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  • Colorado

    Quote from Kevin

    One day I'll make out there. Great photos @grumpy thanks for sharing them with us.


    I actually marvel at the creativity of the film's location scouts in
    finding all of these filming sites within such a relatively compact area.


    Kevin- ( and Mark and anyone else that is interested) : I urge any and all who feel this way to just do it. There are few other John Wayne films of note where the locations are as accessible to the public, and dense as this area of Colorado. Combine it with a visit to Silverton and the Durango and Silverton RR and you have 3- 4 days of scenery that anyone would enjoy, and the added bonus of the the film history. Lots of stuff for the spouse and family to enjoy as even the non film scenery is awesome.


    I wouldn't expect the film structures to last a whole lot longer as both they and much of the historic mining fabric in this area of the San Juan mountains are deteriorating due to harsh climate and lack of maintenance.


    At this moment one could easily see without leaving downtown Ridgway itself.


    The park where the Hanging scene took place.
    The Saloon where Frank Ross was killed
    The Street where Cogburn laid the "Colts Dragoon" on Matties shoulder.
    The Undertakers
    Chen Lees ( at least the part that remains...)
    The paddy wagon.
    Interior wall of the True Grit Cafe ( was an outside wall in the film seen behind the Paddy Wagon)


    Others with a little bit more distance and difficulty:


    Shootout meadow ( up County Rte 10, Owl Creek Pass)
    The Sleeping Rock
    ( up County Rte 10, Owl Creek Pass)
    Location of the I've Freighted Iron Stoves scenes etc.
    ( up County Rte 10, Owl Creek Pass)
    Location of the camping scene ( small fire is Ranger policy..etc)
    ( up County Rte 10, Owl Creek Pass)
    The Ross Ranch and Homestead ( Last Dollar Road )
    The Courthouse ( Interiors - in Ouray Co. just down 550 from Ridgway.)
    The location of MacAlesters store ( off 62X off of Rte 62)
    The location of the Ferry crossing scene ( Blue Mesa Resevoir, near Ponderosa Campground in the Curecanti National Recreation Area)


    There are others I have not visited, such as the Snake Pit scene towards the climax of the film. Its outside of Ouray on the way to the Camp Bird mine.


    It is perhaps a 5.5 hour drive from the Denver Airport.

  • Colorado

    Just an update: was in Colorado recently and swung by the Ridgway area. The building that was part of Chen Lees ( which of late had Barber Shop lettered on its wooden facade ) is now a restaurant called Provisions at the Barber Shop. As far as I can tell the owners make nothing made of its connection to the filming of True Grit.
    Didn't get to sample the food... http://www.provisionschef.com/


    Went up Owl Creek Pass to the meadow. Pretty day as usual. Also went over Last Dollar Road towards Telluride and stopped briefly at the location of the Ross Ranch and sadly the farmhouse is boarded up and has lost its porches. The barn and other outbuildings seem in slightly better shape, but I'm afraid time and weather are slowly erasing the remaining evidence of these landmarks. :(

  • GLEN CAMPBELL PAYS TRIBUTE TO JOHN WAYNE WITH MOVING PERFORMANCE OF 'TRUE GRIT'

    Aside from True Grit and other TV and media I had the good fortune to see Glen Campbell play live and meet him at a small corporate event in 1985. He was as gracious as ever, and I never heard anyone anywhere say a bad word about the man.


    The interesting thing is that Glen started as primarily a gifted guitar player, doing studio and session work along with the rest of what was popularly known as "the Wrecking Crew" ( Tommy Tedesco, Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, and a bunch of other musicians ) who collectively made a career of doing L.A. studio work on other major stars albums. They were featured on a huge number of hit albums playing many of the famous guitar and drum licks you only thought the big name bands were playing. He was one of the few to break out of that work into Pop and Solo work on his own and the rest, as they say, is history.


    I had several vinyl guitar albums that featured some of his early work- he was quite good, and often wasn't given the opportunity to show that on many mainstream TV shows. The song Rhinestone Cowboy wasn't written by Glen but he took it up and it was far more autobiographical than most people ever knew-


    I've been walkin' these streets so long
    Singin' the same old song
    I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
    Where hustle's the name of the game
    And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain
    There's been a load of compromisin'
    On the road to my horizon
    But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me

  • Duke vs. Duke - duking it out!

    I read about this- In my opinion there is Zero chance of anyone mistaking Duke University with Duke John Wayne or the Bourbon.


    I certainly hope this case will be heard "At Judge Parker's convenience". Further, if I was representing J.W. in this matter I would encourage the opposition's barristers putting on this legal challenge to: "Fill your Brief-Cases, you S.O.B.s !

  • Save the Quiet Man Cottage

    Oh, absolutely the sharks are circling. The rhetoric is escalating into quite a nasty tone, all of which appears to steadfastly avoid the apparent complete disinterest during the decades during which the property decayed prior to Mr Ebbitts purchase. Next, I expect to hear stories of an angry mob carrying torches storming up the path leading towards the castle. <Oops, wrong movie...or is it ?>


    It may well be that under Irish law they can lay claim to the property and thus obtain it "without cost", but I guarantee they will not be able to restore it for free, nor manage, promote and operate it for free, nor do the ongoing maintenance for free.


    Someone is going to have to find or raise a significant amount of money to power this effort, and then a lot of hard work will need to be done over a good chunk of time.


    Mobs will be hard to find when these two items need to be handled !

  • Save the Quiet Man Cottage

    Good conversation gentlemen.


    As anyone of you have tried to get some construction work done 100 miles away, two states away or on the opposite coast can attest, it can be a bit tedious dealing with contractors. Add in an ocean, another nation and cultural differences and I can imagine the possible frustration. In the corporate world I have been in the same room as someone and been ready to lunge across the table at people displaying their active disinterest in a project on which they assigned and were allegedly working. LOL


    Has anyone read Peter Mayles book 'A year in Provence' ? In it, he details, among other things, his efforts at buying and restoring a small farmhouse in Provence and recounts dealing with local masons and repair folks. Ah, but Ireland is not France, you might say. True, its not.


    I would not, however, under-estimate how much the pride of the locals figures in here. It probably chafes them that after all this, an American owns the cottage and wants to tell them what to do with it. In many ways "Quiet Man" was as much about Ireland and Irish culture as it was about the American John Wayne. In fact, the two cultures good-naturedly bouncing off each other is woven through-out. I can see that it represents an Irish point of pride, despite the fact that no one stepped up to buy the cottage but Mr Ebbitt. If you squint a little, and change the movie script, it could be about an American who buys a cottage and attempts to get it fixed up and the "help" he gets along the way.


    And I don't think I'm talking out of school to say that the famed Irish stubbornness is not Urban Legend, I have first-hand exposure to that fiery trait. My wifes father was born in Ireland, as was my grandmother. My mother was born in Scotland, so I admit perhaps just a wee bit of stubbornness myself. My wife, in fact is in Dublin as we speak on a business trip - sadly not much time to tour, although she did get to visit her fathers hometown of Rathnagrew.


    I think that interests and differences aside, one very real issue is the fact that Mr Ebbitt does not live nearby or apparently have a local representative that can oversee the restoration and later on, the management of the property. My opinion is that needs to be addressed to achieve the restoration- regardless of ownership, and absolutely needs to be in place to operate the completed project. Even if it remains totally private and not open to tour, etc. even a hearty structure will need maintenance and looking after.


    I do not see how this effort will be successful without strong local support and involvement. Its not going to take a message board, or a Facebook group, but people talking and working face-to-face with people to get things done. I'm certainly not being critical of Mr Ebbitt as he has taken more action than anyone else to secure the cottage property. But whats needed is a real course of action to put together an implementable plan given the circumstances.



    • What is the goal and how will we determine when we have met it?
    • Who are the stakeholders and what are their priorities ?
    • How do we build a detailed plan ?
    • What skills/ resources do I need ?
    • What are the risks and issues that need tending ?
    • What funding is required and when ?
    • How long will it take ?
    • How will we manage the effort ?
    • etc.

  • Save the Quiet Man Cottage

    As to the fragmentation of support for achieving a stated common goal:


    "It is truly amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit."


    A few random-ish thoughts On the topic of the present owner and his actions:


    I have seen similar situations develop where the will of private ownership appears to be in conflict with some public sentiment or "call for preservation" that desires different handling of a property than what the legal owner originally intended. To be fair, I do not know whether the present land-owner came into possession through inheritance of family holdings or outright purchase, recent or not.


    Regardless, one cannot help but think that anyone thrust into a situation where organized groups of people not actually invested in ownership of property attempt to dictate or suggest how that property should be managed is going to feel a bit reluctant to give up control and even resent the intrusion of "outsiders".


    My opinion is that the Irish government ( whether national or local I have no bias) should offer to purchase the property and its environs and create a small park ( aka tourist destination). Clearly they are aware of its heritage and importance as a film location, but more importantly the film popularized Irish culture to world movie audiences ( certainly Americans ) in such a way that few films have then - or since. Economically, this has been a very valuable resource for the Irish people.


    Should ownership of the cottage and property in question remain private, perhaps the best course to preserve and protect the site would be to fashion a private tour experience/ lease that includes the cottage site where a fee is paid by the tour operators for ongoing upkeep , insurance and maintenance.


    The family who rightfully own this property need to be either made whole, have their concerns and needs protected, or otherwise be made to feel welcome in this discussion or it will go no-where.


    As Duke would say, they own it fair and square. If we're gonna strike some kind of bargain, we need to make sure its good for all involved. A rising tide lifts all boats- so, what's it take to make most everybody happy here ?

  • What Are YOU Doing This Weekend ?

    Well its next week but I'm headed to the hills of West Virginia to go ATV riding with a group of buddies. Among the planned activities: Getting out in the woods, cookouts/ BBQ, fireworks, music and libations.