someone?

ARDASHIR: I’ll be riding for my own character, Manny. He’s kind of like a Boba Fett character. He’s quiet; he’s there, kind of letting people know ‘I’m a gunslinger, I’m here, and that’s all there is to it.’ And he protects the rest of the gang. It’s fun; I like it.

Nikki Pelley is doing wardrobe on SHADOW HILLS, but when she started working with Peter Sherayko twenty years ago, it was in a different role, in Wild West shows. “When I first met Peter, he told me that if I could do some fancy stuff I could be in his show. So I went out and taught myself how to trick ride. Taught myself how to fall, to jump from one horse to another, to ride backwards, so we did the show, and after that I worked in some other Wild West shows for three or four years. Peter got more active in the film industry while I kept doing Wild West shows. I did the celebrity fund-raising circuit with Irlene Mandrel, and Ben Johnson and Norman Schwarzkopf. In the Wild West Shows I did a part as a Dale Evans lookalike. And one time Dale Evans came to the show and said, “Oh, it reminds me of when Roy and I were young!” So I did that for quite a few years, and played Calamity Jane and others. Then Peter was making movies, and I was his wrangler, and now I’m his wardrobe.” How does she like wardrobe? “It’s fine. At least I’m on the set, and it’s like having a canvas; you can just paint and decorate it any way you want with the costumes. So I like it for the creative side.”

(Nikki sewing a corset back together)


The day had started late, but it went late: when I left, around 8:00 p.m., they were still filming, and just starting to need artificial light. I watched a character named Willie search for Hessie. I watched various sinister types stroll up and down the street, pretty saloon girls hang over the balcony, and the horse race repeatedly start and finish. A woman named Sandy, and her tiny blond daughter Johanna strolled up and down, providing atmosphere, looking great in period dress.

(Johanna is ready for her close-up)


A few days later, I got a call from Shoshone actor Cody Jones who, with Shawn Vasquez, play the Comanches who find Hessie wounded and unconscious. They shot at both the Chumash Museum and Big Sky Ranch, and had a great time, as Cody tells me their roles had been expanded. “We set up a little bit of an ambush. Shawn drops back behind a tree and takes my rifle. I jump up into the tree, and when this guy comes riding by I jump out of the tree and tackle him off of his horse. That was a lot of fun, getting to do that stunt.”

(Director K.C. Amos setting crowd for horserace)

(Go!)

(Waiting for the riders to return)

(Sheriff Peter Sherayko and Deputy Neil Spruce confer)

(8 p.m. at Melody Ranch)

Keep reading the Round-up, and we’ll keep you updated on SHADOW HILLS.


NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY & COWGIRL CELEBRATED AT THE AUTRY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

(Joey Dillon shows a volunteer how it's done)

(Kansas Carradine lasoes lass)

(Gene backs Riders In The Sky)

From coast to coast, the 7th National Day of The Cowboy (and Cowgirl in some areas) was a rip-roaring success! The Autry, which was taking part for the second year, had a staggering turnout, and it was delightful to see how many little kids, as well as adults, showed up in spurs and chaps. Among the outdoor entertainments were gunslinger Joey Dillon, lasso artists Kansas Carradine and Landon Spencer, square dancing with Susan Michaels and the Bees Knees, and a musical performance by the legendary Riders in the Sky, ascenders to the Sons of the Pioneers throne.

In the Wells Fargo Theatre, fans got to see Gene Autry star in a sci-fi western that predates COWBOYS & ALIENS (and JONAH HEX and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, and R.I.P.D., and all the others in the pipeline), THE PHANTOM EMPIRE!

(costume designer Karin McKechnie)

(curator Jeffrey Richardson in the Colt Gallery)


In the museum proper, the big excitement was the re-opening of the Colt Gallery with a remarkable new collection (see last week’s Round-up for details). Curator Jeffrey Richardson was there for hours giving tours and answering questions. Probably the most attention was paid to a display of single-action Army Colts belonging to great Western movie and TV personalities like Ken Maynard, Buck Jones, Leo Carrillo, Tom Mix, Slim Pickens, Clayton Moore, Gail Davis, Tim Holt, Monte Hale, Gene Autry, and Buck Taylor. Beside that display was another, featuring Colts of lawmen and desperadoes like Pawnee Bill, Kid Curry, Albert Fall, Doc Holliday and President Theodore Roosevelt!

(A new generation of prospectors panning for gold)

Also, many (like me) were visiting the newly opened ART AND THE 20TH CENTURY WEST gallery for the first time. Focusing on California and New Mexico art, it features the work of Maynard Dixon, James Doolin, Robert Henri, and artists drawn to our part of the globe from as far away as Germany, Russia, Austria and Hungary.

Outside of L.A., J.R. Sanders, who created the “Read ‘em Cowboy!” event at the Redlands Barnes & Noble, also had great success, as you can tell by the pictures at this link. To find out how you can still take part (through 7/28th) and help the Western Writers of America Homestead Foundation, go HERE. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=209532519094386&set=o.221304581236513&type=1&theater

To take part in the movement to make the Day of the Cowboy a nationally recognized day, go HERE. : http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=kwysuzeab&v=001PcleU6K0CjjRfVxMuv8wmHmf5OVJy2RLcKB18d-2Aquzf74WrIkdHGF1yX2VNEmlq7pfAeCZSm0gimgo88XMqU7FChjfFVawMplqoONQX10VohdK18Svyg%3D%3D

And if you’ve got pictures or information about Day of the Cowboy celebrations in your neck of the woods, please send it to us through Comments!

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

That's right, the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here:


‘ZORRO RIDES AGAIN’ ON TMC

On Saturday mornings this summer I’ve been enjoying the ACE DRUMMOND serial TCM has been running, two episodes at a time, starting at 8 a.m.. This Saturday, the 13th and final chapter ran (don’t tell me how it ends – I’m still three episodes behind!), and what came on next but chapter one of Republic’s fine western action serial ZORRO RIDES AGAIN (1937), starring John Carroll as the bold renegade who carves a ‘Z’ with his blade, Duncan Renaldo as Renaldo (type-casting I suppose), and featuring action directed by John English and William Whitney.

The problem is, I felt like a crumb telling you about it when Chapter One has already run. But the first chapter is available online! Watch it before you go to bed on Friday night, and pop some popcorn for the morning!



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 all folks -- it's almost three a.m.!

Happy trails,

Henry

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

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW - THE AUTRY'S COLT GALLERY

On Saturday, July 23rd, coinciding with the celebration of the National Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl, the Autry will reopen the Greg Martin Colt Gallery with a new exhibition exploring the history of Samuel Colt firearms, and impact the Colt revolver had on the American west.

In addition to a section devoted to the Colt Single Action Army Model Revolver, highlights include an original patent, the Colt family coat of arms, opulently engraved sidearms, and all manner of historic artifacts. Thanks to curator Jeffrey Richardson, the Round-up is privileged to receive an exclusive ‘first peek’ at some of the more remarkable pieces that will be on display. The information and descriptions are by Mr. Richardson.

Prototype Colt Revolver
1835; no serial number
Autry National Center; 90.183.1.1

Samuel Colt constructed his first rudimentary model of a revolver in 1831. Over the next five years, he worked with several gunsmiths, most notably John Pearson of Baltimore, to manufacture prototypes. Pearson was a clockmaker prior to becoming a gunsmith, and his mechanical skills were instrumental in the early development of Colt’s revolver. The Colt-Pearson prototypes clearly show that Colt continued to perfect his invention prior to seeking patent protection in 1835 and 1836. This Colt-Pearson prototype is similar to the revolvers depicted in Colt’s first patent drawings. The bayonet swiveling at the muzzle end of the barrel enabled users to defend themselves even if the revolver was out of ammunition.

Cutaway Model 1855 Sidehammer Pocket Revolver
1856; serial number 6475
Autry National Center; 87.118.20

The most extensively cut-away Colt percussion revolver is this Model 1855 Sidehammer Pocket. Cutaway, or skeleton, arms were used to demonstrate the mechanics and special features found on Colt firearms. Serial number 6475 is superbly machined to reveal the inner workings of the barrel, rammer, barrel lug, frame, cylinder, and grips. The chambers in the cylinder received special attention. One chamber is slightly machined, another is machined approximately in half, and two other chambers are cut into entirely. Despite its impressive design, the Sidehammer was the least successful model introduced by Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company during Samuel Colt’s lifetime.

Cased No. 5 Holster Model Revolver
Circa 1840; serial number 944
Donated by Dennis and Karen LeVett
Autry National Center; 98.178.1

The No. 5 Holster Model Revolver was the bestselling of all the firearms produced by Samuel Colt’s first attempt at mass production, the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. Chambered in .36 caliber, it was also the largest and most powerful revolver produced by the company. The No. 5 Holster Model gained fame in the hands of the Texas Rangers, especially Captain Jack Hayes. In the summer of 1844, Hayes and fifteen other Rangers fought off eighty Comanche Indians using the revolver. Word of the incident spread, and the model came to be known thereafter as the Texas Paterson. (The Patent Arms Manufacturing Company was headquartered in Paterson, New Jersey.)

Theodore Roosevelt’s Single Action Army Model Revolver
1883; serial number 92248
Acquisition made possible in part by Paul S. and June A. Ebensteiner
Autry National Center; 85.5.6

Theodore Roosevelt spent several formative years on the American frontier working as a rancher and cowboy prior to becoming President of the United States in 1901. When he headed west in 1883, he brought with him, in his own words, “equipments finished in the most expensive style.” That equipment included this Single Action Army, which Roosevelt described as his best Western revolver. It was custom-engraved and features a TR monogram on the left side of the recoil shield and on the right side of the ivory grips. Roosevelt carried the revolver in a hand-tooled leather holster, and it can be seen in many pictures from the period. Many of the issues Roosevelt championed as president, including the virtue of leading a strenuous life and the importance of conservation, were solidified during his tenure in the West.

“Buntline Special” Single Action Army Model Revolver
1876; serial number 28802
Autry National Center; 87.118.93.1

The “Buntline Special” is the most celebrated variation of the Single Action Army. The defining feature of the revolver is an exceptionally long barrel that ranges from ten to sixteen inches. Approximately thirty of the revolvers were produced in 1876. The revolver gets its name from dime novel author Ned Buntline (pseudonym of Edward Z. C. Judson). In the biography Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal, published in 1931, author Stuart Lake claimed that Buntline presented five of the revolvers to Dodge City lawmen Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Charles Bassett, Neal Brown, and Bill Tilghman. The story made for great reading, but there is little historical evidence to support it. The name “Buntline Special,” however, has stuck. Serial number 28802 has a sixteen-inch barrel and originally came with an attachable shoulder stock.

Incidentally, Ned Buntline and the Buntline Special figure prominently in the upcoming THE FIRST RIDE OF WYATT EARP.


TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

That's right, the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here:




WESTERN PILOT 'SHADOW HILLS' FILMED AT MELODY RANCH THIS WEEK

On Monday and Tuesday, July 11th and 12th, Melody Ranch was the locale for SHADOW HILLS, a Western series pilot about a former Buffalo Soldier's attempt to settle down in a town ruled by warring factions. The show has a largely black cast, and is written by, co-produced by, and stars Lamont Clayton, who previously produced the Western feature RIDE OR DIE, aka RIDE SWEET, DIE SLOW, and acted in two other Westerns, GANG OF ROSES and BROTHERS IN ARMS. Co-producer Scott Steel is a well-known DJ and TV entertainment reporter.

Prominent in the series cast is John Amos as the town blacksmith. The pilot story turns on a climactic horse-race, and guest star Bobby Brown will be the rider racing Lamont Clayton's character for something much more important than money alone. The pilot episode is directed by K.C. Amos. Next week's Round-up will feature exclusive pictures and interviews with participants on both sides of the camera.

BORGNINE ANNOUNCES NEW WESTERN AT HOLLYWOOD SHOW

This weekend's Hollywood Show at the Burbank Marriott was an enjoyable opportunity to meet and greet a wide variety of film and TV actors from the oast and present. Among the friends of the Round-up who attended were Western author and screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner, soon to be off to Europe for the filming of his CAPTAIN NEMO miniseries, actor Mike Gaglio, who just completed his role in the film LIZARD MAN, and author Michael Stern, who was signing copies of his Lucille Ball memoir, I HAD A BALL.

Among the stars that I spoke to was villainous Bruce Dern, unforgettable in a plethora of roles and genres, from the lone enviro-astronaut in SILENT RUNNING to Tom Buchanan in THE GREAT GATSBY. But to Western fans he'll always be the man who did the unthinkable in JOHN WAYNE AND THE COWBOYS. I also visited Bo Hopkins, who can use his intimidating good-old-boy charm for humor in AMERICAN GRAFITTI, or menace, as Crazy Lee in THE WILD BUNCH. Tom Kirk, who played a string of iconic kid roles in Disney films of the 1960s, one of the most memorable in OLD YELLER, one of the most-seen Westerns of the current generation of school kids. The Round-up hopes to feature interviews from all three in the near future.

The biggest stars present was Oscar-winner (for MARTY) Ernest Borgnine. He was taking part in a reunion of POSEIDAN ADVENTURE cast members, but to me he'll always be Dutch Engstrom in THE WILD BUNCH. When I asked the 94-year-old actor, "When are you doing another Western?" he laughed, "I'm doing one right now! It's called THE MAN WHO SHOOK THE HAND OF VINCENTE FERNANDEZ. It's a Western, but it takes place in a nursing home." The film is written and directed by Elia Petridis, who previously wrote and directed HOW HENRI CAME TO STAY. We'll have more details soon!

"IT'S WORTH WHAT?" FEATURES TRIGGER AND BULLET TUESDAY JULY 19TH

NBC's new game show, “It’s Worth What?" premieres Tuesday night at 8 p.m., and features contestants competeing to guess the value of unusual items. This week, two of the items will be the taxidermied figures of the smartest horse in the movies, and Roy Roger's wonder-dog. If you're a regular reader, you know Trigger and Bullet have been touring the country promoting Roy Rogers movies and TV shows on RFD-TV. They'd better bid a lot, or I'll run 'em over with Nellybell!

WEDNESDAY 7/20 KEATON'S 'THE GENERAL' AT THE ACADEMY

As part of their SUMMER OF SILENTS series, the AMPAS will be showing 1926's THE GENERAL, written and directed by Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton. It's not only a brilliant comedy, it's also one of the very best silent films portraying the Civil War. 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

TCM'S SALUTES DICK FORAN AND MONTE HALE ON FRIDAY 7/22

The TCM Salute to the Singing Cowboy continues with six movies. The first four, all starring Dick Foran, are MOONLIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE (1935), SONG OF THE SADDLE (1936), TREACHERY RIDES THE RANGE (1936) and LAND BEYOND THE LAW (1937). Then two starring Monte Hale: HOME ON THE RANGE (1946) and UNDER COLORADO SKIES (1947). I wish they had Eddie Dean somewhere in this festival -- as a singer I put him right up there with Autry and Rogers and Ritter. BY the way, Robert Osborne is taking a temporary leave of absence to have some minor surgery, and take a vacation. Robert Wagner is filling in for him for a week, followed by Tippi Hedron, followed by Jane Powell.

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

ROBERT MITCHUM WESTERN FESTIVAL

Continuing at the Billy Wilder Theatre, at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. On Saturday, July 23rd it's RIVER OF NO RETURN, co-starring Marilyn Monroe, with special guest, producer Stanley Rubin, at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday July 24th at 7:00 p.m. it's THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY. For more details, go 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 oughta do it for this week, but keep an eye on the Facebook page, because news comes in all week. For instance, I just found out I'm going to be on-location for a very unusual sort of shoot on Tuesday -- I'll tell you more when I know more.

I started a Twitter feed this week, and I'm underwhelmed with the response. Check out the link at the top of the page. Tell me if this is worth doing, or if the Round-up and Facebook are enough.

Have a great week, and do something fun on the National Day of the Cowboy!

Adios!

Henry

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