Lone Pine Film Festival Program Guide 2010

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

Lights! Camera! Lone Pine!

L

ike many of you, I’m a lifelong movie fan.

And like many of you, I grew up knowing how to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys based on the color of their hats (hint: you’ll never catch a villain wearing a white Stetson).

I knew the names of all the singing cowboys – and their horses – and I was the quickest draw on my block – a suburban microcosm transformed by my juvenile imagination to the sagebrush- and boulder-strewn valleys and canyons where my movie idols always seemed to save the day.

Although I’m blessed today to have those actual valleys and canyons as part of my backyard here in Lone Pine, Calif., again, like many of you, I never tire of the opportunity to visit the actual locations where many of the films from my childhood were made; where the cowboys I idolized actually stood as they made cinematic history and left such an indelible impression on our popular culture.

These sites are numerous in and around Lone Pine, where filming has continued every year since 1920, making it fair to call the area Hollywood’s favorite location for 90 years. Nearly 400 feature films – Western, science fiction, drama, comedy, horror, you name it – have shot scenes here; this year alone saw various independent films and commercials working amidst the sought-after landscape.

Touring the locations of more famous productions, and getting the inside scoop from location experts on what went into various films’ production, is just one of the many magical elements of the Lone Pine Film Festival, which in 2010 introduces several new tours for eager film fans.

Indeed, after extensive planning, plenty of preparation and much anticipation, the folks behind the Lone Pine Film Festival are ready to welcome

guests to an event packed with lots of returning favorites but also many new additions and improvements – what we all believe will be a worthy sequel to last year’s 20th anniversary celebration.

The 2010 Festival celebrates the 75th anniversary of Republic Films – and by extension its close ties to Lone Pine – so we’ll be screening many of the studio’s hits, from “Rawhide” and “Trail to San Antone” to “Westward Ho!” to the silent film “Riders of the Purple Sage.” These will take place in the Lone Pine High School Auditorium.

This year’s celebration also returns the spotlight to actor Tyrone Power, part of a famous dynasty of American actors, who made three diverse films in Lone Pine from 1940-1953.

His son, Ty Power, is among this year’s many celebrity guests who will join in ever-popular panel discussions and the second year of one-on-one interviews at Statham Hall (the gab fest will once again be filmed), and then make themselves available for autographs and photo-ops at the Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to packing some serious star power, the 2010 Festival – with the help of the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History – is helping to keep the spirit of the West alive via the unveiling of an important art exhibit Thursday evening.

Actor and celebrated watercolor artist Buck Taylor (he played Turkey Creek Jack Johnson in one of the best modern Westerns of all time, “Tombstone”) will have his private collection for sale and on display at the Museum until September 2011. His works are known and cherished for their portrayal of scenes and people from days gone by – of the values, struggles, hopes, dreams, fears and spirit of adventure that characterized the settling of the American West.

And while Taylor tells stories of the frontier on canvas, Friday night concert headliner Don Edwards shares them in song. Fans will have two chances to catch Edwards and opening act Sourdough Slim in concert this year, at 7 and 9 p.m.

For Festival attendees’ added convenience, we’ve made it easier than ever to purchase tickets in advance online. Log onto www.lonepinefilmfestival.org to snatch up tickets to any and all Festival events.

Don’t forget the traditional deep-pit barbecues, the Arts and Crafts Fair in the park and, of course, the Parade of Stars on Sunday. Times and dates of all offerings can be found in the Official Festival Pocket Schedule, available at the Ticket Office.

Most importantly, have fun. Whether you’re retracing the footsteps of Steve McQueen in “Nevada Smith,” shaking hands with Peggy Stewart or Lee Horsley, or eating corn on the cob in the park with a John Wayne impersonator, remember to savor the magic of it all.

Rob Barron, Director, Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

CONTENTS Friends of the Festival Buck Taylor Exhibit Celebrity Guests Friday Night Concerts Geoff Mayer Golf Tournament Location Tours Teddi Sherman Documentary Tyrone Power in Lone Pine Republic Pictures Rodeo Stars at Statham Hall Western Entertainment

30 9 18-23 8 20 7 16-17 11

12 24-28 9 6 4-5

CREDITS Publisher Carol Ross

Editor

Darcy Ellis

Project Coordinator Darcy Ellis

Design

Olivia Nguyen

Press

American Web

Distribution Carol Ross

Advertising

Terry Langdon Sally Symons The 2010 Lone Pine Film Festival Souvenir Magazine is a collaborative effort between The Inyo Register (Horizon California Publications, 450 E. Line St., Bishop, CA 93514), the Daily Independent (224 E. Ridgecrest Blvd., Ridgecrest, CA 93556) and the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History (701 S. Main St., Lone Pine, CA 93545). All contents of this August 2010 publication are the property of the The Inyo Register and Film Museum and may not be reproduced in any manner without the expressed written consent of the collaborators.

The cover art is the work of veteran actor and acclaimed watercolor artist Buck Taylor. An actor since the 1960s, his career as an artist began in earnest at the 1993 National Finals Rodeo and in less than a decade he became internationally famous for his depiction of Western scenes and figures. These paintings are sold through his Web site, private art shows and festivals, and at exclusive galleries.

His private commissions can be found in the Loomis Fargo headquarters, DeLucca Liquor headquarters, Franklin Mint, John Wayne Enterprises, the American Quarter Horse Museum, the National Ranching Heritage Museum as well as in the hands of private collectors, including Sam Elliott, James Arness, Roy Clark, Val Kilmer, Roger Staubach and Powers Boothe. He is also the official artist for several rodeos and state fairs. Taylor lives with his second wife on a ranch near Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, or to view his artwork, visit www.bucktaylor.com.

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Country crooners bringing Old and New West to life at 2010 Festival

Award-winning Western entertainers to perform at various Lone Pine venues

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ounds evocative of the prairies and plains, high deserts and dusty trails, mountain streams and mining towns will fill the air in Lone Pine this fall as songs from the Old and New West are performed by some of the top Western

entertainers in the country.

Don Edwards will be performing at the Lone Pine Film Festival’s traditional Friday Night Concert, tickets for which are $30. The richness of Don’s voice coupled with his magical stage presentation make him America’s number one Western singer and concert attraction.

He has received multiple When he’s not squeezin’ t h e accordion, Sourdough Slim is rockin’ the guitar and charming audiences with his Will Rogers swagger.

He performs Friday night, opening for Don Edward. Photo

by Vern Evans

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luckily for all who care about it, he has because of his sincere approach added much to the literature and music of the West, passing on to the rest of us a legacy rich for his efforts.

Sourdough Slim will

awards from the Western Music Association for Male Vocalist and Performer of the Year.

The accolades, though, have been simply added bonuses for Edwards, who sings what he does out of love and respect for the genre. Don’s career continues to blossom, and Well he cursed all the roads and the oil men And he cursed the automobile Said this is no place for an hombre like I am In this new world of asphalt and steel Then he'd look off some place in the distance At something only he could see He'd say all that's left now of the old days Those damned old coyotes and me

– Don Edwards, From "Coyotes"

Don Edwards headlines the 2010 Lone Pine Film Festival traditional Friday Night Concert.

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

be opening for Don Edwards on Friday. From the moment this accordion-squeezin’ Will Rogers swaggers on stage, it’s apparent to everyone that they’re in for a rollicking good time. Ten-gallon funny-man Sourdough Slim transports us to a whimsical world where vaudevillian camp and cowboy lore intermingle to produce grins galore. Totally retro. Hilariously entertaining.

Sourdough Slim is a hoot, to say the least Performing center stage at the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine

Film History will be Cowboy Balladeer Tom Hiatt and his band The Sundown Riders, which is composed of some of the best musicians the Southwest has to offer. Tom and his band will be performing all weekend at the Museum, including the Museum’s “Denim and Diamonds” Gala on Thursday night. Tom can truly be called a “Son of the West;” he writes and sings tales of cowboys, outlaws, lawmen, pioneers, wild broncos and more.

Photo courtesy Tom Hiatt and The Sundown Riders

Cowboy Balladeer Tom Hiatt and The Sundown Riders are set to help kick off the 2010 Festival with a “Denim and Diamonds” Gala performance at the Museum Thursday, Oct. 7.

Larry Maurice is Lone Pine’s favorite Cowboy Poet and Master of Ceremonies; he has spent the last 20 years as a cowboy, horse wrangler and packer in the Eastern Sierra and the high deserts of Nevada. You’re likely to find him leading a string of mules into the backcountry, on a horse drive right here in the Owens Valley or working with Longhorn cattle in Virginia City, Nev. Over the last few years, Larry has had to juggle his need to be on horseback with his busy entertainment schedule.

A sought-after entertainer, not only for his Cowboy Poetry that speaks from the heart of the day-to-day cowboy, but also for his ability to breathe life into the history of the American West. From the Thursday Night Museum Gala, to the closing campfire in the park on Sunday, Larry will keep things moving along.

“Larry Maurice is one of the finest Cowboy Poets and emcees I know,” said Museum and Festival Director Robert Barron.

“We couldn’t put a show on here in Lone Pine without him.”

These performers are just to

© Ira Gostin

Celebrated Cowboy Poet Larry Maurice returns to the Lone Pine Film Festival in 2010 to serve as master of ceremonies and lend his trademark humor and class to the event. name a few of the entertainers in store around every corner this year at the Lone Pine Film Festival. Stages will be set up all over town, including Spainhower Park, Center Stage at the Museum, Jakes Saloon, Double L and Boulder Creek RV Resort. Pick up the schedule with your Film Festival Button at the Film Festival Ticket Headquarters during the Festival.

Tickets are also available online at www. lonepinefilmfestival.org.

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Stars shine in Lone Pine Celebrity panel discussions, one-on-one interviews return to Statham Hall; Chamber to host guests for autograph sessions

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lthough the Eastern Sierra boasts some of the clearest night skies in the country, the best place to see the stars Oct. 8-10 will once again be Statham Hall in Lone Pine.

Cheryl Rogers Barnett, author “Cowboy Princess” and “The All-American Cowboy Grill,” will be conducting one-on-one interviews with all the stars.

This has quickly become a favorite of festival-goers and one of the most talked about events of the Festival. The daughter of Lone Pine favorite Roy Rogers, Cheryl grew up in the movie industry and is close friends with many of this year’s scheduled celebrities. You’ll have the opportunity to sit in on these intimate conversations and also have the chance to ask questions of your own.

Packy Smith, film historian and co-founder of the Lone Pine Film Festival, will be

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the moderator of this year’s scheduled Celebrity Panels: “Remembering Republic Pictures,” “Exploring the Trail to Lone Pine” and “Bumps in the Road with the Stuntmen.” Packy has served as the Festival’s film coordinator and adviser for the Museum, donating several items from his personal collection of movie memorabilia.

After the panels and oneon-one interviews, the stars will be on hand at the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce to meet with you and sign autographs.

The Lone Pine Chamber is located in the center of town in a beautiful courtyard just off Main Street at the historic site of the Lone Pine Café, in operation until 1963. Surrounding the courtyard are rooms from the Lone Pine Hotel, where, in the 1930s, silent film stars Tom Mix and Fatty Arbuckle relaxed after filming in the area.

File photos

Cheryl Rogers Barnett will lead the one-on-one interviews with the stars and Packy Smith will moderate the celebrity panels at Statham Hall, while the Chamber of Commerce will host the big names afterwards as they meet fans and sign autographs.

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Tee it up on the trail to Lone Pine A celebrity ‘pro-am’ with a twist

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esidents, visitors, film fans, golf fanatics – all are invited to join in on the fun and action of the Annual Lone Pine Film Festival Golf Tournament.

This year’s tourney gets under way early on Friday, Oct. 8 at the Mt. Whitney Golf Course south of

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Town. The event matches amateur golfers and invited Festival celebrities for a full day of camaraderie and good-natured competition in a picturesque setting for the sole purpose of benefitting the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History.

It’s sort of like a celebrity pro-am tournament, only the “pro” status refers more to competitors’ acting ability than their aptitude on the course.

Golfers will enjoy the generous prizes and luncheon at the Mt. Whitney Golf Clubhouse.

Film fans will enjoy the chance to hit the links with their screen idols.

Register online at lpfilmfest@lonepinetv.com, or call Jaque Hickman at (760) 937-4233.

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Two chances to see Edwards, Slim in concert Sourdough Slim opening for Don Edwards at 7 and 9 p.m. on Oct. 8 at LPHS

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aking in the sweet, toe-tapping sounds and jovial atmosphere of the Festival’s Friday Night Concert has become a tradition in and of itself for many attendees.

This year, organizers have lined up two top-notch performers and are giving music-lovers and boot-scooters two opportunities to see Don Edwards and Sourdough Slim perform at the Lone Pine High School Auditorium.

Headlining both performances this year on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 and 9 p.m. is Grammynominated singer-guitarist Don Edwards, who continues to build a legacy that enriches our vision of the American West. The quality of this cowboy balladeer’s music stems from the fact that he is so much more than a singer.

Bobby Weaver of the National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City summed up Edwards’ importance by calling him “ …the best purveyor of cowboy music in America today.”

Edwards is a historian, author and musicologist, unusually well-versed in cowboy lore and musical traditions; he brings a rare complement of knowing and loving his craft. Mostly though, there is the soul of a poet, a man who has never succumbed to the temptations of presenting a glamorized or romanticized version of the West.

Opening for Edwards is “Last of the Fans will have two chances to Vaudeville Cowboys,” Sourdough Slim. see Don Edwards perform during He was nominated in 2009 as the 2010 Lone Pine Film Festival.

“Entertainer Of The Year” by the Western Music Association, and has performed all over the country, including Carnegie Hall and The Lincoln Center. To quote Don Edwards, “Sourdough Slim is a master showman and one of the finest musicians I know.”

Tickets are available online at www.lonepinefilmfestival.org.

Photo by Vern Evans

Sourdough Slim has played venues from Carnegie Hall to The Lincoln Center, and will perform twice for Festival audiences on Oct. 8.

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LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Buck Taylor: A diamond in denim Thursday night gala event to unveil exhibit of actor/artist’s private collection

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his year’s traditional “night-before” fundraising dinner/Museum membership gala is being planned around the theme “Denim and Diamonds.”

It’s a theme that lends itself nicely to the evening’s other main attraction: the opening for an exhibit of Buck Taylor’s private art collection – pieces that are as elegant and refined as they are unmistakably Western.

The collection will be on display at the Museum of Lone Pine Film History until September 2011.

Taylor is perhaps best known as an actor of film and television.

In 1967, Taylor was selected to play Newly O’Brien on the popular television series “Gunsmoke.” It was the toprated show during its first 12 years before Buck stepped onto the set. Taylor stayed on the series for eight years – until 1975 – before it finally ended its record-setting mark as the longest running prime time television show. After Buck’s role in the most popular Western series, his filmography continued to grow, including “Rough Riders,” “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals” and who could forget his role as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson in the 1993 classic “Tombstone,” with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer.

On movie locations, Taylor sketched and painted during breaks.

In 1993, he began a serious devotion to his art career while

© Andrea Esty

Buck Taylor has enjoyed a long and fruitful career in film and television, all the while nurturing his artistic talents.

His artwork is highly sought-after by collectors.

still acting. At the National Finals Rodeo, he sold prints of his early works and his work was quickly in demand from collectors.

His private commissions can be found in the Loomis Fargo headquarters, DeLucca Liquor headquarters, Franklin Mint, John Wayne Enterprises, the American Quarter Horse Museum, the National Ranching Heritage Museum as well as in the hands of private collectors, including Sam Elliott, James Arness, Roy Clark, Val Kilmer, Roger Staubach and Powers Boothe. He is also the official artist for several rodeos and state fairs.

Preserving and celebrating the heritage of the American West is the driving force behind Buck’s career as a watercolor artist.

Back in the saddle again G

Family-oriented rodeo keeps action going throughout Film Festival

rab your cowboy boots and saddle up for the annual Lone Pine Film Festival Rodeo.

The rodeo is a free, community-sponsored and familyoriented event.

Rodeo activities include everything from Team Roping and Barrel Racing to Bull Riding.

The Lone Pine Film Festival Rodeo is scheduled for all three LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

days of the Festival and will be held at the rodeo grounds behind the Museum of Lone Pine Film History.

Roping Information: Contact Tim at (760) 920-1374 Barrel Racing Information: Contact Colleen at (760) 3773154 Bull Riding Information: Contact Paul at (760) 933-2537 THE INYO REGISTER 9

10 THE INYO REGISTER

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Museum to host premier of Teddi Sherman doc Tom Jennings film tells story of Hollywood’s pioneering Renaissance woman

Visitor Center Discovery Bookstore

W

hen it comes to entertainment, Teddi Sherman has done it all. For seven decades, Sherman has worked as a writer, actress Filmmaker Tom and producer.

Jennings The movies and television are in her blood – and we’re all better off for it.

Sherman first made her mark in Lone Pine, where she wrote and performed in several Westerns.

Sherman is an accredited member of the Writers Guild of America. She has been a reader, story editor and test director and is responsible for launching the careers of actors Bob Mitchum, George Reeves and Eleanor Parker.

As a film and television writer, she worked under contract at MGM Warner Bros., Columbia, Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox. She worked as a freelance writer for Robert Aldrich, Harold Hecht/Burt Lancaster Key West Productions, Benedict Bogeaus Productions and Howard Koch. Sherman’s first screenplay was an adaptation of a Eugene Manlove Rhode’s short story “Paso por Aqui” (later retitled “Four Faces West”). It is still considered one of the best 25 Western film features ever produced.

As a story editor at HechtLancaster Productions, Sherman supplied the continuity for “Marty,” which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1955. She had her original concept, “The Man Who Never Was,” produced as a television series at 20th Century Fox. As an actress, Sherman has performed on Broadway and Off, in regional theater and in films and television. She is an accredited member of Screen Actors Guild and Stage Actor’s Equity. She graduated from the Pasadena Theater and School of Acting and worked closely with Gilmore Brown, Tom Brown Henry, Leanore Shanewise and Barbara Vajdr. Her many other teachers include Daniel Mann, Lee Strasberg, Bob Porterfield, Maria Ouspenskava and Max Shane.

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Eastern Sierra Interagency

Actress Teddi Sherman Sherman’s last screenplay before she retired was “Four for Texas.” An original Western comedy, it was produced by Warner Bros. Studios and starred Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. At age 89, Sherman is still going strong. She teaches an acting class in Malibu, Calif. There’s a waiting list to get in.

Tom Jennings (Santa Monica) is a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist.

Jennings has written, produced and directed more than 400 hours of programming for networks, including CBS, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, Investigation Discovery and The History Channel. His shows have won multiple Telly Awards and several New York Festival awards for documentary filmmaking. In 2010, National Geographic Channel nominated Jennings for an Emmy for his documentary, “The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination.”

He is currently working with the producers of Robert Redford’s latest film, “The Conspirator.” The movie tells the story of the conspiracy behind the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Jennings’ company is producing the documentary companion piece to the film.

A native of Cleveland, Jennings has produced work that runs the gamut of subject matter, from politics and religion to history, crime, sports, mystery and travel.

Tickets for the premier are available online at www. lonepinefilmfestival.org.

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On location with Tyrone Power Hollywood star made three classic pictures in Lone Pine in less than 15 years

By Chris Langley

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ctor Tyrone Power, part of a famous dynasty of American actors, made three diverse films, from three different genres, in Lone Pine.

“Brigham Young” (1940) was a retelling of an epic historic trek across frontier America by the Mormons.

“Rawhide” (1951) was a tense, claustrophobic Western, a traditional story of isolated good versus corrupted amoral sociopaths. “King of the Khyber Rifles” (1953) was a romantic epic Eastern adventure set in India.

The three films focused on the very handsome Power and a different costar each film. The directors used the unique visual qualities of our local landscape, its epic and intimate elements, as characters helping to illuminate each story. This Festival we celebrate Power’s unique talent and enigmatic personal character traits that brought to three of our films such subtle strength. It is his portrayals of three very different characters that make the viewer want to revisit the films periodically.

Power’s public story was one of love, lust and a great passion for act-

ing. His final achievements on the screen may vary from film to film, but he reached great fame and was adored by millions of fans. His beauty was always there on the screen in full force, and many people were attracted to the man. His love affairs were legendary off screen. It is clear from many personal testimonies from those who knew him that he was a very nice man, if seduced on occasion by his own fame and fortune. Many also have said in retrospect that he was a private, at times tortured man, who kept many parts of his life secret.

His life was ambiguous, complex and provided him with the key to his public film and stage performances. At the same time, these same elements kept him from mastering acting to the degree he strove to accomplish. No one doubted he spent his whole life dedicated to mastering his art.

“Brigham Young” was his 22nd film. His role as Jonathan Kent seemed secondary to many fans and some critics, but he was a romantic figure, along with the beautiful Linda Darnell, that brought the needed balance to what could have been a very dull religious picture. Director Henry Hathaway thought so, and in

Photo courtesy Inyo Film Commission

Tyrone Power in a scene from “King of the Khyber Rifles,” filmed on location in Lone Pine in 1953. an interview late in life spoke candidly about his work on, and the challenges of, that film. As recorded in the Director’s Guild of America Oral History, Hathaway spoke in reference to the film. “Two of the dullest things in pictures: one is a wagon train, because any sequence that you go to, the next thing you’ve got the damn

wagons. That’s the story. The next dullest things in pictures is religion.

I don’t care what it is, there’ve been very very few successful pictures ever made about religions.” When he asked Darryl Zanuck to be able to go into “Young’s ‘multiple-wife thing,’ he said, ‘Well, we can’t go into that.’”

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film in various locations was set at more than $250,000 with more than $100,000 in Lone Pine. The rest of the story repeated many of the events of the Mormons’ trek West, including persecution and the plague of crickets, and the assurance that officers of the Church had fully cooperated in the writing of the script.

In the May 24 edition of the Inyo Independent there was a short story about Mr. and Mrs. Tyrone Power participating in a benefit, this time for the Catholic Church. “Annabella and Tyrone Power, Mary Astor, Dean Jaggar (sic) and other motion picture actors now on location in Lone Pine are joining tomorrow night in a special motion picture floor show and program, with an old-time dance following as a benefit for the Santa Rosa Catholic Church.” The event was to be held at the parish hall and tickets were being sold by members of the church.

“Many unusual entertainment features will be presented by the visiting artists. It will be an opportunity for the public to enjoy their dramatic talent in an informal program which has been arranged by the actors and actresses, themselves.”

The film shot scenes at the river, and just below the Alabama Gates at about the same time. Local Relles Amick recalls working there in heavy costumes in the heat. She says it was supposed to be the winter and the

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

snow-and-ice effect was created with foam, but that at the end of May it was already quite hot. The paper reported that 10 women from Independence also participated in the event.

They “had the thrill of working in the movies last Monday when they were called to work on the Brigham Young set … Costumes furnished by the company were old-fashioned dresses and winter overcoats. Some of the scenes were taken by camp fires, others by the river.” The 10 women had to report by 6 a.m. and the first day worked for nine hours. The paper listed them as Marie McCullough, Martha Austin, Rita Herron, Hilda Francis, Maude Kemp, Olive Aseltine, Maude Little, Celia Hunter, Aenona Lochrie and Myrna Hesse.

The paper also stated 20 more actors arrived in town, accompanied by the studio orchestra to work on the picture. At the same time, Fox had another company in town working on a different picture. Its working title was “The Ghost of the Cisco Kid” (released as “The Gay Caballero”) and starring Cesar Romero.

Romero and Power were friends from 1936 when they met at a Hollywood party. Fred Lawrence Guiles in his biography of Power, “The Last Idol,” wrote, “A suave womanizer on the screen, away from the camera, ‘Butch,’ as he was known, was quite different. He was extravagantly kind to the ladies and had numer-

ous women friends, but he almost never got involved. He was their pal and confidant. Romero liked Tyrone enormously when they first met … It must have bothered Romero to learn that Tyrone was running with a small group of actors who prided themselves on their female conquests.”

No record of their meeting and socializing in Lone Pine, to my knowledge, exists but one would assume they met while here on location at the same time. Later they would do a publicity tour by airplane together of South America in 1946 and remained friends throughout their adult lives.

Guiles also reported that Power agreed to the lesser part in the film at the studio mogul’s urging and because his old friend Henry Hathaway was directing. “Hathaway proposed Tyrone bring Annabella along to the Utah location and the director brought his wife Skip. The Powers and the Hathaways attempted to take the edge off a monumentally boring assignment by treating the location trip as a prolonged cookout … In the years ahead, Tyrone would become bitter whenever the picture was mentioned.”

His next outing to film in Lone Pine was for “Rawhide.”

What one film historian describes as the “epic and intimate” landscape of the Alabama Hills is readily on display in the 1950 film, which starred Power and Susan Hayward.

Photo courtesy Inyo Film Commission

“Rawhide,” released in 1951, was the second film Power made locally in less than 15 years.

The film moves from great expanses of epic scenery stretching for miles to the “walled” feeling of the looming rocks, which force characters to interact in close proximity.

The visual feeling of these scenes is claustrophobic and leads to conflict and violence among various characters.

Add villains like Jack Elam, Hugh Marlowe and Dean Jagger, and you have the ingredients for an intense drama.

The story deals with three outlaws taking over a stagecoach stop and waiting for a gold shipment that is due. Power plays the young easterner Continued on page 14 A

THE INYO REGISTER 13

GLACIER LODGE Photo courtesy Inyo Film Commission

Power sneaks up on an adversary in another scene from “King of the Khyber Rifles,” the actor’s third and final Lone Pine film.

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A Continued from page 13 sent West to learn the trade and Hayward an aunt who has inherited her sister’s girl to take care of.

The set for the film was built where Movie Road jogs east about three miles out. The set incorporated the natural surroundings, including jutting rocks and round boulders in the buildings and surrounding corrals.

It is interesting to note that the Publicity Notes stated the company was spending more than $3,000 a day on accommodations and food for the 100-plus crew. Today it would be more like $150,000 with total expenses locally of $250,000.

Tommy Jefferson told me once that he worked a lot on the movies, but when he applied to be an Indian extra he was often told he didn’t look Indian enough. Then Hollywood would go out and employ Italians for the roles. He did get a job on the set of “Rawhide” to make sure the smoke continued to come up and out the chimney. It is quite easy to see it in the film.

No one who lives here would doubt that January can be bitter cold in the Owens Valley. The “Rawhide” film construction crew had been lulled into thinking that 1949-50 was going to be different because they had worked in what were unusually mild conditions building in the Alabamas.

Things changed when the cast arrived. Fox publicity at the time noted the weather. “The frigid weather proved a handicap in one instance during the shooting of the picture. A group of actors were supposed to ride up, leap from their horses and start talking. ‘They jumped off,’ related Director Henry Hathaway, ‘but nothing came from their lips except blue smoke. Not a word. They were so cold they couldn’t say a thing.’”

The Fox press release of Feb. 24, 1950 discussed the weather again.

“Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward got around this week to doing the second episode of a love scene for ‘Rawhide.’ The entire sequence was to be filmed several weeks ago while the troupe was on location at Lone Pine, but Old Man Weather evidently

didn’t like the idea. He turned on a frigid blast that brought out goose pimples and had teeth chattering on the set that was constructed near Mt. Whitney.”

Henry Hathaway also commented on this situation. “It looks as though we’ll have to make this in two installments. People can’t kiss when their lips are blue with cold.” So the press release capitalized on Lone Pine’s winter by trumpeting, “As a result, Ty and red-haired Susan did the embrace at Lone Pine and the close-up of their ardor was delayed until they returned to a warm soundstage at the studio.” It was an extended case of kissing interruptus.

The film was not particularly successful at the box office, but I think it has stood the test of time rather well.

It is a “quickie” Western done while Power and his new wife were waiting to go to the Philippines for a film. In many ways, the film is not a classic Western, but more a suspense drama shot in the old West. The newspaper critics were generally positive at the time of its release. New York JournalAmerican critic Jim O’Connor called “Rawhide” “One of the best pictures to appear on Broadway in months … a rugged, red-blooded ripsnorter.”

New York Times critic Thomas M. Pryor stated, “With one set and a screenplay by Dudley Nichols which covers a fitfully dramatic situation, director Henry Hathaway has turned out a surprisingly good entertainment.

His camera is confined to a surprisingly small area but it moved meaningfully and does much to create and sustain an atmosphere of tension. It is a story of harrowing experiences and fears in which Mr. Power does not loom too impressively simply because he never has much of a chance to do anything.” Generally, all critics found Tyrone Power just not quite up to the mark, which was the curse in his professional life. No matter how popular he was, or how successful his films, the critics seldom stood on their seats to applaud.

His third and last Lone Pine film, “King of the Khyber Rifles,” was a fitting and appropriate film for this last of the swashbucklers, an eastern epic and cinemascope film. The Lone LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Pine landscape was fully up to the challenge of filling the wide screen.

Tyrone Power seemed at home in the story, on the screen and in our landscape, again standing in for India.

It was while on location in 1953 that we catch an insight into Power’s polite, reserved nice-guy personality.

Relles Amick was a waitress in a local restaurant during the location work.

A story that Relles tells deals with the cast of “King of The Khyber Rifles.” Michael Rennie had an attitude that annoyed many locals. “Michael Rennie was one of those that came in and thought everybody had to drop everything. He just came in the building and we had to drop everything to wait on him regardless of how busy you were.”

There was the night that Rennie, Terry Moore and Power came in. “We had the back banquet room set up for them.” The owner had both kitchens open with four girls on each area.

“We had the back room with people already in there and waiting on them, but he (Rennie) came in and started just clapping his hands and saying ‘Service! Service!’ The boss’ wife went up and took water and the menus and said someone would be with them in just a moment. “‘Well, I want to be served right now,’ and she said, ‘Well, these other people are ahead of you.’ “‘Well, they’re nothing but wranglers and painters.’ She said, ‘Well, the company is paying for their dinners just the way they are paying for yours, sir, and if you are in such a big hurry, I suggest you go down the street.’ They all got up and left.”

That isn’t where the story ended, however, for as Relles was making garlic bread in the oven, someone knocked on the back door. “It was Tyrone Power. I answered the door and he wanted to know if he could talk to the boss. I told him sure, and I took him into Carl. After that he and Carl got along famously. Tyrone Power was very nice, very polite and nice to everyone. He would order the night before what he wanted and Carl would have it. Some of the stuff he’d fix for that guy. Oh, the man could cook.”

At the end of July, 1953, the Inyo Independent published “Odds and Ends” from the movie set. The descriptions give a sense of the movie’s presence as seen from a local point of view.

“Monday they filmed a moonlight scene in the middle of the afternoon.

The four-acre set was sprayed with lampblack, including part of the turf, the lights were turned on in the set windows, a filter put over the lens of the camera and the sunshine turned into moonlight when the scene was shot.”

The landscape technicians had searched to find turf to plant on the set, but then it had to be watered every evening without fail. Cast members were in Independence but they weren’t worried about getting rides to the set. “They just wear their turbans LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Photo courtesy Inyo Film Commission

Power cozies up to costar Linda Darnell in 1940’s “Brigham Young,” the first film he shot on location locally.

Silents to Scope” [Director’s Guild of America]).

The film plays on TCM and is available in a very good DVD copy.

The beputy of the landscape, so close to the original land where the story took place, is immediately a pleasure to the viewer no matter how “Hollywood” the approach of the depiction of the Moslem people. The film was financially successful at the time of its release.

While on location in Lone Pine, Tyrone Power gave a very revealing interview of John Maynard to Modern Screen. Speaking of the picture, he said, “I guess it’s fine for the studio. I’ve made enough of them.

Dashing fellow under the kepi, and

all that. Stand the varmints off and tell the little lady to keep her head down. But the edge wears away until one fine day you’re looking down a one-way street and no room to turn around. That’s when you need an out … I’d be a fool not to know this thing’s going to blow up. My association with pictures I mean. I am pushing 40. The younger men are pushing up behind me. The kids are rushing up behind them. But the trouble with that figure of speech is, they’re not boosting me, they’re dislodging my handhold …”

On Nov. 15, 1958, Tyrone Power died of a heart attack on the Madrid set of “Solomon and Sheba.” He was 45 years old.

and part of the uniform and they can get a ride from almost anyone because motorists are curious why such an outfit is being worn in this part of the country. The swimming pool gets a good workout in the evening because it feels so good to crew after working out in the hot dust and dirt all day.

It takes 12 make-up men, the biggest crew in Fox’s history, to make up the 250 Hollywood ‘Moslems’ being used in the film.” The piece also wrote about the battle of the wind machines against the wind to make the flag flutter into the scene over Tyrone Power and Terry Moore’s head in one scene.

This was not accomplished until two more machines were added.

The article concluded with verification of the appropriateness of the Eastern Sierra landscape for the film.

“Pat White, who is technical advisor for King … once served in the British infantry in India in the Khyber Pass area. He says the spot where the set has been constructed is very similar to that of the terrain in India. And the mountains west of Olancha are almost dead ringers for the mountains in the picture’s locale. Maj. Ramsey Hill, who served in the British Cavalry at Khyber Pass, and who is also a technical advisor, agrees.”

On Aug. 7 the movie unit was working in the Carroll Creek area.

They had just finished at the Moffet Ranch set and had shot on Movie Flat the day before. “Today, tomorrow and Monday they will be shooting in Carroll Creek but unit officials ask that sightseers refrain from coming up to the shooting area because there will hardly be enough room for the members of the cast and technicians.”

Director Henry King talks about his approach to the Alabama Hills.

“We used the Alabama Rocks differently than anyone ever had before.

We painted them black. There are about a thousand rocks up there and they’ve been used for all kinds of motion pictures from Hopalong Cassidy on down. We had seen where we didn’t want them to stand out so we spray-painted them black. The last time I saw them, they are still black” (“Henry King Director: From THE INYO REGISTER 15

Location, location, l Visit famous film sites, stand where matinee idols and blockbuster stars once stood, explore geologic wonders and relive cinematic history THE DUKE STOPPED BY: JOHN WAYNE FILM LOCATIONS* John Wayne made 13 films with scenes in Lone Pine.

He came back to Lone Pine throughout his career. This tour will explore the large “Andean village” set of “Tycoon,” an early film, “Lawless Range,” and John Wayne in Arabia in “I Covered the War,” among others. Wayne “Image Carrier” Jake Thorn will accompany the tour and tell firsthand experiences of The Duke.

2.5 hours.

HOPPY-HOP-ON: AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF THE HOPALONG CASSIDY FILM LOCATIONS OF DANGEROUS VENTURE* First, you will view the film “Dangerous Venture” in the Museum Wild West Theater and then you will go out and walk the locations. There will be walking on uneven ground to get to some of the seldom-seen locations. This is a brand-new tour created by location experts Mike and Janet Houle.

2.5 hours.

16 THE INYO REGISTER

CHASING THE SAND WORMS: A FOCUS ON TREMORS* The fan base for the science fiction film “Tremors” just grows and grows. Shot almost entirely on location in and around Lone Pine, this tour will take you to several of the important locations used in the film.

2.5 hours.

THE LONE PINE FILMS OF TYRONE POWER* We celebrate the work of Tyrone Power this year with a focus on his three Lone Pine films: “Brigham Young,” “Rawhide” and “King of the Khyber Rifles.” You will visit sites used for these films.

2.5 hours.

LONE PINE’S BACK YARD – BACK LOT MOVIE TOUR* Many locations seldom seen by our visitors. A must tour for movie buffs. Visit a ghost town, stagecoach stop, movie lake, old train and gas station, a rare Molly Stevens steam boat on Owens Lake stop; other locations still standing. Steve McQueen, Kevin Bacon, Autry, Hoppy and many others worked here. Hidden Lone Pine at its best. Led

by Burt and Donna Yost.

2.5 hours.

TOM MIX MOVIE LOCATION TOUR Tom Mix and his horse Tony made four movies in Lone Pine, two silent classics and two sound films. Visit locations for “Just Tony” (1922), “Riders of the Purple Sage” (1924), “Flaming Guns” (1932) and “Terror Trail” (1932) while hearing the story of Tom’s life and stunning career.

2.5 hours

HOW NATURE MADE THE MOVIE LOCATIONS (GEOLOGY TOUR) A noted geologist leads you into the Alabamas to see the powerful forces of earth movements and erosion at work.

Learn how the spectacular Alabama Hills were formed and how the rocks were shaped into the fantastic forms we see in so many movies.

2.5 hours

FROM SCI-FI SETS TO AVOCETS Combining film history and natural history, guide Mike Prather will take you to Owens Dry Lake where science fiction films like “Tremors,” “Bamboo Saucer” and “Star Trek V” worked nearby or on the lake.

Experience a very rare and special treat of crossing the lake and seeing the DWP Dust Project and viewing the large number of bird species that now call the area home.

2.5 hours LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

location, location …

ANSEL ADAMS TOUR: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MASTER For something different, travel with Photography Docent Catherine Kravitz to four special locations where photographer Ansel Adams captured our beautiful landscape with the masterful control of an artist.

Gain insight into working with light, texture and zones right where Adams worked.

2.5 hours

Photos courtesy Inyo Film Commission

A WALKING TOUR OF ANCHOR RANCH The Spainhower Anchor Ranch has been used for Westerns for more than 80 years. It was the site of the Hacienda, Mission and Anchorville sets that were seen so many times in Hopalong Cassidy and Tim Holt Westerns. Fresh from Scotty’s Castle and Bodie, our interpretive guide Debbie Kielb will help you revisit and experience these fabled bygone film times when our heroes walked this ranch.

1.5 hours

STUNTMAN LOREN JANE’S TOUR OF HOW THE WEST WAS WON Loren Janes, Steve McQueen’s personal stunt double, and with hundreds of film credits, will bring you to where he worked on the classic film “How the West Was Won.” See where he saved Debbie Reynolds and rolled down the hill in the Conestoga wagon, among many other feats for that film.

2.5 hours

*Denotes new tours for 2010 LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Depending on their tastes, Film Festival attendees can see where the “King of the Khyber Rifles” was filmed in 1953 (above), or learn from which vantage points local footage was captured for the 1968 science fiction film, “The Bamboo Saucer” (at left).

TOUR LEGEND Walking Tour

Car Caravan Tour

Bus Tour

Specific dates and times for this year’s tours can be found in the official 2010 Pocket Schedules available at the Film Festival Ticket Office, located off of Gene Autry Lane behind McDonald’s.

Tickets for tours can be purchased here or online at www.lonepinefilmfestival.org THE INYO REGISTER 17

Starring in Lone Pine

Celebrity guests wow fans, enhance Festival with stories from stage and screen and behind-the-scenes Guest appearances depend on schedule availability at time of Festival.

CHERYL ROGERS BARNETT

Cheryl Rogers Barnett, w h o serves on the Board of the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History, is not related to our favorite patrons Jim and Beverly Rogers, but is the daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. She has written a memoir of her famous family

called “Cowboy Princess” and also has authored a cookbook of recipes from the stars. She grew up with many of them and will be moderator for the one-on-one Q-and-A sessions at Statham Town Hall this year. These events are new and were suggested by the fans who wanted to get to know our stars a little better.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER

Bruce Boxleitner is noted for his television starring roles in “How the West Was Won,” “Bring ’Em Back Alive,” “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and “Babylon 5.” An early appearance in “Tron” will be reprised in the reboot of the film in “Tron: Legacy.” His diverse talents are demonstrated in the two sci-fi novels with Western settings that he wrote: “Frontier Earth” and “Searcher.” He worked as a model for Estee Lauder For Men in addition to having several film appearances to his credits, including “Gods and Generals,” “Dead Space: Downfall,” “Snakehead Terror,” “Legion of the Dead” and “The Bone Eater,” which contains Lone Pine second-unit work but was not made locally. Other television guest appearances for Mr. Boxleitner include “Hawaii Five-O,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Chuck” and “Heroes.”

ROBERT DIX

Robert Dix has appeared in many classic Western television series as well as horror and science fiction films 18 THE INYO REGISTER

throughout his career. He had guest appearances very early in his career on “Highway Patrol,” “Studio 57,” “Death Valley Days,” “The Rifleman” and “Rawhide.” At the same time, he appeared in such films as “Love Me or Leave Me,” “Forbidden Planet,” “I’ll Cry Tomorrow,” “Lone Texan,” “Young Jesse James” and “Deadwood ’78.”

Some of his numerous thrillfests include “Horror of the Blood Monsters,” “Hell’s Bloody Devils” and “Blood of Dracula’s Castle.” Bob is the author of an autobiography, and the son of Richard Dix, who worked multiple times in Lone Pine and the Eastern Sierra.

DON EDWARDS

Don Edwards is headlining our Friday night concerts at 7 and 9 p.m. Don entertained during the 2004 Festival and proved to be one of our most popular performers ever. In his music, he tells LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

e Film Festival 2010 ...

Television and movie actor Robert Dix and acclaimed Western entertainer Don Edwards represent the diversity of this year’s celebrity guests.

tales of the day-to-day lives of cowboys and the changes of the American West, as well as the emotions of those who have lived through it.

His ballads paint a sweeping landscape of both mind and heart, keeping alive the sights, sounds and feelings of this most American contribution to culture and art. Bobby Weaver of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame said it all when summing up Edwards’ importance: “(He is) the best purveyor of cowboy music in America today.” Don brings a rare complement of knowing and loving his craft. It is an honor to have Don Edwards back for this Festival.

DIAMOND FARNSWORTH E v e r wonder h o w

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

stunt men create action on the screen, safely, and make the stars they double look good? We will have the answer this year at the Festival.

Diamond Farnsworth, stunt coordinator for hit television series “NCIS,” will return to the Festival and will do a presentation on his career and work as a coordinator for the physical activity in various productions. By the way, Diamond was nominated for an Emmy. He has many film credits as well, including “Paint Your Wagon,” “The Big Easy,” “First Blood,” “Rambo,” “Dirty Harry – The Dead Pool” and “No Way Out.”

LEE HORSLEY

the Story of a Mule,” Church Norris’ “Justice Riders,” Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove,” Michael Connelly’s “Two Bagger” and Jiffy Lube’s “Power of a Signature” campaign. His film career includes “Crossing Over,” “Unlawful Passage,” filmed in Lone Pine, “Showdown@ Area 51,” “Nightmare Man,” “Dismembered” and cult classic “Sword and the Sorcerer” and its sequel “Tales of the Ancient Empire.”

LOREN JANES

Loren Janes again joins us to share his experiences and insights concerning stunt work and his ex-

periences filming “How the West Was Won” in the Alabama Hills. He also worked with Steve McQueen as his stunt double, including work with him on “Nevada Smith” filmed locally. Loren has attended every Festival and serves an active role as a board member for the Lone Pine Film History Museum.

He also shot “Behind the Action,” candid footage of many of the films in which he appeared. He brings extra insight to his audiences about the making of action pictures.

DONNA MARTELL

Donna Martell, initially using the stage name Donna De Mario, began her Hollywood career around Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Her Continued on page 20 A

This Renaissance man’s television career, which followed a successful stint in theater, began with the 1981 NBC drama “Nero Wolfe.”

He followed with five more television series, including the titular role on “Matt Houston” and parts in “Paradise,” “Bodies of Evidence,” “Hawkeye,” “Wind on Water” and two cable shows – “Benelli’s Dream Hunts” and “Western Sportsfishing with Lee Horsley.” Mini-series credits include “North and South: Book II” and “Crossings.” Lee has lent his voice to several projects to include narrating the Meredith Schultz Hodges’ children’s book “Jasper, THE INYO REGISTER 19

A Continued from page 19 Western titles include “Apache Rose,” “Twilight on the Rio Grande,” “Mexican Hayride,” “Last of the Desperadoes” and “Robin Hood of M o n t e r e y. ” She was in “The Hills of Utah” with Gene Autry and had small roles in “Kim,” “The Golden Hawk” and “The Egyptian,” which shot scenes in Death Valley. Some television Western series included “Bonanza,” “Tales of Wells Fargo,” “Cheyenne” and “Bat Masterson.”

20 THE INYO REGISTER

HUGH O’BRIAN

H u g h O ’ B r i a n achieved television Western immortality with his seven years as Wyatt Earp, appearing in more than 150 episodes of the classic.

Ida Lupino discovered Mr. O’Brian and opened the door to television and to Universal Studios to begin his film career. But he resisted the “beefcake action” roles that Hollywood tried to cast him in. These instead went to Rock Hudson. He did star in “Rocketship XM,” a science fiction film

made in Death Valley, and in “Beyond the Purple Hills,” a Gene Autry film that shot scenes in our area. He worked in many feature length Westerns, including “Vengeance Valley,” “The Lawless Breed” and “Broken Lance,” “paying his dues” before “Wyatt Earp” earned him stardom. He has the distinction of being the last man John Wayne “killed” on screen in “The Shootist.”

Mr. O’Brian has spent many years in various philanthropic projects, most notably his HOBY Leadership Development Seminars that since 1958 have trained more than 375,000 high school sophomores. Mr. O’Brian has spent his life living to the best of his ability the ideals that the Western genre has championed.

PAUL PICERNI

Paul Picerni returns to the Lone Pine Film Festival. He was here in the Hollywood take on Iran, “The Adven-

tures of H a j j i Baba.”

He graduated f r o m Loyola University, and after one movie with Warner Brothers, got a seven-year contract. He got the romantic lead in “The House of Wax,” which was the biggest movie in 3-D until recently. He played Elliot Ness’ sidekick “Lee Hobson” and gained international fame because of the popular series “The Untouchables.” In films he made other “Easterns,” including “The Desert Song,” “Omar Khayyam” and “Flight to Hong Kong.” Westerns he appeared in include “Saddle Tramp,” “Cattle Town,” “The Bounty Hunter” and “The Scalphunters.” Another of his productions, along with his wife Marie, is having eight children: four girls and four boys.

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

TY POWER

Ty Power is the son of Tyrone Power, who we honor this year at the Festival, and his similarity to his father is striking. Unfortunately, Ty was born two months after his father’s untimely death at 45. Ty Power was educated at Pomona College and has appeared to good effect in small roles in big pictures, and more sizable parts in lesser films. He was in “Cocoon” and “Cocoon: The Return,” “Soulmates,” “Last Chance for Love” and “Love and Honor.” Most recently was his role in “Dreamkiller.”

ANDREW PRINE

One of Andrew Prine’s early performances was in “Advance to the Rear” in which Stella Stevens starred.

He worked in the episode of

“Have Gun Will Tr a v e l ” called “ T h e M a r shal’s B o y, ” which has a wonderfully dramatic climax up at Whitney Portal near the waterfall. Many other Western films fill his credits, including “Texas Across the River,” “The Devil’s Brigade,” “Bandolero!” and “Chisum.” As the Western genre faded from the big screen, his appearances were more diverse although he starred in several episodes of classic television Westerns.

These included “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Virginian” and “Wagon Train.” Mr. Prine’s abilities have been on display more recently with his guest-starring roles on “C.S.I,” “Six Feet Under” and “Jag,” among many others.

Continued on page 22 A

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THE INYO REGISTER 21

A Continued from page 21

SOURDOUGH SLIM

Sourdough will again join us this year at the Festival, opening for Don Edwards.

His popular stage show combines cowboy singing, yodeling and comedy, accompaniment on accordion, guitar, ukulele and h a r monica and a keen

knowledge of the traditional Western repertoire. Larry Kelp, noted columnist for the East Bay Express, simply puts it this way, “Sourdough Slim is the most entertaining cowboy singer-yodeleraccordionist extant.” He was honored by the Academy of Western Artists with a Will Rogers Award for Yodeler of the Year.

PACKY SMITH

Packy Smith is the “heart” or our Festival, having served the activities and events in Lone Pine in many ways since 1990. He has been the film coordinator of the Festival since it began and has worked on maintaining an updated list of all the films

Inyo County

that worked here over the years. He has edited most of the books published by the Museum. Most recently, he edited and oversaw the creation of “Hopalong Cassidy: On the Page; On the Screen,” our just-published book on Hopalong Cassidy written by Francis “Mike” Nevins. He serves on the Board of the Film History Museum and is the liaison with other museums across the west. Packy is both a scholar and a “good old boy.”

WILLIAM SMITH

Called “a Biker, Barek n u c k l e Brawler, Cowboy, Bee-Girl fighter, Vampire Hunter,” William Smith will be back with us again this year. He has more than

300 film and television credits so it is impossible to do more than hit some highlights. He was a regular on “Laredo,” “Asphalt Jungle,” “Zero One,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Wildside.” His Western TV guest appearances include “Gunsmoke,” “Daniel Boone,” “Wagon Train,” “Guns of Will Sonnet,” “Alias Smith & Jones,” “The Virginian,” “Death Valley Days” and “Guns of Paradise,” to name just a few. He comes from a scholarly background, having graduating from UCLA cum laude with a Master’s in Russian Area Studies. Some film appearances include “Maverick,” “Red Dawn,” “Any Which Way You Can,” “Invasion of

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the Bee Girls,” “The Thing with Two Heads,” “Three Guns For Texas” and an uncredited appearance in “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942).

PEGGY STEWART

One of our favorite stars during the heyday of the B Western and serials, and now back in Lone Pine, is the Princess of the Plains Peggy Stewart.

Besides her work in many Westerns, Peggy starred in two important Lone Pine films each starring one the great singing cowboys.

Peggy was in “Trail to San Antone” with Gene Autry, and to help tell our story, she has given us her boots, which are on dis-

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

play i n t h e M u seum.

Peggy a l s o starred along with Roy

Rogers and Dale Evans in the film “Utah,” a spectacular musical Western made locally. Peggy also serves on the Museum Board of Directors.

BUCK TAYLOR

Buck Taylor shares both his extended acting career and his artistic a c complishments in an exhibit

of his paintings this weekend.

Perhaps best remembered for his continuing role in “Gunsmoke” as Newly O’Brien, he also appeared in the series “Dallas,” “The Greatest Show on Earth” and even “General Hospital.” Some film features include “The Wild Angels,” “Pony Express Rider,” “Cattle Annie and Little Britches,” “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” and “Alamo.” Buck had starring roles in “Gettysburg,” “Tombstone,” “Gods and Generals,” “The Wendell Baker Story” and “Truce.” Buck brings an exhibit of paintings for sale as well as an exhibit from his personal collection. Buck generously donated one of his works of art for use this year on the cover of the Festival program, the poster and the T-shirt.

Princess of the Plains Peggy Stewart returns to the Lone Pine Film Festival this year to share the spotlight with newcomers such as Buck Taylor, celebrated actor and artist.

THE INYO REGISTER 23

Republic Pictures on the trail to Lone Pine Local film history made richer by studio devoted to cutting costs

“

By Chris Langley

The Republic story was long and confused. It was a public corporation owned by the stockholders, but whenever I hear that old cliché about corporations not being owned by the top brass but by thousands of faceless shareholders, I have to laugh. Yates did as he pleased and the stockholders had about as much to say as a native in Timbuktu.”

Joe Kane was a loyal employee of Republic Studios and directed fully 114 films there during his tenure.

He thought of the Republic personnel as a family – his Republic family – and his loyalty occasionally led him to projects he really didn’t want to do because he knew they were going to be bad. At the same time, he was an effective and masterful action director, a mentor to William Witney who worked there also and who many see as the epitome of the action director.

The story of the rise and fall of Republic Studios is one we celebrate through the movies at this

24 THE INYO REGISTER

year’s Lone Pine Film Festival, and some of Republic’s best were made here in Lone Pine and the Eastern Sierra. The studio gave us great BWesterns with well-directed, visually effective action sequences that still influence directors working now.

John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry all developed their stardom aura and made their first starring roles under the wing of Republic.

The singing cowboy and the musical Western arguably are also the invention of the studio. All of the feature films and serials or chapter plays were produced under what Charles Flynn and Todd McCarthy have called the “economic imperative.”

The bottom line was king because Herbert J. Yates was the boss.

Lone Pine and the American audience were very lucky to have had the films of Republic. They were budgeted to make a buck, to entertain and, finally, to pass along a moral stance of what a good American was. For many still alive today, Republic, its Westerns especially, shaped the emotional and ethical lives of the youth of our country. The

story of Republic connects with the story of Lone Pine at many points in their shared histories.

Dim the lights and let’s get the flickering images going.

BUILDING A BUSINESS In 1935 when Herbert J. Yates created Republic Pictures, the New Deal had been legislated, but the country was still deep in the Depression and the economic turmoil it produced. It was not the best time to start a new studio, but the audiences were expecting double bills at their local theater, and the major studios had backed away from producing cheaper films to schedule in the B line of the local theater’s nightly schedule.

Yates entered the business world through the American Tobacco Company. By 1915 he was working for Hedwig Laboratories processing film, and in 1918 he financed Republic Labs, which he joined with several other film labs into Consolidated Film Laboratories in 1924.

In 1927, Nat Levine had founded Mascot Pictures, which was primarily financed by Yates. By 1935 the studio had an established reputation of respect in the filmmaking world, particularly for its serials, and at Yates’ request consolidated with his film lab. Yates wanted to improve upon Mascot’s feature film business and approached W. Ray Johnston and Trem Carr of Monogram Pictures to join the project, which they did. Incorporating other independent small studios such as Liberty, Chesterfield and Invincible, Republic Pictures came into being and Yates rented the old Keystone Studios.

The press books of that first year reflected the thrown-together aspect of the studio, made up of several small independent studios with their own logos on certain Republic film releases. Twenty-two films, more mysteries, melodramas and adventure pictures than anything else, made up the production schedule. Added to this were eight John Wayne Westerns, eight Gene Autry musical Westerns and four Republic-Mascot serials.

While the profits from these B pictures were not spectacular, they were predictable, especially when expenses were kept down. Richard Maurice Hurst in his interesting and in-depth history, “Republic Studios: Between Poverty Row and the Majors,” writes, “The majors were not geared to filling this very real need so the lesser studios led by Republic stepped in to fill the gap. Most of

these studios relied on State’s Rights distribution wherein film packages, often in blocks of six or eight, were provided to a wholesale distributor who handled them exclusively in a region frequently made up of one or more states.”

The Hollywood Daily Reporter stated in 1938, “The principle behind Republic is as financially sound as the dollar received from the exhibitor …In fact, there is little about Republic Pictures that is not built upon a cold ‘business’ basis.

The barometer of its bank balance is truly the box-office.”

At the same time, Republic personnel were noted for their skill, and the techniques and equipment established a reputation as the best among the independents and rivaling some of the majors. Again Furst states, “Camera work at Republic was considered to be exceptional.

The best camera trucks, good composition, rapid panning techniques, and the use of numerous studio dolly shots all gave Republic productions a feeling of movement that as not found in most of the films of the majors. In the music department Republic scored to the hilt …

Republic combined no-nonsense straightforward direction, professional camera work and skilled editing with these good music scores to produce a highly competent, attractive set of films.”

ON LOCATION Let’s shift gears now and look at Republic in Lone Pine now, first with John Wayne, then Gene Autry and finally Roy Rogers.

Of the 45 films made locally

by Republic, seven of them starred John Wayne. Six of these were released in 1935, 1936 or 1937.

“Westward Ho” and “Lawless Range” were filmed in Lone Pine and other locations simultaneously from May 19 until June 3. “Westward Ho” was budgeted at $22,000 and eventually cost $24,198 and was the most expensive of these first films, all of which were budgeted at $15,000. Wayne was the first star signed by Republic and these films were originally to be released by Monogram. The eight Wayne films were to be made over 80 days in one year at the salary of $1,750 each for Wayne. “Lawless Range” was actually released third in the series and finally cost $16,346.

Other Wayne films of this first series were “The Oregon Trail,” “The New Frontier” and “King of the Pecos.” “Winds of the Wasteland” was released in 1936 and filmed in the LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Photos courtesy Inyo Film Commission

Roy Rogers and Trigger in scenes from “Saga Death Valley” (1939) and “Utah” (1944), both of which shot in the Alabama Hills. Rogers was Republic Studios’ third successive cowboy-in-residence; John Wayne was Republic’s first and Gene Autry its second.

Sierra as well as the Sacramento Valley.

The local papers took little notice of Wayne or Republic except for “The Oregon Trail.” Since this film is missing and perhaps lost for good, we’ll spend a little extra time on the details as reported by the Inyo Independent on Dec. 12, 1935.

“More than 50 Lone Pine persons were employed by Republic Picture Production this week on the picture ‘Oregon Trail.’”

The report continued, “Mostly men were used as extras but four women were called on Wednesday.

The picture portrays the struggles of early travelers across the route from Fort Laramie to Oregon which was later to become famous as the Oregon Trail. The picture is reported to be a colorful, historical drama.

Local men played the roles of California Lancers, pioneers of the road, and the renegade villains who tried to thwart the trail blazers.”

Apparently production values were noticeable as the paper stated, “Covered wagons, cannons on the pattern of 1835, buckskins and bonnets have been transforming the Alabama Hills into old Oregon.

Snow shots taken on Hunters Flat are declared to be especially beautiful.” The cast and crew that included Ann Rutherford, Fern Emmett and Ben Hendricks all stayed at the Dow. Two other Republic Pictures made locally also starred Wayne: “Three Faces West” (1940) and “Flame of the Barbary Coast” (1945). The former shot on Sherwin LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

Grade as well as the Eastern Sierra along with shots in the Alabamas.

The latter used locations in Long Valley near Mammoth.

Flame had a large budget for the time of $600,000, but Wayne wasn’t at all happy, according to director Joseph Kane. Wayne didn’t like it and went out of his way to be difficult.

Kane stated in an interview, “It was almost impossible to create a good script and prepare a big production in five weeks. Wayne didn’t care. I guess he figured it couldn’t all be done and he wouldn’t have to do the picture. He obviously didn’t care that my failure to deliver, no matter whose fault, would have probably finished me at Republic. I had no major credits, just a string of Autry and Rogers Westerns. I would have been back to the cutting room if I could even get that.”

Part of Wayne’s unhappiness, a major part, was Yates forcing directors to use his love and later wife Vera Ralston, in often miscast parts.

Comparing her with Hearst’s use of Marion Davies, many critics castigated Vera; if a film she was in for Republic failed at the box office, she was cited as the reason for that failure. Kane worked with her several times and says she “wasn’t that bad,” ever the gentleman. “She really wasn’t a bad gal personally. She was not box office.” (Quoted from “Close-up: The Contract Director”).

Wayne resisted working with her and couldn’t “save” one of her pictures, so Flame did not have her in the cast. It was Wayne’s last picture for Republic.

MAKING IT BIG Gene Autry was Republic’s second big star signed and he worked for them on location 10 times in

the area. He was a major force in the creation of the Singing Cowboy phenomenon, and his sixth picture for Republic, “Comin’ Round the Mountain,” was his first shot locally.

The Inyo Independent of Feb. 28, 1936 reported 50 people were on hand working on the film in Lone Pine. “No more suitable location for a picture could be found than chosen by Republic Company,” the paper crowed. Boyd Magers in his thorough and encyclopedic book, “Gene Autry Westerns: America’s Favorite Cowboy,” states they also filmed in Olanchi (Olancha), 10 (actually 23 miles) south. Magers tells us this was the first time Champion had a major role, as El Diablo.

He also quotes Autry as saying it was one of only three pictures where Continued on page 26 A

THE INYO REGISTER 25

A Continued from page 25 he was located in the Old West, in buckskins, an Autry formula Republic soon abandoned.

“Oh, Susanna!” was the next Republic/Lone Pine film Autry did.

Filming began on July 12, 1936 after an extended legal squabble between the star and the studio. Autry had left on a personal tour and the studio chased him about the country trying to serve an injunction and legal papers. That was not the only challenge to the production. A bus carrying crew members overturned outside of Kernville, south of Lone Pine. Many were injured, some quite seriously. Kay Hughes was scheduled to be Autry’s co-star, but on the first day of filming in Lone Pine she was injured. Magers quotes her story, “‘… It was the first scene I did. They put me on this horse with a bunch of cowboys and we had to run into camera range and stop abruptly in a ditch. Everyone stopped but me! I went over the horse’s head and hurt my arm and back. I still have a scar on my elbow.

I had to go home, so I didn’t do my first Gene Autry.’” She was replaced

by Frances Grant.

“Rootin’ Tootin’ Rhythm” was released in May of 1937 and filming had taken place locally March 10-20. “Boots and Saddles” was released in October after filming lo-

cally at the end of July and the Inyo Independent reports they finished in Lone Pine on Aug. 6. It also states that Republic and John Wayne were due soon, and this would have been “The New Frontier.” The beginning of 1938 saw the opening of another Autry Lone Pine picture directed

by Joe Kane. It was “The Old Barn Dance,” which had filmed locally at the end of November the year before. At this time Autry’s relationship with Yates was poor. The star felt he should be paid five times what he was getting ($25,000 instead of $5,000) and he wanted a guarantee in his contract that Republic wouldn’t try to get half of the money he earned in promotional activities.

His next picture was to be “Washington Cowboy,” but he was going to walk out, so the studio renamed the film “Under Western Stars” and gave Leonard Sly, renamed Roy Rogers, the opportunity for his first starring role, also in Lone Pine.

Autry would not be back to Lone Pine until “In Old Monterey,” which filmed June 18 through July 3 and was released August 1939. The Inyo Independent was full of details about the film, all except how to spell the star’s name, which they wrote as “Autrey.” The paper reported it was a “special,” one of Yates’ four categories of film budgets and running times. (These categories were: Jubi-

Photo courtesy Inyo Film Commission

Of the 45 films made locally by Republic Studios, seven of them starred John Wayne.

Six were released from 1935-37. lee, seven-day schedule, $30,000; Anniversary, two week, $120,000; Deluxe, 22 days; $300,000; and Premier, one month, $1 million budget.) “Shots were made on the Dry Lakes, in the Alabama Hills, at Carmen Oliva’s home and at Spainhower Ranch. Joe Kane is directing the picture, the theme of which is entirely modern, being based on confiscation of ground around Murac Lake for military purposes.”

Melody Ranch shot both in Lone Pine and Mammoth Lakes.

Released in November 1943, it

was the most expensive to date for Republic, coming in at a negative $177,529 in costs. It had a running time of 84 minutes (the longest BWestern of all) and was a “special.”

They worked only one day locally doing running shots in the Alabamas and then left for Mammoth. The Independent of Sept. 13, 1940 reported “they will pack into some of the back country and to Devil’s Postpile where numerous outdoor scenes will be taken.” The cast included Jimmy Durante, Ann Miller and Gabby Hayes. It was busy in Lone Pine, as

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“High Sierra” was here filming and the paper reported Harry Sherman planned to do “Panamint Parson” about Father Crowley here. Fox had suggested they would film the end of “Western Union” here, although at the moment they were in Utah.

“Down Mexico Way” came along in October 1941. The local paper here in their Aug. 15, 1941 edition announced that both Republic and Twentieth Century Fox would be filming Westerns at the same time.

On the 22nd, the Independent followed up but confused one of the pictures. “Lone Pine took on the ‘Little Hollywood’ appearance this week as two major studios with large crews made pictures in the Alabama Hills and Whitney Portal area.”

The Fox picture they thought would be the “Lone Ranger” and they played word games on that famous character. In fact, the film was “Lone Star Ranger” with John Kimbrough and Sheila Ryan. The Republic picture with Autry, Burnette and Fay McKenzie was better reported. “Alabama Hills and the Badger ranch in Lone Pine canyon were used in scenes for this picture as well as other locations. Stock from the R.B. Spainhower ranch was used on several occasions and a number of local men worked during the four days spent in Lone Pine.”

The reporter continued, “Work was

LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL | 2010

completed yesterday and the company moved on to a location on Walker Pass to complete the picture.” Negative costs came to $133,520, making it the second most expensive Autry vehicle. By now Autry was a big star, the fourth most popular as voted by the exhibitors.

“Sierra Sue” opened a month later. It had filmed in Mammoth Lakes and what would be Crowley Lake. In August 1942, “Call of the Canyon” opened and Boyd Magers listed one of the locations used as Lone Pine. The titles and end credits were against a still of Alabama rocks, and a section in the middle (either stock or second unit) shows several shots of a bi-plane stampeding cattle in the Alabamas. Besides the usual team, the Sons of the Pioneers and Ruth Terry were in the film. Ruth was on loan from Howard Hughes.

It almost sounded like a Roy Rogers vehicle. “Sioux City Sue” and later “Robin Hood of Texas” both have local footage, but it was probably stock footage taken from another Republic feature, a cost-cutting trick that the studio raised to a fine art.

One last Autry/Republic/Lone Pine picture remains: “Trail to San Antone” released in January 1947. Peggy Stewart was Autry’s co-star and remembers well working with the businessman cowboy.

She has repeated the story of her

and a group working and posing for pictures while Gene read the Wall Street Journal on the sidelines.

“Always … businessmen from New York found their way up to Lone Pine to talk. He was forever doing business, but he always had time for a sassy joke or something, especially while we were waiting for lighting to be finished and we’re just standing there.”

Peggy says that Joe Yrogoyen did the famous jump with Champion over the Buick now housed as part of Jim Rogers collection in the Lone Pine Film Museum. A large poster photograph of that scene hangs over the car, and Peggy’s cowboy boots are next to it. That concludes Gene Autry and Republic Pictures in Lone Pine.

A STUDIO’S DEMISE We come now to the third major Republic star, often most associated with Republic pictures. Roy Rogers made fewer pictures with the studio here in Lone Pine, but they are quite significant in B-Western lore.

Richard Hurst states that long before Autry departed Republic, that the studio had found Leonard Sly and started to develop his talent. He appeared under the name Dick Weston with the Sons of the Pioneers, even with Autry, before the opportunity mentioned above to

star in the picture “Under Western Stars,” a vehicle originally intended for Autry.

A story of water and an abusive water company, opposed by a young cowboy newly elected to Congress, the film focused on various aspects of water politics, familiar to Owens Valley residents. Scenes shot at Tinnemaha Reservoir were very effective, as were the dust storms staged in the Alabama Hills. Rogers has said that although the studio had brought up several large wind machines for the dust storm, the Alabama Hills obliged with their own storm for the cameras. In several scenes the observant viewer catches images of the real aqueduct that Los Angeles was using to transport local water south for the burgeoning city.

The film was a great success and Rogers was billed as “The King of the Cowboys” ever after. His second film, directed by Joe Kane, was reported by the Inyo Independent as being on location locally in the Oct. 8, 1939 edition. The reporter was much impressed with the presence of Doris Day who was direct from Broadway after appearing in “The Women” there. “The story is set in ‘Sundown Valley’ about 1900. When the brothers are 12 and 5 years old, their father is killed in a fight over the water supply for the valley. The Continued on page 28 A

THE INYO REGISTER 27

A Continued from page 27 younger brother is kidnapped by gunmen, and grows up fighting against the ideal for which his older brother is fighting … Part of the picture was taken on the narrow gauge railroad.”

Republic, Rogers and Sheila Ryan were back on March 19, 1943, filming “Song of Texas” locally. That August, Roy Rogers was back to make “Hands Across the Border” but the big news was that he, Big Boy Guinn Williams and others were going to highlight a dance that would be a fundraiser for the Plunge, then a swimming pool project being pursued by the entire town, and still in use today.

“Featuring entertainment by well-known movie stars and by local talent, the Lone Pine Plunge benefit dance tomorrow night in Lone Pine Union high school gymnasium was expected to draw a large crowd from all parts of southern Inyo. Dancing will start at 9 p.m., with music

by Goodwin’s orchestra of Bishop, according to Edward W. Hjeltness, committeeman. Highlight of the evening will be the personal appearance of Roy Rogers, Republic Pictures western movie star, and Big Boy Williams, both of whom are with a company on location this week near Lone Pine. Co-operation

on the benefit dance program as promised by Republic Pictures on location with cast.”

Joseph Kane directed Rogers and Ruth Terry again in “Man From Music Mountain,” the same name but a different film from the one he did with Gene Autry a few years before. Then came “Utah,” a big Republic production, with a cast and crew of 103, as reported in the paper on Dec. 1, 1944. The Independent made it clear they would stay at the Dow and that Johnny Morris of the Mt. Whitney Café would handle catering.

The first group of crew and director, John English, arrived, followed a few days later by the cast.

“Most of the scenes are being shot in the Alabama Hills, and on the R.B. Spainhower and John Lubken ranches … Wednesday evening the studio transportation division, in the charge of Otto Kupp, kindly donated one of the studio cars to transport 20 Lone Pine Boy Scouts to Independence to attend a joint meeting with the Independence troop where Gene Weston, Los Angeles scout official, was in charge of the program.”

“My Pal Trigger,” a fictionional story of Roy’s famous horse, was shot in the Eastern Sierra and represents the final Roy Rogers/Republic

film made locally. Although “Idaho” is reported by the local newspaper as having shot scenes here, it is difficult to identify any in the finished film, so this location work remains unverified at this writing.

Briefly, we should mention some of the other films made locally by Republic Pictures. A separate article will need to explore them in more depth. A very popular and successful series involving three cowboys was the “Three Mesquiteers.” The casts varied, but two films were made locally: “Wild Horse Rodeo” and “Gunsmoke Ranch.” The largest budgeted film at the time, at $300,000, was “Army Girl,” made here with the horse cavalry and a tank. Footage from the film was edited into a Rex Allen vehicle called “Old Oklahoma Plains.” Allen also made “Under Mexicali Stars” here.

“The Plainsman and the Lady” shot locally and starred Yates’ girlfriend/ wife Vera Ralston and was well received. The last Republic film made locally also starred Ralston and was called “Gunfire at Indian Gap.” She as also in “Fair Wind to Java,” with location work shot on Mono Lake including the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa done in miniature. The model can still be spotted by canoe on the lake.

Several important serials used

Lone Pine for locations. “The Lone Ranger” directed by William Witney and John English shot here. “Hawk of the Wilderness” shot in the Mammoth area, starring Herman Brix.

“Drums of Fu Manchu” used footage from the Lone Pine film “Storm Over Bengal.” “Zorro Rides Again” and “Adventures of Captain Marvel” both have Lone Pine footage.

By July of 1959, Republic was no more. It ceased film production when Yates resigned. Several factors led to the studio’s demise, including the ending of double features, television, disagreements with actors on TV rentals and residuals, as well as a slow evolution away from the successful formula to bigger productions, with mixed results. Many saw Miss Ralston’s presence as a continual drag on profitability of the films she was in.

The Republic formula though, is often used today with independent, low-budget films, and the lessons are learned again and again by young producers and filmmakers.

The nostalgia audience is left with many exciting and action-oriented films to enjoy on late night TV or on DVD. From that point of view, Lone Pine and the Eastern Sierra film history is considerably richer thanks to Republic Pictures.

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