Posts from arthurarnell in thread „Barrel Cactus Scene“

Hi Jeeptours

I'm also forgetting my manners. Welcome to the site I hope you will enjoy yourself and make many contributions.

There are some nice folk around here.

Regards

Arthur

Hi JeepTours Roland

The Music to Rio Grande is on a CD Varese Sarabande Digital
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack VSD-5378

The Blurb on the record is taken from a conversation with Harry Carey

Quote

The songs in Rio Grande go back to a park ranger named Stan Jones who was on location with us in Death Valley when we were making The Three godfathers. We were shooting a sequence in which we were trying to squeeze water out of a cactus- we were supposed to be dying of thirst so Wayne was squeezing the cactus - but no water came out. Now old man Ford was a cantakerous old bird and caustic old guy, but also very funny. Everyone was terrified of him and then along comes this uppity forest ranger and says
@I don't know who's running this outfit but you can't get water out of that kind of cactus.' The old man turned round and said, 'Who the hell is that? What do you mean you can't get water out of that kind of cactus?' The ranger turned around and said, 'It doesn't have any water in it. It's dry you have to use a barrel cactus, but we don't have them round here.' Well Ford had a prop man soak that cactus in water all night. He shot the scene the nect day and when the water came out he said, 'See, therese water in that cactus!'

Hope this helps.

Regards

Arthur

Hi Jeeptours

The film your thinking about is Three Godfathers.

Apparently when the scene was planned Stan Jones (writer of Riders in the Sky) who was employed as a Ranger told Ford that it wasn't possible to get water out of a barrel catus but Ford ignored him and instead rigged up a device that made it look like he was getting water out of the cactus.

Regards
Arthur