Do I Need More Furniture?

Oh dear me!! I found this in someone's trash on the way to driving the kiddos to school this morning. I really don't have much more room in my place. How could I resist this one? There was a table on the person's lawn too so I promptly called my friend Roopa to convince her that the table would make a nice addition to her home. Together we carried the table to her place. Our husbands are shaking their heads. At least I'm sure hers is. Mine is on his way home from a business trip. I haven't told him about this one yet.

I had some of this upholstery weight fabric and I thought that I could do something funky with this one. I'm not quite sure what color I want to paint the legs. There's white [not crazy about it but if it works I'll consider it], black [same feeling as white], gray-green range, dark gray, dark blue, ... Got any suggestions? 

What do you call this piece of furniture? It's not a chair, stool or ottoman. Hmm. Let me know, will you? Thanks.
Have a great weekend!
xo, L

Thirty-Five Dollars

I do a yearly visit to a local rummage sale and I often end up with a nice piece of furniture for an awesome price. Do you remember my dining room chairs? I love a modern look but I also love mixing antiques in with the decor. My dad used to take us along with him when he went scouring flea markets for great finds. I even have a wooden chair that looks like a royal throne that I inherited when he passed away. So, my friend, Roopa and I headed down there to look for our treasure. I came home with this awesome table and all of those books for just under $35!! Those 40 books, by the way, are those $4 kids chapter books that you buy in Barnes and Noble. Awesome, right?

There are scratches and I'm not sure about what I want to do with the table. On the one hand, I want to do one of those awesome before and after treatments but on the other hand, I rather like the old vintage look. What do you think?

Oh, by the way, don't tell my husband about this table, ok? He doesn't mind but he's starting to wonder where we're going to put everything. Plus, he'll find out about it when he trips over it Friday night when he comes home from his business trip.

Have a great weekend! xo, L

Bahrilliant - Day One

It took travelling to 17 countries before having Press Editor on my visa became a problem; it took the same number before I lost a bag. Funny, then that both snafus should occur on entry to the world's 184th smallest country, the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain.

Still, the hotel I'm staying at is quite nice, and after a brief stop to drop off my computer, I'm out on tour with a fabulously camp rep from the Bahrain tourist board. To my total surprise, our driver is a Bahraini too – in fact the majority of people I meet are. Here there's none of the weird standoffishness that goes on in the UAE, nor the ugly class divide between rich and poor. Instead there are local people doing local jobs, side by side with the expats who make up around 50% of the population.

Our first stop is the Bahrain Fort or Qal'at al-Bahrain, which even by European standards is a quite spectacular place. This was the site main port of the ancient Dilmun civilisation from around 2000 BC (not the fort itself – that came much later). Here the Mesopotamian empire did a lot of its trading in the Gulf, as a result the island was a tremendously popular place.

Next to the big UNESCO site, there is a museum, containing all kinds of interesting artefacts, but none quite so cool as the snake pots. In each of these a small snake was trapped and sacrificed, along with a small bead or pearl, before being buried in the foundations of a new building. It was seen as some kind of blessing to help with the new start. The real reason for this can only be guessed at, but it's not unreasonable to assume that it had something to do with the legend of Gilgamesh.

The Sumerian hero was said to have travelled here over 4700 years ago in his quest for immortality. He came to the island seeking Ziusudra, an immortal who told Gilgamesh that in order to achieve eternal life, he must find a flower at the bottom of the sea and eat it. Being a generous bastard, Ziusudra taught him the necessary diving techniques.

After much practice, Gilgamesh was successful and brought the flower (a pearl) back to shore. While he was resting from his endeavour, a snake emerged and ate the pearl, before promptly shedding its skin.

Thus the serpent was granted immortality and Gilgamesh, well, fuck all really.

If it did actually happen anything like the legend, then this was one of Bahrain's first major flirtation with pearl-diving. It certainly wasn't the last. Though the trade had always gone on around these parts, it really wasn't until the 19th century that it exploded. At its peak it almost half of the population here worked in the industry, with 20,000 of them divers. 

The place boomed for decades until the 1930s, when suddenly the Japanese learned how to cultivate pearls, rather than go through the laborious – and often hazardous – process of plucking them from the ocean bed without breathing apparatus. However, in what has to be one of the jammiest incidents in the island's history, just as the pearling industry died, so another one

began: oil was discovered in 1935 and this little place was the first country in the region to start producing it. As vitally important as it was to the survival of the nation, though, pearling is still celebrated and remembered fondly – so much so that the colours of the Bahrain flag are said to represent the brilliance of a pearl being presented on a red velvet cloth.

From the fort, we head to a meeting with the Minister of Culture and Information. My fabulous friend impresses on me just how unlikely this meeting is – they have apparently being trying to tie down the minister for months with no success. Though she has royal blood in her line, she is not actually a member of the royal family, although her family name and job title mean that she certainly doesn't lack in influence.

Chatting to her, it quickly becomes clear that she's an almost dangerously candid speaker, happy to admit that this or minister pissed her off. She’s actually in her third stint in the job, having walked away from it once and getting fired another time. If there were more politicians like her, the world would be a more interesting place – until it inevitably was consumed with an endless war.

Anyway, she's great, gives wonderful copy and teaches me a lot about the island and her vision of where it is heading. Like all of the Gulf States, Bahrain is trying to diversify its economy and cut down on its dependence on the black stuff. Because it has the most tangible, recorded history this side of Iran, Bahrain is throwing its lot in with culture and its ties to the past. 

Good on it, I say. It's an amazing breath of fresh air compared to the cynical marketing exercise that is Dubai and the relentless importing of foreign ideas that's happening in Abu Dhabi. What makes Bahrain special isn't what it's imported, or invented, but what it's inherited.

Without trying to sound like too much of a fanboy, it's also great because it’s a lot more liberal. Here restaurants can have a booze license without having to hide away in a hotel and, if my wee pal is anything to go by, they're a lot more tolerant towards gays too.

After lunch I’m in another meeting, this time with the head of the Economic Development Board. Much of what he says isn’t that interesting, but after a couple of minutes, we have this bizarre exchange.

“So Bahrain just missed out on the World Cup… Is football that popular here?”

“OK, so where are you from in Ireland?”

“Actually, I’m from Scotland…”

“Scotland? Oh nae bother, nae bother, nae bother!”  

*laughing*

“Are you Rangers or Celtic?”

“Rangers.”

“Well like the Rangers supporters are for their team, so we are in Bahrain.”

From there, we head to Muharraq, the cultural neighbourhood in the city centre. Here regular folks live among houses that have been renovated with different cultural themes. One houses the history of the press in the region; another screeds of information on pearling; one is an old sheikh’s house; there’s an auditorium too. It’s all quite classy, it really is.

An hour or so later, I’ve had a shower and am leaving for my third meeting/interview of the day, this time with an old doctor and the guy’s from the tourist board at Trader Vic’s. After a while, I confess to him my long-documented (on here, anyway) uncertainty about Britain’s meddling around the world. He shoos it away, like a spicy fart. 

“Britain gave us the system: it gave us banks and laws and medicine and roads and knowledge, but most of all it gave us protection from Iran and Saudi Arabia, both of who wanted the island. No, my friend, as far as Bahrain is concerned, Britain did great things.”

Distractions

When I am working on something for work, I often need to process things in my noggin. I'll usually distract myself with little projects. I originally made these little zippered pouches for my boys but I found myself using them to hold my notions. The pattern is by Connie Woo. Oh so cute. My boys will get their pouches back at some point!

Then my local quilt shop, Kindred Quilts , was offering these little kits to make Friendship Triangles. The idea is to buy some, sew them up and return them to the shop. The shop would swap the triangles around and return the same number that you submitted. I wasn't going to buy any but then Mark Lipinski just had to post about his triangles on Facebook and I saw his finished ones [and others] at the shop. Ok, so I had to get in on the sewing and swapping. It has been a fun and easy sewing exercise [especially since I am not best friends with paper piecing.]

I can't wait to show you the blocks that I received at the end of May. Have a great Monday! xo, L

COWBOY FESTIVAL LASSOS 7000!

Updated April 26th, 2010 - See America: The Story of Us, Tom Mix movie, TV listings

According to Arts and Events Supervisor Pat Downing, between 5,000 and 7,000 wanna-be cowpokes attended the 17th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at Gene Autry's Melody Ranch on Saturday, and if you haven't gotten there yet, today, Sunday, is your last chance to walk the boards of those famed western streets until next year.

Back in 1994, shortly after the Northridge earthquake, the first event, then called the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, was held at the ranch, and it has been growing ever since. The focus is on western music and poetry, and the long, winding western street provides five separate stages, with continuous performances at all of them. In addition, there are all manner of artists and artisans selling their wares, and western tack, clothes and toys. There are numerous western authors signing their books as well, and a large food court – I can personally recommend the pulled pork sandwich, but it all looked good.

For me, the high point of the event is the opportunity to visit the Melody Ranch Museum, and stroll the western streets. Built as a working ranch in 1915, it soon became a movie ranch and eventually was bought by Monogram, and became the Monogram Ranch. It’s been the location for 750 ‘B’ and ‘A’ westerns, starring William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, Tex Ritter, Duncan Renaldo, Gilbert Roland, Johnny Mack Brown, Roy Rogers, Gary Cooper, William ‘Hoppy’ Boyd, and John Wayne among many others.

In 1952, Gene Autry, having left Republic to produce his own films for Columbia, bought the studio and christened it Melody Ranch. There he made his own movies, his various Flying A TV series, and rented it to other shows such as The Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke and Rin Tin Tin. After a fire destroyed much of the western street in 1962, Gene maintained the ranch mostly as a home for his horse, Champion. When Champion died in 1990, Gene sold Melody Ranch to the Veluzat brothers, who have beautifully restored it. Among the movies you’ve seen it used in recently are Wild Bill, The Last Man Standing, and the series Deadwood.

This is the last day -- don't waste it! For directions and other info, CLICK HERE. If you go, send us your comments!

Pics, top to bottom: Quebe Sisters Band, tired dance-hall girl, authors Miles Hood Swarthout and C. Courtney Joyner, Buffalo Soldiers, stage B, lariat spinner, the street, museum sign.


AMERICA: THE STORY OF US ON HISTORY CHANNEL – STARTING TONIGHT

The first of six two-hour documentaries telling the history of the United States, will air tonight. The first chapter, entitled REBELS will cover from the early settlers to the start of the Revolutionary War. On Sunday, May 2nd, REVOLUTION and WESTWARD will air. I’ve not had a chance to see any of these – I never heard of them until Friday’s Variety review, and they hated them. I’ll give ‘em a chance myself. If you take a look, please post your comments on the blog!

UPDATE: Having seen the first half hour of AMERICA: THE STORY OF US, I think The Variety was harsh in their analysis. Granted, it’s not Ken Burns, and a lot of the celebrity cutaways seemed a bit arbitrary, but the showing and the telling of history is surprisingly effective –surprising because it may sound odd to juxtapose CGI with early American history, but a lot of it works. It’s being shown in two-hour weekly chunks for six weeks, and I’m certainly looking forward to next week’s entry. If I were to make one criticism thus far, it’s the advertising. Bank of America has underwritten the series, which is a fine thing for them to do, and I certainly understand them creating an ad campaign specifically to tie in with the series. However, the history-clips-and-interviews format of the ads is so close to that of the show itself that you can’t clearly tell where one ends and the other begins, and that’s unseemly.

TRUE GRIT COMPSER TURNS TO CHUCH FOR MUSIC

According to writer Eric Eisenberg, composer Carter Burwell will be taking his cue for the film’s score from Protestant hymns. Burwell, who has worked frequently with the Coen Brothers since Blood Simple, was speaking at the Nashville Film Festival. It’s the story of a young girl, Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Steinfeld, searching for her father’s killer. And as Mattie is a girl “convinced of her own righteousness,” and possess “misplaced rectitude,” backing her with hymns would underscore that idea.


SWEETGRASS AT LANDMARK THEATERS

Here is the official blurb about a new documentary. "SWEETGRASS is an unsentimental elegy to the American West. The documentary follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. The astonishingly beautiful yet unsparing film reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times calls the film 'a really intimate, beautifully shot examination of the connection between man and beast,' while Ronnie Scheib of Variety considers it 'a one-of-a-kind experience...at once epic-scale and earthbound.'" Okay, none of those Brokeback Mountain (2005) cheap-shots -- I'm sure these poor shepherds have heard 'em all. Sweetgrass is playing at the Edina Cinema in Minneapolis. The trailer looks beautiful -- check it out HERE.

TOM MIX IN ‘DICK TURPIN’ AT THE MUSIC HALL

From Friday, April 30th through Sunday, May 2nd, The Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo will present DICK TURPIN (1923), a silent starring Tom Mix (as Turpin) and Tony, his horse (as Black Bess). The cast also includes Kathleen Myers, the wonderful Alan Hale Sr., Bull Montana, Fred Kohler. And if you’re fast, you may be able to catch extras Gary Cooper, Buck Jones and Carole Lombard! Directed by J.G. Blystone and written by Charles Darnton, Charles Kenyon and Don W. Lee, the movie is, in truth, not a western, but an adventure story set in 18th century England. But c’mon, it’s still Tom Mix and Tony, and a live score on the Mighty Wurlitzer! Admission is $8, with Friday and Saturday night performances at 8:15 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30. The address is 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. 310-322-2592.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD AT LANDMARK THEATRES

It's a South Korean 'western' set in Manchuria in the 1930s, and the trailer looks great. CHECK OUT THE TRAILER HERE. On Friday April 30th it will be opening at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles and Kendall Square Cinema in Boston for a one-week run.

HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM

Across the street from the Hollywood Bowl, this building, once the headquarters of Lasky-Famous Players (later Paramount Pictures) was the original DeMille Barn, where Cecil B. DeMille made the first Hollywood western, The Squaw Man. They have a permanent display of movie props, documents and other items related to early, especially silent, film production. They also have occasional special programs. 2100 Highland Ave., L.A. CA 323-874-2276. Thursday – Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for senior, $1 for children.

WELLS FARGO HISTORY MUSEUM

This small but entertaining museum gives a detailed history of Wells Fargo when the name suggested stage-coaches rather than ATMS. There’s a historically accurate reproduction of an agent’s office, an original Concord Coach, and other historical displays. Open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Admission is free. 213-253-7166. 333 S. Grand Street, L.A. CA.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, EXT= Showtime Extreme, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

Monday April 26th

FMC 3:00 a.m. VIVA CISCO KID - Caesar Romero dons the sombrero for this adventure, with Chris-Pin Martin as Pancho, and featuring lovely Jean Rogers, Stanley Fields and Minor Watson. Beautifully shot around Lone Pine, it's great fun, though as with all the Cisco Kid films, it has nearly nothing to do with the O. Henry character -- who was no hero at all. Screenplay by Samuel G. Engel. It's directed by Norman Foster, who excelled at fast fun, from MR. MOTO to the Disney ZORRO TV series. Once a matinee idol married to Claudette Colbert, he was beaten by a jealous rival, his looks damaged, and he turned to direction -- with great results.

FMC 4:30 a.m. CALL OF THE WILD (1935) Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Jack Oakie, Buck, D:William Wellman, W:Gene Fowler - from Jack London's novel. (Great stuff, and Gable at his best - no wonder Loretta got impregnated by him on the shoot!)

TCM 3:00 p.m. TENDER MERCIES (1983) Bruce Beresford directs Horton Foote's brilliant story and screenplay about an alcoholic country singer, played wonderfully by Robert Duvall, finding love and redemption in a small town. If this plot sounds suspiciously like this year's Oscar-winning CRAZY HEART, it's no coincidence. With Tess Harper, Ellen Barkin and Wilford Brimley.

Tuesday March 27th

TCM 8:45 p.m. THE LAST HUNT (1956) Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd Nolan and 3,000 angry buffalo! The very talented and tough Richard Brooks wrote and directed this story about frontiersmen clashing over a buffalo slaughter. From the novel by Milton Lott.

TCM 10:30 p.m. THE LAW AND JAKE WADE (1958) Evil Richard Widmark (is there any other kind?) forces his old reformed pal Robert Taylor to lead him hidden loot. With a great bunch of 1950s bad guys – Robert Middleton, Henry Silva and DeForest Kelley (yes, Trekies, he had a whole career before he was Bones McCoy). Directed by John Sturges from William Bowers’ screenplay, from Marvin Albert’s novel.

Wednesday April 28, 2010

TCM 5:15 a.m. SADDLE THE WIND (1958) Robert Taylor stars in this story of a rancher with a doubtful past who tries to stop his outlaw brother. With John Cassavetes, Julie London, directd by Robert Parrish. The story is by Thomas Thompson, who went on to write a ton of BONANZA episodes before becoming a best-selling writer, screenplay by the great Rod Serling.

TCM 8:30 a.m. CATTLE KING (1963) Another written by Thomas Thompson, with cattle-ranchers battling over a piece of prime grazing land. With Robert Taylor, Joan Caulfield and Robert Loggia. Directed by Tay Garnett.

TCM 10:15 a.m. HONDO AND THE APACHES (1967) Following up the John Wayne movie HONDO, this one is cut together from two episodes of the TV series, with Ralph Taeger in the Duke's role, Kathie Brown and Michael Rennie. Directed by Lee H. Katzin, it's scripted by Andrew J. Fenady, based on the Louis L'Amour story THE GIFT OF COCHISE.

Saturday May 1st

FMC 9:00 a.m. HOMBRE (1967) Elmore Leonard's taught novel about an Apache-raised white man protecting stagecoach passengers gives Paul Newman his best western role (yes, I know BUTCH CASSIDY is good, too), with a fine screenplay by husband-and-wife Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., and crisp direction by Martin Ritt. Co-stars Frederic March and Richard Boone.

AMC 9:00 a.m. THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (1941) Harold Bell Wright's novel - the first to sell a million copies - is te story of Ozark moonshiner John Wayne, who is haunted by his past, with Betty Field as the love interest, and Harry Carey as a mysterious stranger. Directed by Henry Hathaway, acripted by Stuart Anthony and Grover Jones.

TCM 9:00 a.m. SERGEANTS 3 (1962) A western remake of GUNGA DIN, based on Kipling's poem, scripted by W.R. Burnett, directed by John Sturges. One of the Rat-Pack movies with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford as cavalry officers, Sammy Davis Jr. in the Sam Jaffe role as the regimental beastie, and Indians on the warpath standing in for the Thugs. It was an okay idea, and has its moments, but even with talents like Burnett and Stuges, it pales badly next to the George Stevens film, and some of the soundstage work that's supposed to be outdoors is embarassingly fake.

11:00 a.m. THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER (1965) Henry Hathaway directs the story of brothers -- John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holleman and Michael Anderson Jr. -- determined to find their father's killer. Written by William Wright and Allan Weiss. One of the great ones from the 1960s.

FMC 11:00 a.m. BANDOLERO! (1968)Great fun with Stewart and Martin as feuding brother outlaws. Featuring Raquel Welch, Harry Carey Jr., Jock Mahoney, Don 'Red' Barry, Roy Barcroft, D:Andrew McLaglen, W:James Lee Barrett (If you want to see an incredible list on stuntmen, check out the listing on IMDB)

AMC 11:15 a.m. THE WILD AND THE INNOCENT (1959) Country folks Audie Murphie and Sandra Dee get in trouble inthe big, bad city. Directed by Jack Sher, written by Sy Gomberg and Sher. With Gilbert Roland and Strother Martin.

AMC 1:15 p.m. THE GUNFIGHTER (1950) Classic story of Gregory Peck as Johnny Ringo, whose reputation for a fast draw puts a permanent target on his back. Directed with icy restraint by Henry King, story by William Bowers and director Andre De Toth, screenplay by Bowers and William Sellers. Featuring Jean Parker in her comeback role, and Karl Malden.

TCM 1:15 p.m. MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946) John Ford's wonderful telling of the Tombstone legend, with Henry Fonda, Ward Bond and Tim Holt as the Earps, Walter Brennan and John Ireland as the Clantons, and Victor Mature in one of his best performances, as Doc Holliday. Screenplay by Samuel G. Engal and Winston Miller, from Stuart Lake's novel and Sam Hellman's story. A must-see!

AMC 3:15 p.m. THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY (1959) Gunman Robert Mitchum woos Major Gary Merrill's wife, Julie London, during a border fight. I haven't seen it, but I bet poor Merrill doesn't stand a chance. Directed by Robert Parrish, written by Robert Andrey from Tom Lea's novel.

AMC 5:30 p.m. JEREMIAH JOHNSON (1972) Sydney Pollack directs Robert Redford in the story of a real mountain man, culled from several different writers: Vardis Fisher, Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker. The screenplay is by John Milius and Edward Anholt, and is co-stars Will Geer. Probably Redford's best western role (yes, I know SUNDANCE KID is good, too), and it was a wise move to eliminate his character's nickname: Liver-Eating Johnson.

There's plenty of other stuff coming up on TV -- I wanted to make sure I got CISCO up before you missed it - but I'll get the other stuff up later!

Adios amigos!

Henry

All contents copyright April 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- all rights reserved.

Lazy Weekend

I'm not really having a lazy weekend. Don't let that title deceived you. It's more like a lazy morning and the rest will be busy but at a slower pace. I have lots of work to do! CraftEdu will be launching it's beta version April 30. Yikes! Are we seriously almost there already? I just signed off on a freebie quilt design for my new fabric line, Hugs and Kisses and am working on the next quilt for the next line, Bella Flora.

It is just nice to run into friends and have a little conversation while you're enjoying the morning sunshine. So relaxing.

Notice anything different? Little A just got glasses. I think that it was just his fate and our genes. Tell him it looks good, will you please?  This little guy wanted a cool looking pair or else he wasn't going to wear them. [Apparently, another classmate came to school wearing glasses the day he had his appointment and some boys had made fun of her. So, Little A was not sold on wearing them.]

I look around for inspiration even while fishing. Look at this beautiful web. I think that you could incorporate these lines in your next quilt while you are quilting.

Enjoy your weekend. xo, L

Second Etsy Shop & Ebay Store!

I've been doing some Spring cleaning and decided to open a second etsy shop to sell some fantastic vintage jewelry from my personal collection in addition to de-stashed jewelry supplies. There you will find lots of collectible costume jewelry including awesome lucite and bakelite pieces.

http://www.lovelydears.etsy.com

There is more up on ebay as well:

http://shop.ebay.com/lovelydears/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

COWBOY STAMPS ISSUED AT THE AUTRY

This morning at the Autry National Center of the American West, the U.S. Postal Service officially issued the ‘Cowboys of the Silver Screen’ stamps, a block of four featuring portraits of William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. The stamps, much in the style of movie posters, were painted by Robert Rodriguez, whose distinctive style you may recall from his posters for City Slickers II, The Two Jakes and Jewel of the Nile. He has now designed nineteen stamps, and having been a kid who rushed home after school to watch westerns on TV, he felt greatly honored.

Outside, long lines of collectors bought the just-issued stamps, affixed them to first day cover envelopes and had them hand-cancelled. Inside, a mix of numismatists and guys with hats watched the presentation by Autry organization officials, USPS representatives, Mrs. Gene Autry, and other members of both the Autry and the Roy Rogers family. Mrs. Jackie Autry commented, “I think it’s also special that Gene is put together with Roy, because they were the best of friends.” The gallery’s walls are covered with a mural that shows the history of the American west in fact and myth, and she pointed out that on the wall directly behind the audience were large images of Roy, Gene, Tom and Will. The program ended with Roy’s grandson, Rob Johnson, leading the audience in spirited renditions of ‘Back in the Saddle Again’, and ‘Happy Trails to You.’ Upstairs, on display in the lobby gallery are mementos of all four men, including a pair of 1860 revolvers that belonged to Hart, a white plastic saddle Rogers rode in the Rose Parade, and the floral bib-front cowboy shirt Mix was wearing when he had his fatal car crash.
(Photos - above left, l to r, Mrs. Gene Autry, Mrs. Monte Hale, Cheryl Rogers-Barnett. Above right, l to r, USPS L.A. District Manager Ed Ruiz, artist Robert Rodriguez, Autry Pres. John L. Gray.)

AUTRY MUSEUM ACQUIRES ROGERS ARCHIVE

During the presentation, Autry President and CEO John L. Gray announced that the Autry had acquired the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans archives. This is great news – and a great relief – to those of us who were worried that, with the closing of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Missouri, the entire collection might have been sold off piecemeal and lost. This good news comes on the heels – or hooves – of the recent announcement that the Autry had acquired the David Dortort archives, Dortort being the nonagenarian television producer behind BONANZA and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL.

Gray also announced that starting in mid June, The Autry would present a western film festival, commencing with a Roy Rogers picture, although no titles were revealed.

JONAH HEX TRAILER TO DEBUT APRIL 29TH

I know, I know -- the premiere of coming attractions isn't exactly earth-shaking news, but sometimes that's all you get. It'll be on Syfy that night, and it'll also be spliced onto the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET re-hash that opens in theatres on April 30th. And if you act like those Star Wars nerds who buy tickets to a movie so they can see the new STAR WARS trailer, then try and get their money back, DON'T tell 'em you heard about it here. It stars Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and that alternative universe king of the cowboys, John Malkovich, and is set to open on June 18th. (Reportedly, Bret Hinds of the heavy-metal band Mastodon, who are doing the soundtrack, opined that from the footage he'd seen, he didn't think the film would be ready on time. But what do mastodons know about film editing?)

SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL!

The 17th Annual Festival will be taking place at the fabled Melody Ranch, of Gene Autry fame, April 22nd-25th. There are many different events and activities, including eating, shopping, touring the Melody Ranch Museum, a wide range of music and dance performances -- including my personal favorites, The Quebe Sisters Band, screenings of High Noon, and of The Shootist - featuring screenwriter Miles Swarthout. There are a ton of different individual events and packages, so for more information and tickets, click here. I just checked out the website an hour or so ago, and a lot of events are already sold out, so if you're planning to attend, don't delay getting tickets for the programs you want to see!

LEE VAN CLEEF DOUBLE-BILL!

Monday, April 19th, The New Beverly Cinema at 7165 West Beverly Boulevard in L.A. will be showing a pair of Mr. Bad's pasta-western treats: Death Rides A Horse (1967) and Sabata (1969). Horse co-stars John Phillip Law, and features a wonderful Ennio Morricone score. Sabata is produced by Sergio Leonce's producer, Alberto Grimaldi, and features production design and costumes by Carlo Simi. Tickets are $7. For showtimes, call 323-938-4038 or visit their website here.

FRED HARVEY BOOK SIGNING AT THE AUTRY TUESDAY, APRIL 20TH

From one to two p.m. Stephen Fried will sign APPETITE FOR AMERICA: HOW VISIONARY BUSINESSMAN FRED HARVEY BUILT A RAILROAD HOSPITALITY EMPIRE THAT CIVILIZED THE WILD WEST. RSVP at 323-667-2000 ext 233. Following the lecture, the Golden Spur Cafe will be serving a special course from the Fred Harvey cookbook!

CLINT EASTWOOD BOOK SIGNING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21ST

Author David Frangioni will be signing CLINT EASTWOOD: ICON, THE ESSENTIAL FILM ART COLLECTION, and there will be a display of Eastwood posters on display. It's a7 p.m. at Larry Edmunds Boostore, 6644 Hollywood Boulevard. For more information, click here.

HOLLYWOOD AUTOGRAPH SHOW FRIDAY APRIL 23RD THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 25TH

If you've never attended an autograph show before, you'll get a kick out of it. You can hobnob with roughly 90 celebs who will be selling and signing pictures, and there will be many dealers of film-related paper as well. Among the stars expected to attend are Bo Hopkins of WILD BUNCH fame, Joe Lando from DR QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN, Johnny Crawford from THE RIFLEMAN (Saturday only), Mike Connors, Ryan O'Neal, Stella Stevens, Tommy Kirk, Paul Lemat, and James McArthur. You can see the whole list here . But be warned -- the admission is in the $25 range, and stars charge for every signature, usually $20 and up. Check the website -- they sometimes have money-off coupons that you can download.

CHRIS HOPKINS PAINTINGS

It sounds a little weird sending people to a cemetery to see art, but the Forest Lawn Museum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Glendale, is featuring a show of paintings by Chris Hopkins honoring the Northwest Coast Native Culture. The pictures on the invitation I received are strikingly handsome. The exhibit continues through April 25th -- the museum is closed on Mondays. The address is 1712South Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205. For more information, visit the website here.

SWEETGRASS AT LANDMARK THEATERS

Here is the official blurb about a new documentary. "SWEETGRASS is an unsentimental elegy to the American West. The documentary follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. The astonishingly beautiful yet unsparing film reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times calls the film 'a really intimate, beautifully shot examination of the connection between man and beast,' while Ronnie Scheib of Variety considers it 'a one-of-a-kind experience...at once epic-scale and earthbound.'" Okay, none of those Brokeback Mountain (2005) cheap-shots -- I'm sure these poor shepherds have heard 'em all. Sweetgrass is playing at the Varsity Theatre in Seattle, and the Edina Cinema in Minneapolis. The trailer looks beautiful -- check it out HERE.

WESTERN MOVIES ON TV
Note:AMC=American Movie Classics, FMC=Fox Movie Channel, TCM=Turner Classic Movies. All times given are Pacific Standard Time.

TV LAND - BONANZA and GUNSMOKE

Every weekday, TV LAND airs a three-hour block of BONANZA episodes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They run a GUNSMOKE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and on Friday they show two, from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.. They're not currently running either series on weekends, but that could change at any time.

NEED YOUR BLACK & WHITE TV FIX?

Check out your cable system for WHT, which stands for World Harvest Television. It's a religious network that runs a lot of good western programming. Your times may vary, depending on where you live, but weekdays in Los Angeles they run THE LONE RANGER at 1:30 p.m., and two episodes of THE RIFLEMAN from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.. On Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. it's THE RIFLEMAN again, followed at 2:30 by BAT MASTERSON. And unlike many stations in the re-run business, they run the shows in the original airing order. There's an afternoon movie on weekdays at noon, often a western, and they show western films on the weekend, but the schedule is sporadic.

Monday April 19th

FMC 5:00 a.m. SECRET OF CONVICT LAKE (1951)- Escaped convicts stumble upon a town of women with guns and $40,00 of stolen loot. Starring Zachary Scott, Ethel Barrymore, Glenn Ford, Cyril Cusack, Ann Dvorak. Diredtec by Michael Gordon, screenplay by Oscar Saul, from a story by Anna Hunger and Jack Pollexfen, adapted by Victor Trivas.
That's it for tonight -- on Sunday I'll put up next week's TV listings!

FMC 6:30 a.m. THE OX-BOX INCIDENT (1943) One of the best of the dark ones, directed by William Wellman from Larmar Trotti's adaptation of Walter Van Tilburg Clark's novel. When we see so many bloated movies, it's amazing what pros can do with 75 taut minutes. Stars Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, and a ton of familiar faces, most of whom you'll want to smash with a rock before it's over.

TCM 7:00 a.m. THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (1941) Romanticized telling of the life of George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) and Custer's Last Stand, with Olivia de Havilland, Arthur Kennedy, directed by Raoul Walsh from a screenplay by Wally Kline and Aeneas MacKenzie.

Wednesday April 21st

FMC 5:00 a.m. NORTH TO ALASKA -- Misplaced my notes on this, but I remember it's John Wayne and Randolph Scott and gold prospecting -- I'll get bacj to it later.

TCM 5:00 a.m. RIDE, VAQUERO! (1953)Robert Taylor helps ranchers face off against bandits and Indians. With Eleanor Parker, Howard Keel. Directed by John Farrow, who helped Frank Fenton, uncredited, with the script.

AMC 5:00 p.m. THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES (1976) Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, John Vernon and Sheb Wooley. Clint's a Missouri farmer who becaomes a Confederate guerilla -- reportedly Clints favorite among his films. Screenplay by Philip Kaufman, from Forrest Carton's novel.

AMC 8:00 p.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

TCM 9:00 a.m. WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951) Frank Capra wrote this story to direct Gary Cooper in. But when he couldn't get it made, he let William Wellman do it. Robert Taylor leads an wagon-train of mail-order brides. Lot's of fun -- with Denise Taylor, John McIntire (who led a wagon train of his own later on). Screenplay by Charles Schnee.

Thursday April 22nd

TCM 12 - midnight JUNIOR BONNER (1972) Sam Peckinpah directs Jeb Rosebrook's involving story about second generation rodeo champ Steve McQueen nearing the end of his career, and having to make peace with his father (Robert Preston), mother (Ida Lupino) and more successful brother (Joe Don Baker). With Dub Taylor and Ben Johnson.

TCM 2:00 a.m. SEVEN WOMEN FOR THE MACGREGORS (1967) Director Franco Giraldi re-teams with writers Enzo Dellaquila and Fernando DiLeo in this sequel to the very popular and exuberant SEVEN GUNS FOR THE MACGREGORS. Starring David Bailey and Agata Flori, and boasting an Ennio Morricone score.

FMC 8:30 a.m. SHERIFF OF FRACTURED JAW (1959) Comedy western, D:Raoul Walsh, W:Howard Dimsdale, starring Jayne Mansfield, Kenneth More, Henry Hull, Bruce Cabot

AMC 11:30 a.m. PALE RIDER (1985) Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a mysterious stranger (can you believe it?) protecting a town from bad guys. Moody and effective, script by Michael Butler and Dennis Shyrack, and featuring Carrie Snodgrass and Michael Moriarty.

AMC 2:00 p.m. THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES (1976) Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, John Vernon and Sheb Wooley. Clint's a Missouri farmer who becaomes a Confederate guerilla -- reportedly Clints favorite among his films. Screenplay by Philip Kaufman, from Forrest Carton's novel.

TCM 7:30 p.m. - ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969) Sergio Leone's masterpiece, about the fight for a prime spot of land, and the widow, Claudia Cardinale, who will not give up on her husband's plans. Among the many writers involved were directors Dario Argento, Bernardo Berolucci and Sergio Donati. Starring Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards Jr., and perhaps Ennio Morricone's most beautiful and haunting score. Leone's gives every scene the time it needs. The opening scenes, at the train depot and at the farm, are among the most fully-realized and effective sequences ever put on celluloid.

Friday April 23rd


FMC 3:00 a.m. RIO CONCHOS (1964) Richard Boone, Anthony Francisoa, STuart Whitman and Edmund O'Brien fight over a shipment of guns. Directed by Gordon Douglas. Clair Huffaker adapted his own novel, with the help of Joe Landon.

FMC 5:00 a.m. The Big Trail (1930) Raoul Walsh directed John Wayne in his first lead in this epic from Hal G. Evarts' story, and good as it was, it was a box-office disappointment, sending the Duke to do leads in Bs until Stagecoach (1939). Beautiful telling of the story of a wagon train, with Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Ty Power Sr., with uncredited early roles by Ward Bond and Iron Eyes Cody. Shot in 35 MM by Lucien Andriot, and 70MM by Arthur Edeson -- I don't know which version they show.

TCM 11:30 a.m. FORT APACHE (1948) One of John Ford's marvelous Cavalry Trilogy. Experienced Cavalryman John Wayne tries to steer his posturing by-the-books commander (Henry Fonda)from military disaster. Frank Nugent scripted from James Warner Bellah's story, MASSACRE. With Anna Lee, Ward Bond, George O'Brien, Shirley Temple and her then-husband John Agar.

Saturday April 24th

FMC 3:00 a.m. SHERIFF OF FRACTURED JAW (1959) Comedy western, D:Raoul Walsh, W:Howard Dimsdale, starring Jayne Mansfield, Kenneth More, Henry Hull, Bruce Cabot.

TCM 3:00 a.m. NORTHWEST PASSAGE - The true story of Roger's Rangers, and their fight with Algonquins and Frenchmen in the French and Indian War. Kenneth Roberts wrote the novel, and King Vidor directed -- there were eleven uncredited writers involved, in addition to Laurence Stallings and Talbot Jennings. Starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Young and Walter Brennan.

FMC 5:00 a.m. O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE (1952) A collection of five O. Henry short stories directed by five directors: Henry Hathaway, Henry King, Henry Koster, Jean Negulesco, and doing the western segment, The Ransom of Red Chief, Howard Hawks. Writing this one segement, uncredited, were Ben Hecht, Nunnally Johnson and Charles Lederer! Starring Fed Allen and Oscar Levant as the kidnappers, and Rin Tin Tin star Lee Aaker as the 'victim', narrated by John Steinbeck!

AMC 6:15 a.m. GARDEN OF EVIL - Deep in Baja, Mexico, desperate and beautiful Susan Hayward hires three stranded adventurers -- Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Cameron Mitchell -- to rescue her husband, Hugh Marlowe. Director Henry Hathaway works his macho magic with Frank Fenton's script from Fred Freiberger's story -- great stuff!

TCM 7:30 a.m. BOWERY BUCKAROOS (1947) The Bowery Boys head west: it's about time! Starring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey and Iron Eyes Cody. Directed by One-take William Beaudine (once Mary Pickford's personal director), with a screenply by the often clever Tim Ryan and Edmond Seaward.

AMC 8:30 a.m. GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND (1993) Walter Hill directs from the John Milius script, the Apache chief's life story, starring Wes Studi in the title role, with Jason Partic, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall and Matt Damon.

FMC 9:00 a.m. BROKEN ARROW (1950) James Stewart is an ex-soldier, and Jeff Chandler is Apache Chief Cochise, trying together for peace. D:Delmer Daves, W:Albert Maltz(another writer's name may be one the credits -- Maltz was blacklisted and had someone 'front' for him).

Sunday April 25th

FMC 3:00 a.m. THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) A delight! Rouben Mamoulian directs John Taintor Foote's adaptation of the Johnston McCulley story. Ty Power, Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell et al have great fun, and the audience has even more.

FMC 11:00 a.m. FLAMING STAR (1960) An early film from the soon-to-be-great Don Siegal, working from Nunnally Johnson's script of a Clair Huffaker novel. Elvis Presley, playing a role planned for Marlon Brando, is the half-breed son of white John McIntire and Kiowa Dolores Del Rio, forced to take sides in a local war between white and Indian. Surprisingly good, you realize how good an actor Elvis could have been if Col. Parker hadn't steered him into mostly inane crap. With Steve Forrest and Barbara Eden.

FMC 12:32 p.m. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (1982) An Australian 'western' based on a poem by A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson, scripted by Cul Cullen, directed by George Miller. Stars Jack Thompson, Tom Burlinson, Kirk Douglas, and the lovely gal from the under-appreciated series, PARADISE, Sigrid Thornton.

FMC 10:32 p.m. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (1982) An Australian 'western' based on a poem by A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson, scripted by Cul Cullen, directed by George Miller. Stars Jack Thompson, Tom Burlinson, Kirk Douglas, and the lovely gal from the under-appreciated series, PARADISE, Sigrid Thornton.


Adios!

Henry

All contents copyright April 2010 by Henry C. Parke

Have You Ever Received A Gift?

Just because? My friend, Lila, presented me with this fabulous and beautiful gift that her very talented hubby, Drex, made by hand for me! Just for me! Right now, though, instead of holding my rulers, it is holding my new business cards. I'm so lucky.

Thank you, Lila and Drex. 

xo, L

A Snippet ...

is all I'm allowed to show you for now. However, the nice weather and the fact that I am working have me feeling a wee bit rebellious. Here's another sneak peak and, oops, I think that I snuck in another print. Photoshop made me do it, honest. This line will be presented at the Henry Glass booth. Check it out!! I have to stop now or else I may accidently slip and show you another line that I have coming out this summer. 

How about showing some lovely flowers that are on my dining table right now instead? Ahhh! Much better. I don't feel so sneaky now.

Ok, K, I'm going to stop being naughty now. xo, L

It's Be Alright On The Aphrodite - Day Five

Joe is many things to many people. Father, president, managing director, guide, politician, photographer, farmer, author, character... The last of these is probably the best description.

I have rarely have any issues with people who are self-styled characters. Oftentimes they light up the room; when other people struggle for conversation or energy, there they are with a tall tale. They have the patter. Characters have cured many of my Sundays, while I’ve sat shaking on a stool trying to kill a hangover with more booze.

But they’re the good ones. The ones people invite to their table – they don’t (or at least they shouldn’t) run around proclaiming what great company they are. One of the worst kinds of bastard you can be lumbered with in a pub is someone who aspires to be a character, but is, in fact, a bawbag. They want to be heard; they laugh at their own jokes and have little patience of others. Often times this can be a side effect of the Wee Man Syndrome. 

I’m not quite sure what side of the divide Joe falls – he probably straddles it. While he undoubtedly has an interesting life, I can’t shake the feeling that he’s desperate for me to quote him. In some ways, this makes my life easier; readymade statements from someone purposely trying to impress me by being pseudo-intellectual.

However, as we rattle along in his old Jeep, I catch old Joe looking to see if my pen is moving as he takes a deep breath and makes another proclamation on the order of the universe. “Butterflies have a short lifespan of only about two weeks,” he says. “But they have a purpose, even in that short time. I think it should be the same – we should have a purpose.”

See what I mean? I kind of agree, but when he says things like that (and he does four or five times) I can’t help feel that he was practising in front of the mirror before picking me up.

Regardless of his motivation, though, he is an interesting guy. Wash away the bullshit and you have the following: he studied as a biologist in Germany, but credits picking herbs with his mother as a child as the reason he knows so much about the flora and the fauna – and he knows more than anyone I’ve ever met; he travelled the world for work before returning to his homeland to set up a tour company; upon having children he cut out many significant risks from his everyday life, including travel; many international television companies come to him when they want to film on the island; he has a library of nearly 50,000 pictures taken from around the island and is exhibiting in Athens next year, the proceeds from which will help children with leukaemia, etc and so on.

We are driving in the Akamas Peninsula, a protected area in the extreme west of the island that was described by the great Greek geographer Ptolemy as “a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north.” For a number of years, the British Army spent 70 days a year running around playing soldiers. Mercifully that stopped a few years ago and now the area is protected, not least because it’s one of the few sites in Europe that exhibits endemism.

We stop every 15 minutes or so to take pictures, which I’m very grateful for. His camera is a claymore next to my toothpick – it’s like taking a piss next to Jake the Peg – but I still manage to get some half decent shots.

Joe’s eye for the natural world, though, borders on a sixth sense. He sees things from the moving vehicle that others would miss with a microscope. For example, when he spots a butterfly hanging upside down (we see hundreds, if not thousands of them and he later tells me Cyprus is home to about 186 different species) he knows something is up. We stop, get out and discover that a spider, perfectly disguised in a thistle, has ensnared the colourful visitor.

Later while driving at a decent speed he spots a king bee floating about five metres behind the verge. It’s incredible, it really is. Yet, more impressive than the birds and the bees are the crops. Rather than dress it up, here’s the list of things he shows me growing, some of it farmed, some of it wild: peaches, lemons, capers, sour oranges, aniseed, bananas, avocados, artichokes, juniper, pistachios, peppermint, pomegranates, red grapefruit, figs, myrrh, regular oranges, sesame, tobacco, apricots, olives, potatoes, wild garlic, sage, thyme and grapes, of course. Loggerhead turtles nest on the beach later in the year and apparently the sea is almost as vibrant as the land. It’s a god’s kitchen and while it may have been captured as a strategic position by many empires over the millennia, they must have been overjoyed to find they’d commandeered such fertile lands.

Our tour lasts about five hours, during which I occasionally get the hard sell to promote his business and his family, which I’ll do anyway, but don’t appreciate being asked. It doesn’t drag though, not even when I’m sitting in the Jeep (or more often out taking pictures) while Joe raids fields for what he claims are the best capers he’s seen all season.

The tour concludes with a mammoth lunch in a small village and our conversation turns surprisingly personal, surprisingly quickly. By the end, when I say goodbye, I’m pretty much won over by him. The island already had me. Sitting back in my hotel room, I’m eager to get home, but only because I’ve seen the best the place has to offer and have no interest in the other side of it any more.

I drift off to sleep and am snapped awake by my wake-up call at 4:30. As the driver edges out towards the harbour, an English boy (you can tell, even in this light) stumbles along the street with a bottle of water in his hand, while a big, blood moon hovers on the horizon. “You can get sand everywhere and good food everywhere,” Joe said to me earlier. “But for me it’s the contact with the people that makes a place great.” Looking at the prick in the road, I disagree; what makes Cyprus really great has nothing to do with humankind.