As the theatrical version of TV's THE BIG VALLEY gets set to roll camera on July 19 in Baton Rouge, they keep switching the chairs (see photo of Barkleys waiting anxiously for music to begin again). This time, Susan Sarandon is out as Victoria Barkley, and Jessica Lange is in. The EMMY winning actress, for GRAY GARDENS, will be taking on the role made famous by Barbara Stanwyck in the long-running series. Listed in the cast are Bruce Dern and Richard Dreyfus, who both guested on the original series, Jason Alan Smith in Peter Breck's role as fiery Nick Barkley, and Lee Majors, not as Heath, but as his illegitimate father, Tom Barkley.
Conspicuously absent from current listings is Ryan Phillipe, who had been announced as Jarrod, the Richard Long role. Billy Bob Thornton had also been rumored for an unannounced role, but his name has stopped popping up.
KEITH CARRADINE JOINS THE ALIENS
Or maybe the cowboys. Keith, of the great Carradine acting dynasty, has had many western roles, frequently portraying real people: he was Jim Younger in LONG RIDERS (1980), Buffalo Bill Cody in WILD BILL (1995), starred on Broadway as WILL ROGERS, and was Wild Bill Hickock in the first five episodes of DEADWOOD. (And for the record, the biggest mistake the producers of DEADWOOD ever made was to kill off their most interesting character so soon!) Now he joins Danile Craig, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford and Heavy D in COWBOYS AND ALIENS, for Director Jon Favreau. Incidentally, Favreau will be working with his same cimenatographer and editor from IRON MAN 2, Matthew Libatique and Dan Lebental, respectively.
BEST THING ON TV ALL WEEK! JOHNW WAYNE AND INDIANS FACE OFF!
Turner Classic Television continues with their NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM series on Tuesday and Thursday, and Wednesday, smack in the middle, is John Wayne's Birthday! TMC will be showing a whole passel of Duke B-westerns, capped by STAGECOACH. Next I'll be reviewing a fascinating documentary, REEL INJUNS, examining Hollywood's portrayal of Indians from an Indin's point of view, and a look at several Indian-made films, including SMOKE SIGNALS (1998), which plays on TMC on Tuesday. Here's the whole line-up:
Tuesday, May 25th
5:00 p.m. THE SQUAW MAN (1914) The one that started it all -- DeMille this film, purported to be the first western made in Hollywood.
6:30 p.m. LAKOTA WOMAN: RETURN TO WOUNDED KNEE (1994)
8:30 p.m. SMOKE SIGNALS (1998) When his best freind's father dies, an Indian funds their trip to deal with his remains. Starrin Adam Beach.
10:15 p.m. NATURALLY NATIVE (1999) Three Native American sisters decide to try and sell a line of cosmetics.
Wednesday, May 26th
12:15 a.m. RAMONA (1910) D.W.Griffith directs Mary Pickford in this two-reel version of the classic tale.
12:45 a.m. LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1920) Rarely seen silent version of James Fenimore Cooper's tale, starring Wallace Beery, and directed by Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown.
THE JOHN WAYNES
3:00 a.m. HAUNTED GOLD (1932)
4:00 a.m. RIDE HIM, COWBOY (1932)
5:00 a.m. THE BIG STAMPEDE (1932)
7:15 a.m. SAGEBRUSH TRAIL (1934)
8:15 a.m. SOMEWHERE IN SONORA (1933)
11:00 a.m. THE MAN FROM MONTEREY (1933)
12:00 p.m. THE TELEGRAPH TRAIL(1933)
1:00 p.m. RANDY RIDES ALONE (1934)
2:00 p.m. THE STAR PACKER (1934)
3:00 p.m. STAGECOACH (1939)
MORE NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON THURSDAY MAY 27TH
5:00 p.m. NANOOK OF THE NORTH (1922)Ground-breaking Robert Flaherty documentary.
6:15 p.m. THE EXILES (1961)Three young Indians feel isolated when they leave the reservation for the big city.
8:00 p.m. INCIDENT AT OGLALA (1992) A trial follows a deadly shootout between federal agents and Native Americans, directed by Michael Apted.
10:00 p.m. BROKEN RAINBOWS (1985) The government relocation of 10,000 Navajo sheds light on continuing mistreatment of Native Americans. Stars Martin Sheen, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Burgess Meredith, directed by Victoria Mudd.
11:15 p.m. THE SILENT ENEMY (1930) The story of the Ojibway Indians before Columbus, starring Cheekah, Chief Akawanush, Chief Yellow Robe.
Friday, May 28th
12:45 a.m. RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE (1976) starring Richard Harris, Gale Sondergaard, directed by Irvin Kershner.
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.
Happy Trails!
Henry
All contents copyright May 2010 by Henry C. Parke -- All Rights Reserved