OLD TUCSON GAINS MUCH-NEEDED 'STARDUST'

Stardust and The Bandit, the western-themed comedy pilot recently shot at the historic Old Tucson Studios, was co-written and co-directed by Dick Fisher and Sarah Sher. Its broad comedy and western background is quite a departure from the very Eastern movie Fisher made his reputation with: he produced, photographed and edited The Brothers McMullen. That film, about three Irish brothers in New York, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and was a career-maker for both Fisher and writer/director/star Edward Burns. “It was actually Fox Searchlight’s first release, when they started that specialty division at Fox. They’ve just done a magnificent job in marketing it (over the years). I’m hoping they’ll be having a Blu-Ray re-release of it.”

But Fisher started out not in independent features, but on local news in Utica, New York. “Upstate was beautiful. I went to visit my sister, who went to Hamilton College, in Clinton, and I just fell in love with the area. I was an undergraduate, working in construction, building the world’s largest brewery. One day, driving along, I just pulled off the highway at the Newhouse School and said, ‘What do I have to do here to get a Masters degree, because I’m on the wrong track, and I really want to be a filmmaker.’ I got a Masters Degree there, and through connections I had in Syracuse, I got a job at the local television station in Utica in 1978, shooting newsreels. You’d come to work, they’d give you a 400’ can of 16mm film (about ten minutes worth), you’d shoot a few stories, and they had a (film) processor in a garage by the television station. And I got to process my own film, edit my own film, and put it on the air. It was a fantastic experience with the full range of work in film.”

After several years there, he moved to New York City, started his own production company, Technical Services, and began working in the burgeoning tabloid TV field as a location cameraman. Over the next several years, his many clients included HARD COPY, CURRENT AFFAIR, LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS, P.M. MAGAZINE, and ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. “Entertainment Tonight was one of my early clients, and Ed Burns was my production assistant -- that’s how we got to know each other. And we discovered that we both had a love for film, and an ambition to make film. He engaged me to shoot an earlier film he’d written, called Brandy, and we had a great time, but we couldn’t sell it. So we decided to do it again – we had a very specific idea of why we couldn’t sell it, and how go make a film that we could sell.”

The result was The Brothers McMullen. Unless it’s a one-man movie, it’s unusual for one person to be both cinematographer and editor on a feature. And it’s just about unheard of for someone to be producer as well – generally producers are not at all technical. “Photography is my first love, cinematography, but the fact that I understand editing has certainly made me a very effective cinematographer. Because no matter how beautiful a shot is, if it doesn’t cut into your sequence, you’re just spinning your wheels.

“Working on those (tabloid) shows -- shooting every day, for years and years -- gives you a level of professionalism, gives you the chops to be able to shoot something that’s going to be acceptable to distributers. And it gave me the level of success that allowed me to work on independent films, because I was prepared to finance them. Steven Spielberg, working with his parents’ 8MM camera probably did a great job, but you couldn’t sell them. (It’s not like) now, when you have films like Paranormal Activity – with equipment like the DSLR cameras -- where you can create high definition, high quality images (for so little money). Blair Witch is another example – until Blair Witch, The Brothers McMullen was the most profitable independent – not highest gross, but most profitable. Our delivery cost was between four hundred and five hundred thousand, and they made fourteen or fifteen million in domestic gross. But the Blair Witch people don’t have the same happy story that Eddy and I do. We own The Brothers McMullen and share the profits with Fox Searchlight, and it’s still making money. Blair Witch grossed over a hundred million at the box office, but the guy who made it certainly didn’t get any fraction of that.”

What brought him from New York to Arizona in the mid-90s was an ailing relative, and the conviction that, with his track record as a writer and producer, he could live and work anywhere. And he was looking forward to working there, “…because I was aware of the incredibly rich history of filming in Tucson.” Built in 1939 for Arizona, Old Tucson Studios had been the location of over 300 movie and TV shoots, including Broken Arrow (1950), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Gunfight At The O.K. Corral (1957), Peckinpah’s first -- The Deadly Companions (1961), Joe Kidd (1972), Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Tom Horn (1980), Tombstone (1993), and a slew of John Waynes – Rio Bravo (1959), McClintock (1963), El Dorado (1966) and Rio Lobo (1970). What Fisher could not anticipate was that in 1995, an arson fire would devastate the studio, destroying sets, the soundstage, and all of the costumes and props for Little House on the Prairie. Most of the destroyed sets were re-built, but, “…they decided not to rebuild their soundstage. At the same time, the American dollar was strong and the Canadian dollar was weak, and Canada came up with the brilliant plan of tax rebates, which moved so much of the work to Canada.

“Losing the soundstage really killed the film business in Tucson, and Arizona in general. New Mexico started giving no-interest loans to stimulate the film business, but Arizona never got their act together about joining that party. Old Tucson’s (situation) is unusual. It’s inside a County Park, which is good, because it means that the vistas in all directions are protected from development: when you’re in the town square, you point the camera in any direction and you see mountains and deserts, you don’t seen houses and buildings. The downside of that for investors is you cannot buy the land – you can only lease it for however many years. So people were reluctant to make a large investment in a new soundstage. The people that own it now have not developed it as an active studio. It’s sort of a roadside attraction.

“A little over a year ago, Sarah Sher said to me, ‘I’m sick of complaining that we don’t have work. Let’s do something. Let’s make a television pilot that has several purposes, one of which is to demonstrate to the world what a great motion picture location this is. To show people that we have the talent here in Tucson to make motion pictures and television. And maybe inspire somebody to spend some money and make another soundstage here and get some work.’”

“If nothing else, I’m pragmatic, so we decided to get the most out of what already exists at Old Tucson. (We wrote) a fish out of water story: an accountant for the mob (Scott Thomas) is put into the Witness Protection Program, and the job that they give him is bookkeeper at Old Tucson, as it exists now – a roadside attraction. He’s a ‘Mr. Bean’ sort of character, in a suit with glasses and a briefcase, supposed to work in a back room, keep his head down. Then, when a performer in their stunt show gets dragged away by a horse, a beautiful chorus line dancer (Shanna Brock) pulls him up on stage; they put him into a cowboy outfit – he ends up being in the show. And of course the mobster he’s supposed to testify against shows up with his family on vacation.

“We wrote the script, and Pete Mangelsdorf, CEO at Old Tucson, liked it, and he signed on as executive producer, and Old Tucson Studios itself as a co-producer. Everyone in the film community jumped on, worked for deferred pay, and we were able to use everything they have at Old Tucson – the stunt performers, the locations. They fed us and picked up the insurance, and did all of the technical things you need even if you’re making a no-budget production. I have the credentials, if you will, for making a successful no-budget production.

“We shot for two weeks and this was just the most fun I’ve had on a set. When we got to the last shot of the last day, I called ‘cut! Any problems?’ And the crew said, ‘Let’s not stop! Let’s do more!’ They all wanted to keep working. Even working deferred it was a joy, just so much fun to be out there, working at Old Tucson – to be directing a Western at Old Tucson – the hairs were standing up on the back of my neck at times just thinking, now I’m part of the history. I’m an Eastern guy, I was born in Brooklyn. But what American boy is not in some way affected by the cowboys? Being an American, for better or worse, there’s the poetry of being a cowboy. If it’s not in our DNA, it’s in our rearing: we’re all cowboys.

“We’re just finishing the rough-cut now, and we have a few technical sound issues, and I want to get some music written. And we’re looking to get it into the marketplace and have people get interested in it.

“And of course, what we would like -- the genesis of the whole idea -- would be to have this create something like HIGH CHAPARRAL, one of the shows that was really part of the fabric of Tucson before. We want to weave ourselves back into the fabric of filmmaking in Southern Arizona, and hopefully that’s what we’ll be able to do.”

Meanwhile, Dick’s next assignment is very different. “I was just engaged to be director of photography on a project that’s being financed and filmed up on the Gila River Indian Community. It’s written and directed by a Native American up there. It’s a contemporary coming-of-age (story) called Second Circle, about a young Indian who has to deal with the gang-bangers and the taggers and drug dealers, and whether he can live more to the traditional ideals of his community, or whether he’ll get drawn to that dark side of American society. It’s a very interesting script. The Gila River tribe runs one of the casinos up there, and the producer, Tony Estrada, who is a Navajo, pitched to them the idea that they would create and own this film, but at the same time have this training (program) for the film industry, for their community members.”

To learn more about Stardust and The Bandit, visit their Facebook page HERE.

FIRST TRAILER FOR ‘COWBOYS AND ALIENS’ RELEASED

CLICK HERE to check it out! The Jon Favreau - directed Sci-Fi Western, starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde is set for a July 29th, 2011 release.


REEL INJUN WINS THREE GEMINI AWARDS

At the star-studded 25th Annual Gemini Awards, the Canadian Oscars, the documentary Reel Injun, see my review HERE, won three awards. The entertaining and informative look at the Indian’s image in Hollywood westerns won Best Direction For a Documentary, Best Visual Research, and the prestigious Canada Award, which recognizes work that explores racial and cultural diversity in Canada. To learn when and where you can see this film, visit the official website HERE.


INDIAN CHIEF CIGARETTE INSERT CARDS

Doing some much-needed office cleaning I came upon a set of cards which my father gave me more than thirty years ago. These are cigarette insert cards, the forerunner of bubble-gum cards, and measure 1 ½” by 2 ¾ ”. They are the ‘Celebrated American Indian Chiefs’ collection, from Allen & Ginter of Richmond, Virginia, and if my on-line research is correct, they date from 1888. The cards are so beautiful that I’ve decided to share the fifty-card set with the Round-up readers, two at a time. I hope you enjoy them.

‘DEATH VALLEY DAYS’ CREATOR’S BIRTHDAY

Sources disagree by ten days, but either last Tuesday the 16th or next Friday the 26th would be the birthday of Ruth Woodman. Born in New York State in 1894, the Vassar graduate, mother of two and wife of an investment banker, was a copywriter for an advertising agency when, in 1930, she was asked to create a radio show for the Pacific Coast Borax Company. The result was the fact-and-folklore-based anthology series, DEATH VALLEY DAYS, which ran on radio from 1930 until 1945. It then moved to television, and ran from 1952 to 1975, producing 558 TV episodes. Woodman wrote the entire first five TV seasons herself, adapting her radio scripts.

Woodman frequently visited Death Valley for inspiration, and on her first trip there ran into Death Valley Scotty. She contributed to other TV series as well, and wrote one feature, Last of The Pony Riders (1953) for Gene Autry. She served as story editor her retirement in 1959, but still contributed scripts until her death in 1970, at the age of 75. You can find every single episode of the TV series for sale if you search on-line. I suspect they’re bootlegs, but I’m no lawman. If you’d like to listen to a couple of the radio shows, CLICK HERE.

D. W. GRIFFITH UPDATE

I was happy to receive some positive feedback about my criticism last week of the Directors Guild of America’s decision, a decade ago, to strip Griffith’s name from an award because of the racially offensive Birth of a Nation – for details, see last week’s entry. To my surprise, I learned there is an on-line petition to get his name put back on. I don’t know anything about who is running the campaign, but if you’re interested in learning more, and signing the petition, CLICK HERE. For those who would like to see some of Griffith’s work, on Monday, November 29th, the Academy will present GRIFFITH IN CALIFORNIA – HOLLYWOOD’S EARLIEST FILMS FROM A CENTURY AGO at the Linwood Dunn Theatre. The bad news is that the show is sold out, but the good news is that there are always some no-shows, and people who show up early usually get in. For more details, CLICK 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.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST LOS ENCINOS LIVING HISTORY DAY

On this day, and the third Sunday of every month, Los Encinos State Historic Park, located at 16756 Moorpark St. in Encino,91436, has a Living History Day. From one to three p.m. enjoy music, period crafts, a blacksmith, docents in 1870s attire, tours of the historic buildings, and traditional children’s games.

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.

Keep those e-mails and cimments comin', and have a great Thanksgiving!

Adios, Pilgrim

Henry

All Contents Copyright November 2010 by Henry C Parke -- All Rights Reserved

BORGNINE SIGNS ON DOTTED LINES

(Updated Friday 11/19/2010 -- see screening ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
The line was long and eager as Ernest Borgnine and Western authors William Blinn, Andrew J. Fenady and C. Courtney Joyner autographed their writings yesterday at Dark Delicacies, a Burbank bookstore that specializes in eerie fiction, but also has a penchant for sagebrush sagas. Oscar-winner (for MARTY) Borgnine’s booming laugh and cheerful nature filled the normally gloomy-tomb book-seller, as he autographed his auto-bio, ERNIE, posed for pictures, and answered questions about THE WILD BUNCH, VERA CRUZ, A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL and so many others.
Blinn, who created the series STARSKY AND HUTCH, wrote the Prince movie PURPLE RAIN, and won Emmys for his teleplays of BRIAN’S SONG and ROOTS, returned to his own roots – westerns like GUNSMOKE, RAWHIDE, BONANZA and HIGH CHAPPARAL -- with his most recent western novel, A COLD PLACE IN HELL.

(Photos, top to bottom: Ernest Borgnine, William Blinn saying, "Get that light meter out of my face!", Courtney Joyner and Andrew Fenady pose with a fan, Cowboy (Gene) and Indians (Carmelo family) at the Autry, big tepee and little tepee, silver by the Lees, drums by Bobby Bales, D.W. Griffith stamp, WAY OUT WEST poster, Stan won't give Vivian Oakland the deed)

Like Blinn, both Fenady and Joyner made their names in the screenplay format before moving to the printed word. Fenady, who produced John Wayne’s CHISUM, also adapted the Wayne property HONDO to a TV series, as well as creating THE REBEL and developing BRANDED, among many others. Joyner, author of the terrific THE WESTERNERS, a collection of interviews with western stars both in front of and behind the camera, is best known for his horror and sci-fi screenplays, including PRISON, DR. MORDRID and several TRANCERS outings. Fenady and Joyner were both signing their stories in LAW OF THE GUN, a new collection of western fiction.

AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS MARKETPLACE AT THE AUTRY

More than 160 artists representing over forty tribes converged last weekend at the Autry for the American Indian Arts 2010 Marketplace. While musical and dance performances took place in the courtyard, an immense white tent erected in the area to the east of the museum housed the artists. From silver to painting to sculpture, all imaginable mediums were used. Prices ranged from under ten dollars to well into the thousands. To the left you can see the work of a couple of artists that I particularly admired, the silver work of Clarence and Russell Lee (p.o. box 539, Gallup, New Mexico 87305), and drums made by Bobby Bales (starwater3@yahoo.com). The dancers performing in front of Gene and Champion are the Carmelo family, in a program called Toveema, featuring Southern California native song and dance.

A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD: MOGULS & MOVIE STARS ON TCM

Every Monday night, starting November 1st and concluding on December 13th, Turner Classic Movies is presenting a new seven chapter documentary series tracing the history of the film industry, and while the focus is on the United States, the importance of the film business in other countries is not minimized.

Each one-hour program airs first on Monday night at 8. p.m., is repeated on Wednesday night, when it will be followed by related movies, and is repeated again the following Monday before the new episode. And I’ve spotted other repeats as well, so you can hopefully track them all down. Narrated by Christopher Plummer, the first two episodes have already aired, and are fine and illuminating pieces of work. Episode #1, PEEPSHOW PIONEERS covered the years 1889 to 1907, and episode #2, THE BIRTH OF HOLLYWOOD, covered 1907 to 1920. On Monday, November 15th, episode #3, THE DREAM MERCHANTS, will cover 1920-1928.

The interviews within the documentary are with historians, critics and descendants of the moguls themselves, and very enlightening. Forgive me if I digress here, but it puts one in mind of the wonderful documentary series HOLLYWOOD – CELEBRATION OF THE AMERICAN SILENT FILM, which the team of David Gill and Kevin Brownlow did in 1980 for Thames Television, which aired here on PBS. That was thirty years ago, and one of the striking differences in the two documentary series is the guests who are interviewed: in the new series, the guests are one and two generations away from the people being discussed. In the old series, those people were speaking for themselves. I had the pleasure of recently hearing Kevin Brownlow speak, introducing a screening of FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE at the Motion Picture Academy, and he revealed that of the 150 people interviewed for his film, only one was still alive. Now here’s the maddening part: HOLLYWOOD, the best documentary of its kind, is virtually impossible to see. It has not been released to DVD, and may never be. The reason? Back more than thirty years ago, when Gill and Brownlow were pulling their film clips together, all of the studios opened their vaults to them for little of no money. Since then, with cable TV, videotape and now DVDs, studios see potential profits where they never did before. And so now, to license those same clips for a DVD release, the studios are asking so much money that, if paid, it would be impossible to make a dime selling the DVDs.

Okay, back on topic, the 2nd chapter of the new documentary dealt with D. W. Griffith’s THE BIRTH OF A NATION, both the brilliance of the filmmaking, and the furor over the racism inherent in the story. Those who haven’t seen the movie may not be aware that the ‘nation’ the title refers to is not the United States but the Ku Klux Klan. I believe the controversy was evenhandedly discussed in the documentary. So I was appalled , after seeing the episode, to watch a discussion, led by Robert Osborn, with a pair of the film critics from the documentary, about Griffith and BIRTH OF A NATION. The woman critic minced around the topic nervously, and finally concluded that while the film, described by President Woodrow Wilson as, “Writing history with lightning!” was, because of its great artistic merit, worthy of our study and respect, Griffith was not. As if the movie had directed itself! Was Griffith a racist? Surely, but 95 years ago that did not leave him far from the middle of the road. Thankfully we’ve come a long way since then, but to try and judge him by today’s standards is ludicrous. And in fact, even in 1915 he was so loudly denounced for his views that it’s generally acknowledged that his follow-up epic, INTOLERANCE, was meant as an apology to those offended by BIRTH. In fact, one of Griffith’s final films, and few talkies, is a sympathetic biography of that enemy of the Klan, the South and the Confederacy, Abraham Lincoln! The contributions Griffith made to the art of filmmaking cannot be overestimated, and yet eleven years ago the smug, ignorant, politically correct morons at the Directors Guild of America saw fit to take his name off the D.W. Griffith Award. If today, prominent members of the DGA were held up to the same standard of conduct that they expect, retroactively, from Griffith, if one single, stupid, offensive public act would mean the end of their careers, then there would be no one left to direct movies!

For those who would like to see some of Griffith’s work, on Monday, November 29th, the Academy will present GRIFFITH IN CALIFORNIA – HOLLYWOOD’S EARLIEST FILMS FROM A CENTURY AGO at the Linwood Dunn Theatre. The bad news is that the show is sold out, but the good news is that there are always some no-shows, and people who show up early usually get in. For more details, CLICK HERE.

OLD TUCSON STUDIOS LOCATION FOR WESTERN COMEDY PILOT

The venerable Arizona western studio, built in 1939 for ARIZONA, starring William Holden and Jean Arthur, has been home to more than 300 movies and TV shows. This September it was the location for a pilot entitled STARDUST AND THE BANDIT. In this contemporary comedy, a former mob-accountant is placed by the Witness Protection Program in a studio/theme park not unlike Old Tucson Studios. But instead of working in the backrooms as an accountant, he is put into a stunt show, and who shows up, on vacation with his family, but the gangster he’s set to testify against.

That’s all I’ve been able to learn so far, but if I find out more I’ll pass it on.

HAPPY TRAILS THEATRE CONTINUES ON RFD-TV

This coming Saturday, November 20th, at 9 a.m. Pacific and noon Eastern, RDF-TV will present DAYS OF JESSE JAMES (1940), another directed and produced by Republic’s best, Joe Kane. Roy stars with – you guessed it – George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Don ‘Red’ Barry, Scotty Beckett, Monte Blue, Cactus Mack and everyone’s favorite bartender at the Longbranch, Glenn Strange, and of course, Trigger. November 5th would have been Roy’s 99th birthday, and RFD started Happy Trails Theatre the next day with SOUTHWARD HO, following up today with THE ARIZONA KID. The movies are short, and scheduled in 90 minute timeslots, which give the programmers a little wiggle-room to be creative. Roy’s son and grandson, Dusty and Dustin, do the introductions and wrap-ups from the Mickey Gilley Theatre in Branson, Missouri. The first week’s program wrapped up with Dusty and his band performing several songs, and some old Roy Rogers toy commercials. Today’s program ended with a documentary hosted by Dusty, shot some years ago when the Roy Rogers Museum was still in Victorville, and featured a lot of home movies. It’ll be interesting to see what they come up with in the coming weeks. For more information, including merchandise, Trigger and Bullet’s tour, and the Roy Rogers Rider’s Club, CLICK HERE.

AROUND LOS ANGELES

SCREENING

'ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST' FREE SATURDAY NIGHT AT VIDIOTS!

Vidiots, the ecclectic Los Angeles videostore which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, recently opened the Vidiots Annex, a screening room that seats 30, and offers HD projectiona and surround sound. They teach teach classes most nights, but on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. they screen movies, for free, on a first come, first served basis. Saturday, November 20th, at 8 p.m. they'll screen Sergio Leone's immortal ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. I haven't been to this venue yet, so if you go, let us know how it was. 302 Pico Blvd., 310-392-8508.

LAUREL & HARDY IN ‘WAY OUT WEST’ AT THE AUTRY

On Sunday, November 21st, at 2 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Theatre, the Autry, in conjunction with UCLA, will present WAY OUT WEST (1937), a delightful comedy starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as two good souls trying to deliver a valuable deed to an orphan. The film costars beautiful and innocent Sharon Lynn, beautiful but wicked Vivian Oakland, and James Finlayson, the man who Homer Simpson imitates when he says, “Doh!” Incidentally, when Stan sings bass, that’s Chill Wills, who plays a singer in the film, vocalizing for him. It’s directed by James Horne. Admission is $5 for members, $9 for non-members, $4 for children and $7 for seniors and students – and includes admission to the museum. And if you get to the museum at noon, check out the THIRD SUNDAY JAM WITH THE WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION. Join musicians and cowboy poets as they perform stories and songs of the romantic days of the Old West and contemporary music of the American West.

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.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST LOS ENCINOS LIVING HISTORY DAY

On this day, and the third Sunday of every month, Los Encinos State Historic Park, located at 16756 Moorpark St. in Encino,91436, has a Living History Day. From one to three p.m. enjoy music, period crafts, a blacksmith, docents in 1870s attire, tours of the historic buildings, and traditional children’s games.

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 it for now -- have a great week!

Adios amigos,

Henry

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

TONS OF WESTERN FUN THIS WEEKEND!

(updated Thursday, November 11 -- SEE WESTERN BOOK SIGNING,SCREENINGS)

WESTERN BOOK SIGNING FEATURES ERNEST BORGNINE

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 13th, DARK DELICACIES, a bookstore located at 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505, will host a signing. Ernest Borgnine, who won his Oscar for MARTY, and is beloved for THE WILD BUNCH, will be siging ERNIE, his autobiography. Western novelist William Blinn, who wrote episodes of RAWHIDE, GUNSMOKE and HERE COME THE BRIDES, and won Emmys for BRIAN'S SONG and ROOTS, will be signing his newest, A COLD PLACE IN HELL. Andrew J. Fenady, writer and producer, who produced CHISUM and created the TV series HONDO, BRANDED and THE REBEL, will be signing his story in the new western anthology LAW OF THE GUN. C. Courtney Joyner, a director and screenwriter whose more than two dozen screen credits include PRISON and several entries in the TRANCERS franchise, will be signing his story in LAW OF THE GUN as well, a collection which also features stories by Elmer Kelton and John Jakes. To read a review of the book in Western Fiction Review, CLICK HERE. To learn more sbout the signing, CLICK HERE.

SCREENINGS

Mel Brooks fans, on Friday, Nov. 12th, at the Downtown Independent, at 251 S. Main Street, L.A. (213-617-1003) you can take part in the 'BLAZING SADDLES, SPACEBALLS Drink-Along and Beer Pong.' BLAZING SADDLES is at 8 p.m., SPACE BALLS is at 10 p.m., with beer pong on the roof until 2 a.m.. I've never even heard of this venue before, so if you attend, please let us know how it went. CLICK HERE for more info.

THE BLACK STALLION (1979)screens for free on Sunday, November 14th, at the BILLY WILDER THEATRE, in the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Okay, it's not a Western, but it's about a boy and s horse, directed by Carroll Ballard, and anybody who hasn't seen it -- especially any kid, needs to. Starring Mickey Rooney, Kelly Reno (whatever happened to him?) and Clarence Muse.

ROY ROGERS MOVIES PREMIERE SATURDAY ON RFD-TV
Starting this Saturday, November 6th, HAPPY TRAILS THEATER will begin airing Roy Rogers movies, hosted by Roy’s son Dusty, and grandson Dustin!

Beginning with 1939’s SOUTHWARD HO, a Civil War story directed by the great Joe Kane and co-starring Lynn Roberts and Gabby Hayes, the movies will air Saturday in 90 minute time slots, at 9 am Pacific, 10 am Mountain, 11 am Central and Noon Eastern. They’ll repeat twelve hours later, and on Thursdays, 2:30 pm Pacific, 3:30 pm Mountain, 4:30 pm Central and 5:30pm Eastern. For details on upcoming movies, you can CLICK HERE.

Saturday, Nov. 13th it's THE ARIZONA KID (1939), again directed by Joe Kane, and starring Roy, Gabby, lovely Sally March and, in uncredited bits, future stars Spade Cooley, George Montgomery and Dave O'Brien.

RADIO RECREATION EVENT SATURDAY NOV. 6TH
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., SPERDVAC, the Society for the Preservation of Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy, will present a program of panel discussions and classic radio show recreations at Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn, 4222 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91602, 818-980-8000. The $50-a-head banquet is sold out, but you can attend everything else for $20. From 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., a panel of old-time radio actors and actresses will discuss their careers and answer questions. Included on this panel will be century-old writer Norman Corwin, the poet laureate of American dramatic radio. A reenactment of an episode of MY FRIEND IRMA, starring Shirley Mitchell and Janet Waldo, will be presented from 1:15 to1:45p.m. Waldo, before she became the undisputed queen of teen girl voices, from Corliss Archer to Judy Jetson, starred on-screen with Don 'Red' Barry in ONE MAN'S LAW, with Dave Sharp in SILVER STALLION, and with Tim Holt in THE BANDIT TRAIL and LAND OF THE OPEN RANGE. From 2 to 3 p.m., Chuck McCann and Tommy ‘Little Beaver’ Cook will perform an episode of NERO WOLFE. At 3:15 p.m., Janet Waldo and Larry Albert will perform THE LOST LETTERS OF ROBERT E. LEE. The play is written by the general’s namesake, playwright Robert E. Lee, who also co-wrote, with Jerome Lawrence, AUNTIE MAME and INHERIT THE WIND. Janet Waldo is his widow. For more information, visit the SPERDVAC website HERE.

7TH ANNUAL RED NATION LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

From Wednesday November 3rd through Tuesday November 9th, the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theater at 8000 W. Sunset Boulevard, L.A., CA 90046, will be the home of the Red Nation Films Festival,celebrating American Indian filmmakers. For details, CLICK HERE.

AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS MARKETPLACE AT THE AUTRY
Saturday and Sunday, November 6th and 7th, the Autry will host it's annual Indian Arts Marketplace. Both days will be packed with education and entertainment for all ages. Over 180 artists representing dozens of tribes will be taking part. For details, CLICK HERE.

DEDICATION OF STEVE MCQUEEN SQUARE IN L.A. SUNDAY!

Steve McQueen, whose Westerns include the series WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, and such unforgettable movies as THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, NEVADA SMITH, THE REVIERS, JUNIOR BONNER and TOM HORN, will be honored this Sunday, Nov.7th, with the dedication of a square at the intersection of Highland and Santa Monica, the end of Route 66 in Hollywood. The event will begin at eleven a.m. on Hollywood Boulevard with a Steve McQueen Motor Parade, stop by Steve's star on the Walk Of Fame at Hollywood and Highland, and the dedication of the square will take place at around noon. For more information, go to the Jules Verne Adventures website HERE.


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 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 it for this weekend. Have a great one!

Adios, amigos!

Henry

All contents Copyright November 2010 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved

KING OF THE COWBOYS RETURNS TO THE AIRWAVES!

(Updated Friday Nov. 4 th - see Dedication of Steve McQueen Square)
(Updated Wednesday Nov. 3rd - see Happy Birthday Queen of the West, Red Nation Film Festival)
Here’s delightful news for those of us who were a bit heartbroken when the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Branson shut down, and its contents were sold off. You’ll perhaps recall that Patrick Gottsch, President of RFD-TV, bought the taxidermied figures of Trigger and Bullet, planning to display them. There was also talk of airing Roy Rogers movies on the network. It has all come to pass! Starting this Saturday, November 6th, HAPPY TRAILS THEATER will begin airing Roy Rogers movies, hosted by Roy’s son Dusty, and grandson Dustin!

Beginning with 1939’s SOUTHWARD HO, a Civil War story directed by the great Joe Kane and co-starring Lynn Roberts and Gabby Hayes, the movies will air Saturday in 90 minute time slots, at 9 am Pacific, 10 am Mountain, 11 am Central and Noon Eastern. They’ll repeat twelve hours later, and on Thursdays, 2:30 pm Pacific, 3:30 pm Mountain, 4:30 pm Central and 5:30pm Eastern.

Here’s the schedule for the next few months: November 13 - THE ARIZONA KID (1939), November 20 - DAYS OF JESSE JAMES (1940), November 27 - WEST OF THE BADLANDS (aka BORDER LEGION 1940), December 4 - YOUNG BUFFALO BILL (1940), December 11- THE RANGER AND THE LADY (1940), December 18 -YOUNG BILL HICKOCK (1941), December 25 - THE TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (1950)– this one, shown on Christmas day, is about Christmas tree rustlers!, January 1, 2011 - IN OLD CHEYENNE (1941).

But wait, there’s more! RFD-TV has revived The Roy Rogers Riders Club! And Trigger and Bullet are on tour, posing for photos. They’re even scheduled to appear at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Years Day. For information about the tour, the club, and merchandise, CLICK HERE.

REPUBLIC PICTURES IV – THE FINAL CHAPTER

For those of you who have been following this multipart story of the 75th Anniversary of Republic Pictures, here’s the last section. If you’ve missed any or all of it, you can click to read PART ONE, PART TWO and PART THREE.

The third panel discussion ended at 2:30 pm, to be followed, after a five minute break, by a 25 minute ‘Dignitary Presentation.’ Knowing that this would be my only chance to get anything to eat and see anything else – other panels would be running until we had to clear the studio at 5:00 pm -- I gave up my front-row seat and snuck out into 107 degree heat. When I got back for WESTERN MOVIE MEMORIES WITH REPUBLIC STARS the room was hot and packed, and using a combination of boyish charm and well-aimed elbows, I slithered to a spot against the wall and near the front.

(photos, top to bottom: Dale Evans; folks having their portraits taken with Trigger and Bullet; SOUTHWARD HO poster; Dick Jones, Donna Martell, Anne Jeffreys; Adrain Booth, Michael Chapin, Peggy Stewart; Anne Jeffreys, Hugh O'Brien; A.C. Lyles, Joan Leslie, Ben Cooper, Adrian Booth, Michael Chapin; Dick Jones, Donna Martell, Anne Jeffreys, Hugh O'Brien; the monogram 'B' on the Barkely's gate; exterior of the Barkley estate; Big Valley street set under construction; Barkley dinging room; foyer; parlour)

I was afraid I was late – the tables were full of guests waiting to speak: A.C. Lyles, Joan Leslie, Ben Cooper, Adrian Booth, Michael Chapin, Peggy Stewart, Dick Jones, Donna Martel, Anne Jeffreys and Hugh O’Brien. Leonard Maltin stood at the podium, waiting to be moderator. There was a lot of talking going on at the front, not from the tables, but in front of them. A familiar western character actor caught my eye, then jerked a thumb at two men who were talking in front. “Who is that?” he asked in obvious annoyance.
“That’s A.C. Lyles,” I said. “He made a ton of westerns at Paramount – ”
“I know Lyles,” he snapped. “I worked for him. Who’s the clown that won’t shut up?”
“Tom LaBonge.”
“Who in Hell is Tom LaBonge?”
“L.A. City Council.”
“For Chrissake!” he snarled. “Politicians!”
And for another fifteen minutes, as the Republic Pictures stars waited behind them, and hundreds of impatient audience members waited in front of them, City Council Members Paul Koretz, Paul Krekorian, Thomas J. LaBonge and Assemblyman Mike Feur ignored the clock on the wall and the contemptuous catcalls from the crowd, and hogged the mike, prancing about like geldings, mugging and clowning and issuing proclamations for the press cameras. Despite their posturing, they clearly knew nothing about the movies Republic made. If they did, they’d know how close they came to somebody getting a rope – or four ropes. When the blowhards finally left, there were only a couple of minutes left for each speaker, and Leonard Maltin did a masterful job at getting the most from speakers in the least amount of time.

“Republic was the home of the peoples’ movies,” Maltin began. “Films that played small towns, kids’ Saturday matinees, and later more adult movies. We’ll try to cover as many bases as we can. Westerns and serials were the mainstay of Republic, and everyone here worked on westerns.”

Dickie Jones is at least as famous for being the voice of PINNOCHIO as he was for starring in the Autry-produced series THE RANGE RIDER with Jock Mahoney, and as the title character in BUFFALO BILL JR. Starting as a 6 year old trick-rider in Hoot Gibson’s rodeo, Hoot encouraged Jones’ parents to take him to Hollywood. Maltin asked Dick Jones, who’d worked as a kid at Republic in the thirties, to give us a kid’s eye view of the studio.

“I had the privilege of being one of the very first Republic Studio actors, back in 1935, when I did WESTWARD HO with the great John Wayne, as his younger brother. We made most of it up in Lone Pine, and if the wind wasn’t blowing strong enough, they got these huge fans, and made a sandstorm. That wasn’t my first job in motion pictures, but it was my first job at Republic. It wasn’t 20th Century Fox or M.G.M. or Warner Brothers: it was homier.”

Like Dick Jones, Michael Chapin started at Republic as a kid, in the 1946 Roy and Dale starrer, SONG OF ARIZONA. “By that time the studio had gotten sophisticated. So we weren’t just working on the westerns streets, we were actually going out on location and shooting outdoors.” He did eight movies for Republic, four in 1952, BUCKAROO SHERIFF OF TEXAS being the first of a series with Eileen Jansen, “…a lovely lady who unfortunately had to leave here early. Eileen and I were a couple who were intended to replace Roy Rogers and Dale Evans as they matured, and at the time we were hired, she was twelve and I was just going on fourteen. We liked the intimacy, the closeness and family-like atmosphere here. They gave us a lot of latitude: despite the publicity (to the contrary), we both were good riders. They gave us lessons, and we had wonderful wranglers that taught me trick riding – Dick (Jones) was a master of trick riding. He didn’t need lessons. They gave us the latitude to practice, so we didn’t always need doubles: they weren’t so fearful. My career really spanned eighteen years, from the time that I was six months old, until I was eighteen: and that was it. And it was so formative, and Republic was at the core of that whole career. It was a joy, and I was blessed to be part of this industry.”

Anne Jeffreys, best remembered as Marian Kerby on TV’s TOPPER, has had a long film career, in Westerns and gangster and war movies. Starting out at PRC as Buster Crabbe’s leading lady in BILLY THE KID TRAPPED, soon she was Lawrence Tierney’s moll in DILLINGER, Tess Trueheart to DICK TRACY, and the female lead in ZOMBIES IN BROADWAY -- and that’s just three of her five credits for 1945! She was fond of horses even before she ever got to Republic. “I used to ride up into the hills. I used to work a lot in the backlot. I didn’t do all westerns. I was cast playing the dumb chorus girl or the gangster’s moll to Jack LaRue. And I went to the head of the studio and I said, ‘Look, can’t I play a nice girl? Why do I always have to play a dumb chorus girl?’ He said, ‘The only roles like that are in Westerns.’ ‘Then give me a western to do.’ ‘You want to do a Western?’ ‘Yes I do!’ So he signed me for a series with Wild Bill Elliot and Gabby Hayes. I did eight of those. Then I was bought by R.K.O. to do the Frank Sinatra film (STEP LIVELY -1944, the musical version of ROOM SERVICE), but I loved Republic, I learned a lot of tricks, a lot of things to do. I learned wiggle my ears from the back, because they always shot the back of the girls – she was never in the scene, she never got the man -- she would just ride off. But I learned so much – it was a wonderful, wonderful time to be here. One time I played an Indian girl. I had dark make-up on, and a head-band, moccasins on my feet and buckskins with fringe. I went into the commissary and sat down with the talent, and unbeknownst to him, my agent sat down right next to me but he didn’t know me. And I said to him, ‘You pass-um salt? You pass-um pepper?’ And then I laughed, and he knew me immediately. But we fooled him. There was a trick some of the cowboys would play on each other. They’d sit in a chair and nod off, and (the other cowboys) would sneak up behind them and tie their fringe to the chair. Well, they sneaked up on me, and I had taken off my moccasins, which weren’t very comfortable. I’m sitting there, studying my script, and they sneaked in and filled my moccasins with talcum powder, they tied my fringe to the chair. So when they called, ‘Hey Anne, we’re ready for you!’ I jumped up, dragging the chair behind me, with puffs of smoke coming from my feet! But I got even with them. I took the smoked fish that were hanging in front of the tepee, and put them in a ‘hot pot’, and they were looking for (where the smell was coming from) all day, but I wouldn’t tell them. But it was a wonderful time – we enjoyed everything we did there.”

Donna Martell confirmed, “Right here at Republic Studios I made my very first movie – am I thrilled or what? It was so great – I didn’t know a script from a camera, and there I am playing the ingénue lead in APACHE ROSE (1947), with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans – my heroes! They were so darling. That was the very first film done in Trucolor (the Republic answer to Technicolor), and someone told me a little bit ago that they can’t find it in color – but we did it in Trucolor. And not only did I do a Roy and Dale, I did a Gene Autry here (TWILIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE), and (in between) I did a film with Gilbert Roland, the Cisco Kid, in ROBIN HOOD OF MONTEREY (1947). I got to know Gene Autry real well. We all loved Gene, I loved Republic Studios. I can’t believe what they’ve done to it – I think it’s magnificent!” She paid enthusiastic tribute to all of the other stars on the dais, especially the most dapper man in Hollywood, A.C. Lyles.

In introducing Peggy Stewart, Maltin mentioned that she had more Republic credits than anyone else at the table. The lovely western and serial queen confirmed, “I did thirty-two westerns here. I did the all the RED RYDERS – well, not all of them, but I did most of the Bill Elliots, who’s the real Red Ryder as far as I’m concerned. I did about half of the Allan Lanes. Then I did three or four of the Jim Bannons. And I was married to Don Barry, who was the first Red Ryder – he did the serial. I did lots and lots of films – lots of memories here. I did a SEINFELD back here, and on a lunch hour, I thought, aw shoot, I’m going to take a walk to the back road and see what’s left of the Duchess’ ranch. Well, I start that way, but I can see there’s nothing but trees and shrubs, so I head back to the stage out here, stage nine. I’m leaning against the wall. I started hearing the ghosts of the crew, Bela the prop man and Zachary – and I started crying. Nostalgia just took over. And here comes Jerry and the crowd back from lunch, and at the door Jerry says, ‘Hi,’ and he lets the others in, then turns around and says, ‘Peggy, are you alright?’ And I say, ‘Jerry, you’re in my cave!’ ‘You’re what?’ And I said, ‘Over there used to be the big red barn, and if you opened the doors there was a track for the coal cars, and it went all the way through to the other side of the barn where your stage is! That was the cave set that they used in all the westerns and serials, and it’s gone.’”

Maltin reminded Adrian Booth, who began her career at Republic as Lorna Gray, that the studio sometimes kept her so busy with her serial duties that she’d check into a local motel rather than driving all the way home. “Yes I did. I had the pleasure of playing Vultura (the villainess of 1942’s PERILS OF NYOKA), and we didn’t shoot in the order of the script. We had fifteen episodes, and you had to know the dialogue of all fifteen, whether it was outside, or on the backlot, or in the studio, or on the New York street. And sometimes, because of the weather, you’d have five different calls. The assistant director would call you up at three o’clock in the morning to tell you which one. You had to know the dialogue for each. Not knowing if you were going to shoot at one place or the other was the best training in the world. I’d play Bette Davis one day, someone else the next day, but most of all I just played the queen, and loved every minute of it. I go back almost as far as the studio does: I’m gonna be 93 in about a minute. One of my fondest memories was making a film with John Wayne before he was a big star, one of the Three Mesquiteers. And my agent brought me over to meet everyone, and the first thing they asked me was if I could ride a horse. And I said of course I could ride a horse – I did it in Central Park in New York. But I lied – I just had to, you know. But John Wayne in that first picture, he helped me – he told me what side of the horse to get on. And he was so dear. We’re outside, and there’s this little wooden porch. And we had to walk along this porch and down three steps. And three times he stumbled on a nail. And he did it deliberately, and the reason was to save a quarter (of a day’s) check for the extras. And this was John Wayne. I’m grateful to God that I was here at this lovely studio, it was always like a family, they were always kind, they were always good. Locations would be so much fun. I never had an unhappy day in this studio.”

Leonard Maltin next turned to Joan Leslie. Most of the speakers thus far had started at Republic, but she’d already been a big star at Warner Brothers, and many would consider the move to be, in his words, ‘slumming.’ She didn’t feel that way. “It was different than Warners – Warners was so big that sometimes you got lost in the shuffle. They always treated me like a little girl – ‘Oh, we’ll get Joan to do it.’ Here I chose the scripts I wanted to do. I worked with directors like Joe Kane.” Maltin again interjected that while many on the panel had worked with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, only Joan had worked with that great western star, Vaughn Monroe. She laughed, “He was a lovely guy, we had a grand time (on THE TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA). The next one was THE WOMAN THEY ALMOST LYNCHED (1953) – I loved that title. With Brian Donlevy.”

Leonard Maltin suggested that in the 1950s, Ben Cooper was the busiest guy on the Republic lot. “I loved every minute of it. I had worked in New York for eleven years before I came out here, so it was a vacation. And the first one I did was a war picture (THUNDERBIRDS 1952), and my dressing room was on the 2nd floor. I remember walking up there and looking around – this was 1952, no smog – beautiful weather, month of May, and all I could think was, I’ve got to come back out here. So I went back (East), had pictures taken with my horse, sent them out, got to play Jesse James in THE WOMAN THEY ALMOST LYNCHED. And pretty soon after I walked on the set, Buddy Sherwood, wrangler – some of you who worked here may remember him. Always had a fresh flower in his hat, a cigar in his mouth, pot-belly and no butt. He walked up to me and he said, ‘Can you ride, kid?’ All he knew was I was that actor from New York who’s been on Broadway. I had my own horse; I’d been jumping him bareback. And I was really getting in shape to do this picture. But I knew if I said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m a good rider,’ you’re dead. You won’t live up to it. So I just said, ‘I can stay on sometimes.’ He just looked at me. So I just went over to the horse that he’d pointed out, patted him on the chest, and I saw that the cinch was a little loose. I threw up the stirrup leather, and I was about to tighten the cinch, and he was right behind me, and he said, ‘Come on, we’ll give you a good one.’
“But I loved it: I went from one to another to another. I didn’t care what they wanted me to do: I just wanted to do it. I was under contract here for four years, and I enjoyed every minute – I really did. And JOHNNY GUITAR was one that a lot of people remember. I’ll tell you about the very last shot of the picture that we did -- we were shooting all out of sequence. In the picture, Joan Crawford has me hidden under a table. And at one point my left leg’s supposed to fall out from under the (tablecloth). So, I thought it would be funny, and I had nothing else to do, so I took my shirt off, and I cut the pant-leg off pretty high. So I had on just this one blue pant-leg, boot and spur, and the top of the pants. Then I walked out and they all thought that was pretty funny. So I crawled under there, they had it all set up, ‘Okay – Action!’ I waited a moment, then my leg fell out. ‘Cut!’ Then Harry Stradling, the cameraman, said, ‘Wait a minute. That light wasn’t right – we’re gonna have to do it again. Okay, Ben, stay there, and we’ll get to it.’ ‘Okay!’ And I waited. And I waited. And I thought, not are they only very slow, they’re being very quiet. And I crawled out from under that table, and everybody had left the soundstage! The crew, the cast, the guys up in the rafters, everybody had gone to the wrap party and just left me there! And I loved them all.”

Hugh O’Brien, the last to speak, will always be remembered as WYATT EARP on his long-running series, but first he was at Republic. “I did three films here. The first one I remember very well, with Forrest Tucker, FIGHTING COAST GUARD (1951). On the first day, the studio manager came on the lot, and said to me, ‘I know it’s your first role in a film at Republic, but I know you from somewhere. How do I know you?’ And I said, ‘I used to do your windows.’ When I got out of the Marine Corps I had a card made up that said ‘Exterior Decorator’ on it. And by the time I was under contract to Universal I had thirty guys working for me. I did about 2/3rds of the lawns in the Beverly Hills area. The home I live in now, I used to landscape. I sold (the business) when I went under contract to Universal for $35,000, which would be like a million dollars today.” When Maltin asked if he found Republic a pleasant place to work, he responded, “I thought it had some of the cleanest bathrooms in town.” And when the laughs died down, he added, “Actually, it reminded me so much of where I went to high school, in Illinois.”

The final panel discussion of the day was SPECIAL EFFECTS & THE LYDECKER BROTHERS, about the work of Howard and Theodore Lydecker, whose miniatures have never been surpassed, whether in serials, war movies, crime films or westerns. An excellent website was put together to promote this event, and it’s been updated, and has very nice biographies of all the attendees. To see it, CLICK HERE.

SNEAK PEEK AT ‘BIG VALLEY’ SETS AND LOCATIONS

The accompanying photos, all courtesy of lisafemmeacadienne, show the exterior of the Barkley home, a western street under construction, and some interiors – see last week’s entry for information about where in Louisiana these places are located.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN OF THE WEST!
Just found out that Dale Evans' birthday was on Halloween, so I added that pin-up to the top of the page!

7TH ANNUAL RED NATION LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

From Wednesday November 3rd through Tuesday November 9th, the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theater at 8000 W. Sunset Boulevard, L.A., CA 90046, will be the home of the Red Nation Films Festival,celebrating American Indian filmmakers. For details, CLICK HERE.

AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS MARKETPLACE AT THE AUTRY
Saturday and Sunday, November 6th and 7th, the Autry will host it's annual Indian Arts Marketplace. Both days will be packed with education and entertainment for all ages. Over 180 artists representing dozens of tribes will be taking part. For details, CLICK HERE.

DEDICATION OF STEVE MCQUEEN SQUARE IN L.A. SUNDAY!
Steve McQueen, whose Westerns include the series WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, and such unforgettable movies as THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, NEVADA SMITH, THE REVIERS, JUNIOR BONNER and TOM HORN, will be honored this Sunday, Nov.7th, with the dedication of a square at the intersection of Highland and Santa Monica, the end of Route 66 in Hollywood. The event will begin at eleven a.m. on Hollywood Boulevard with a Steve McQueen Motor Parade, stop by Steve's star on the Walk Of Fame at Hollywood and Highland, and the dedication of the square will take place at around noon. For more information, go to the Jules Verne Adventures website HERE.


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 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 it for now. Jeff Hildebrandt left me a message reminding me that the ENCORE WESTERN CHANNEL has been, and continues to regularly show Roy Rogers Westerns. I wish I still got Encore Western, but I can't without buying a whole package of stations I don't want. The particularly nice thing about RFD-TV running the shows is they're a basic cable channel, so maybe it will expose westerns to folks who aren't even looking for them -- especially kids. If you notice things running on Encore Western, or any other channel, that would be of interest to our readers, please let me know!

Adios!

Henry

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