July 17, 2008
Nailed a very nice cloud study last night:



It's not totally original—it being inspired by a Maynard Dixon landscape of the Catalinas in Tucson. I saw it in a magazine. Using Maynard's basic design and color scheme, I think I captured the light of a summer Arizona thunderstorm, which was the point of the exercise.

Meanwhile, here are my daily sketches. These are numbers 6,712 thru 6,718:



Janice Rae from Minnesota sometimes sends me eBay items, usually photos that she thinks I might like. I seldom buy any, but often download the image and use it as a basis for a sketch. The top illustration (above) is one of those, which was an early day photo (circa 1900) of an Arizona canal with the Papago Buttes in the middle distance and Camelback Mountain behind it.

News From North of The Border (As In Canada)
"The 'biggest outdoor show on earth' is over for another year but no one is complaining about the turnout. Calgary had more than one day with over 100 thousand visitors come thought the gate. The afternoon rodeo was packed with between twenty and thirty thousand fans all enjoying the richest rodeo ever. Total prize money handed out was over $ 1,800,000. There is talk of that being bumped even higher next year. They were afraid everyone would stay home because of high gas prices but I guess they didn't.

"We attended one day but that was to help out at the Bar U Ranch Historic site promotion booth on the grounds. Had a good time and met lots of swell folks.

"The wife and I just got home from celebrating our 47th wedding anniversary. We went to Edmonton (another big Alberta city north of Calgary) for a fun three days. Had a real blow-out!!! Went to a dinner theatre and enjoyed the play they put on. We feel great, just don't get hung up on counting the years!

"Like your sketch of Malita on July 14th. Glad you're still ticking and things sound good."
—All the best, Bill Dunn

She Wrote A Yellow Caption?
As the last issue went to bed, Meghan Saar came into my office and asked me if the photo caption on a publicity photo for She Wore A Yellow Ribbon was correct. I read the caption, which said the photo showed John Agar and signed off on it. Here's the actual photo we used. Notice the cutline:



The issue has been arriving in mail boxes around the world and earlier this week we got this email:

"The caption with photo on P.23 of John Wayne in 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon' has a mistake. The man on Wayne's left isn't John Agar as Lt. Flint Cohill. I'm sure some of our readers will catch it. I'm almost positive the corporal with Wayne is Tom Tyler, a silent film leading man. He also was the 'Phantom' in early films. He played Cpl. Mike Quayne in the film."
—Marshall Trimble

Yes he did. Here's Tom Tyler as 'the Phantom' talking to Gene Autry. Possible caption: "Yes, Gene, it does show off my penis to good effect."



Hmmmmm. I decided to defer to a higher power and sent the image to Professor Paul Andrew Hutton, in Albuquerque, who immediately told me (without even looking at the photo) that it was probably a photo of Frank McGrath, so I sent this email back to Marshall:

Marshall,
"Paul Hutton tells us the photo is of Frank McGrath, who later played Charlie Wooster on Wagon Train."
—BBB

Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster on Wagon Train:


But Marshall was not convinced:

"Bob: Is Paul sure? Frank McGrath was in the film but he played the bugler. This guy sure looks like Tom Tyler, who played Corporal Quayne. The guy in the photo is a corporal too. I guess I'll have to dig out the film and take a look. I'm on my way to the airport. Tulsa and the WWHA."
—Marsh

So I sent this missive back to Hutton:

"Marshall is questioning the great Hutton. Oh, the horror! The horror!"
—BBB

Hutton, AKA The Top Secret Writer, went video-istic (which is not quite as crazy as ballistic), dug out the video, and along with his lovely wife Tracy, fast-forwarded to the scene, then called me at home, yelling into the receiver, "Who's your Daddy!" This morning, he emailed me a much calmer version:

"Dearest Robert: As I told you before, the other character in the still is Frank McGrath, who plays the bugler (always at Wayne's side in the film) and later played Charlie on the TV series Wagon Train. I instantly recognized McGrath, but just to be certain reviewed the film. His hat and horse (black with white blaze) cement the ID. The actor behind them I cannot ID although he actually has more lines in the film than Tyler does (but is never called by his name in the film). His incorrect hat instantly IDs him, as does a review of the film which places this scene on the rise above Sutro's Well. The three men ride forward although the angle of the still photo is opposite in the film. Tyler never appears on horseback with Wayne. He makes a report to Wayne after riding in with the Paradise River patrol and then is operated on by the doctor in the wagon. He is a speaking character in the film, but absolutely does not appear in the pictured scene published in True West. Of course, unfortunately, neither does John Agar (best known as Shirley Temple's first husband). Always happy to be of service."
—Paul Hutton

Here's John Agar with Shirley Temple:



"You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things: you lead people."
—Grace Hopper