Just a quick bulletin from the Big Thunder Control Tower this time...
Abel Fernandez and I (John Ellis) will be appearing at the Brewer Brothers Model Kit Expo tomorrow (Sunday June 13th, 2010) at:
The Old World Village
German Hall & Restaurant
7561 Center ave. #49
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Admission $5 (free for 12 & under)...open to the public from 9am to 3pm...Rare & hard to find model kits, Military ephemera and lots more!
I'll be there all day (from 9am to 3pm) and Abel will be there from approx 11am on. Come on by and meet us and get an autograph from Abel and find out the latest on Vol 3...and OTHER news...see you there!
Here's Abel Fernandez in the Steve Canyon episode THE FIGHT. Abel also co-starred (as Agent William Youngfellow) with Robert Stack in THE UNTOUCHABLES for 5 years from 1959 to 1963!
I think it fitting on this Memorial day to FINALLY be getting to the long promised post on Korean War icon and hero Dean Hess.
Dean Hess taken in his home on March 14, 2009.
On March 14th of 2009 I had the pleasure to sit down with Dean Hess in his home and reminisce with him on his involvement with the Steve Canyon TV series.
From left, author James H. Farmer, Dean Hess and John Ellis. Photo by Calane Farmer, March 14, 2009.
My friend James Farmer (and associates Chuck Carson and Michael McMaster) had invited me to tag along with them that day to their taping of interviews at the Air Force Museum for their documentary "By Faith I Fly", the story of Dean Hess. I had never been to the Air Force Museum and spent about as much time wandering in amazement as I did watching them shoot their footage of Col. Hess, Sgt. Joe von Rembow, Col. Mike Bellovin and Col. Ernest Craigwell (whom I had shared breakfast with that morning and had listened to his USAF tales with great interest). I was then invited to join them at Dean Hess' home for lunch and further interviews to be recorded there.
During lunch, one of Col. Hess' sons noticed my Steve Canyon cap and said to me "You know pops knew Dean Fredericks" and told me to ask his father about it. So I sat down between Jim Farmer and Col. Hess and asked him how he knew Dean Fredericks, and Hess said "Well I was the USAF Official Liaison to the Steve Canyon television series" and I suspect I looked like Jim Farmer did when I looked back at him...his mouth was hanging open! We had no idea! This was both serendipity and an amazing revelation! Who knew what secrets were held in Col. Hess' memories? While I continued to interrupt Dean Hess' lunch with questions, Jim Farmer went over and talked to his associates (Mike and Chuck).
Poster for the 1957 Universal International motion picture about Col. Dean Hess. (Universal International studios is also the place where Steve Canyon was made)
Jim returned and said to us that once they had finished taping his interviews with Hess and the others that (if Hess is willing) they would be glad to shoot an interview for our Steve Canyon documentary. Col. Hess agreed wholeheartedly and what follows is an excerpt of our talk that day:
Dean Hess interview excerpts
More of this interview appears in our documentary "Steve Canyon On TV" in the 3rd and final DVD of THE COMPLETE STEVE CANYON ON TV Coming in late June 2010 (at the earliest). We're sorry it is taking so long to finish, but as we've explained we do not have the resources of a huge studio behind us and are doing our best to make this as great and special as we can. Pre-orders and ordering our other products helps us tremendously...and helping spread the word to others does too. Thanks to everyone for their kindness and support and for sticking along with us in the co-pilot's seat!
I want to thank everyone that was involved that day for their assistance in making this meeting and interview with Dean Hess an enjoyable and enriching experience. Special thanks to Ron Kaplan and the National Aviation Hall Of Fame for helping to make this possible. Here's the official trailer for "By Faith I Fly", the documentary on Dean Hess by James H. Farmer, Michael McMaster, Chuck Carson and their Up In The Air Pictures :
Official trailer for "By Faith I Fly", the story of Dean Hess
Coming up more snippets and tidbits, clips, tips and news about THE COMPLETE STEVE CANYON ON TV Volume 3...and even a few OTHER PROJECTS that are coming down the runway...! So stay tuned.
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By purchasing this and/or other items from this site you are helping us to get the COMPLETE Steve Canyon TV series out on DVD and we thank you for your support.
(NOTE that you must pre-order Volume 3 separately from any other items that we offer here...we apologise for the inconvenience but it is necessary for us to do it this way at this time)
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Email us at Ye Olde Caniff/Canyon Shoppe if you have any questions, comments, or are in need of any assistance. Thanks again for remembering Milton and for making this project possible.
As many of you already know The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Volume 3 is going to be late. I am very sorry to say that it will be delayed until at least late May and possibly into June. The reasons for this are many and varied.
Due to a number of factors...not the least of which is the fact that we recently lost some of the critical computer files we have been working on for this volume for MONTHS. Before you advise "backup everything" we also lost our backup drive in the same accident. I have been scrambling to get caught back up but there is just too much (and too little money) to make this deadline.
Pre-orders for Vol 3 have been a tiny fraction of what they were for the other two volumes...and we realize it is mainly the result of our current poor economy...but the upshot is that we are trying to make each dollar count for far more result than is reasonable. We WILL make it and get Vol 3 out...just not quite as soon as we had hoped for.
I want to stress that the quality of the release is what is most important to us and we will not rush just to meet an arbitrary deadline. We are a very VERY small operation and I pretty much do everything here, and am going as fast as I possibly can to prepare all of the materials we are all looking forward to seeing to wrap up the series on DVD.
Exciting New Stuff:
On the upside we have uncovered even more phenomenal information, photos and individuals during this period which continues to enrich the documentaries for Volume 3. One such individual (whom we have recorded a preliminary interview with) is Lt. Col. Russ Rickard, USAF (Ret.) who while stationed at George AFB in the late 1950's flew the F-102 for the Steve Canyon TV series. We're glad to welcome Colonel Rickard (and his son David who put us in touch with his father.
Lt. Col. Russ Rickard in front of his F-102 (as a self professed "young Lieutenant") while with the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at California's George AFB. The Colonel told us about flying the plane for the Steve Canyon title sequence (and how it was filmed)...along with other sequences and pilots, as well as flying for the classic Disney feature "The Absent Minded Professor" and other interesting tidbits. Photo courtesy David Rickard.
I suggest (if you haven't already) that you subscribe to this (our official website) using the form you find over on the right hand sidebar, so you can keep up with what is going on. We also have a Steve Canyon page on FaceBook that we post to regularly with updates that are too small for our regular website.
Thanks to everyone we have heard from for your kindness and words of encouragement and I hope that you and those that have pre-ordered Volume 3 can be patient just a bit longer. Many of you that have written are EXACTLY who I thought of when I decided to tackle this most daunting project 4 years ago...and I am looking forward to your comments on the completion of this quest.
Again I apologize for our delay.
Conventions:
A snap from the Valley Con modelmaking convention from March 7th, 2010. From left, Abel Fernandez (Steve Canyon's "Sgt. Featherstone"), John Ellis (that's me), Jim Busby (Aerospace Legacy Foundation) and Russ Maharas (of the USAF Hollywood Liason Office). A great time was had by all! Abel especially enjoyed signing autographs and meeting and talking with a lot of fans at that show.
Tomorrow (Sunday March 21st) I will be at the Kit Collectors Exposition and Sale in Buena Park, CA to meet and greet and answer questions and will be showing clips from upcoming Volume 3. Click here and here for more info.
Joining me will be Aviation Film Historian James H. Farmer (who has provided commentary on numerous Steve Canyon Episodes on our DVD sets). 9am to 3pm, $5 admission (children under 12 with accompanying adult FREE). I'll be sporting my black Steve Canyon cap! Hope to see you there!
More info coming up...and I swear we'll get to the piece on Dean Hess...and sorry it just keeps getting pushed back. Stay tuned...
Quick Note Dept: ABEL FERNANDEZ and I (John Ellis) will be attending this event in Pasadena, CA this Sunday (tomorrow) March 7th...a chance for local folks to meet Abel and get an autograph...and see some some clips from episodes and MORE coming in Volume 3! Also RUSS MAHERAS of the USAF Hollywood Liaison Office will also be joining us...come join the fun (it's $5 for all day and it opens to the public at 9am).
Here's Abel Fernandez in the Steve Canyon Episode THE FIGHT. Abel also co-starred (as Agent William Youngfellow) with Robert Stack in THE UNTOUCHABLES for 5 years from 1959 to 1963!
VALLEY CON 2010 presented by the Pasadena Modelers Society See hundreds of models, including airplanes, cars, motorcycles, military vehicles and much more. Enjoy contests and 40 vendors selling sought-after models.
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; $5 admission
Pasadena Convention Center 300 East Green Street Pasadena, CA 91101-2308 (626) 795-9311
Bob Hoy as Master Sergeant Pete Berger in Steve Canyon
Two weeks ago today, on Monday February 8, 2010 our dear friend and Steve Canyon cast member Bobby Hoy left us. He was claimed by pneumonia caused by a 6 month struggle with cancer. It was a bit of a surprise to me, even though he had been in and out of the hospital recently, he was such a tough guy! Ex Marine, stuntman and actor, director and founding member of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures to name a few of the things Bobby was.
Bobby's Golden Boot Award. (Photo by Ginny Shook).
He was a friend to many, some famous, some not. He treated me like he had known me for years when we met and I loved him for that. He wasn't afraid to make fun of himself or those around him which was also very endearing. He was so well loved by his peers that although they stopped giving out THE GOLDEN BOOT AWARD in 2007 (for significant contributions to the western film and tv genre) they gave Bobby the award in the hospital on January 28 which pleased him immensely.
Ken Lynch (as Sgt. Maconochie on left) and Bob Hoy in OPERATION BIG THUNDER. Bobby was terrific in "Steve Canyon". He said on several occasions that the series "gave a lot of opportunities to everyone that worked on (or in) them", a sentiment shared by (casting director) Gene Reynolds and Abel Fernandez.
"I played in STAR TREK with Leonard Nimoy. I played a rock!". Bob revealed (with his typical tongue in cheek humor) that he had played the Horta (in tandem with the creator of same, stuntman and good friend Janos Prohaska), one of the most famous creatures ever in that classic tv series. He was also cast in that same episode as the "pergium" miner and tunnel guard "Sam", the first person you see and hear in that episode (titled THE DEVIL IN THE DARK). This is arguably the best episode of the series to many, including star William Shatner, so it is fitting that Bobby was an integral part of it!
Bob Hoy middle right in the classic Star Trek episode THE DEVIL IN THE DARK as "Sam". Yes that's a familiar face standing in front of him, Ken Lynch (see previous image above).
"The casting director for Steve Canyon called me into his office. It was Gene Reynolds who would become a famous director and co-creator of both the "M*A*S*H" and "Lou Grant" tv series', Gene told me that he was hiring me as a regular for the series, and to just show up on set. I asked him why no audition, and he said he had no doubt I could do this, and if (Executive Producer) Mike Meshekoff threw a script at me and asked for an audition, to throw it back in his face and say "Gene hired me!". "
Previously unpublished pic of me pointing at Bobby and being flanked by Abel Fernandez, taken right after our second commentary recording session for Steve Canyon Volume 2 on Friday March 20, 2009.
That was the first time we gathered (with Steve Canyon co-star Abel Fernandez), at the office here to record commentary tracks on Thursday March 5th, 2009. We finished the commentaries on Friday March 20th. Both times I had coffee and doughnuts waiting, which we all enjoyed. I'm just saying that's the way it's done, you know? If you listen to the commentaries they did for Volume 2, you can use the following picture to visualize the fun we were having here:
Bob and Abel on the couch here in the office. Note the box of doughnuts between them that Abel has his elbow on...no doubt guarding zealously!
Bob had a great time with us, so much in fact that he stayed and provided commentary with Abel on an episode he wasn't even in, OPERATION SOUVENIR. Once during the recording he asked Abel (tongue in cheek) "You were in the military?" knowing full well that Abel was a paratrooper in WWII, and when Abel replied with a puzzled "Yeah?", Bob added "Which side?".
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Well, If you want to read more about this great man, brilliant stuntman, excellent actor and director who made our world a more fun and greater place, go to Bob Hoy on the Internet Movie Data Base. There are excellent tributes at The LA Times, and also at The Signal. Note also Bobby's website at BobHoy.com, which is maintained by the wonderful Ginny Shook, who put us in touch with him in the first place. Our sympathies go out to Kiva Hoy, Bob's devoted and loving wife of 22 years, and to Bob's son Christopher. So long Bobby, you were a good troop.
