Mickolvosky

Mickolvosky:

THE HANGING TREE (1959). In many ways it was superior to HIGH NOON and MAN OF THE WEST. The title song was warbled by Marty Robbins, who I always got mixed up with Frankie Laine. I can't say that Frenchie/Malden liked it when Doc. Frail lanced his carbuncle; he screamed like a little girl. Scott's crazy preacher was called Doc Grubb; some back story there I guess between him and Coop. Yeah, George C. Scott was a scene stealer alright. You couldn't take your eyes off him in THE HUSTLER. His line to Paul Newman,"You owe me money!" still rings in my head. The femme lead in TREE was Maria Schell, Maximillian's little sister, who was in THE BROTHERS KARAMOZOV with Yul Brynner, and later the third remake of CIMERRON with Glenn Ford. Rune was played by the Paul Newman clone, Ben Piazza. He was doing actor's studio moves on the Malden and Coop, it kind of fell flat. The power of their mere personalities sort of blew him off the screen. I always remember the scene where Frenchie has come a courtin', all liqoured up, and he begins to rape Maria. Coop bursts in leaping stairs three at a time, and tosses Frenchie down the stairs. Frenchie goes for his pistol, and Coop plugs twice before he can clear leather. Frenchie staggers outside, and Coop chases him, shooting him four more times. Then he kicks the corpse off the cliff outside the cabin in front of the whole town. That's when the crowd goes apeshit and decide to lynch Coop on that tired old hanging tree.

Yeah, Coop and Hemingway did spend a lot of time together, much of it in Idaho, or was it Montana? I had heard that Coop had an affair with Ingrid Bergman, much like the celebrated one he had with Patricia Neal after THE FOUNTAINHEAD (1949). FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS was a best seller in 1940. The gutless Hollywood moguls took all references to Franco, Mussolini, and Hitler out of the script, even though the Spanish Civil War was concluded by 1941 when it was filmed. I read where Hemingway claimed that he had Ingrid Bergman in mind when he created the character of Maria for the novel. He insisted on Bergman for the role, even though Vera Zorina had already been cast in the role, and had already cut her hair. She was a former show girl with a 7 year contract, who only appeared in 6 films from 1939-46. I remember her in LOUISIANA PURCHASE (1940) with Bob Hope. Hemingway insisted on Gary Cooper to play Robert Jordan too. I have never heard if anyone else tested for it, or was considered. BELL TOLLS is one of my all time favorite films, a crackerjack war/adventure film that had a tear-jerking love story attached to it. When Maria spends the night with Jordan, with Pilar's blessing, that scene haunts me.
Robert Jordan: Are you afraid?
Maria: Not now. I love you, Roberto. Always remember. I love you as I loved my father and my mother, as I love our unborn children, as I love whatever I love most in the world --and still I love you more. Always remember.
Robert Jordan: I'll remember.
That was Ingrid Bergman's first technicolor role. They had a 24 week shoot, 12 weeks in the Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevadas, and 12 more weeks in the studio. Who was the director of FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS? Akim Tamiroff was the one European actor the public already knew. Who played the powerhouse role of Pilar? It always reminded me later of the role Irene Papas played in THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, a very strong woman ramrodding a band of guerillas. I did not see BELL TOLLS until the re-release in the middle 50's. I had an instant crush on Ingrid Bergman, and I was like 11 years old. More trivia and questions on the "Swede" later in this letter.

On THE PROFESSIONALS (1966), yes we all believed we caught a peek of Claudia's nipple, even though we didn't. Yes, Lee Marvin was Rico, Henry "Rico" Fardan. Yes, Burt Lancaster was Bill Dolwarth, the whirling dirvish. Jack Palance, yup, was Jesus Raza, and Ralph Bellemy was Joe Grant, Mr. Joe Grant, the self-made man. Maria Gomez, as Conchita, called Burt, "Ba-bee!". "We had some good times, eh ba-bee?", lying, dying in his arms, just before she raised a pistol out of her skirts, and clicked off an empty round in his ear. A lot of people did not like Robert Ryan in the film. I think he was sick by the point, in 1966. Yet he was towering and still good in THE WILD BUNCH (1968), and in the film of the play THE ICE MAN COMETH with Lee Marvin. I do agree, however, that he really seemed the simpleton in THE PROFESSIONALS.

Charles McGraw was Robert Blake's father in IN COLD BLOOD. Hey, you caught me with my knickers down on Whit Bissell. He never was, in fact, in COOL HAND LUKE. I guess I was thinking of J.D.Cannon as Society Red. As to the television remake of THE DEFIANT ONES (1986), Robert Urich, before he got sick with cancer, played Joker Jackson, and Carl Weathers was the other lead. Ed Lauter was the sheriff, and William Sanderson was in it too. It was not half bad, but it wasn't half good either; just more middle of the road TV fare. The quote, which I love, was from Rodney Dangerfield in BACK TO SCHOOL. Here's an easier one for you:
"Look, I'd go out with women my own age, but there are no women my own age."
You nailed the whole cast of THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING; nice job there. MADAME FRANCINE'S does ring a bell, but I couldn't dredge it up when I needed to. So I got John Carradine right for Movie Cameo Champ; terrific. As to David Carradine's marital arts training, I was under the impression that he just "moved well", and picked up his combat moves from the fight advisor. David is one of those actors who could just ape moves effortlessly. He actually did well early on doing THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN on Broadway. Christopher Plummer did the Aztec chief in the film. As actors, we relied on movement coaches for everything from classical dancing to fighting with broad swords. Didn't know about the real markswomanship of Gail Davis; hot trivia there, sir. Thanks for the info on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW concerning Leo Gordon and Buddy Ebsen. Wow, Joe Kennedy, that's another little known fact in terms of the RKO banner. What's the "O" for then? You kind of threw me off the scent with the Dub Taylor question. Dub Taylor was in fact Wild Bill Elliott's sidekick in over 57 films. His Cannonball character was like the Gabby Hayes or Smiley Burnette personas. His co-starring with Elliott ended on a short-lived TV series called THE MARSHAL OF TRAIL CITY (1950). Buck Taylor is sure a lot taller than his Dad, and has a lot more hair; all genes from his Mom's side I guess. Kudos on the Burt Reynolds TV western series. I think he had a cop series called HAWK too, and then a sit com, something EVENING a few years ago. His career went sideways for some reason. What was the title of Reynold's one and only Spaghetti western, back in the 60's?

As to JOHNNY STACCATO, yup that was the Elmer Bernstein who late came up with that great MAGNIFICENT SEVEN theme. The jazz club where they hung out was called WALDO'S, and the crusty old owner was character actor Eduardo Cianelli. The house band included many jazz greats. The piano player was John Williams. Charles McGraw was a semi-regular if I recall.

Yes, James MacArthur played the Indian in Disney's LIGHT IN THE FOREST (1958), and he did Disney's KIDNAPPED (1960) with Peter Finch playing Alan Breck Stewart. As to other film versions: KIDNAPPED (1938) had Warner Baxter and Freddie Bartholomew. KIDNAPPED (1948) had Dan O-Herlihy and Roddy McDowall. It was filmed for TV in 1952 and 1956. It was a TV mini-series in 1963. And what the hell did Walt Disney have on the wall behind his desk, Donald Duck's dick? Good recall on Jack Lord's sidekick, Warren Oates, but you left out the name of the series --STONEY BURKE. Excellent recall on Will Geer as Wyatt Earp in WINCHESTER 73, and Ben Slade in BROKEN ARROW. If most people had to name all the actors who ever played Wyatt Earp, ole Will Geer would probably not make the list. You are correct, sir, Frank Sinatra would have sucked as Terry Malloy. Montgomery Clift might have done a credible job. Didn't know about the Sinatra/Brando rift on GUYS AND DOLLS. Maybe it was just that Brando could not sing, and Sinatra kind of resented him getting a plum part in a big musical. Oh, I see you made the Johnny Depp--John Saxon connection first; that's cool. As to the Joe Kennedy candidate for superstardom, would that have been the demure Bob Steele, Trooper Duffy on F TROOP?

Now you got me all excited about THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948). What was the name of the writer who wrote the novel? He was a famous recluse who lived in the depths of inner Mexico. John Huston offered him $1,000 per week to visit the set, and be a consultant. He claimed he was too busy, so he sent a friend of his, a Mr. Hal Crowes, who did show up, and worked for $150.00 per week. The rumor was the dude actually was the author in disguise. The author originally pitched Lewis Stone to play old Howard, but John Huston knew how good Walter would be. With John winning an Oscar for Best Director and Walter Huston winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor --being the first, and only I think, father/son duo to do so. Who were the other two actors on the trek with Howard and Dobbs, one playing Bob Curtin and other James Cody? One of them had played Tarzan in the past. What was Alfonso Bedoya's character's name? Do you remember Ann Sheridan doing a cameo as a street walker? Barton MacLaine was in too, right? It is said that the original ending to the film showed Bedoya decapitating Fred C. Dobbs with a machete. The gutless wonders in Hollywood, the censors, made Huston change the ending. This pissed off John and Bogart too. "What's wrong with seeing a guy get his head cut off?" Bogie asked. John Huston played a practical joke on the actor playing Cody. That scene where they are at the campfire eating stew, Cody is ravenous, and he wolves down his plate of stew. Huston made him reshoot the scene two more times, and then when the actor was super full and ready to upchuck, Huston called, "Lunch Break!" Bogart was completely bald by 1947, so this was the first film he had to wear a rug in. When John Huston did his cameo as the Americian Tourist in the white suit, Bogart actually directed the scene, and he made Huston do several retakes on it. What fun can be had on a film set! Hell of a way for grown men to make a living! By the way, John Huston was working on the TREASURE as a project in 1941, before the war. He had three other major actors in mind for the three main roles. Who were they? For a short time, when one of those first three dropped out, Ronald Reagan was considered for the Bob Curtin part. By the way, when AFI did one of their perspective shows, 100 Most Famous Quotes, "Stinking Badges" came up at #36. Can you, with your mega-memory, give me the exact quote on Bedoya's speech? How many times did Fred C. Dobbs put the bite on John Huston as the American tourist? Robert Blake, I hear, stole two momentos from the set, a water glass and a coffee cup. SIERRA MADRE was the first major motion picture mostly shot on location in a foreign country. Huston, of course, followed by going to Africa to shoot parts of THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1956). Walter Huston was so good as Howard, John was getting notes from the studio asking him to "tone down" Walter's performance, for fear that he would upstage the star, Humphrey Bogart. While John Huston was in Europe shooting war documentaries, Warner Brothers almost shot SIERRA MADRE in the studio, using one of their stock directors, Vincent Sherman. Writer/director Robert Rossen of ALL THE KING'S MEN had written nine drafts of the screenplay, and when Huston returned he scrapped all of them and wrote the script himself. One blooper in MADRE was that the story was supposed to be taking place in 1920's Mexico, yet all the cars were of the 1930's and 1940's ilk.
"Going through some mighty rough country tomorrow --better eat some beans."

Nice connection from Smiley Burnette to Frank Sinatra.
Smiley in KING OF THE COWBOYS with Leonard Sly
Roy in DARK COMMAND with Marion Morrison.
Duke in CAST A GIANT SHADOW with Francis Sinatra.

I would have just done:
Smiley Burnette in DOWN MEXICO WAY (1941) with Paul Fix.
Paul Fix in DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE (1970) with Frank Sinatra.

Pretty tricky with John Hodiak connecting to James Coburn since Hodiak died in 1955 before Coburn got started, but let's see:
John Hodiak in TRIAL (1955) with Katy Jurado.
Katy Jurado in PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (1973) with James Coburn.

Your challenge is to connect Harry Carey Jr. to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I guess that will close our latest correspondance for this week, big guy.
Happy Trails to You little saddle Pard:

Glenn

Mick wrote:

Who sang that song and it has never left me from Coops last days and he knew it while filming the movie! After the movie he was trap and skeet shooting with his soulmate, who was incidentally the writers dearest friend and favorite actor Ernest Hemingway, and made a wager that he would leave before Papa and his premonition came true and I think they both knew that "The Bells Toll for thee!" Papa plutonicly and in his loins also loved Ingrid Bergman and all three loved to get drunk together when they had a chance. Typically the two men got drunk and the swede, affectionally known only to her closest friends, thought Papa more like an older brother but really did love Coop and told him sleeping together would only screw things up. The Swede would only get tight on their nights and like GLENN AND MICK the two guys were always in awe over her. She was one class ass lady and with the exception of your wife I haven't seen or heard of the likes of which for a long time. Papa once said "if your going to sell your soul (work) drive to the California border and sell it to the proxy idiot who hollywood hired and kiss your work goodby at a price you can afford!" Do you remember when the doc had to lance Frenchys (the bad guy Karl Malden) boil on his ass and somehow Frenchie liked it? That was the first time I saw George C Scott and somehow I knew wouldn't be the last. From crazy preacher to Patton he could steal the camera from anyone the way only Lee Marvin and Robert Shaw could which is why I believe great talent is born not made. I don't remember the kids name or the woman who was blinded except he gave all his TLC to her blinded eyes and treated Roon the kid like shit and made him sleep under the porch.

I too saw Claudias ample nipple by the firelight or maybe I just wanted to. Remember when Rico, Lee Marvin, and Burt, Bill Dalworth saw her in bed with Jack Palance, Jesus Raza, and knew they had been hooked by the old badger game, day time ransom and night time lovers. Ralph Bellamys name was something Grant on the train. Jake Sharp now thats a name! What pet name did the well endowed Maria Gomez have for the whirling dervish of them all, thats what Rico called Burt at the end of the movie. Those hooters could really jiggle even with the bandelero on. I don't remember what movie Charles McGraw played Blakes father. I don't recall Whit Bissell in Cool Hand Luke maybe your thinking him playing the vet in Hud who had to tell them they had the worst thing a cattleman can have Hoof and Mouth Disease. I also don't recall anything about the remakes of the defiant ones. I wish I had made that quote about the beer because I don't know you pitchered me a curve on that one.

I recall Carl Reiner, Alan Arkin, Eve Marie Saint, Brian Keith, and old comedians Paul Ford and Ben Blue in The Russians are coming. I am going to rent one of your movies so I can say Hey I know this guy. Madam Francines was the name of the establishment in Yancy and you were right on with John Carradine who was the best snake oil salesman of them all. How long did son David study Martial Arts to do a very credible job in Kung-Fu?

You mentioned Gail Davis who in real life was one of the time five women trap and skeet shooters in the country, good casting for Annie Oakley. Leo Gordon had a shotgun in its case which with his limp made the townspeople and Andy think he was going to use it on him but alas it was his peace offering to Andy for straightening up his life. Buddy Epsen stole Aunt Beas purse that had been tossed in the trash but Opie didn't know and Andy did and Andy smiled when he told Buddy to hop the 4:00 freight train out of town. Joe Kennedy Sr had a company that merged with the early RKO and I heard the k was for him? Howard Hughes bought the Co. out later. Ars Gratia Artis was on the molding of MGMs Leos porthole. Dub Taylor was Cannonball to Wild Bill Elliot and a sidekick to many more. Burt Reynolds was Quint the half breed Indian on Gunsmoke before Newley, who I'm sure you know was Dub Taylors boy Buck. Burt was also on Riverboat with Darren McGavin and the two hated each other for whatever reason I don't know. Elmer Bernstein did the jazz music theme for Staccato and I recall the music more than the show so I have no answers.

I saw James MacArthur in many Disney productions but I think the one he played a Mohican Indian was Light in the forest. I'm totally Kidsnapped on those questions. What did Walt Disney have on his wall behind his desk so everybody could see it and it was no award. I loved Jack Lord and his sidekick, Warren Oates, who played a sleazy character What else! I recall early Will Geer just as much for his voice as his acting. Wyatt Earp and Ben Slade in Winchester 76 and Broken Arrow. I didn't know about Clift and Sinatra casting for Terry Malloy. Although I love Sinatras acting, I don't believe that would have worked. I wonder what the feud was all about on Guys and Dolls between Frank and Marlon, that not getting the Malloy part may have had something to do with it. Your right I don't know crap about Johnny Depp but I looked up Nightmare on Elm St and there he was with John Saxon.

What actor did Joe Kennedy Sr sponsor to be the next great action superstar of the late
20's and early 30's when he was connected with the movies? He was in a ton of movies and tv and I believe I last saw him in F Troop.

Smiley was in: The King of the Cowboys with Roy Rogers;
Roy was in Dark Command with Duke Wayne;
Duke was in Cast a Giant Shadow with Frank.
Target actor, John Hodiak connect to James Coburn.

Regards, The man who would be King but not Kong Mick!