‘SWEETWATER’ REVENGE WESTERN COMING SOON!

Coming soon, ‘SWEETWATER’ is a revenge western starring MAD MEN favorite January Jones as the wronged woman; Jason Isaacs, villain of HARRY POTTER films and THE PATRIOT as a doubtful prophet; and four time Oscar-nominee Ed Harris, whose most recent western is the excellent APPALOOSA, as the sheriff.  Other western vets in the cast include Eduardo Noriega of BLACKTHORN, Chad Brummett of 3:10 TO YUMA, Kathy Lamkin of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, David Manzanares of DJANGO UNCHAINED, Keith Meriweather of JONAH HEX, and Luce Rains of 3:10 TO YUMA, APPALOOSA, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, WILD BILL, and WYATT EARP!  It’s the second film from writer-director Logan Miller, who’s TOUCHING HOME also starred Ed Harris, along with Brad Dourif.     

I hope to have more information soon, but for now, here’s the first trailer –

 

TCM CLASSIC FILM FEST PART 3

Walter Mirisch and Ben Mankiewicz

On Friday, April 26^th, THE GREAT ESCAPE was shown at the opulent and beautiful Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.  Before the screening, the film’s legendary producer, Walter Mirisch, spoke with Ben Mankiewicz about his earlier experience working with director John Sturges and star Steve McQueen, on a film called THE MAGNIFICENT 7.

“(Sturges and I) became friendly, and we decided we wanted to work together.  I always had in mind to find a property that we could do together.  The availability of the SEVEN SAMAURI seemed to present that opportunity to me, because I thought it would be perfect for John.  And I’ll never forget the day that he and I sat together in a projection room and watched THE SEVEN SAMAURI and just spit-balled how it would work as a western.  We were very, very excited.” 

BEN MANKIEWICZ: Did you think then, with Steve McQueen such a big, developing TV star, this early in the process, would be good in that movie? 

WALTER MIRISCH: No, that was never a factor.  Steve was still a television star on the series called WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, prior to THE MAGNIFICENT 7.  And he was well-received in THE MAGNIFICENT 7, but he had not really achieved star status, so-called, as a result of THE MAGNIFICENT 7.  (John Sturges and I) looked around for another project to do together.  So he suggested some things, and I suggested some things.  Then the idea of THE GREAT ESCAPE came up.  The story had been put on the screen before.   The British had done a picture about that very subject. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ: (archly) If the Americans don’t make it, it doesn’t count!

WALTER MIRISCH: (laughs) Actually, no one could understand those accents, so it didn’t make a damned bit of difference.  There was some resistance, but we (he and Sturges) overcame it because he and I both got very excited at the idea of doing this movie.  Unfortunately the book we acquired, which was by a man named Paul Brickhill, who was himself a prisoner, who was a flyer in the British Air Force, is a factual book.  It’s not a novel.  All of the personal stories, we made up for our film. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  Who were you looking at for the two principal characters who would eventually be played by James Garner and Steve McQueen? 

WALTER MIRISCH: First of all, we had decided to tailor the script so that there would be two characters who would carry the story.  Just a few years prior to that, John had made a very, very successful movie called GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (pause for applause), with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster.  We were tailoring these roles in THE GREAT ESCAPE for Kirk and Burt.  We talked about that until we reached the point of asking how much they were going to cost.  We were having trouble getting the budget of the picture approved.

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  I heard something like four million dollars.  Is that about right?

WALTER MIRISCH:  Somewhat more than that.  A great deal at that time, I must tell you.  Anyone who has ever made a movie has heard this famous expression, “You’re going to have to cut the budget if you want to get this made.”  So when we got ‘the speech,’ John and I talked it over.  I suggested that two relatively inexpensive actors, named Steve McQueen and James Garner, might be possible for those two parts.  And we could save about two million dollars just with that one stroke. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  Do you realize, when you say that, that you are a genius?  (laughter and applause)  Not for saying ‘no’ to Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster.  It’s recognizing that Garner and McQueen could fill them.  It’s impossible now to envision – it would be a very different movie with Lancaster and Douglas. 

WALTER MIRISCH: I got to know Steve very well when we made THE MAGNIFICENT 7.  I was fond of him; I thought he had incredible on-screen personality.  And I liked the idea of going younger.  Prior to that I had made a film called THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, and Jim played the male lead with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacClaine, so I was more comfortable with Steve and Jim than I would have been with Kirk and Burt. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  Let me ask you about Steve McQueen, because as you said he had made a big impression in THE MAGNIFICENT 7, but he was not yet a top star --

WALTER MIRISCH:  He hadn’t jumped that motorcycle over the hill yet!

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  I think one of the reasons all the people in this room cherish Steve McQueen they way we do, is because he had that fierce independence, caused by a significant chip on his shoulder.  A guy who’s filled with the self-doubt that many of us are plagued with.  And all those things made him Steve McQueen.  But they also – and I know you’re somebody who loved him dearly – made him a handful to deal with.

WALTER MIRISCH:  (laughs) Steve has that quality, the French call je nes se quois.  I don’t know why, but he’s got it.  He radiated it, and he radiates it on the screen. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ:  Now, he left the set for some time when he didn’t like the way his part was, he didn’t like James Garner’s turtle-neck.  James Garner had a great line: “He wanted to be the hero, but he didn’t want to do anything heroic.”  He thought his character was corny.  As a producer you got through that; you navigated those waters.  You worked with McQueen again, and he gave one of his best performances in THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR.  How do you deal with a fantastically talented mercurial star, and keep your picture running at the same time? 

WALTER MIRISCH:  Steve always thought there were too many words.  And I came to trust that, because I learned that he especially was able to convey a great deal by his very expression.  So I was open to cutting down the amount of speeches; there was a lot he could convey with his eyes.  John was also well aware of that. And we collaborated on that, and also Steve had a good sense of story.  There’s a very famous incident, of course, where Steve got upset in THE GREAT ESCAPE and went away for a while, but that was overcome by rewriting.  I said we’ll overcome what you’re upset about, and he said, “That sounds fine.  I’ll be back to work tomorrow.” 

BEN MANKIEWICZ: Did those new pages include things like, ‘rides motorcycle,’ ‘carries baseball glove’? 

WALTER MIRISCH:  He conveyed more about independence of spirit, and courage, just by throwing that baseball against that wall, and catching it, than you could do with long speeches. 

BEN MANKIEWICZ: I don’t think this will be giving anything away.  At one point Steve McQueen is chased on motorcycles by some Germans.  One of those Germans chasing Steve McQueen on a motorcycle is Steve McQueen.  Any opportunity to ride a motorcycle –

 WALTER MIRISCH:  (laughs) You know you’re not supposed to give away all the secrets!

Coming soon – the final TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL entry, featuring Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and director John Boorman discussing DELIVERANCE.

CORRAL GUNFIGHT ‘O.K.’ NO MORE

 

In the twenty-five years since the Autry opened, much has changed, as exhibitions are expanded, shrunken or moved.  But the life-sized ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ diorama’s only noticeable change over the years has been the replacement of guns, as they were occasionally swiped from the hands of the Earps.  I remember once coming and finding that of all the figures, only one of the Clantons was still packing iron.  (Then again, I once went to a wax museum in Coney Island, and saw Abe Lincoln assassinated by John Wilkes Booth with a Buck Rogers Ray-Gun.) But on June 2^nd, a different kind of packing – packing away – took place.  The Gunfight is being replaced by a new show, Western Frontiers – Stories of Fact and Fiction which, starting on July 25, will tell the story of the West using firearms of great historic and artistic significance.

I’m looking forward to the new show; but I’ll miss the gunfight.  I always thought the narration was a little clunky, but I’ve never gone through that gallery and not pressed the button, to see the show.  And it was a thrill to watch it, then cross to the facing cabinet and see a gun belonging to Doc Holliday, and the sketch of the corral that Wyatt Earp himself had drawn.

Wyatt Earp's sketch of the O.K. Corral

If you’re going to miss it as well, or if you’ve never seen it, click the Youtube link below.  It’s not great – it was shot by an amateur, but it’s only thanks to ‘Ms. Lizzy Borden’ that we have a living record of it at all: http://youtu.be/V1hbHaLyrdk

 

MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL - ‘A GATHERING OF GUNS 5’ JUNE 13^TH-15^th

 

At Sam’s Town Resort in Tunica, Mississippi (30 miles South of Memphis, Tennessee), the guns will be gathering, and Boyd Magers has assembled quite a crew!  From HIGH CHAPARRAL, Henry Darrow, Don Collier and Rudy Ramos.  From WAGON TRAIN, Robert Fuller and Denny Miller.  From THE VIRGINIAN, the man himself, James Drury.  SPIN & MARTY – Tim Considine and David Stollery.  ELFEGA BACA himself, Robert Loggia (who was also the lead villain in the first movie I wrote, SPEEDTRAP).  Lisa Lu – Hey Girl from HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL.  Dan Haggerty and Don Shanks from GRIZZLY ADAMS, ZORRO star Duncan Regehr, plus Alex Cord, Gregg Palmer, Tommy Nolan, and Terry Moore.  James Best will present a one-man show, and Johnny Crawford of THE RIFLEMAN, who fronts a wonderful swing orchestra, will present a full banquet concert.  To learn more, go HERE.  http://memphisfilmfestival.com/

WGA NAMES 3 ½ WESTERNS AMONG 101 BEST-WRITTEN SERIES

Lists like this always provoke arguments – or in our case, barroom brawls – but the membership of the East and West branches of the Writers Guild of America voted on-line to determine the 101 best-written TV series in the history of television.  First recognized in the Western field was, at #32, DEADWOOD created by David Milch.  Not another sagebrush saga until #84, a tie  between the courtroom drama THE DEFENDERS, created by Reginald Rose, and GUNSMOKE, pilot written by Charles Marquis Warren and John Meston.  At #86 was JUSTIFIED, pretty-much a Western, developed for Television by Graham Yost, based on the Short Story “Fire in the Hole” by Elmore Leonard, in a tie with SGT. BILKO, by Nat Hiken.  Finally, coming in at #96 was LONESOME DOVE, teleplay by Bill Wittliff, based on the novel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry; this was tied with SOAP, created by Susan Harris. 

To be fair, there was a lot of excellent writing covering a wide array of genres, dramatic and comedic, on the list, and only a couple of series that I personally hated.  But how a list could be compiled of the best of all TV writing, and have no mention of RAWHIDE, or WAGON TRAIN, or THE REBEL, or HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL, is beyond me.  Who do you think they left out?  To see the entire list, go HERE.  http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4925

 

‘THE NEVADAN’ COMIC STRIP!

Remember a 1950 Columbia film, THE NEVADAN, starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone and Forrest Tucker? My daughter gave me an old western movie magazine, and in it was a comic-strip version of the movie. I thought my Rounders might find it amusing, so I started running it, one panel a day, on the Round-up Facebook page.  The response has been enthusiastic, and it’s now been running long enough that I thought I’d include it here, from the beginning, for people who might have missed a panel or two.  Hope you enjoy it!

 

 

More of 'THE NEVADAN' coming tomorrow!

THE WRAP-UP

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending an Autry screening of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, hosted by Los Angeles Police Museum President Glynn Martin, novelist (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, THE BLACK DAHLIA) James Ellroy, and Autry Curator Jeffrey Richardson.  That night I attended a screening of Selig and Fox Tom Mix films at the Egyptian Theatre, introduced by Col. Selig biographer Andrew Erish.  I'll have highlights from both talks next week.

Can't believe I forgot to wish Clint Eastwood a Happy Birthday back on May 31st.  He has without question done more to encourage, improve and preserve on-screen Western story-telling than anyone else in the last half century!  Happy Birthday!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright June 2013 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

‘HOWDY KIDS!’ WESTERN DVD COLLECTION BRINGS BABY-BOOMER CHILDHOOD BACK ALIVE!

(UPDATED 6/5/2013 -- See Roy Rogers section of 'Howdy, Kids!!' review, Tom Mix screening)

Those of us who grew up in the post-World War II baby boom had, unquestionably, the best TV childhood of any generation.  There is a reason that people of several generations still watch shows like SUPERMAN and LEAVE IT TO BEAVER: they really were as good as you remembered, and not aimed down to you, but  rather geared to your interests.  Some series whose genres have fallen out of favor have disappeared – CAPTAIN GALLANT and RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE are still good campy fun, but kids of today would have no idea what to make of a Foreign Legion or Jungle series.

Among the shows that have stood the test of time, not surprisingly, are those in that most American and most cinematic of all genres, the Western.  Now the good and very hip/edgy folks at SHOUT FACTORY have put together a delightful sampler, a three DVD, twenty-four episode, ten hour collection of cowboy favorites.  It includes episodes from a dozen favorite series, as well as a pair of fascinating unsold pilots.   Entitled HOWDY KIDS!! – A SATURDAY AFTERNOON WESTERN ROUND-UP, the word ‘afternoon’ is a misnomer, as the whole point of these shows – from a parental perspective – was to keep the kids busy and quiet on Saturday ‘morning’, so grown-ups could catch up on their sleep.  Shout Factory has selected very well, and watching them will spark fond memories from those of us who grew up with them.  They’ll also serve as a great introduction to children and grandchildren – and decode a bit about their parents’ and grandparents’ psyches – when the youngsters see them for the first time.   

 

Early TV benefited tremendously from the training ground of Republic Pictures.  Many of the directors, writers, editors and other crew members and character actors who had learned to perform their crafts with slick, stylish efficiency at the little studio in the San Fernando Valley, quickly found their services in demand all over the small screen.  This was particularly true for one of the very best series of the day, THE ROY ROGERS SHOW, whose TV episodes were like a really good Republic Western without the excessive musical padding.  But Roy, who was still under contract to Republic for seven pictures a year, was forbidden by the studio to do a series.  The court battle over Roy doing the series, and Republic airing his movies, went on for years.  When the prairie fire burned itself out, Republic ran the movies, and Roy starred in his series, but he never appeared in a major studio film again, and his lawyer, Art Rush, always thought Roy had been blackballed as too difficult. Premiering in 1951, husband and wife Roy Rogers and Dale Evans spent seven years and 102 episodes in Mineral City, as friends but not spouses, with Roy as a rancher and unofficial lawman, Dale running the coffee shop, and Roy’s old pal from The Sons Of The Pioneers, Pat Brady – he of the Jeep named Nellybelle –  as Dale’s dishwasher and Roy’s sidekick.  The shows also featured Trigger, “Roy’s golden palomino… and Roy’s wonder-dog, Bullet,” and horse and dog were frequently called upon to carry a message or untie Roy’s hands.   Roy had a very natural acting style that has aged well when others have dated, and his shows often had more plotting, riding, and rough-and-tumble fighting than the others.  A modern-day Western series, this is the sort of show, mixing horses and stagecoaches with Jeeps and telephones, that forever confused the kids of my generation, who believed that if we could only manage to get out west, we could wear six-guns and rob stagecoaches.  Of the two episodes included, THE SETUP is only the third one of the series, centering around a feisty old-lady trapper who won’t sell her land, and the crooks who are willing to shoot her, or have her declared insane to get her property (kinda edgy for a kid show).  The second episode, BAD NEIGHBORS, is from the 4^th season, and features the rarely seen Post Cereals credit sequence. 

No one knew more about making quality B Westerns for a price than Gene Autry, who had preceded Roy at Republic – Roy actually had been promoted to stardom to replace Gene, who had gone off to war.  Gene Autry produced THE GENE AUTRY SHOW from 1950 to 1955, starring in 91 episodes.  But he also produced several other series under his FLYING A PRODUCTIONS banner, four of which are represented in THE HOWDY KIDS!! collection.  ANNIE OAKLEY stars beautiful Gene Autry-discovery Gail Davis as ‘Little Sure-shot,’ although the series bears no relation to her actual life.  Annie, her kid brother Tagg (Jimmy Hawkins) assist Deputy Lofty Craig (Brad Johnson) in protecting their little town of Diablo, and there is plenty of action, though more of the shooting kind – Annie’s specialty – than fisticuffs.  No surprise that Annie was a favorite among girls – she was better with a gun than any man, but never lost her humor or femininity.  All of the Autry shows were well-produced, and with a varying range of locations.  In addition to Gene’s own Melody Ranch, Vasquez Rocks, Iverson’s Movie Ranch, Pioneertown and the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine are frequently seen.

There were 78 episodes of Autry’s THE RANGE RIDER produced between 1951 and 1953, and while Gene drew on the Republic directors and stock-company of villains, the series’ greatest assets were its charismatic stars, Jock Mahoney as The Range Rider, and Dickie Jones as his young sidekick, Dick West.  In addition to being good actors, they did all of their own stunts – and there was an astonishing amount of trick-riding, leaping on and off of horses, diving through windows and the like.  Starting under his birth-name of Jacques O’Mahoney in the mid 1940s, Jock had stunt-doubled for dozens of stars before becoming a star himself.  Jones was a trick-rider and roper from the age of four (!), and at six was hired by Hoot Gibson to perform in his rodeos.  In addition to his work on-camera in westerns, serials and Our Gang comedies, Dick had starred on radio as HENRY ALDRICH, and for Disney voiced the title character in PINNOCHIO.   The episode BULLETS AND BADMEN features ANNIE OAKLEY-hero Brad Johnson as a villain.  Like his movies, Gene Autry’s shows often dealt with social issues, and the episode CONVICT AT LARGE examines an ex-outlaw’s attempt to go straight when few want to give him a chance. 

After RANGE RIDER rode off into the sunset, Dickie Jones was back in another Autry series, BUFFALO BILL JR., playing the title role of a young Marshal – with little or nothing to do with the real Cody, senior or junior.  Little Nancy Gilbert played his forever-in-trouble kid sister Calamity (what can parents expect when they give a kid that name?), and Harry Chesire was Judge Ben ‘Fair ‘n’ Square’ Wiley, who is saddled with raising the two whippersnappers.  This show is what used to be called a ‘haircut’ (gender switch) on ANNIE OAKLEY, and was very popular, if not quite up to the RANGE RIDER standard; but it was full of the sort of riding and fighting and shooting action you expected from Dickie Jones.  One included episode focuses on a town milliner who is fingering likely candidates for robbery.  The other details a search for a treasure buried by Jesse James.

 

 

Gene Autry even tried to build a series around his famous horse in THE ADVENTURES OF CHAMPION, which ran for one 26-episode season in 1955/56.  Set in old Arizona, it starred Barry Curtis as Ricky North, the only person ‘Champion the Wonder Horse’ would obey, with Jim Bannon, a former Red Ryder, as Ricky’s dad, and a German Shepherd named Rebel, who could have been Bullet’s brother.  It’s a nice series, some of it directed beautifully by old pros like Ford Bebee, who was helming Westerns in the silent days, and knew how to tell an animal story with minimal dialogue.  Perhaps it didn’t ‘click’ because it focused more on boy than horse, and Curtis, while a good actor, was saddled with a character so earnest that he made Timmy from LASSIE seem like a juvenile delinquent.  With the show cancelled, he went on the next year to play Van Heflin’s son In 3:10 TO YUMA. 

 

 

FURY started the same year as CHAMPION, and ran for five seasons and 116 episodes.  Fury was a beautiful but wild stallion, and Bobby Diamond played Joey Newton, the only person Fury would obey (sound a little familiar?).  Following the great TV tradition, Joey was an orphan, adopted and raised by Jim Newton (Peter Graves), and they lived on and worked the Newton Ranch with crusty old sidekick Pete (William Fawcett).  Fawcett, a Ph. D., who taught theatre at Michigan State, started acting on film and TV right after the war.  Among his 274 screen credits were every single series included in HOWDY, KIDS!!  -- except for ADVENTURES OF CHAMPION.   Originally planned as a prime-time series, Peter Graves was furious at first, when they switched its time slot to Saturday morning.  A modern-day Western series, with superior acting and production, the episode KILLER STALLION is the first after the pilot, and involves a case of mistaken horse-identity, and Joey’s fight to save Fury from being put down for stampeding other horses.  SCORCHED EARTH could have been a boring p.s.a. about forest fires in less talented hands, but instead is very exciting.   

Two series made a direct transition from radio to television: THE LONE RANGER and SERGEANT PRESTON OF THE YUKON.     Both are credited as created by George W. Trendle, although many insist that LONE RANGER was truly the creation of head writer Fran Striker.  Brace Beemer played the daring masked rider of the planes on radio, but a younger and more fit man was needed on-screen, and Clayton Moore was perfect.  A busy but undistinguished actor with an unusually distinctive voice, his portrayal came alive when the mask went on, and he made an indelible impression as the Lone Ranger.  Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk, played his faithful Indian companion Tonto, and although his dialogue was written to make it clear that English was his second language, his characterization was subtle and memorable.  And they didn’t soft-pedal the racial elements; until they learned better, many white folk started the episodes addressing Tonto as “Indian,” as though he didn’t have a name.      

Coming with a tremendous backlog of already-produced half-hour stories, the shows at first relied heavily on adapting radio scripts, as can be seen in THE RENEGADES, episode 8 of the first season.  This caused them to be rather stiff and stilted.  Actor Gerald Mohr, who spoke those well-remembered words from the opening – “…Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear!  From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver!  The Lone Ranger Rides again!” – voiced much un-needed and distracting narration that was carried over from radio.  But by episode 11, SIX GUN’S LEGACY, they had cut back noticeably on the exposition.  The production values are high in these early shows, with plenty of location work, and a bit of stock footage thrown in.  Later on the series became famous for cutting corners.  Dick Jones who, in addition to starring in THE RANGE RIDER and BUFFALO BILL JR. guested on the LONE RANGER, recalled that the camera was mounted on a tripod in the back of a truck at all times, so they could change set-ups that much quicker.

SERGEANT PRESTON came to television six years later, in 1955, but was even more radio-tied and stiff than LONE RANGER, and Richard Simmons portrayed Preston with an ‘1890s melodrama’ broadness that was a distinct, and quirky, part of the show’s charm.  One of the few shows shot in color – the LONE RANGER didn’t get color until near the end of its run – it was still one of the most old-fashioned, and the episode CRIME AT WOUNDED MOOSE features a horde of masked bandits that look like they’re right off of a WEIRD TALES pulp cover.   Did I mention that Preston is ably assisted by his lead sled-dog, “…his wonder-dog Yukon King!” 

THE CISCO KID, produced by ZIV Television, was shot in color, which contributed greatly to the series’ value and longevity.  When O. Henry created the Cisco Kid in his short story THE CABALLERO’S WAY, the Kid was a pretty rotten villain, and his image had been continually scoured and polished ever since.  By the time that Duncan Renaldo, who had played him in some movies for Monogram and United Artists, was playing him again for television, Cisco was “O. Henry’s Robin Hood of the old west!”  Or more properly, as Duncan described him, Don Quixote, with Leo Carrillo as Pancho, the Sancho Panza character.  Like the Lone Ranger, they didn’t shoot bad guys; they shot the guns out of their hands.  Much of the pleasure of this series is the charm of the two stars, who had been in the movies for decades.  Leo Carrillo, who had started at the tail end of the silent era, and had played Pancho opposite Renaldo in the United Artists films, was over seventy when he began the series, but put in a tremendous amount of work in the sun and in the saddle.  Duncan Renaldo’s background was as mysterious as any movie (read my article about him HERE http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazing-adventures-of-duncan-renaldo.html), but he’d had a long career at Republic, and had written some movies as well.  Their chemistry on-screen was a joy.  Marcia Mae Jones, who starred with them in the GHOST TOWN episode, told me that they were terribly competitive, and always concerned about who was getting more close-ups, but that never came through to the audience.  Incidentally, as many of these series were syndicated over the years, cuts were made to allow for more ads.  I’d seen GHOST TOWN several times, but only with this version have I finally seen the first four minutes, which not only sets up an otherwise unintelligible plot, but also features moving scenes with Cisco and Pancho nearly dying of thirst in the desert.  The series lasted for seven seasons, ending in 1956, and produced 156 episodes, which were re-run for decades.  The stars’ identification with these characters was complete, which was fine with both men.  After playing Pancho, Leo Carrillo only did two TV guest shots before he died in 1961at the age of 80.  Duncan Renaldo died in 1980, at the age of 76, and never played another character onscreen again.

 

 

In 1955, when Bill Williams finished starring in 103 episodes of THE ADVENTURES OF KIT CARSON, he said he never wanted to hear the name ‘Kit Carson’ again.  I’m with him.  I’m not saying it was a terrible series, but it wasn’t very good.  The shows tended to be static, with way too much time spent talking in interiors, and not enough plot or action.  The biggest weakness was Williams himself, who was very handsome, but a lox.  Ironically, his sidekick, El Toro, played by Don Diamond, had all the personality that the star lacked.  Although actually a Russian Jew from New York City, Diamond excelled at playing Mexicans, and was also a regular on Disney’s ZORRO series before winning his best-remembered role as Crazy Cat on F-TROOP.  El Toro’s obsession with the ladies makes for trouble, and in the episode THE DESPERATE SHERIFF, about a new and unsure lawman, and a prisoner who must be held when there is no jail cell, the femme fatale of the piece is no less than Movita, Tehani of 1935’s MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, and later the first wife of Marlon Brando.

Although Kirby Grant had done many films, playing Mounties and cowboys and foils for Abbott and Costello, the role of SKY KING defined his image as much as The Lone Ranger did Clayton Moore, and he gloried in it.  In fact, after eight years and 72 episodes, once the show ended in 1962, Grant never played another character onscreen again.  Unlike the ‘in between’ shows like ROY ROGERS, SKY KING was as modern as a modern-day Western could be, and lots of fun, with Sky flying his Cessna, ‘The Songbird,’ all over the west to save the stranded and track the lawless.  With him was his adorable, if often ditzy, niece Penny, played by Gloria Winters, and probably half of the episodes involved getting Penny out of some harebrained trouble.  But to be fair, Penny could also fly to the rescue when given the chance.  The featured episode, BULLET BAIT, centers on a wedding being held at Sky’s Flying Crown Ranch, until gangsters kidnap the groom and threaten the bride.      

THE RIFLEMAN is the oddest choice of the set, because even though, like CHAMPION, FURY, and BUFFALO BILL JR., it focused on a boy, rather than being a Saturday Morning show, it was an ‘Adult Western’ in the mold of GUNSMOKE, and made by some of the same tough characters, including writer and director Sam Peckinpah.  In 168 episodes, from 1958 to 1963, Chuck Connors was widower Lucas McCain, Johnny Crawford was his son Mark, and the two shared a ranch just outside of North Fork, New Mexico in the 1880s.   Although Lucas was as good with his modified Winchester as Annie Oakley was with her guns, it couldn’t have been more different: Lucas avoided showing off his gun whenever possible, yet almost always ended up having to kill someone, something that was rarely featured, especially on-camera, on the Saturday morning shows.  In the featured episode, DAY OF THE HUNTER, Lucas must deal with charming but sinister mountain-man John Anderson, who is determined to force Lucas into a duel, and cruelly manipulates Mark into making it happen.  It’s much darker than you’d ever have on a Saturday morning show, but very good, until a scene at the end which I won’t give away, except to say that it is not merely bad, but laughable, in a series in which you would never expect it. 

Rounding out the set are a pair of unaired pilots that run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous.  To take the ridiculous first, THE ADVENTURES OF RICK O’SHAY, with no connection to the same-named comic strip, starred Steve Keyes, with sidekicks Bob Gilbert and Ewing Brown.  The plot, if you can call it that, involves kidnapping, and characters so stupid that they agree to take part believing it’s a practical joke.  While some of the outdoor photography is better than adequate, the acting is embarrassing, and the tech work, especially indoors, is horrible, reminiscent of the worst junior high school play you’ve ever seen.  The only name worth mentioning is director Oliver Drake, who was a fairly good and prolific screenwriter but a very poor director. (We do owe him a debt of thanks for co-writing STUNT MAN: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YAKIMA CANUTT.)    

On the sublime side, THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER, created as a comic strip by Fred Harman, had been a hit in the newspapers, then on radio.  Republic made a very good and popular serial starring Don ‘Red’ Barry (that’s where he got ‘Red’), and Tommy Cook as his Indian orphan companion Little Beaver.  This was followed by a long series of Republic features, first with Wild Bill Elliot, then with Allan ‘Rocky’ Lane as Red, and always with Bobby Blake as Little Beaver.  The last big-screen Red Ryder was Jim Bannon of THE ADVENTURES OF CHAMPION, and in 1951, when this pilot was made for a possible TV series, Bannon was back, and turning on the charm in a big way.  While the mystery boy who played Little Beaver – billed as ‘himself’ – was not up to the Cook or Blake standard, the rest of the cast was exceptional.  Lyle Talbot was the main villain, trying to engineer the rustling of cattle entrusted to Ryder’s care.  Olive Carey, widow of Harry Carey and mother of Harry Carey Jr., played ‘The Dutchess,’ the wealthy lady Red works for.  Kenneth MacDonald was the man who knew too much to live!  Robert J. Wilke, one of the West’s best grinning badmen had a wonderful knock-down drag-out saloon brawl with Red; and Dick Curtis, another top-shelf swine, has a bullwhip duel with Red!  Director Thomas Carr, a master of Western action, and director of many of the best SUPERMAN shows was at the helm.  The tight script was penned by Charles Belden, who’d written many Westerns, and many of the best Charlie Chan pictures.  It’s thoroughly entertaining, and I’m amazed it didn’t sell.  Incidentally, in 1956, another pilot was shot, featuring Allan ‘Rocky’ Lane as the redhead, and it didn’t sell either.             

I thoroughly enjoyed HOWDY KIDS!!, and I’m sure anyone of an age to remember some of the shows, or anyone who wants to know more about kid television, will enjoy it as well.  Sadly, this sort of kid-centered action entertainment, a direct descendent of the Saturday matinees with serials and B Westerns, did not last long.  As actors, justifiably, began demanding a bigger piece of the action, production budgets, though infinitesimal by today’s standards, soared, and live action was soon dumped in favor of cheap-to-produce cartoons.  But boy, it was great while it lasted!   HOWDY, KIDS!! is priced at $19.98, and available from the Shout Factory HERE.

 

5 GEORGE O'BRIEN WESTERNS ON TCM STARTING TUES. A.M.

Turner Classic Movies will show five George O'Briens starting this morning at 5:45 a.m., Pacific time, interspersed with other movies.  They are MARSHAL OF LOST MESA (1939), BULLET CODE (1940), LEGION OF THE LAWLESS (1940), PRAIRIE LAW (1940) and TRIPLE JUSTICE (1940).  And later in the afternoon they'll show Tim Holt in ROBBERS OF THE RANGE (1941).

DOUBLE INDEMNITY SATURDAY AT THE AUTRY

Don't know quite how it'll fit into 'What Is A Western?', but Billy Wilder's film of Raymond Chandler's screenplay from James M. Cain's novel is so close to perfect that it's a must-see regardless. Prior to the screening, there'll be a talk by Glynn Martin, executive director of the Los Angeles Police Museum, discussing L.A.'s importance to films noir. It's at 1:30 pm, and did I mention it stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson?

TOM MIX – SELIG FILMS SATURDAY AT THE EGYPTIAN!

On Saturday, June 8^th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Speilberg Theatre at the Egyptian, a program of silent Tom Mix westerns, all produced by Col. Selig, will be presented.  Part of the Cinemateque’s ‘Retro Format Films’ series, all of the prints being shown are 8mm film, possibly the only format in which some still exist.  There will be several shorts, including “An Arizona Wooing” (1915, 23 min.), “A Bear of a Story” (1916, 13 min.) and “Roping a Bride” (1916, 11 min.), followed by the feature JUST TONY (1922), all shown with a live piano accompaniment by Cliff Retallick.  If you’re not familiar with film pioneer Col. Selig, you need to read Andrew Erish’s excellent book, COLONEL WILLIAM N. SELIG – THE MAN WHO INVENTED HOLLYWOOD.  Here’s a link to my mini-review – I’ll have a more extensive one, and an interview with the author, shortly:  http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2012/12/luke-parrys-third-goodnight-for-justice.html

OUTDOOR EVENTS

As Summer comes along, there are more good things to do out-of-doors.  Please send me your Western events anywhere in the world, and I'll be happy to share them!

JUNE 8-9 17TH ANNUAL INTER-TRIBAL POWWOW, OCEANSIDE

On Saturday and Sunday, arts and crafts, food, dance performances, and drumming, at the San Luis Rey Mission grounds.  (760)-724-8505.  http://slrmissionindians.org/www.slrmissionindians.org/Home.html

JUNE 8 JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, EARLIMART

Entertainment, speakers, food and drink, puppet shows and tours of the historic buildings of Allensworth.  Allensworth State Historic Park. (661) 849-3433
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21298


THE WRAP-UP

That's it for this week!  If you are a regular Round-up reader (or Rounder), you know that  I've interviewed a number of actors, directors and writers of Westerns, but this past Wednesday I had my first opportunity to interview a film composor, Randy Miller, who composed the soundtrack for YELLOW ROCK, which has just been released on CD on the Intrada label.  I'll have that soon.  Have a great week!

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright June 2013 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved
 

 

 

 

TCM FEST PART 2, AND PAT BUTTRAM BIO!

TCM FILM FESTIVAL – ‘THE RIVER OF NO RETURN’

 

The 4^th Annual TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL was held in Hollywood, from Thursday, April 25^th through Sunday, April 28^th, at a variety of venues, including Grauman’s Chinese, the Chinese multiplex, Grauman’s Egyptian, and the Cinerama Dome, now the Arclight Hollywood.  With as many as six screenings happening simultaneously, it was truly an embarrassment of riches, and selecting what movie to see was often a difficult decision. 

On Thursday night, after covering the red carpet for the premiere of the remastered FUNNY GIRL at the Chinese (you can read it HERE ), I hurried to the multiplex and caught Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in THE ROAD TO UTOPIA.  Every movie had a live introduction, and UTOPIA’S was provided by Greg Proops, a busy on-camera and voice actor best known for the improvisational comedy series WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?  

I was up bright and early on Friday morning for an eleven A.M. screening of THE RIVER OF NO RETURN (1954) directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Rory Calhoun, and Tommy Rettig.  Sadly, Preminger, screenwriter Frank Fenton, all the adult leads, and even LASSIE child star Tommy Rettig are all gone.  But remarkably, producer Stanley Rubin is alive and well at 95, and he and his wife, actress Kathleen Hughes (THE NARROW MARGIN, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE) were there for a chat with Leonard Maltin before the movie’s screening.  Maltin began by welcoming Rubin as a fellow college graduate, and asked him to explain the remark to the audience.

 

Maltin, Rubin, Hughes

STANLEY RUBIN:  I had an odd history.  I entered UCLA in 1933.  I got my degree in 2005.  I had other business to accomplish in between.  But I was very happy to go back and get my degree, because I have very dear memories of UCLA, where I was editor of The Daily Bruin.   

LEONARD MALTIN: Kathleen, what was your first date?

KATHLEEN HUGHES: Well, we were both under contract to Universal, and he kept asking me out.  But I kept turning him down.  And I turned him down for months and months and months.  But then one day he invited me to have dinner with him and to go to 20^th Century Fox to see an answer-print of RIVER OF NO RETURN.  It sounded like a picture I would enjoy, because it was with Marilyn Monroe.  So we went to dinner, and we went to see the screening, and I enjoyed it very much, and to our pleasure, we were married.

 

STANLEY:  And that relationship still exists.

LEONARD: So you can date your relationship to that movie.  So Stanley, you had already produced a couple of pictures. 

STANLEY: I’d produced THE NARROW MARGIN, but this (RIVER OF NO RETURN) was a much bigger picture. 

LEONARD:  And you had challenges.  You were off on location in Canada, with a large crew, and a rather imperious director, Otto Preminger.  And a strong-willed leading man, Robert Mitchum.  And a sometimes difficult leading lady, Marilyn Monroe.  Not intentionally difficult, but not rock-solid.  What were the biggest challenges, working with this group? 

STANLEY: Well, it turned out very well.  Otto and Marilyn didn’t hit it off right away.  So Marilyn kind of took that as an open door to establish a relationship with me.  So that helped me, and we became very good friends.  That’s Marilyn and I -- not Otto and I.

LEONARD:  So did you lock horns with Otto?

STANLEY: No, not really.  Otto was a diplomat from the word ‘go.’  He really knew how to help keep things warm and friendly.

LEONARD:  What was the most difficult sequence to film?

STANLEY:  The toughest thing was getting Marilyn safely onto the raft; because they first day we tried, she slipped on a rock and fell into the river.  Despite all of the help we had there, we had safety boats, we had safety swimmers.  But Marilyn slipped right off of the rock, into the fast-flowing river. 

Tommy Rettig and Marilyn

 

LEONARD:  Did you manage to proceed on-time, overall?

STANLEY:  I don’t want to make it rosier than it was.  We worked very hard, and at times we slipped behind schedule, but at the end we’d made it up, and we were on schedule. 

LEONARD:  When you were away from home, and had a boss like Daryl F. Zanuck, and Fox, how close an eye could they keep on you?  If you fell behind by a half a day or a day, would you hear from them right away?

Rory Calhoun and Marilyn

STANLEY: No.  There was a grace period, and we took advantage of it.  Zanuck was surprisingly friendly and good-natured, and accommodating to us. 

LEONARD:  After all these years, people are still fascinated by Marilyn Monroe.  Not just as an actress, but as an icon.  How would you describe her?

STANLEY: We became good friends.  And the reason for that was, she and Otto did not like each other, so she turned to me.  And the relationship became very warm and very friendly.  However, I should tell you – this is coming back to me now.  I had met her before; she had come in on an audition a year or two before this.  And I had turned her down on the role she had come in for.  And I remember wondering how friendly she would be, and whether she would even bring up the fact that I had turned her down.  She never did.  She was a good lady.  And from the first meeting, our new relationship went very well.

KATHLEEN:  You know, you turned her down for the part that she had auditioned for, because you thought she didn’t have enough experience to handle it. 

STANLEY:  That’s correct.

KATHLEEN:  So it was just a couple of years later that you were begging Zanuck (to use her).

LEONARD:  One last question.  Robert Mitchum liked to give the impression that he really didn’t care that much, that acting was just a job.  But that seems not to have been the case.  He seemed very dedicated, professional.

 

Mitchum and Monroe

 

STANLEY: I would go along with what you just said fully.  Because he cared a great deal; and then he hid that, because that wouldn’t keep him cool.  And I found out later that he had raised some questions about how good our operation was, how good our questions might be, how appropriate they might be.  He was totally dedicated on everything he did.  He concealed the fact that he wanted it to go well. 

LEONARD: And he and Marilyn hit it off okay? 

STANLEY: Yes.  They became very good friends.   But that was it.  It was a friendly, professional, cool relationship. 

LEONARD:  And now we get to see the results.  Are you going to stay to see the movie?

STANLEY: Oh yes, I haven’t seen it in years, and I’m very interested to see it again.

LEONARD:  Thank you both for being here today. 

I was surprised and delighted at how good a movie RIVER OF NO RETURN was. (I’d seen it as a kid in junior high, ironically just before my family spent our summer vacation going down the Colorado River on a rubber raft.  My school friends in Brooklyn were convinced that they’d never see me again; if the rapids didn’t kill me, the Indians would.)  The depth of characterization, the consistency of the characters, the intelligence of the screenplay, the assuredness of the direction were remarkable, as was the photography.  During the course of the rest of the day I would see BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE GREAT ESCAPE and HONDO in 3D, directed by John Farrow. 

 

Leonard Maltin introduced HONDO as well, saying that many consider it one of Wayne’s very best films – some people call it a perfect film.  One of the strengths of HONDO is that it is so spare; at 83 minutes, there’s not an ounce of fat on the film.  Maltin explained that in part we can thank the 3D process for keeping the story so tight.  The original 1953 3D projection process required two reels of film to be shown simultaneously, and theatres in those days had two projectors.  After a maximum of forty minutes, an intermission was necessary, to re-thread both projectors.  That kept the movies from running much over 80 minutes. 

John Wayne and Geraldine Page

It struck me that between Tommy Rettig as Mitchum’s son in RIVER OF NO RETURN, Lee Aaker as Geraldine Page’s son in HONDO, and Brandon de Wilde’s performance in the also-screened SHANE, the TCM Fest had screened what were probably the three best performances by children in Westerns, all in one day.  There would be nothing comparable until 1972, and the terrific ensemble cast of boys opposite John Wayne in THE COWBOYS, directed by Mark Rydell.

Soon I’ll have my last article on the TCM Festival, and the tremendous panel they assembled for a modern-day Western, DELIVERANCE: Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, and director John Boorman.

BOOK REVIEW - PAT BUTTRAM: ROCKING-CHAIR HUMORIST

 

President Ronald Reagan: “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job.  A depression is when you lose yours.”

Wait a second; let me make sure I’ve got this right.  President Reagan, ‘The Great Communicator,’ was helped in his communicating by Gene Autry’s scruffy sidekick?  By Mr. Haney, the rube con-man who swindled Eddie Albert every week on GREEN ACRES? 

 

That’s correct.  Pat Buttram, born in Alabama in 1915 to an impoverished itinerant Methodist minister and his wife, would become a star of radio, first on National Barn Dance; then a star in movies, replacing Smiley Burnette as the wing-man to Gene Autry; and later a star of television, as crafty ol’ Mr. Haney.  And while always maintaining his rural image, he became famous to show-biz insiders for his startling wit and sophisticated humor, making him the most in-demand emcee and toastmaster in Hollywood, and joke-writer to the president. 

Author Sandra Grabman, whose previous books include SPOTLIGHTS AND SHADOWS: THE ALBERT SALMI STORY and PLAIN BEAUTIFUL: THE PEGGY ANN GARNER STORY, writes in engaging, flowing prose, and her affection for Buttram is clear throughout.  Although she didn’t get to interview the man himself, who died in 1994, she’s spoken to a long list of family members and business associates, including people from the Gene Autry organization, and friends like music legend Johnny Western. PAT BUTTRAM: ROCKING-CHAIR HUMORIST, tells Pat’s story in a way that focuses as much on his family life as his career, which is perfectly sensible, since family was at least as important to Pat as his work.  And liberally sprinkled throughout the book are his delightful wise-cracks and observations.  “Here’s Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the Lunt and Fontanne of the fertilizer set.”

 

Buttram, whose distinctive nasal twang made him a natural for voicing animation – he did five features for Disney, plus WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (as the voice of a bullet!), and a slew of TV cartoons –  continued to work on-camera as well in film and TV.  His final on-screen role, in BACK TO THE FUTURE III, found him endlessly playing poker with Dub Taylor and Harry Carey Jr. 

Gene Autry was more than just an employer to Pat; their friendship was legendary in this town, a friendship which may have saved Pat’s life on one occasion.  Pat co-starred with Gene in THE GENE AUTRY show on television, and when a ‘prop’ cannon misfired when filming ‘way out of L.A. at Pioneertown, Pat was almost left for dead, and it took a tremendous effort by Gene to keep his sidekick alive.  For decades after, whenever people asked Pat what he learned from the movie business, he would take out a yellowed news story about his near-death experience, headlined, ‘Gene Autry Almost Hurt In Explosion!’  “Humility,” he would say softly.  “Humility.”

Let's hope Mr. Douglas isn't as mad at Mr. Haney as he looks!

Comedians often don’t get their due as actors, so audiences and critics were as surprised as they were impressed when Pat turned villain in TWILIGHT OF HONOR, holding his own with a cast of dramatic actors including Richard Chamberlin, Nick Adams, and the legendary Claude Rains.  He followed up with guest appearances on THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR, and many consider one of his episodes, THE JAR to be the finest of the series.    

BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 - Taylor, Carey & Buttram

Pat had a wonderful career, and a wonderful marriage, and not to a homely character actress, but to beautiful leading lady Sheila Ryan.  Once the wife of cowboy star Alan ‘Rocky’ Lane, she graced the screen in many Westerns, films noir, and even a pair of Laurel and Hardy comedies. 

If one finishes the book with a slight sense of wistful disappointment, it is that a man of his wit and insight didn’t receive recognition as arguably the Will Rogers of his generation.  But he had a much longer life and career than poor Will, and a very satisfying one, and I’m sure that Pat wouldn’t have traded it.   I met Pat Buttram briefly, when he was breakfasting at one of his regular haunts, the Sportmen’s Lodge Coffee Shop.  He was very friendly, and wrote, “Thanks for remembering.  Pat Buttram.”  Sandra Grabman’s book helped me to remember, and told me a hundred things I didn’t know about this very funny man who, like Jack Benny, has rarely if ever had a bad word said about him.

Iron Eyes Cody, Pat, Harey Carey Jr., Yakima Canutt

 

PAT BUTTRAM – ROCKING-CHAIR HUMORIST by Sandra Grabman, is published by Bear Manor Media for $19.95.  Go HERE to order it.

Incidentally many, maybe all, episodes of GREEN ACRES are available free online through IMDB.  Just look up Pat Buttram, and you’ll find 103 video links.

‘CALL OF JUAREZ – GUNSLINGER’

I’m not knowledgeable about video games, so it’s no shock to me that ‘CALL OF JUAREZ’ has been around since 2006, and now has its fourth edition, ‘CALL OF JUAREZ – GUNSLINGER,’  just released.  It’s written by Haris Orkin, who co-wrote the previous versions, and he’s also directed the voice talent.  When I know more, I’ll share it with you.  But for the moment, check out the trailer.

‘THE NEVADAN’ COMIC STRIP!

Remember a 1950 Columbia film, THE NEVADAN, starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone and Forrest Tucker?  My daughter gave me an old western movie magazine, and in it was a comic-strip version of the movie.  I thought my Rounders might find it amusing, so I’ve decided to run it here, and on the Round-up Facebook page.  I’ll do a panel or two a day, and on Sundays I’ll run the whole week’s worth, just like they used to do with the Dick Tracy strip.  Hope it amuses!

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCM FANATIC - WESTERN NOW ONLINE!

And speaking of TCM (okay, nobody was), have I mentioned that the segment I was interviewed for is now viewable here?








THE AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER

Built by cowboy actor, singer, baseball and TV entrepreneur 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 permanent galleries (to which new items are frequently added), they have temporary shows. The Autry has many special programs every week -- sometimes several in a day. To check their daily calendar, CLICK HERE. And they always have gold panning for kids every weekend. For directions, hours, admission prices, and all other information, CLICK HERE.



HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywoodwestern, 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.



WELLSFARGO 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.


WESTERNS ALL OVER THE DIAL


INSP’s SADDLE-UP SATURDAY features a block of rarely-seen classics THE VIRGINIAN and HIGH CHAPARRAL, along with BONANZA and THE BIG VALLEY. On weekdays they’re showing LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, BIG VALLEY, HIGH CHAPARRAL and DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN.


ME-TV’s Saturday line-up includes THE REBEL and WAGON TRAIN. On weekdays it’s DANIEL BOONE, GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, BIG VALLEY, WILD WILD WEST, and THE RIFLEMAN.


RFD-TV, the channel whose president bought Trigger and Bullet at auction, have a special love for Roy Rogers. They show an episode of The Roy Rogers Show on Sunday mornings, a Roy Rogers movie on Tuesday mornings, and repeat them during the week.


WHT-TV has a weekday afternoon line-up that’s perfect for kids, featuring LASSIE, THE ROY ROGERS SHOW and THE LONE RANGER.


TV-LAND angered viewers by dropping GUNSMOKE, but now it’s back every weekday, along with BONANZA.

AMC usually devotes much of Saturday to westerns, often with multi-hour blocks of THE RIFLEMAN, and just this week began running RAWHIDE as well.  Coming soon, LONESOME DOVE and RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE miniseries!

THE WRAP-UP

That's it for this week-end.  I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you took time to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. Our liberty is backed by an unbroken chain of heroism and self-sacrifice that began more than two centuries ago, and continues today.

Happy Trails,

Henry

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