ROBERT BLAKE ATTENDS REPUBLIC 75TH ANNIVERSARY!

(Updated Tuesday 9/28/2010 -- See REX ALLEN DAYS)

EXCLUSIVE TO HENRY’S WESTERN ROUND-UP! Robert ‘Bobby’ Blake, who as a child actor starred as ‘Little Beaver’ in nearly two-dozen Red Ryder westerns, made an unannounced low-key appearance at the celebration of Republic’s 75th Anniversary at the studio's old home in Studio City, now CBS Studios. The event was a smashing success – I’ll have extensive coverage of the celebrity panels and other fun in next week’s entry. But it was perhaps a half hour before the celebration ended at 5 p.m. that the now rarely seen former Republic star slipped quietly in among the fans.

(photos top to bottom: Robert Blake with Wild Bill Elliot, Robert Blake with Mike Stern yesterday, Robert Blake with Mike Stern thirty years ago)

Michael Stern, who was working for the event, spotted Blake and chatted with him for a few minutes. “We were in front of Carla’s Café, and he said, ‘This was the commissary, and everything around it was all dirt roads. Just dirt. And over there,’ he pointed in the opposite direction, ‘is where we shot the movies.’ He was there for a very short time. He wanted to be there as a fan, that’s my feeling. I showed him a picture I had on my phone of when we met at an Actors and Others for Animals event from thirty years ago. He looked and laughed, and said, ‘I was alive then.’ He was very kind.”

Born in Nutley, New Jersey in 1933, Robert Blake started his acting career in 1939, in the OUR GANG series, which had moved from Hal Roach Studios to M.G.M., under his birth name, Mickey Gubitosi. He changed his professional name to Bobby Blake in 1942, continuing in the OUR GANGs while playing supporting roles in films like CHINA GIRL and ANDY HARDY’S DOUBLE LIFE.

In 1944 Bobby moved to Republic Pictures to play Little Beaver, sidekick to Wild Bill Elliot’s Red Ryder in TUCSON RAIDERS, the first feature to follow up on Republic’s popular ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER serial, which had starred Don 'Red' Barry, and Tommy Cook – another Republic Celebration attendee – as the first Little Beaver. Many western aficionados consider the RED RYDERs to be the finest of all the Republic series. Wild Bill Elliot starred as Red Ryder in sixteen films, Allan Rocky Lane portrayed him in seven, Alice Fleming played ‘The Dutchess’ in the sixteen Wild Bill films, but only Bobby Blake starred in all twenty-three Red Ryder features that Republic produced.

When not wearing the Indian wig that he reportedly despised, Blake could be seen in other Republic Westerns with stars like Roy Rogers, and appeared in loan-out films to other studios, including THE BIG NOISE with Laurel and Hardy, as Junior Puplinsky with Jack Benny in THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT, and most famously as the street urchin who sells Humphrey Bogart a lottery ticket in TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.

As Blake matured, he went through a stage when acting roles were scarce, and he could most frequently be seen in television westerns like THE ROY ROGERS SHOW, CISCO KID and HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL. He made a powerful comeback as an adult actor in 1967, starring in IN COLD BLOOD and TELL THEM WILLY BOY IS HERE. He became hugely popular as the star of the long-running series BARETTA. His most recent screen role is as ‘Mystery Man’ in David Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY (1997).

CELEBRATE GENE'S BIRTHDAY AT THE AUTRY ON WEDNESDAY SEPT. 29TH!

Join the Autry in celebrating the birth of "America's Favorite Singing Cowboy," Gene Autry. Museum visitors can enjoy Gene Autry movie screenings throughout the day, buy $10 Gene Autry DVDs in the Autry Store (a 50% discount), get a birthday treat in the Golden Spur Cafe (free for Autry members), and receive 20% off all membership levels—enjoy the Autry member benefits for one year for as low as $36! 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

REX ALLEN DAYS IN WILCOX, ARIZONA THIS WEEKEND!

Rex Allen, last of Republic’s singing cowboys, and the narrator of countless Wonderful World of Disney episodes, will be celebrated in his hometown of Wilcox this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 1st – 3rd. It’s the 59th Annual Rex Allen Days, and for the twelfth year the celebration will include Western Music, Cowboy Poetry, Trick Horses, Wild West Entertainment, Personal Appearances by Western actors and – you guessed it – Rex Allen movies!

There will also be two concerts by Rex Allen Jr., with special guest stars Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers, and Johnny Western, the man who wrote and sang The Ballad of Paladin, theme from HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL, and many others. For more info, call The Rex Allen Museum at 520-384-4583, or CLICK HERE.

SHORT STORY CONTEST AT ‘ROPE AND WIRE’

Rope and Wire, a website that describes itself as, “ a gathering place for Western Writers, Cowboys Poets and Old Western Movies Buffs,” is sponsoring a Western short story contest. Entries need to be unpublished, in English, between 2,500 and 4,000 words. The deadline is November 30th, and there is a $15 entrance fee – you can enter more than one story, but you pay each time. The more entries, the bigger the prizes – 1st prize wins $5 out of each entry, 2nd prize wins $3 of each entry, and 3rd prize wins $2 from each entry. For more details, CLICK HERE for the Rope and Wire site. Good luck! And by the way, the site has links to TONS of on-line B-westerns!

GRAND WESTERN GRUB FEST – SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO Sept. 26

Chili cook-off, vendors, country music, Old West shootout, food, beer and wine, carnival booths, dunk tank, pie-eating contest, kids’ activities. Proceeds benefit U.S. military troops and their families. St. Margaret’s Episcopal School at Gateway Field. 949) 248-9468 gwgf.org


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.

AROUND LOS ANGELES

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. Currently they have THE ART OF NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETRY: A LIVING TRADITION, through November 7th. I've seen the show three times, and am continually astonished at the beauty and variety of the work of the various tribes. 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.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

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

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

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

By Monday I'll have added info about a Western pilot, the upcoming Rex Allen Days Celebration, The Lone Pine Film Festival, and all sorts of other cool stuff! And of course next week my Full Coverage of the Republic Studios 75th Anniversary Celebration!

Hasta manana!

Henry

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

WESTERN EVENTS, SPAGHETTI AND OTHERWISE

A few years ago, while working as a substitute teacher, I was having lunch in the teachers' lounge when another sub noticed I was reading a Luke Short novel, and we started talking about westerns. His name was Paul Harper. He was a big man, older, and he told me that he had acted in several westerns, and played Ross, one of the scurvy bounty hunters in Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch(1969). That's Paul with Ernest Borgnine in the picture below. Interestingly, this man who played very scary men on the screen, in real life specialized in the side of teaching that requires the greatest patience and kindness: teaching special ed kids. I never ran in to him again.

On Thursday, November 12th, 2009, I was one of the many in the sell-out crowd who packed the Million Dollar Theatre in downtown Los Angeles for the 40th Anniversary showing of The Wild Bunch. It was done as a fund-raiser for a French/American charity outfit called Jules Verne Adventures, and in the advance publicity I'd learned that cast members Ernest Borgnine, Bo Hopkins and L.Q. Jones would be there, as well as members of Sam Peckinpah's and composer Jerry Fielding's family. As the big night approached, I suddenly remembered meeting Paul Harper, and wondered if he knew about the event. But I couldn't find the card he'd given me, and none of the other subs I knew were acquainted with him. So I was delighted to be in the audience, and hear him introduced to warm applause, and see him walking down the aisle in costume, grinning broadly. I tried to catch up with him later, but didn't manage to. Paul Harper died the next day, having had a wonderful time reminiscing with fans and friends and co-workers about a film that was one of the high-points of his life. Among his other westerns, all from 1972, are The Culpepper Cattle Company, Bounty Man, J.W. Coop, and finally Bloody Trail, in which he had the lead role.

THE HOLLYWOOD SHOW
Speaking of Ernest Borgnine, I don't know how many saw the Friday night update of this blog about the Hollywood Show this weekend, featuring stars like Borgnine, but Mike Stern did, and he saved five bucks by following the link I provided. He reports that the show was as expensive as I had warned it would be. Once you'd paid your $20 to get in, actors like Mitch Vogel, last of the Bonanza regulars, were charging $25 for a signed picture. Richard Chamberlain wanted $50 for his paperback autobiography, to which I say: Dr. Kildare, Heal Thyself! (Okay, Chamberlain isn't exactly known for westerns, but Dr. Kildare was created by Max Brand.)

RED RYDER REDUX
This past Tuesday was the 108th birthday of Red Ryder comic-strip creator Fred Harmon Sr. Those who have watched Christmas Story and, wondered who was this puveyor of BB guns that so obsessed Ralphie, can learn plenty by clicking here. If you go to the bottom of the page and click the link 'Bronc Peeler The Lone Cowboy complete text', you'll be able to read a Big Little Book about one of Harmon's earlier characters, page by page. Republic Pictures made a hugely successful series of Red Ryder films during the 1940s, starring either Wild Bill Elliot or Alan Rocky Lane as Ryder, and all with Bobby Blake (later Robert Blake -- yes, that one)as Little Beaver. Almost all of them, and the earlier serial that gave Don 'Red' Barry his nickname, can be found at my primary source for western movies, and every other kind of movies for that matter, Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee. You may have seen a featurette about Eddie's on TCM recently. The store is at 5006 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601. (818)506-4242. Tuesday through Friday they're open from 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For their website, click here.

AROUND TOWN:

AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER
Monday 2/15 - Normally closed on Monday, the Autry will be opened on Presidents' Day, and free for kids under 9.
Saturday 2/20 and Sunday 2/21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids can learn about the Gold Rush, and pan for gold. On Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., you can see Edge of America, directed by Chris Eyre, part of the Native American Women In Film Series. For more about the Autry, click here.

LOS ENCINOS STATE HISTORIC PARK
Sunday 2/21 Living History. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. you can step back in time! The living history program features a working blacksmith shop, 19th Century children's games, traditional music, tours of the historic structures, and strolling folks in period costume -- great fun for kids and adults, and you can feed the ducks! They do this program on the third Sunday of every month. Los Encinos is located at 16756 Moorpark St., Encino, CA 91436-1068. (818)784-4849.

COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART - THE ESSENTIAL CLINT EASTWOOD
Friday 2/19 7:30 p.m. BRONCO BILLY (1980) D:Clint Eastwood, W:Dennis Hackin, starring Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis and Scatman Crothers.
9:40 p.m. - HONKYTONK MAN (1982) D:Clint Eastwood, W:Clancy Carlile, from his novel, starring Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood and Verna Bloom.
Saturday 2/20 7:00 p.m. UNFORGIVEN (1992) D:Clint Eastwood, W:David Webb Peoples, starring Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris. An astonishingly good, heartfelt, dark western - a must see. I can't begin to count he number of times I've quoted (hopefully correctly), "Hellevah thing, killing a man. Take away everything he's got, everything he's ever gonna have."

SPUDIC'S MOVIE EMPIRE - PERSONAL APPEARANCE BY SPAGHETTI WESTERN STAR ROBERT WOODS
Sunday 2/21 - 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Though not so well known in the U.S., Colorado-born Woods was a major leading man of European western in the 1960s and 1970s, starring in CHALLENGE OF MCKENNA (see poster above), 4 DOLLARS FOR VENGEANCE, 7 PISTOLS FOR MACGREGOR and a fistful of others. He'll be signing autographs, and there will be a screening of the newly remastered GATLING GUN.
Incidentally, Spudic's is a great movie resource. Actor-writer Eric Spudic buys out video stores to stock his own, doesn't rent, but sells all DVDs for $6, all VHSs for $3 -- and if it's a VHS without a box it's a buck fifty! Lately I've picked up a lot of movies I'd missed -- HANNIE CAULDER, CULPEPPER CATTLE COMPANY and Kris Kristofferson in THE TRACKER to name just a few. Spudic's is located at 5910 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401, and the store is open 7 days a week from noon to 8 p.m.

ON THE TUBE

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

Monday 2/15
FMC 3:00 p.m. - SHERIFF OF FRACTURED JAW (1959) Comedy western, D:Raoul Walsh, W:Howard Dimsdale, starring Jayne Mansfield, Kenneth More, Henry Hull, Bruce Cabot.

Tuesday 2/16
AMC 3:00 p.m. - BLAZING SADDLES (1974) Mel Brooks directed and co-wrote this delightfully coarse western comedy about a town that gets a black sheriff (Cleavon Little). With Gene Wilder.

Friday 2/19
FMC 11:30 a.m. - BANDOLERO! (1968) D:Andrew V. McLaglen, W:James Lee Barrett, starring James Stewart, Dean Martin and Raquel Welch. Grreat fun with Stewart and Martin as feuding brother outlaws.
FMC 1:30 p.m. - BROKEN ARROW (1950) James Stewart, Jeff Chandler, D:Delmer Daves, W:Albert Maltz(another writer's name may be one the credits -- Maltz was blacklisted and had someone 'front' for him)
TCM 9:00 p.m. - SHANE (1953) - Director George Stevens' masterpiece, from the Jack Schaeffer novel, screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr. Although all the leads -- Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin and Brandon de Wilde -- are excellent, to me it's the performances by Jack Palance and Elisha Cook Jr. that are unforgettable.

Saturday 2/20
AMC 6:30 a.m. - BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) Directed by George Roy Hill from William Goldman's original screenplay. This film and WILD BUNCH, about the same people, came out the same year. Very different treatment, and both excellent - this one won four Oscars. Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katherine Ross.
AMC 9:00 a.m. - DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) D:Kevin Costner, W:Michael Blake. Starring Kevin Costner and Mary McDonnel, the picture won seven Oscars.
AMC 1:00 p.m. - BROKEN TRAIL (2006) D:Walter Hill, W:Alan Geoffrion. The best western miniseries since LONESOME DOVE stars Robert Duvall, Thomas Haden Church and Greta Scacchi attempting to rescue Chinese women from prostitution. With James Russo.
AMC 10:00 p.m. - BROKEN LANCE (1954) D:Edward Dymtryk, W:Richard Murphy, from a story by Philip Yordan. Pity Spencer Tracy, with the four sons he must contend with: Richard Widmark, Hugh O'Brien, Earl Holliman, and just-out-of-jail Robert Wagner. With Katy Jurado.
TCM 11:45 p.m. - COMES A HORSEMAN (1978) - D:Alan J. Pakula, W:Dennis Lynton Clark, stars Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards Jr.

Sunday 2/21
AMC 11:00 p.m. - DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) - Please see write-up above.

That's about it for this week -- bulletins as the need arises. If you want to check out any of Robert Woods' movies before the signing at Spudic's, they've got at least a half dozen in VHS for rent at Eddie Brandt's. If you attend any of the events we feature, please let us know what you thought of them. And please tell 'em you heard about it here. And please send me ideas on anything that oughta be included. Happy Trails!

Henry