HENRY’S WESTERN ROUND-UP IS BACK! ‘THE COWBOYS’ 50TH ANNI CELEBRATION AT THE AUTRY! PIONEERTOWN FILM FESTIVAL! SAN FERNANDO VALLEY MOVIE HISTORY AT VALLEY RELICS! INSP DUKE DAYS OF SUMMER CONTINUES! AND MORE!

 

CELEBRATE ‘THE COWBOYS’ WITH ‘A WORD ON WESTERNS’ TUESDAY AT THE AUTRY!

It’s been over two years since Western historian, master interviewer and host Rob Word has held a live A Word on Westerns event at The Autry!  And he returns right on time this Tuesday, May 17^th, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the classic John Wayne Western, The Cowboys.   Western fans know that May is the month of the Duke’s birth, and Rob has always found a new Wayne theme for the Word on Westerns celebration, but he’ll have a hard time topping this one.  For anyone who doesn’t know the film, when Wayne’s ranch-hands run off after a gold strike, the only way he can bring his herd to market is to hire a dozen school-boys for his cattle-drive.  Few boys, or men who once were be boys, have ever seen the film and not ached to be a part of it.

Cowboys stars scheduled to attend include:  Robert Carradine, who plays Slim; Nicolas Beauvy, who plays Dan, the kid with glasses that Bruce Dern terrorizes; Alfred Barker Jr., who plays Fats; Steve Benedict, who plays Steve; Stephen R. Hudis, who plays Charlie Schwartz; and Sean Kelly, who plays Stuttering Bob.  A Martinez, who plays the outsider cowboy Cimarron, planned to attend, Word explains, “But he got a job in Vancouver, and he said, ‘I’m really anxious to get back to work.’ The COVID has been tough for everybody. So he came to the house and we shot an interview,” part of which will be shown at the event. 

And don’t think Rob has taken the last two years off.  With no live events, he became even more committed to posting weekly videos on his Word on Westerns YouTube page, interviewing so many Western filmmakers from both sides of the camera.  And all through COVID, “we've never missed a Sunday, and it's been over a hundred shows now.  I'm using more clips and more stills. It takes 30 to 40 hours a week, every week. There is no break, there is no vacation.”

And the fans are appreciative.  His 9 Stars Over 90 Share Hollywood Secrets has been watched more than 279,000 times since posted.  Among his many great ‘gets’, Rob has recently posted an interview with the great actor – and villain of The Comancheros – Nehemiah Persoff, “and then he passed away in April. But I'm so lucky to not only have talked to him, because he was a wealth of wonderful memories, but he got to see the episode. He’d written his autobiography, and at the end of the Zoom, he says, ‘Hold that book up one more time!’ And so I held it up.  Then he calls and says, ‘I sold 150 copies that day!’  He was just thrilled. I'm so glad that he saw that.”

The celebration of The Cowboys will be Tuesday, May 17^th, at The Autry, in the Wells Fargo Theatre.  Doors open at 10:30, and the program begins at 11 a.m.  I hope to see you there!

Here’s a link to the Nehemiah Persoff interview, which will lead you to over 100 more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLaT2UzNocc

PIONEERTOWN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL May 27^th - May 29^th!

The movie town located in the San Bernadino Desert, where hundreds of Western films and TV episodes were shot, will play host to the Pioneertown International Film Festival from Friday May 27^th through Sunday May 29^th.  The first of what is planned as an annual event, it was an unavoidably long time in the making.  “It's been about five years since we started this idea,” festival founder Julian Pinder recalls.  “We did all kinds of legwork, launched a website and announced the festival; and about a month later, suddenly the whole world was shut down. We're really happy that we survived COVID.”

Back in 1946, Western movie villain Dick Curtis, Roy Rogers, and the band Sons of the Pioneers pooled their resources and bought the 32,000 acres of desert that started out to be the movie town of Rogersville, before it was decided to name the ranch after the band.  Unlike other movie towns, this one was built with not just facades, but practical buildings, and real motel accommodations, so crews could actually live there during production rather than commuting.  Hopalong Cassidy wing-man Russell Hayden joined in, and soon he was shooting the Judge Roy Bean series, Gene Autry was shooting The Gene Autry Show, and Duncan Reynaldo and Leo Carrillo were filming The Cisco Kid on the lot.

Nearly 70 years later, the joint is once again jumping, and featuring a remarkably eclectic mix of Western films and entertainments.  Events will be happening at five venues: The Desert Willow Ranch, The Historic Soundstage, Pioneertown Motel, Historic Red Dog Saloon, and the Super X Ranch.  Among the films being screened are a double bill of “Acid Westerns” directed by Monte Hellman and starring Jack Nicholson, and presented by their daughters; Buck and the Preacher, starring and directed by Sidney Poitier and co-starring Harry Belafonte; the premiere of a documentary about the Durango Kid films; and From Dusk Till Dawn, introduced by producer and special effects creator Robert Kurtzman. 

Pinder notes, “The traditional classic westerns obviously were made to be seen on a big screen.  We really wanted to reintroduce folks to these great classics like they should be seen. So we partnered with Paramount to screen some of their recently restored westerns.”

There are plenty of new films as well.  “Inglorious Serfs is a Ukrainian Western that was made in the last couple years. And the director, because of the war he's been exiled in the U.S., so he's able to come.”  There will even be the premiere of the much-anticipated The Last Manhunt, produced by Jason Momoa.  Inspired by the same events that were the basis of Tell Them Willie Boy is Here, this version is based on the oral history of the Chemehuevi tribe and, Pinder notes, “The Last Manhunt was shot actually all around Pioneertown.” 

And in a wonderful sort of homecoming, there will be a performance by the current Sons of the Pioneers, fronted by Roy’s son Dusty Rogers, and peopled by sons of the sons.  And if that isn’t your musical taste, there will also be a performance by The Dandy Warhols.

For tickets and information, go here:  https://www.pioneertownfilmfest.com/screenings-venues

 

VALLEY RELICS MUSEUM PRESENTS MOVIE HISTORY OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY MAY 28TH

On Saturday, May 28^th, from 4 ‘til 6 p.m., Hollywood Film Historian Dennis R. Liff will share a Powerpoint Presentation about the movie-making history of the San Fernando Valley.  Joining him will be special guest Darby Hinton, a busy and talented actor, and so well-remembered for playing son to Fess Parker on Daniel Boone.   To learn more, go here: valleyrelicsmuseum.org

INSP’S ‘DUKE DAYS OF MAY’ CONTINUES!

I hope you’ve been enjoying the Duke Days of May on INSP, but if you’re a little late to the party, you happily have two more weekends left in May, including Memorial Day Weekend, and 14 more John Wayne movies to watch on INSP.   And there are quizzes and contests going on.  Check out their Facebook page for details!

ONE MORE THING…

Obviously, it’s been a long time since I wrote a new Round-up – last July, to be specific.  This has caused some readers to ask questions like, “Hey Henry, did you fall off a cliff or something?”  Happily, no.  The fact is, in addition to writing the Round-up, I’ve been the Western Film & TV Editor for True West magazine for about seven years, and starting this past September, the INSP Channel hired me to write regular articles for their blog.  So, while I haven’t been writing the Round-up much, I’ve been writing about Westerns elsewhere. 

I’m going to be updating this Round-up post next week, and I’m going to add links to all of the articles I’ve written for True West, and INSP in the last six months or so, as well as links to the Writer’s Block podcasts, where I do an update on the Western film biz on the first Thursday of every month.

Happy Trails!

Henry

All Original Content Copyright May 2022 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

THE ROUND-UP CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS FOR 2016!

I’ve decided to try something different this wintertime, and make some gift-giving suggestions for the Western fan.  Most of my recommendations are actually gifts I’ve received, that I was particularly taken with -- and I’m told I’m a difficult guy to shop for.  If you have any suggestions for gifts, please leave them as a comment!  And of course, while more American people celebrate Christmas at this time of year than the holidays of other religions, if you’re looking for gifts for Chanukah, Ramadan, Kwanza, or any other religious or secular occasion, these suggestions are for you as well.

GENE AUTRY – A MELODY RANCH CHRISTMAS

Gene’s weekly Melody Ranch radio show ran from 1940 through 1956, a delightful blend of music, stories and humor.  Christmastime was always special on the show that starred the man who brought us Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer, Here Comes Santa Claus, and so many others.  The fine folks at Gene Autry Entertainment have cherry-picked from years of Christmas episodes to bring you the ultimate Gene Autry Christmas program.  Gene is joined by his frequent band in his movies and TV shows, The Cass County Boys, as well as Carl Cotner’s Orchestra, The Pinafores, Gene Autry’s Blue Jeans, Rosemary Clooney, and of course, sidekick Pat Buttram.  Pat sings All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, and gives his own answer to Did You Ever Have to Sleep at the Foot of the Bed? 

Included among the twenty-four cuts are carols like Joy to the World, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Silent Night, traditional songs such as White Christmas, Jingle Bells, and Winter Wonderland.  The included booklet tells the history of Gene’s Christmas shows, pointing out songs that were taken from The Sgt. Gene Autry Show, the show’s wartime title when Gene was serving in the Army Air Corps. 

Here’s a sample of the show, Gene singing a medley of Rudolph and Here Comes Santa Claus.

The album is from Varese Sarabande, and available direct from the Gene Autry Museum HERE,

as well as on iTunes and Amazon.  And Gene Autry now has an official Facebook page – check it out HERE.

SHOTGUN: THE BLEEDING GROUND

By C. Courtney Joyner

Adventurous Westerners and Steampunks alike will enjoy this second adventure in the kick-ass series of paperback originals about the surgeon who lost his right hand and replaced it with a shotgun!   This time Dr. John ‘Shotgun’ Bishop and his Cheyenne sidekick White Fox are on the trail of the good doctor’s despised brother Dev, and going to work for John Chisum.  In recent years, the paperback original Western market has taken a serious beating, but the SHOTGUN series has pumped much-needed blood – literally and figuratively – into the genre, and the folks at Kensington Books have committed to several more volumes.  You can buy both SHOTGUN volumes, and the prolific Mr. Joyner’s other books, at Amazon, HERE.

SILENT VIDEO – LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD

On one disc are seven short documentaries made less than a year before the coming of sound would turn the movie industry inside out.  Sort of like ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT only not insipid, L.I.H. released a one-reeler every week, featuring tours of many long-ago vanished studios, views of Hollywood from the air, many on-set visits, animals brought from Africa to make jungle films, the opening of a Hollywood hangout – the celebrated Yamashiro’s – and much more.  Along with many forgotten faces, many of the top stars of the day – Tom Mix, Buck Jones and Hoot Gibson, Buster Keaton, Colleen Moore and Lupino Lane – are on hand.  German film titan Max Reinhardt visits the set of LOVES OF CARMEN, visiting with director Raoul Walsh, and stars Victor McLaglen and Dolores Del Rio.  It’s wonderful fun, and if the image quality is spotty, it’s remarkable that this footage still exists.  It’s one of many fascinating videos available from Alpha Home Video HERE.

 JAMES A. FITZPATRICK’S TRAVELTALKS

If you’ve enjoyed the dazzling Technicolor travelogues TCM shows between features, you can now own them!  From the early 1930s through 1954, Fitzpatrick’s short films were America’s window on the world.  Now the Warner Archive has released three sets of these films, with sixty short films in each set – 66 in the final collection!  Beyond the sheer beauty of these wonderfully restored films, they freeze moments in time and place that are now gone.  Some of the pre-war visits to our soon-to-be Axis enemies are, by turns, poignant and ironic.  And because many shorts focus within our borders, the American West of the ‘30s and ‘40s is handsomely preserved.  They provide a first-hand introduction to 20^th century history that you can find nowhere else.  You can order them HERE.

ROD SERLING’S ‘THE LONER’

It’s amazing to think that Rod Serling didn’t believe that his TWILIGHT ZONE would last more than one season!  Not wanting to take any chances, and seeing the success of Westerns, he started planning his own Western series in 1960.  He put it on the shelf when TWILIGHT ZONE proved a hit, but in 1964, when TZ finally folded after five season and 156 episodes, Serling dusted off that Western script again, hired Lloyd Bridges, not exactly wet behind the ears after SEA HUNT, and produced one of the finest of one-season Western series. 

While Western stories are generally post-Civil War, THE LONER is specifically six months after Lee’s surrender, the country is still seething in bitterness, and Bridges plays William Colton, an ex-Union officer roaming the West, trying to get his bearings.  In today’s parlance he’d be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.   Bridges was always an underrated actor, and in THE LONER half-hours he does some of the best work of his career.  There were only 26 episodes produced, and Serling wrote more than half of them himself. 

Among the guest stars were James Whitmore, Anne Baxter, Jack Lord, Sheree North, Burgess Meredith, Brock Peters, Dan Duryea, and Katherine Ross.  The whole series, plus two informative documentaries, is produced by Shout! Factory, and sold exclusively at WalMart.  You can order it HERE.

CANADIAN PACIFIC – STARRING RANDOLPH SCOTT

This very enjoyable 1949 Western from 20^th Century Fox was unavailable for years, except in black and white, because it was shot in an obsolete color process, Cinecolor.  Now it’s been restored to its previous, heavily green but very attractive glory.  Scott is the railroad builder, Jane Wyatt is the ‘Lady Doctor’ who despises him (at first), and Victor Jory is, as usual, the guy who will stop at nothing to block Scott.  It ain’t CITIZEN KANE, but it’s a lot of fun.  And among the special features is the Castle Films 8mm home movie version!  You can order it HERE.

AND HERE’S A PERFECT WESTERN CHRISTMAS VIDEO!

The Carolyn Sells Combo does a brilliant mash-up of Christmas and the West with their song, Ghost Reindeer in the Sky!  Enjoy!

ONE MORE THING…

Earlier this week, I was teaching a 4^th grade, and I heard something wonderful that I rarely hear from young kids.  A boy saw that I was reading the William Dale Jennings novel THE COWBOYS, on which the John Wayne movie is based.  The kid lit up with excitement.  “I love THE COWBOYS!” he said, the words spilling out in a torrent.  “I love Westerns!  I’ve seen TRUE GRIT and THE MAGNIFICENT 7 – ‘1’ and ‘2’.  And I really liked ‘1’ much better.  With Yul Brynner.  And I’ve seen UNFORGIVEN – that is, I’ve seen the appropriate parts…”  I was thrilled; thrilled that his parents are obviously exposing him to Westerns, and being careful of how much of the darker elements he’s exposed to.  But I couldn’t help thinking what a pity it is that, as we are having a rebirth of Westerns, so few of them are appropriate for kids.   Most of the theatrical ones, many of them fine films, are far too brutal and sexual for young kids.  I loved HELL ON WHEELS, love WEST WORLD, and looking forward to season two of UNDERGROUND, but the last TV Western series I remember that I’d show to a kid was PARADISE, which went off the air in 1991.  We need a ‘gateway’ Western to safely bring kids into the genre.

AND THAT’S A WRAP!

A week ago today I was invited to see the premiere screening of a new Western, GONE ARE THE DAYS, starring Lance Henriksen, Tom Berenger and Steve Railsback.  I had a friendly chat with Lance – don’t believe the picture!  We got along fine!  Anyhow, more about GONE OUR THE DAYS, and Lance, coming soon to the Round-up!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright December 2016 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved

HELL ON WHEELS Season 2 Is Almost Here!

On Sunday, August 12^th, HELL ON WHEELS, AMC’s blockbuster Western series will return for a second ten episode season.  The series continues to revolve around a group of  people engaged in building the transcontinental railroad, and ‘Hell On Wheels’ refers to the portable town that follows along the tracks, servicing the workers.  The central figure from season one was former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), and the ‘cover’ of his railroad job as a means to track down and kill the Union soldiers who murdered his wife and son, a story that was concluded with the end of the season.

While I have promised AMC not to reveal too much (not wanting to have Colm Meany send Common to ‘handle’ the situation), I can safely say that everyone who didn’t die in season one is back for season two, although there have been changes.  Cullen Bohannon is back, but no longer works for the railroad, and Mr. Durant (Colm Meany).  The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl), last seen being tarred and feathered, has returned, and is again with the railroad, but working in a far different capacity. 

Elam Ferguson (Common) is working his way up in the railroad, but his romance with Eva (Robin McLeavy) has derailed.  Lily Bell (Dominique McElligot), beautiful widow of the railroad’s original surveyor, is determined to keep in the game.  Reverend Cole’s (Tom Noonan) daughter Ruth (Kasha Kropinski – allowed to look much more attractive this season) continues to be drawn to Cheyenne Christian convert Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears).   And the increasingly cocky Irish McGinnes brothers (Phil Burke and Ben Esler) are determined to subvert railroad construction to their own goals. 

In addition to their frequent nemesises, the Indians trying to discourage the relentless progress of the iron horse, the railroaders are faced with a new enemy: train robbers!  The first episode of the new season, ‘Viva La Mexico,’ written by the series creators, Tony and Joe Gayton, is a particularly strong entry to return with, well-directed by David Von Ancken.  Gustavo Santaolalla’s theme music has deservedly been nominated for an Emmy.  Marvin Rush continues as cinematographer on the most strikingly filmed series on television, and it’s completely inexplicable to me that his work last season wasn’t Emmy-nominated, ditto the Laytons’ writing.       

Here’s a teaser trailer to get you in the mood.

AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF JOHN WAYNE’S ‘COWBOYS’ – NICOLAS BEAUVY

Actor/director/writer and general wunderkind Mark Rydell had gone from directing GUNSMOKE to the D.H. Lawrence story THE FOX, to the good-naturedly nutty Steve McQueen period starrer THE REIVERS, and would soon go on to do the wonderful CINDERELLA LIBERTY and later the triple Oscar winner ON GOLDEN POND.  But in 1972 he had optioned – with the approval of his mother – a not-yet-published novel, THE COWBOYS, by William Dale Jennings. 

Rydell did not want John Wayne in the lead, but eventually the powers at Warner Brothers, and Duke himself, convinced the left-leaning director.  Although overshadowed by TRUE GRIT, Wayne’s Oscar winner, and THE SHOOTIST, his last, THE COWBOYS is certainly the equal of those fine films, and Wayne told director Rydell that it was his own favorite performance.  

John Wayne plays a cattleman who loses his crew to a local gold strike, and must hire schoolboys to move his herd.  As he tells the boys, drawing a rough map on the classroom blackboard, “Here’s the Double O.  This is Belle Fourche.  In between is four hundred miles of the meanest country in the west.”  The cast includes Roscoe Lee Brown, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Slim Pickens, and eleven boys from about twelve to sixteen, about half of them professional actors, and the other half professional rodeo riders. 

One of the professional actors was Nicolas Beauvy.  Nicolas had played King Arthur as a boy in CAMELOT, Trampas (Doug McClure) as a boy in a VIRGINIAN episode, and appeared with Gregory Peck in the Western SHOOT OUT, and an episode of BONANZA.  In THE COWBOYS, Nicolas plays Dan, the cowboy with glasses.  (In some of the promotional material his character is called ‘Four Eyes,’ but no one in the movie ever calls him that.)

All the young actors have plenty to do, and acquit themselves well, but Nicolas’ role is one of the most demanding.  In addition to all of the riding and roping, (SPOILER ALERT!) Dan is the boy kidnapped from the others by Bruce Dern, terrorized and damned near drowned.  He keeps the secret from Wayne and the others that they’re being followed.  And he has the trauma and guilt of losing a friend when the other boy tries to retrieve Dan’s dropped glasses, and ends up killed in a stampede.

As part of the National Day of The Cowboy festivities, Belle Fourche, South Dakota is celebrating with their CRAZY DAYS, Friday the 27^th and Saturday the 28^th.  And since it’s also the 40^th anniversary of the release of THE COWBOYS, it was announced that there would be a screening, attended by several of the boys from the cast.  I caught up with Nicolas, now a successful real estate agent in Pacific Palisades (“I got out of acting when I was 21 years old,”), before he headed to South Dakota.  I asked him who else was attending.

NICOLAS BEAUVY: Al Barker Jr. (Fats), Steven Hudis (Charlie Schwartz), and Sean Kelly (Stuttering Bob); I know they’ll definitely be there.  They’re picking up on the name Belle Feurche because that’s the name we used in the movie, but we did not shoot in South Dakota.  My understanding is that some of the kids – like Al Barker Jr. – have been back there six or seven times.  They’ve asked me to go in the past but it just hadn’t worked out with my schedule; but this year it did, and I’m excited to go back! 

HENRY PARKE: Where did you actually shoot?

N: We shot two months in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  And one month in Durango, Colorado.  And one month on the sound stages of Warner Brothers. 

H: How did you get the part of Dan?

N: Well, as a working actor – I was an actor from age six – you went out for the interview, and we had seven or eight callbacks.  And they probably interviewed a thousand kids.  Then they narrow it down to five hundred, to one hundred, to fifty -  that’s how they typically do these things.  And I was the one they chose, so I got very lucky. 

H: How old were you?

N: Thirteen. 

H: Then you were very well aware who John Wayne was at that time. 

N: Absolutely. Oh, it was wonderful!  He was a father-figure on the set.  Very nice.  A little bit reserved, but I had some nice scenes with him.  We had a good time. 

H: What memories do you have of other actor in the show?

N: Bruce Dern!  Bruce Dern was the gentleman that I did a lot of scenes with; he played the bad guy, and he and I had a real good rapport.  In fact, I was a real big sports fan and so was he, so even after the movie was finished, he’d invite me to a few Lakers games – we saw a few basketball games in Los Angeles.  He was a great guy.

H: How about Robert Carradine?

N: All the kids get along with everyone.  Robert Carradine was a little older than me, so he wasn’t hangin’ with me or anything.  He was 18, 19 when he did that movie – maybe twenty.  But he got along with everybody.  A Martinez the same way.  Good guy.

H: And Colleen Dewhurst? 

N: You know I really didn’t have any scenes with Colleen Dewhurst.  I got along with her very nicely, and we did talk a lot off the set.  And she’s the one who happened to recommend me, along with Mark Rydell, to George C. Scott; she was married, of course, to Scott.  Because the film I did right after THE COWBOYS was RAGE (directed by and starring Scott). 

H: What did you think of director Mark Rydell?

N: Wonderful director; worked beautifully with all the kids.  A pleasure to work with.  Just was a class, class man. 

H: You had a wonderful script by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., who also wrote HUD, HOMBRE and NORMA RAE..

N: Yes – great people worked on that movie.  John Williams did the music.  And Robert Surtees did the cinematography; two heavyweights there.

H: In 1972, now it’s clear in hind-sight that this was getting to be the end of the Western cycle for a while, but I don’t think that anyone sensed it then.  Were Westerns something special to you, or was it just another acting job?

N: Oh no; it’s very special, because you’re twelve or thirteen years old.  Other roles you’re just playing a normal kid in everyday life.  But here we are playing cowboys, and we get to wear cowboy outfits, and ride horses, and have guns in our holster.  It was a dream: it was living a dream. 

H: How much preparation time was there?

N: I want to say, if my memory’s correct, about four to six weeks.  We would go to a little stable in Burbank, and we would practice three hours every day after school; on the weekends about six, seven hours. 

H: And what did they have you practicing?

N: Just riding; riding a horse, holding a rope while you’re riding, just riding.  Just making us look as comfortable and natural and experienced as we could look. 

Nicolas Beauvy today

We’ll have more about Nicolas’ acting career in the near future.

LOS ENCINOS MARKS SALVATION WITH LIVING HISTORY CELEBRATION

On Sunday, July 15^th, the Docents of Los Encinos Park in Encino celebrated their one-year reprieve with a living history day.  On the list of seventy parks slated for closure due to lack of funds, they were saved when an anonymous donor gave the park $150,000, their annual operating budget.  They celebrated with cake and punch, and a day of old-fashioned games, tours of the Rancho buildings, demonstrations of blacksmithing, music and other activities. 

With the attraction of its natural spring, which brings many breeds of ducks, geese and other birds on their migrations, it has seen human settlement for thousands of years, first with the Tongva people; it was taken over by the San Fernando Mission in 1797, and has passed through many hands since then – you can read about it’s rich history here: http://historicparks.org/data/park-history

Howard Harrelson, a docent who made a PSA for the park, was shooting interview ‘sound-bites’ at the event.  He told me, “I’m working on a ‘school tour’ video.  As you know, an anonymous donor donated enough money to keep the park open for this year.   But we want to get school groups and field trips here to the park, to keep it alive, and open, and green.”   Los Encinos has a Living History Day on the third Sunday of every month.     

R.G. ARMSTRONG DIES AT 95

Birmingham, Alabama-born character actor Robert Golden Armstrong has died at his home in Studio City, California.  An imposing figure, he played frequently in crime and horror stories, but is best remembered for his Western characters, especially preachers with feet of clay.  He was long associated with director Sam Peckinpah, who cast him in THE SHARPSHOOTER (1956), an episode of ZANE GREY THEATRE which would be a pilot for THE RIFLEMAN.  Peckinpah subsequently directed R.G. in two RIFLEMAN episodes, a WESTERNER episode, then RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, MAJOR DUNDEE, THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE and PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID.  He also starred with John Wayne in Howard Hawks’ EL DORADO.  With nearly 200 screen credits, his last Western and second-to-last screen performance was in the TV movie PURGATORY (1999).  Services are pending.    

Well pardners, that's a wrap for tonight!  Have a great week!

Happy trails,

Henry

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

NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY -- NATIONWIDE EVENTS PLANNED

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

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

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

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

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

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

JULYAMSH POWWOW IN POST FALLS IDAHO

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

ANDRES PICO ADOBE CELEBRATES ‘SAN FERNANDO VALLEY’

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

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

Metal mitts to keep toddlers from thumb-sucking!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCANDALS SHAKE CAL. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

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

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

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

Happy trails,

Henry

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