Mickonostalgiamus

Mickmick:

As per usual when you unwind that cortical accordian around your brain pan, you challenge my meager recall to the max. Terrific trivia on Butch and Sundance. It would make sense that they might have been miners and laborers and not payroll guards, and become disillusioned enough to go back to robbing banks. I read somewhere that their deaths, the big shoot out was not anywhere near as dramatic as the film either. Never had heard about Percy, the mining engineer. Odd that he never seeked recognition for so long.

Yes, Ms. Angie Dickinson, aka Angeline Brown, was born in 1931 in that great metropolis of Kulm, North Dakota. God, that makes her 75 years old now. She is 5'5" tall, and her bust was 35C, so they say. In 1953 she took second place in the Miss America contest. She was married to Burt Bacharach from 1965-1980. They had a daughter, Nikki, who was autistic, and who, this year (2007) committed suicide; adding herself to the long list of celebrity offspring that offed themselves, or died from drug overdoses, or accidents. She met Frank Sinatra on the set of OCEAN'S ELEVEN, and they had an on again-off again relationship that lasted 10 years, up through the first 5 years of her marriage. Oh those Hollywood types. Man, Sinatra did get the poontang, didn't he?

As to RIO BRAVO (1959), that was Angie's breakthrough as an actress. Her character's name was "Feathers". I don't recall what Dean Martin as Dude called her for a pet name. Speaking of pet names, what did the townspeople call Dude behind his back? I remember the trailer and poster for the film called Ricky Nelson, as Colorado Ryan, "the rockin' babyfaced gunfisted kid." Duke played sheriff John T. Chance, and Feathers always called him John T. When he finally kissed her it was awkward as hell. Duke was not much of a screen kisser actually. The great musical score was done by Dimitri Tiomkin. Walter Brennan did play Stumpy, in one of his most memorable roles. Brennan could make you feel sorry for the old coot, and still be laughing at him. John Russell played the heavy, Nathan Burdette. I can still hear the way the Duke said "Burdette". Claude Akins played the loser brother, Joe Burdette, that was always complaining of the way Stumpy was treating him in jail. Sheb Wooley and Harry Carey Jr. were both in the film, but edited out. Harry Carey Jr. actually had a big part, but he was having problems with "drinking" at the time. It is said that he called the director, Howard Hawks, "Howard" instead of "Mr. Hawks". Hawks fired him immediately (makes you wonder a bit about Hawks), but his contract was still ironclad, so Carey still got paid, and the screen credit. Bob Steele was in it too, although his role as a Burdette gunnie was uncredited. I read where John Wayne and Howard Hawks decided to make RIO BRAVO as a right-wing response to HIGH NOON, which they both hated. Ward Bond played Pat Wheeler in the film, Chance's old cattle drive pal. Wayne and Bond had made 22 films together, and this would be their last. When Wheeler had his death scene, they had to use a stunt double, because Bond had already returned to the WAGON TRAIN set to resume that show. The gratitious song inserted, MY RIFLE, MY PONY, AND ME, that Rick Nelson and Dean Martin sang, with Brennan's help, was originally to be done in the Hawks/Duke film, RED RIVER (1948)

I have always been fascinated why Howard Hawks basically remade RIO BRAVO as EL DORADO in 1966. The poster said,"The Big One with The Big Two." Duke was the traveling gunslinger Cole Thornton, who is shot in the back on his way to town. In this film, it was the sheriff who was the drunk, not the deputy. Robert Mitchum played sheriff J.P.Harrah. Duke originally approached Hawks to play Harrah, but the director felt it worked better the other way. James Caan played the Rick Nelson character, and he was called Mississippi. What was his character's real name? They filmed this movie in Kanab, Utah. The poem, EL DORADO, was written by what famous American writer and poet? Arthur Hunnicutt did the deputy's role, the Brennan character, and he was called Bull Harris. The rifle he carried was a 1850 Colt Revolving Rifle. To his credit, Hunnicutt did his own thing, and his characterization stands tall on its own in the shadow of Brennan. Mitchum, was much better than Dean Martin had been, of course. The female love interest, Maudie, was played by Charlene Holt. The "Feathers" stand in, in a very cut down role. Short Ed Asner played the heavy, Bart Jason. I preferred John Russell as Burdette. They through in some other characters, like Paul Fix as Dr. Miller, and Christopher George as the crazed gunfighter, Nelse McLeod.

Yeah, Sterling Hayden was 6'5" tall, and very blond as a young actor. Hayden made 73 films starting in 1941. His real name was Sterling Relyea Walter. In those early movie mags he was called,"the Beautiful Blond Viking God". Hayden, actually was his stepfather's name. He married his first leading lady, Madeleine Carroll in 1941. Then he joined the Army, became a commando in the OSS, and fought bravely in Yugoslavia. He made friends with a lot of communists there, and this fouled him up when he returned home. He was very active in the post WWII progressive American movement. "I didn't give a shit about Marx or Lenin," he said,"I just loved the parties and the dames." In the Commie Witch Hunts in the late 40's, he had to name names to keep working; which he did willingly, being ashamed of his association with Communists. You are right, sir, he despised acting; more so than even Marlon Brando, but he loved his sailboats and his broads. I liked him in EL PASO (1949), THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE (1952) with Edmond O'Brien, FLAT TOP(1952), and he was a great Jim Bowie in THE LAST COMMAND (1955). One of his worst clunkers was playing Sir Gawain in PRINCE VALIANT (1954) with Robert Taylor in the page boy wig. Of course he was the guitar player gunfighter in JOHNNY GUITAR (1954) with Joan Crawford. He once said,"There is not enough money in all of Hollywood to lure me into making another picture with Joan Crawford. And I like money." He was offered the role of Tarzan, as a replacement for Lex Barker in the 50's, but he turned it down. He, in the 70's began living outside the country, and not paying his taxes. He was supposed to play Quint in JAWS, but if he had entered the country, he would have been arrested. I read where he was the original choice to play Britt, the knife thrower, in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), and the part finally went ot newcomer, James Coburn.

Yes, Mr. Sharp Eyes, you did spot Vince Edwards as Val Cannon, in THE KILLING (1956). It was only Stanley Kubrick's third film. He was 27 years old. He did not take a salary to direct this low budget classic film noir. The shoot was 21 days. Kubrick wanted to shoot it in NYC, but ended up in California, at the Bay Meadows Race Track. Jack Palance and Victor Mature were both considered to play the lead, that went to Hayden. Frank Sinatra, earlier, was developing the script. The film is aka BED OF FEAR, and CLEAN BREAK. Rodney Dangerfield was an extra in the race track scenes. Others in the film were Jay C. Flippen, Elisha Cook Jr. Ted de Corsica, James Edwards (no, not Vince's brother, this is the talented black actor who was also in MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE), Timothy Carey as Nikki Arcane, and the sexy Marie Windsor. Kubrick held up the shooting schedule to wait for Marie Windsor, who was finishing up her role in SWAMP WOMEN (1955). THE KILLING never made a dime. The studio ran it as a "B" movie double feature, running with and under BANDIDO (1956) with Robert Mitchum, Gilbert Roland, and Ursula Thiess. Hey, remember in DR. STRANGELOVE, my pal Keenan Wynn's character, Col. Bat Guano, as he machine gunned the Coke machine?

Yes, slick, Tom Poston was in SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (1963) as Lt. Magee. I do not recall what line he uttered every time he came into the room. Jackie Gleason played MSgt Maxwell Slaughter, and Steve McQueen showed off some of his gung fu moves as Sgt. Eustis Clay. Gleason used to say,"Until that time, Eustis, until that time." The slut princess, Tuesday Weld was Bobby Jo Pepperdine. The film was directed by Ralph Nelson, but it was written by Blake Edwards, right after he wrote DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES. She was also with McQueen later in THE CINCINATTI KID.

Uh Huh, watch THE SWIMMER again. There is a lot of meat to it. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas did (5) films together. They were:
GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL (1957)
THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE (1959)
SEVEN DAYS IN MAY (1964)
VICTORY AT ENTEBBE (1976)
TOUGH GUYS (1986)
Compared to Duke and Ward Bond's 22 films together, it is a sparse list for sure.

You are probably correct, sir, about the Billy Sunday references --but the movie quote was done by Burt Lancaster in ELMER GANTRY (1960), directed and screenplay by Richard Brooks, based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis, who probably stole the lines from Billy Sunday. I can't even think of one sports figure that was famous in 1900. Who was it?

For a change of pace here, Mick, I will propose a topic of discussion. Usually I let you leead the way, but I got to thinking about a TV crime show series the other day. That would be
M SQUAD (1957-1960), with the 6'2" hard-drinking Lee Marvin as Lt. Frank Ballinger; that was based on real life Chicago detective, Det. Sgt. Joseph Morris. What well known actor played Marvin's partner Sgt. Miller? Leonard Nimoy and Paul Burke appeared on the show too. The show was shot like a TV version of a B&W film noir, with very dark shadows and brilliant whites, with daring low camera angles and lots of action. Remember what the sponsor was for the show? Lee Marvin did the ads for it, in character. The theme music was hot jazz. Who composed it? Former Chicago mayor, Richard J. Daley, became upset after an episode was aired showing a Chicago cop taking a bribe. He shut down Chicago for future filming for many years. What a hypocritical asshole. There are no official VHS or DVD copies of the series, but plenty of pirated ones out there. SATURDAY MATINEE out of California sells some of the series. Lee Marvin died in 1987 at 63 years old of a heart attack. Keenan Wynn was a pal of his, and told many drunken Marvin tales. Marvin was a marine during WWII and fought on Saipan. He got shot in the butt by a Jap soldier, and this severed his sciatic nerve, and he was given a medical discharge. Marvin was discovered doing the Broadway version of BILLY BUDD. He did win an Oscar for playing Kid Shelleen in CAT BALLOU (1965). He could not ride a motorcyle in 1953, when he played in THE WILD ONE. But he learned quickly, and later raced his own Triumph cycle in desert races; he and Keenan Wynn who was a motorcycle racing champion. It is said that he was Steven Spielberg's first choice to play Quint in JAWS (1975), so I wonder who wanted Sterling Hayden? Interesting fact, Marvin is buried next to Joe Louis at the Arlington National Cemetary. Marvin was originally to play Lee Van Cleef's part in THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, but he turned it down. He was also offered George Patton in PATTON (1970), and he turned it down to play Kid Shelleen in CAT BALLOU. Did you know that Kirk Douglas played George Patton in PARIS IS BURNING? Marvin once said,"You know they put your name on a star on the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. One day you walk down to check it out, and you find a pile of dog shit on it. That tells the whole story, baby."

What good work to get from Dean Jones to Merle Oberon, sir.
Merle was in WUTHERING HEIGHTS with Larry Olivier.
Olivier was in SPARTACUS with Kirk Douglas.
Kirk was in IN HARM'S WAY with Henry Fonda.
Fonda was in MR. ROBERTS with Jack Lemmon.
Lemmon was in UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE with Dean Jones.
(5) moves, brilliant. I would have done:
Merle Oberon was in DESIREE (1954) with Marlon Brando.
Brando was in JULIUS CAESAR (1953) with Edmond O'Brien.
O'Brien was in THE RACK (1956) with Dean Jones.

For my titty twister, I thought you said from Jackie Gleason to Burl Ives, and I worked that out in (2) moves. Then I checked back, and OH NO, you said from James Gleason to Burl Ives, and hell, sir, that is a horse of a different color. So let's see.
James Gleason was in THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM (1944) with Gregory Peck.
Gregory Peck was in THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) with Burl Ives.
Hey, still made it in two moves; what marksmanship!

Melva and I are planning to attend GYPSY on the Saturday matinee, on April 21. I will have my medical treatments the 19-20, so I will feel like rat shit on Friday night. Looking forward to see the Mickalino tred the boards, and ham it up outrageously!

Big Hugs: Glenn Gantry, who will kick Booze's ass.

Mick wrote:

Yes, I pulled the Butch and Sundance info out of my arse and I ALSO REMEMBER hearing what the real mining engineer; Percy, played by Strother Martin, recalled about his friendship with Butch and Sundance. The real Percy lived until the late 1950's and was a big wig in the Bolivian mine where the two boys worked as miners and laborers not the payroll guards in the movie. Percy had brought his wife with him and lived on the mine sight and even had the boys over for Sunday Dinners. Percy suspected the boys had a past and weren't using their real names but no questions were asked and Percy found both men to be entertaining and great company in the lonely mine enviornment. After Sunday dinner they even had impromptu shooting matches and remarked how good Butch was with a hand gun but was no match for Sundance. Percy and wife returned to the states and he was never interviewed until almost before his death and the interviewer was astounded how vivid and historically accurate his memories were!
Yes, old greasy faced Angie Dickenson, who I FELL IN LOVE WITH when I first saw her in Rio Bravo and especially since she was from Kulm, North Dakota right in the middle of nowhere and I worked with a gent from that little burg. Burt Baccharat scored a big musical hit there. The senior Burt was a big time San Francisco journalist so Burt Jr. grew up knowing some of the biggies. I loved the combination of the lyricist, Hal David, Composer Burt and singer Dione Warwick back in the 60's and 70's! What was Dean Martin's characters name, Dude, pet name for Angie in Rio Bravo?
Yes, Vince Edwards was the most hirsute armed actor who ever played a Neurosurgeon on t.v. and speaking of The Asphalt Jungle I saw big old Sterling Hayward with a very young Vince Edwards in an early Stanley Kubrick film, The Killing, on the late show last week. Sterlings best was The Asphalt Jungle even better than his character Gen. Jack Ripper in another Kubrick film Dr. Strangelove which is my second favorite film behind Fred C. Dobbs and company. Sterling never liked the "Business" and remarked to everyone that it was the only way he could support his three loves; The Sea, his kids and his booze. To me he was one of the greatest naturals I EVER SAW even though he was in a lot of Klingers.
Good Tom Poston trivia and he was the perrenial man with no name on the old Steve Allen show. When Steve would ask him his name he would say its right at the tip of my tongue or something close to that and Steve would ask him if he had his name on some ID in his wallet and he would look and with the great Poston dead pan would say oh its aah, aah, aah California Drivers Licence? Louie Nye's name was the playboy, Gordon Hathaway," HI-HO Stevearino" and the trembling shaking Don Knotts had sundry names and when Steve asked for his profession he would reply a demoltion expert or brain-surgeon or some such nerve racking career. Tom Poston was in a very obscure movie which I loved from the early 60's, Soldier in the Rain with Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason and played an army Lieutenant and everytime he came into a scene he always would start with the same line. What was it?
I MUST SEE THE SWIMMER again because I BELIEVE NOW THAT I WAS probably to drunk to appreciate Burts character and the movie theme and Burt still strutting his physical prowess at his age. His aging roles were great! The best was Atlantic City! Susan Sarandon and Burt were ideal for each other. Yea, The Tough Guys was special and Kirk to was a physical wonder. I had read where Burt had walked a mile on his hands in one of his later birthdays. How many flicks did Burt and Kirk do together and what were the titles? Your quote sir I knew right off, right off, as Andy Griffith would say.
That was from the man Frank Sinatra sang about when he said Chicago, Chicago the town that Billy Sunday could not shut down. He, along with the Temperence and Prohibisionist movements of that era had enough political clout to create the Volstead act, our illustrious 18th amendment to the Constitution which I believe is the single biggest mistake this country ever made in thought, word and deed! Billy Sunday had been a pro baseball player and will go down in history as one of the most charismatic speakers of all time whether you agreed with him or not. A very famous sports figure was President of the Temperance Movement around the early 1900's who was it?
Great titty twister and you made it in one, as the late great Roy Orbison would warble "Only the Lonely" would know of such things, great kudos to you Sir Excellancy. Okay Merle was in Wuthering Heights with Larry Olivier; Larry was in Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, Kirk was in In Harms Way with Henry Fonda, Henry was in Mr Roberts with Jack Lemmon, Jack was in Under the Yum Yum Tree with Dean Jones. Your titty twister is to get from James Gleason to Burl Ives.
Gypsy is coming along fine with stepped up rehearsal this weekend and dress rehearsals after that. Opening night is April 20th and tx's are $15 for adults and they have parking in the back. I will tell them you are a Theatre Arts critic and they will probably charge you extra?

Regards: The Man who can't get his head or his ass out of the 60's, Mickonostalgiaumus!