FREE ‘TCM MOVIE LOCATIONS TOUR’, HESTON GETS A STAMP, PLUS ‘COWBOY FEST’ SHARES MELODY RANCH WITH WARNER BROTHERS!

THE TCM MOVIE LOCATIONS TOUR

Paramount Studio Gates

For exactly zero dollars, I enjoyed a three-hour tour (apologies to Gilligan) of movie locations in Hollywood, Downtown, Edendale, Echo Park, Chinatown and other filming locations; studios; old theaters; and other places of historic interest.  Turner Classic Movies is celebrating their 20^th anniversary with a series of activities, culminating in their 5th Annual TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL in and around the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard (more about that later in this Round-up!). 

The RKO globe -- the lot is now part of Paramount

If you are a movie nut anywhere near L.A., you will want to take advantage of this --  there are eleven more available dates, from Friday April 4^th through Monday April 14^th  , and clicking the link below will get you all of the dates and times.  You meet in the footprint-famous forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, travel on a beautiful roomy bus which holds 45 or 50 passengers, with a knowledgeable tour-guide, and occasional commentary by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz on a big screen.  But the screen is mainly used to show scenes from films shot at the very location you can see through the windshield!  You’ll visit locations from films as old as Keaton and Sennett comedies and as new as FAST & FURIOUS films -- and that contrast is separated by just a couple of blocks! 

The Echo Park Bridge, used by Laurel & Hardy, and Jack Nicholson

in CHINATOWN

You’ll have two walk-around stops, at the Bradbury Building, and Union Station, both stunning and historically important examples of architecture in their own rights, as well as frequently seen movie locations. Now the website will tell you the tickets are all committed, but you can go on standby, AND THERE WERE NINE EMPTY SEATS ON OUR BUS!  And when the guide asked how many passengers were TCM viewers, only six of us raised our hands!  (The guide kept asking us movie questions, and my wife and I tried to restrain ourselves, but we were the only ones who knew the answers.)  Don’t waste this great opportunity to have a lot of fun, and learn a lot – I certainly learned plenty.  Here’s the link: http://www.tcm.com/20/

And if you go, please post a comment or send us an email about it!  Below are a few more peeks at things we saw on the trip…

Once Chaplin Studios, now Jim Henson Studios -- in between

it was Red Skelton Studios and A&M Records

This jewelry store used to be a Warner Brothers Theatre - note

the diamond over the WB logo shield; also the William Fox 

Builiding across the street

Inside the Bradbury Building

Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre, seen through

Bradbury front door

Million Dollar Theatre architectural details

Los Angeles Theatre

Union Station

Union Station interior

City Hall

The Vista Theatre stands at the intersection of Hollywood 

and Sunset Boulevards, where D. W. Griffith's 

INTOLERANCE Babylon sets once stood

The elephant sculptures at Hollywood & Highland, an 

homage to Griffith's INTOLERANCE

Don't miss your bus!

CHARLTON HESTON HONORED WITH A STAMP APRIL 11 AT CHINESE THEATRE!

The late actor Charlton Heston will be honored on Friday April 11^th with the 18^th stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series.  In conjunction with the TCM Classic Film Festival, a dedication ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre, where the actor’s family will be represented by his son and collaborator on a dozen projects, Fraser Heston.  Best known for his portrayal of the title character in Wyler’s BEN HUR as Moses in DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, and as the last free human in PLANET OF THE APES, Heston had many fine Western roles as well.  Beginning in 1952, heb played a white boy raised by a Sioux chief in THE SAVAGE, and followed with PONY EXPRESS as Buffalo Bill Cody, ARROWHEAD, THREE VIOLENT PEOPLE, THE BIG COUNTRY, THE BUCCANEER as Gen. Andrew Jackson, Peckinpah’s MAJOR DUNDEE, WILL PENNY, THE CALL OF THE WILD, THE LAST HARD MAN, THE MOUNTAIN MEN, THE AVENGING ANGEL, and TOMBSTONE.  The dedication will be followed by a noon screening of Orson Welles’ TOUCH OF EVIL, costarring Heston and Janet Leigh. 

The portrait, based on a photograph by his widow, Lydia Clarke Heston, was Drew Struzman, a master of movie art whose movie posters include all of the INDIANA JONES and STAR WARS movies, as well as Western-themed movie posters including BACK TO THE FUTURE 3, COWBOYS & ALIENS, FRISCO KID, and the up-coming Stephen King, DARK TOWER – THE MIST.  A show of the movie art of Drew Struzman and Bob Peak is currently on display at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, and will continue through May 26^th. 

TCM FEST – WESTERN INTEREST!

The 5^th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival will open at 6:30 on Thursday night, April 11^th, following the red carpet, with a screening of the newly restored Western musical OKLAHOMA! at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre, with star Shirley Jones attending and discussing the film.  At 10 pm that night, Nicholas Ray’s JOHNNY GUITAR, starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden and Scott Brady will screen at the Chinese Multiplex.  On Friday morning at 9:15, STAGECOACH will screen at the Multiplex.  At 9 pm, BLAZING SADDLES will screen at the Chinese, with a discussion with writer/director/star Mel Brooks. 

On Saturday at 2pm, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY screens at the Chinese while, starting an hour later, across Hollywood Boulevard at the El Capitan, John Ford’s HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY will be shown, with a discussion by the movie’s star, Maureen O’Hara – that’ll be a tough call!  And on Sunday, GONE WITH THE WIND will screen at the Chinese at 1:30, and John Ford’s THE QUIET MAN will screen at 4:30 at the Chinese Multi.  There are dozens of non-Western screenings and events going on, with personal appearances by Jerry Lewis – he’ll have his footprints in cement at Grauman’s Chinese!, Alan Arkin, Richard Dreyfus, Ryan O’Neal, Tim Conway, Bo Hopkins, Candy Clark, Paula Prentiss, Paul LeMat, Bill Hader, Alec Baldwin, Patton Oswalt, Alex Trebek, directors Billy Freidkin, Joe Dante, and Gareth Edwards – he directed this summer’s GODZILLA remake and will introduce the original, composers Quincy Jones, John Williams, and Carl Davis.  I covered last year’s festival for the first time, and had a wonderful time.  The films are wonderful, the opportunities to hear filmmakers are unique, and it’s a delight to meet so many people who are as knowledgeable and passionate about movies as we are.  I highly recommend attending.  Individual tickets are available for any not-sold-out shows.  Learn more here: http://filmfestival.tcm.com/

‘COWBOY FESTIVAL’ TO SHARE MELODY RANCH WITH WARNER BROTHERS SHOOT APRIL 26 & 27!

Just got word that while we’re doing all of our usual Western activities, the folks from Warner Brothers will be shooting a movie at the ranch.  We’re all going to be shifted around a bit, as folks were when DEADWOOD was being filmed, but all activities will go on as scheduled.  Seeing as WB will be shooting on the main Western street, I’m guessing it’s for a Western. 

Ed Erdelac

Here’s what I’ll be doing at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival: I’ll be moderating a couple of authors’ panels at the OutWest Buckaroo Book Shop.  On Saturday from 1:30 to 2, the topic is THE WEST IMAGINED, and I’ll be talking with Western novelists Edward M. Erdelac, author of COYOTE’S TRAIL; Jim Christina, author of THE DARK ANGEL; and C. Courtney Joyner, author of SHOTGUN – I hope to have my review of SHOTGUN and my interview with Court in next week’s Round-up!

 C. Courtney Joyner (r) with L.Q. Jones

And on Sunday, from 1:30 to 2, the topic is THE WEST LIVED, and I’ll be talking to non-fiction writers Jerry Nickle, great-grandson of the Sundance Kid; JR Sanders, author of SOME GAVE ALL; and Peter Sherayko, author of TOMBSTONE – THE GUNS AND GEAR. 

Peter Sherayko

Also on Saturday at 12:30, and Sunday at 2:30, I’ll be chatting with Miles Swarthout, who wrote the screenplay for THE SHOOTIST from his father, Glendon Swarthout’s novel.  Miles is also involved with the upcoming movie THE HOMESMAN, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, from a novel by Glendon Swarthout.  You can learn all about the events at the Buckaroo Book Shop by going HERE.  

You can learn all about the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival HERE http://cowboyfestival.org/

Hope to see you there!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 75^th BIRTHDAY TERENCE HILL! 

On Saturday, March 29^th, one of the most talented and entertaining dramatic and comic actors in international cinema marked his 75^th birthday.  Terence Hill was born in Venice of an Italian father and a German mother.  His birth name was Mario Girroti.  He started acting in films at the age of twelve, and before Spaghetti Westerns started he was a well-known villain under his own name in the German westerns films based on Karl May novels.  When Franco Nero refused to do another DJANGO film, Girroti, indistinguishable from Nero in make-up, starred in the excellent DJANGO, PREPARE A COFFIN, and a star was born.  Equally busy in Eurocrime dramas, Hill is best-remembered in the TRINITY films with Bud Spencer, and his films and TV shows as LUCKY LUKE.  A busy actor on Italian TV, where he has starred in 175 episodes of the current series DON MATTEO, he starred in two America-lensed Westerns in 2009, DOC WEST and TRIGGERMAN.

THAT’S A WRAP!

Happy Cesar Chavez Day!  Have a great week!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright March 2014 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

‘LONGMIRE’ RETURNS MEMORIAL DAY, PLUS ME & ‘MR. UGLY’

‘LONGMIRE’ RETURNS MEMORIAL DAY WITH KNOCK-OUT OPENER
Updated 5/20/2013 -- See Burt Lancaster item

Season two of ‘LONGMIRE’, A&E’s present-day Western lawman series based on the Craig Johnson novels, returns on Memorial Day with a terrific season opener.  I just saw the rough-cut last night, and high as the standards of this series have always been, Unquiet Mind is one of their very finest, and one of their most ‘western’, episodes. 

It’s the start of winter as a group of hard-core felons from various jurisdictions are being transferred to a maximum security facility.  When the transfer is fatally botched at the start of a blizzard, Longmire (Robert Taylor) must track them on foot, his personal quarry being a serial killer of Indians, who had just been in his custody.  It is very GUNSMOKE in all the best possible ways – and of course Marshall Dillon didn’t have to worry that meanwhile back at Dodge, Newly was trying to take his job, and sleeping with his daughter besides!

The solid ensemble cast is back, featuring Lou Diamond Phillips as Longmire confidante and saloon-owner Henry Standing Bear (Miss Kitty and Sam combined, minus the romance), Katee Sackhoff in the ‘Chester’ role of Deputy Vic Moretti, Bailey Chase as Branch ‘Newly’ Connally, and Adam Bartley as The Ferg, a heftier ‘Festus.’

LONGMIRE is set on the edge of ‘The Res,’ and the series treats the varied and distinct lifestyles of American Indians with an interest and knowledge that is unique on television.  Previous episodes have looked at tribal disenrollment and jurisdictional issues – often with Zahn McLarnon as hostile Indian Police Officer Mathias.  In this particular episode and many others, mystical and religious elements are brought in, handled with a style and grace that make them compelling, which in less-skilled hands would come off as sappy. 

There were a couple of story-beats that were a little unclear in what I saw last night, but that was a rough cut; I’m sure they’ll be ironed out before Memorial Day.  If you’ve been unaware of LONGMIRE, or simply missed an episode or two, you have a chance to catch up on Saturday, May 25^th, when A&E will run the entire ten-episode season one to prep you for the season two premiere.  Don’t miss it!

A GREAT SATURDAY SPENT WITH ‘MR. UGLY’!

 

Yesterday, fellow Western writer C. Courtney Joyner and I spent the morning doing audio commentary for THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966).  This excellent and often overlooked Spaghetti Western, directed by Sergio Sollima and co-written by Sollima and Sergio Donati, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, is being issued by GRINDHOUSE RELEASING in an extended English-language version, including three major sequences that were never theatrically shown in the U.S.     

Lee on the hunt for Tomas

Spaghetti Westerns tended to run long by American standards, usually around two hours, and would be shown in Europe with an intermission.  American distributors routinely ‘cut to the chase,’ often removing important character and plot scenes if they slowed up the action; they wanted them short enough to play in double features.

The Academy Award-winning editor (for HURT LOCKER) Bob Murawski, President of GRINDHOUSE, explained to me that some parts of the film were dubbed into English but cut out of the theatrical release.  They were kept aside for when the film would be released to television, and further cuts would be required because of the violence; then these sequences would be put back, to pad out the running time.  Now, for the first time in the U.S., those scenes -- two in a monastery, and one with Milian and his wife – will be seen.  Also included in the release is the complete Italian-language version of GUNDOWN, including even more scenes that have never been dubbed into English. 

C. Courtney Joyner, Bob Murawski, Henry Parke

Photo by Jim Kunz

GUNDOWN was an extremely important film in Lee Van Cleef’s career.  A busy character actor in American film and TV for many years, work was petering out in the mid 1960s – he’d just played a supporting role in an episode of MY MOTHER THE CAR!  Van Cleef recalled that he was 24 hours from having his phone disconnected for non-payment when the phone rang, and it was Sergio Leone, asking him to do FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE.  He went to Europe, made the film, and became an international star overnight.  His very next film was THE BIG GUNDOWN.  Interestingly, his costar, Tomas Milian, was in a very similar situation.  A Havana-born, New York-raised, Actor’s Studio-trained actor, he’d had parts in THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY and BOCCACIO ’70, but he hadn’t made an impression.  He was planning to give up acting when Sergio Sollima offered him THE BIG GUNDOWN, which made him a star.  Incidentally, although Lee Van Cleef died in 1989, Tomas Milian is still alive and well, and  will soon be seen playing John Leguazamo’s grandpa in FUGLY!

Tomas has a laugh at Lee's expense

The Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood westerns were a huge success in most of the world for several years before they came to the United States, and although BIG GUNDOWN was made before THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, it was released after, in the U.S.  The Columbia Pictures slogan for BIG GUNDOWN,‘Mr. Ugly Comes To Town!’ often triggers derisive comments from GBU fans because Eli Wallach’s character was ‘The Ugly,’ and Lee Van Cleef’s was ‘The Bad.’  (For any novices, Clint Eastwood was ‘The Good.’)  And while it’s true that some of the American publicity for GBU mixed up the names, I always figured Columbia called Van Cleef ‘Mr. Ugly’ in the poster because it brought up the association with the previous hit, and sounded cool in a way that ‘Mr. Bad’ would definitely not.  I’ll have more about THE BIG GUNDOWN when it gets nearer to release.   

ERNESTO GASTALDI FOLLOW-UP

 

 

I received a lot nice comments after last week’s interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.  But as Tom Betts, who writes the excellent site Westerns... All'Italiana! reminded me, I should also have asked about MASSACRE AT FT. HOLMAN, starring James Coburn, Telly Savalas and Bud Spencer.  I’d been regretting not inquiring more about Terence Hill, so I decided to run both questions by Mr. Gastaldi:

 “Ugly title for "UNA RAGIONE PER VIVERE, UNA PER MORIRE" (“A REASON TO LIVE, A REASON TO DIE.”). This is one of the best movies directed by Tonino Valerii; for many people the absolute best. The Telly Savalas death I think is one of the best scenes in all Italian western movies.

“Terence Hill ( Mario Girotti) was great in Trinità and in MY NAME IS NOBODY. I told him to try to become our Cary Grant, acting in comedies. He answered me he hasn't this kind of talent. He was right.”

‘SIERRA SUE’ AND ‘SADDLE PALS’ SATURDAY 5/25 AT THE AUTRY

Every 4^th Saturday of the month the Autry presents a double-bill of Gene’s movies at noon.  This time it’s two Republics, pre-war SIERRA SUE (1941), and post-war SADDLE PALS (1947).  SUE features Champion, Smiley Burnette, Fay McKenzie, and westerners like Kermit Maynard, Rex Lease and Eddie Dean.  SADDLE PALS is on the wacky side, with eccentric millionaire Sterling Holloway swapping identities with Gene.  It’s directed by the very talented Lesley Selander, and edited by Harry Keller.  (Now I will digress.)  Keller quickly became a director at Republic, later moved to Universal, where he directed several memorable western films, including two with Audie Murphy.  He directed THE LORETTA YOUNG SHOW and several TEXAS JOHN SLAUGHTER episodes for Walt Disney.  He produced the wonderful noir MIRAGE, starring Gregory Peck.   He retired for a while, then went back to work as an editor when Sidney Poitier asked him to.  I had the pleasure of being his assistant editor on test scenes for THE CHALLENGE, a film written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (for THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES), Frank D. Gilroy.  Sadly the film, which starred David Keith and Dee Wallace Stone, never got beyond the test-scene stage.

‘COURAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE’ PREMIERES MEMORIAL DAY ON INSP

A new Revolutionary War era four-hour miniseries will premiere on INSP on Memorial Day.  Check out the preview below.

BURT LANCASTER – A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION CONTINUES AT UCLA

This three month-long retrospective at UCLA’s Billy Wilder Theatre, under the auspices of their archive and the Hugh M. Hefner American Film Program, began in April and will continue through June, and includes some of his finest westerns. On Friday, June 7^th, see GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957) and I WALK ALONE (1948); on Saturday June 15^thit’s THE SCALPHUNTERS (1968) and CASTLE KEEP (1969); on Sunday June 23^rdit’s ULZANNA’S RAID (1972); on Friday June 28^th it’s CATTLE ANNIE AND LITTLE BRITCHES (1981). To see the complete schedule, go HERE .

BURT LANCASTER CELEBRATION AT LINCOLN CENTER!

Just heard from Pittsburgh-based film editor Tom Dubensky (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 1990), that New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center is also marking Burt’s century with screenings, several of them westerns, some this week!  Missed APACHE today, but on Tuesday it’s VERA CRUZ at 1pm, THE LEOPARD at 3pm (not a western, but Terence Hill is in it), and THE SWIMMER at 9pm.  On Wednesday it’s ULZANA’S RAID at 2pm, CRISS-CROSS at 4:15pm and THE KILLERS at 9pm.  Thursday it’s TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING at 1:15pm, THE SWIMMER at 4:15pm, ELMER GANTRY at 6:15pm and ATLANTIC CITY (I love this movie) at 9pm.  Learn more here: http://www.filmlinc.com/press/entry/fslc-celebrates-burt-lancasters-100th-birthday-with-a-7-day-salute

THE WRAP-UP

I know, once again I don’t have the rest of my coverage of the TCM Classic Film Festival.  The opportunity to do the commentary on BIG GUNDOWN came up very suddenly, so other things had to be pushed back.  I’ll try hard for next week!

In the meantime, have a great week, and don’t forget to check out LONGMIRE and COURAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE on Memorial Day!

 

Much obliged,

Henry

 

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

‘TRINITY’ IS BACK IN ‘TRIGGERMAN’!

(Updated Friday 2/25/2011 -- See SWEETGRASS NOMINATION, RFD-TV Happy Trails Theater time change)
Fans of Terence Hill will be delighted to learn that the man who played Trinity in a trio of classic Italian comedy westerns is back in the saddle. His newest, Triggerman, has just arrived on American shores. Triggerman is a follow-up to Doc West, which slipped under the radar and into video stores a year ago. In both, Hill portrays a master poker-player and, perhaps, a physician. Shot at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, they were made for European television, but in English, and both co-star the fine character actor Paul Sorvino, and the lovely Ornella Muti. Co-directed by Hill, working with writers from Lonesome Luke and other previous collaborations, the rest of the cast (identical for both films) is mix of Italians and Americans. The movies appear to be less jokey than the Trinity films and Lonesome Lukes, more straight Westerns. They’re both from Lionsgate, and I’ll have more to tell you once I’ve seen them. CLICK HERE for the trailer of Doc West, CLICK HERE for the trailer of Triggerman. Both films are available from Lionsgate HERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl9BL-sxmf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MEXyVQqgDQ

(Pitures, top to bottom: Terence Hill; posters for Triggerman; Doc West; Gatling Gun; Dead Men Don't Count; author C. Courtney Joyner; Apache Chief Grey Eagle; Winnebagoes Chief Hairy Bear; Sheep and shepherd from Sweetgrass)

SWEETGRASS NOMINATED FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY, INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD

SWEETGRASS, Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor's fascinating documentary about a herd of sheep being trailed across Montana mountains for the last time, is nominated for Best Documentary at the Independent Spirit Awards, which will be presented tomorrow, Saturday, February 26th. This is a documentary long championed at the Round-up, and we sure hope they win! Watch the Awards on IFC at 10:00 p.m. on both coasts. To read our review, CLICK HERE.

LOS ANGELES SPAGHETTI WESTERN FESTIVAL IN MARCH!

The historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood will play host on Saturday, March 19th to the Los Angeles Spaghetti Western Festival. This all-day event will feature live music, screenings, and some very special guest stars, leading men Robert Woods (GATLING GUN, read our review HERE -- read our interview with Woods HERE); Michael Forest (NOW THEY CALL HIM SACRAMENTO, read our review HERE); Richard Harrison ($100,000 FOR RINGO); Brett Halsey (WRATH OF GOD); Dan van Husen (LIGHT THE FUSE…SARTANA IS COMING) and Jack Betts –a.k.a. Hunt Powers (DJANGO AND SARTANA), as well as actor, stunt coordinator and Western historian Neil Summers. The movies to be screened will include the one that started it all, Sergio Leone’s A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, plus GATLING GUN (courtesy of Dorado Films – click HERE for their site) and DEAD MEN DON’T COUNT (courtesy of Wild East productions – click HERE for their site). A live musical tribute to Ennio Morricone will be presented by The Insect Surfers, playing music from the album FOR A FEW GUITARS MORE. You can save $10 if you register before February 28th! For all the details, go to the official website HERE.

EDDIE BRANDT’S IS THE WESTERN TV SERIES HEADQUARTERS

The search for a Ty Hardin Spaghetti Western, DAY OF JUDGEMENT (a.k.a. DRUMMER OF VENGEANCE) brought me, as such searches ultimately do, to Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee, in North Hollywood – and yes, they had it. While there, I started checking out the TV aisle – I’ve gotten into the habit of taking breaks from work with a half-hour TV episode -- and was so amazed at the range of Western series on the shelves that I started making a list. Among the shows available on both DVD and VHS are Adventures of Jim Bowie, Adventures of Kit Carson, Annie Oakley, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Buffalo Bill Jr., Cheyenne, Cowboy G-Men, Death Valley Days, The Gabby Hayes Show, Gunsmoke, F-Troop, Have Gun Will Travel, Hopalong Cassidy, Rawhide, The Rifleman, The Roy Rogers Show, Wanted Dead or Alive, Wild Wild West, Wyatt Earp and Zorro. Among the just-on-VHS offerings are Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Alias Smith and Jones, Bat Masterson, Bronco, Cimarron Strip, The Dakotas, High Chaparral, Laramie, Laredo, Lawman, Range Rider, Lucky Luke, Maverick, The Rebel, Stories of The Century, The Texan, Virginian, Wagon Train, Yancy Derringer and Zane Grey Theatre. There are also a number of compilation or ‘sampler’ tapes with shows from several series, under the titles TV’s Cowboys and Early TV Westerns. And among the strictly DVD titles are Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Branded, Brave Eagle and Guns Of Will Sonnett. I left with a tape of Zane Grey Theatre, the first disc from F-Troop, and a disc of Brave Eagle, a Roy Rogers-produced series starring Keith Larson, Major Rogers from the Northwest Passage series, as a Cheyenne chief. Between all of those, and the Ty Hardin picture, it’ll be a miracle if I get any work done this week! Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee is located at 5006 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601. 818-506-4242. They’re open Tuesday though Saturday, and they never get rid of anything, so if your looking for a 15-year-old VHS release, Eddie’s is your best bet. If you’d like to see the featurette TCM did about them, click HERE.

SCREENINGS THIS WEEK

SERGIO LEONE AT THE AERO

The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica continues their Leone series this week with ONCE UPON A TIME IS THE WEST on Thursday, February 24th at 7:30 p.m. For those who haven’t seen it, the opening minutes are so close to perfection that nothing else is needed. An absolute masterpiece, starring Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Woody Strode and Jack Elam. And on Friday, February 25th, at 7:30 p.m. it’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, a gangster saga rather than a western, starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. For more information, click HERE.

ON THE TUBE

HAPPY TRAILS THEATER ON RFD-TV SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH

SUNSET IN EL DORADO (1945) I haven’t seen this one, but it sounds quirky and fun, featuring a plot revolving around Dale Evans flashing back to her grandmother’s time, and meeting someone a lot like Roy. In addition to Gabby Hayes and Trigger, and my all-time favorite Republic villain Roy Barcroft, this one features a ton of top comedy names: Margaret Dumont, the Marx Brothers' favorite foil; Dorothy Granger, Queen of the RKO comedy shorts; Jack Norton, the movie businesses greatest drunk; and the Sons of the Pioneers. TIME UPDATE -- the first showing is again being preempted by an auction. It’s at midnight western, 3:00 a.m. eastern, and repeats on Thursday.

COMING ATTRACTIONS – EVENTS IN MARCH

DOUBLE FEATURE AT THE AUTRY MARCH 6TH

The next double-feature matinee at the Autry will be THE BIG SHOW (1936- Republic) and TEXANS NEVER CRY (1951 – Columbia).


UCLA EVENTS AT THE BILLY WILDER THEATRE

Screenings as part of their Preservation Festival include, on Saturday, March 12th, a double bill of RAINBOW OVER TEXAS (1947) starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and HEART OF THE RIO GRANDE (1942) starring Gene Autry and the lovely Smiley Burnette. On Monday, March 14th, it’s THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE (1941) from a screenplay by John Steinbeck, preceded by MEXICO IN THE HEARST METRONONE NEWS COLLECTION. And on Saturday, March 19th at 2:00 p.m. they will present the program BABY PEGGY: HOLLYWOOD’S TINY TITAN. The daughter of a cowboy and stuntman, Baby Peggy, co-starring with Brownie the Wonder-Dog, was a hugely popular star of Western child action comedy films in the 1920s. Few of her films have survived, but Baby Peggy has – she’s now known as Diana Serra Carey, and she will be present for the screening of several of her short films, and existing fragments of several more. (Here’s a historical note: a Baby Peggy film was the first movie to play at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood when it was opened in the early 1920s. The theatre was built at the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, where the Babylon sets for D. W. Griffith’s INTOLERANCE once stood. Over the decades the theatre and neighborhood lost its luster, and the Vista became a gay porn theatre. When it was turned into a revival house in the 1980s, Baby Peggy, who had attended the original opening decades before, attended the new ceremony, where gay porn director Fred Halsted handed the theatre keys over to her.)

BREAKING INTO WESTERN PRINT (BOTH ‘E’ AND PAPER)

If you’ve ever wanted to write a western novel or story – of if you’ve written it, but don’t know how to get it published (my hand is raised), make plans to go to Out West, at 24265 Main Street in Newhall on Sunday, March 27th at 2:00 p.m. Author C. Courtney Joyner, the very talented and prolific screenwriter and western film historian, will discuss breaking into the western print market, agents, editors, networking, the changes at Leisure Books, ‘E’ publishing, university presses, contests, and publishers across the pond. Mr. Joyner knows whereof he speaks: in addition to a long string of screen credits, both as writer and director, he wrote the fascinating interview-book THE WESTERNERS (see my review HERE), and his excellent tale, The Two-bit Kill, is featured in the new western story collection, LAW OF THE GUN. The event is free. For reservations call 661-255-7087.

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.

That's about all, Buckaroos! Hope you're having a splendid Presidents' Day, and taking a little time out to think about Washington and Lincoln, and where we might be without 'em!

Henry

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