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Backstage Trivia
Because you asked for it, we are happy to announce a Backstage Trivia page. Everything on the following pages will relate to the shenanigans and goings-on of the actors and crew behind the scenes. As such, information will consist be short one-liners, as well as windy paragraphs. Some things will be funny, and some will be serious. We know it will all entertain. So, sit back, and enjoy! Contributions are welcome.
In the second season of Outlaws, Will Foreman acquires a deputy-hating dog. This dog is a yellow Lab-mix named "Spike." Spike was the same dog used in the Disney blockbuster movie Old Yeller. The dog was friendly and got along with everyone. Later in the season, he was retired and a St. Bernard took his place. ********** When Bruce Yarnell joined the cast of Outlaws, he was the tallest actor on the set at 6 feet, 5 inches. He was also one of the most easiest-going, laid-back people in the world, but he was terribly shy around anyone he considered famous. It wasn't long before he learned that James Arness, aka Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke, filmed right next door, and Arness was someone Bruce greatly admired and perceived as a very famous person. When Bruce began to wonder who was taller, himself or Arness, he began to drive Don nuts. Don finally suggested he go over and find out, only Bruce adamantly refused, claiming he didn't know Arness and that he would be way too nervous to meet him. After several weeks of being pestered, Don decided to do something about it. Unknown to Bruce, Don was great friends with Arness, so one day during lunch break, he grabbed Bruce by the arm, and said, "Let's go watch Jim work for awhile." This suited Bruce just fine, and he cheerfully followed Don onto the set to see if he could determine who was taller. Arness spied Don, waved, and began to walk over and chat. According to Don, Bruce took one look of the tall actor strolling their way, made up his mind that Arness was taller, grabbed Don by the arm and whispered, "Co'mon, let's get out of here." ********** In one of The High Chaparral episodes, John Cannon is in the foreground doing whatever with Sam in the background leading a horse across the scene from one side to the other. During the rehearsals, everything looked too tame to the director, so he asked Don Collier if Don could get the horse to move or do something while being led across the background. The horse was exceptionally docile and no amount of whispers or tugs could get the animal to do anything but plod contentedly along. So, one of the trainers suggested compressed air. It is what is sometimes used to get a horse to rear or shy or whatever. A few practices with this, and it looked to be just great...just what the director wanted. The trainer would shoot a little compressed air, the horse would pull to the side, and it would look like Sam was having difficulty controlling a wild stallion. During the filming of this scene, however, the trainer shot the compressed air at the horse too soon. Plus, he missed where he was supposed to hit the horse, which was in the rump, in order to cause it to spook slightly. The result was that Don was not ready, the horse was taken totally by surprise, and when the horse suddenly lunged forward, Don was knocked about 20 feet backwards. When the director saw what happened, he ordered the film destroyed, saying he didn't want anyone to think he was trying to kill the actors. ********** During the filming of the movie The Undefeated, Don Collier plays the part of Goodyear, a Union soldier who follows John Wayne into civilian life at the end of the Civil War as one of Wayne's cowboys rounding up horses for the Army. As they are driving this giant herd of 3,000 horses, Goodyear gets spilled out into the dust when the cinch breaks on his saddle. As Don picked himself up, slapping dust and dirt from his clothing, director Andy McLaglen yelled over to him, "Don! Don't just stand there! Say something!" Don looked around at the chaos, spit the dirt and dust out that he had just ate, and said the first thing that popped into mind: "Fighting the War was easier than this!" It's just about the funniest scene and line in the entire movie. ********** During filming of The High Chaparral, cast members would try to sneak a peek at the next script to see how large or small their parts were going to be. Naturally, the production department frowned on actors coming in asking to see scripts all the time, so it was necessary for a little subterfuge. On one such occasion Don Collier and Bob Hoy sneaked a peek when no one was looking, and they were elated to discover scene after scene with Joe and Sam stuff. Don quickly closed the covers, tossed the script back into the compartment, turned to Bob, and said, "Hey, this one is written for us!" Bob jerked it back out and took a closer look. "I don't think so," he said. It was a Bonanza script.
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