Ben Johnson

[Maricatrin]

Thanks for the tips about rustling [up] smileys; I must try that in future.

Hey, your avatar is adorable!

Aww, thanks, I thought so too!

[pvitari]

See what happens when you use too much Pepper? :)

[JackFavell]

HA!

There can never be too much Pepper.

[pvitari]

A brief interruption of the Chisum pics since it's St. Patrick's Day. I don't have an ounce of Irish blood in me, but hubby has some. ;)

Anyway, to celebrate, the Ben Johnson webpage has turned kelly green, and I posted a publicity pic from Rio Grande with our four male leads and the loveliest of Irish lasses, Maureen O'Hara. She has the luck of the Irish, all right, to be surrounded by those four gorgeous fellas!

[pvitari]

Anyone know what make and model of car Ben drives in The Sugarland Express? I'm working on screencaps for this now (Shadow Riders is all ready to go, I just need to upload them) and I have to say, his driving is awesome.

[MissGoddess]

I love that photo! it's like she's surrounded by tall trees!

[JackFavell]

Aw! That's a lovely picture, Paula. Happy St. paddy's day to you.

[pvitari]

Apparently that blue car is a Plymouth Fury, though I haven't been able to determine exactly which year.

This is going to be a very slow month for adding stuff -- it's the busiest time of the year for me at work and at home -- with everything coming to a terrible crush in mid-April when I abandon my one-person office, even though it's still pre-registration and the weekend before our annual big Awards Night -- to go to the TCM fest. Things should start calming down after mid-April and by mid-May the situation will be back to normal. ;) I have a stack of great stuff here and I wish I could spend all day scanning and whatnot, but alas. But... good things come to those who wait. <grin> Really good things. :)

I am hoping to have The Shadow Riders screencaps uploaded sometime this week and perhaps even get to another Chisum photo tomorrow. ;) The webpage has gone back to its normal brown and taupe colors (that St. Patrick's Day green was fun though) and the Irish-themed banner photos (i.e., with Victor McLaglen and Maureen O'Hara) have been replaced by a picture from The Sugarland Express which I found very evocative. Also a new quote, this time from Louis L'Amour, author of the novel The Shadow Riders on which the TV movie was based.

[pvitari]

Looks like those two guys in Atlanta got the Sugarland Express car wrong. Another person at classiccars.com has identified it as a 1972 Dodge Polara -- yay!;) I looked for pictures online of that particular car and I think that's right. The Plymouth Fury doesn't match in some ways, especially the rear tire well.

So here's the next Chisum pic.

[JackFavell]

Ooh, I've never seen that one. I don't recognize the scene either. Can you remember it?

[pvitari]

Yes, it's the funeral for Tunstall (Patric Knowles).

The real-life Tunstall's murder was very close to what was shown in the movie -- except the real-life Tunstall was a young man of 25, rather than the older man played by Knowles, who was 59 at the time.

[JackFavell]

Someone posted at the other website that Chisum is one of the most factual of all historical films, that it tried to incorporate a lot of true events. I wouldn't know how well they did, but then again, I'm not sure I care much. I just like Pepper!

[pvitari]

Do you mean the TCM website?

There is a lot in Chisum that is close to what really happened, and (like all Hollywood historical pics), a lot that is pure fiction. :)

Billy the Kid was very close to John Tunstall (called Henry Tunstall in the movie) and if Tunstall hadn't been killed, Billy might have ended up another rancher rather than an outlaw. Given the real-life Tunstall's age, I imagine their relationship more brotherly than father-son as it is in the movie. There were a lot of British investors in American cattle ranches, like Tunstall. In fact, Ben's 1966 series, The Monroes, features a character based on a these real life Brits -- Major Mapoy, played by Liam Sullivan. He represents a group of British investors in the Wyoming ranch and is their hired overseer -- he in effect plays the role of the ranch owner, although technically he is not.

[JackFavell]

Yes, I was talking about TCM's website.

Yes I remember the character, I liked the actor who played him.

[pvitari]

Yes I remember the character, I liked the actor who played him.

Will Scarlett! ;)