Ray's Memories of his first meeting with Happy
"There's been a couple of movies made in this area over the years; and if I have my way, there'll be a lot more. In fact, there is one being filmed right now. Let's drive over to the set and have a look."
These words were spoken to be by James, Tully, "Happy" Shahan the current mayor of Brackettville, Texas in the Spring of 1958. The flamboyant rancher was explaining to me the benefits of this rugged country and 19th century towns as a film making location as I rode in his white 1957 Imperial through Brackettville's historic downtown area with its predominately unpaved streets lined with deteriorating Spanish style adobe buildings. Taco Bell revival architecture had not yet made its mark on this society; these buildings were falling down.
This was my first meeting with the cattleman promoter (Black Angus was his specialty then) who a few years later was to become my employer and career advisor. I was at the time of our meeting working as an instrumentation expert (HA!) at Austin's Municipal Power Plant using my degree in theater arts as a bookmark and having read in a newspaper about the flamboyant mayor's efforts to bring movie making to the region. I called him for a get-together.
He greeted me in Brackettville that spring morning with a personable invitation; "Let's drive over to Fort Clark. That's where they're filming today, down on the "creek." (My Rollin' Rock 45 "Back It Up to Brackettville documents this place.) Happy revealed that the "Fort" had been in existence as a military cavalry post since after the American Civil War and that it was commanded over the years by many famous generals; Pershing, Wainwright, Patton; and several existing buildings bore their names in remembrance. It was a self contained town with its own power and water facilities, firehouse, theater, machine shop, garages, air strip, stables, offices, a restaurant and dining rooms. "It's barracks once housed hundreds of cavalrymen." Shahan boasted, "this fort is home of the largest natural spring-fed swimming pool in Texas. It's just the spot needed to bring motion picture companies to southwest Texas and I'm the guy to do it. Jim Ross is here now with a cast and crew, I think today they're shooting by the creek," Happy rambled on; "The film is called Five Bold Women and stars Irish McCalla." I remembered this powerful sex symbol as the actress who played the comic book character "Sheena of the Jungle," in an early television series.
As we approached an oak lined clearing near the water I spied two large trailers with the letters "J.R." Productions painted on them. "This must be a big operator," I thought, "I'm in good company." We departed the Imperial and Happy walked with me trailing off to a group of film people and immediately initiated "Texas talk." It was break time and there was much for this Texan to talk about.
I moseyed in my own direction looking over the equipment and crew. This continued during my visit until shooting began. One actor I immediately recognized, known to every western movie fan was dressed in a cowboy hat, a long fringed buckskin coat, and high boots. He was Guinn "Big Boy" Williams who had appeared in scores of films since the early 1930's. He was a Hollywood Legend who played polo regularly with Will Rogers and his friends at Will's California ranch, and he had been close to John Barrymore, and Erroll Flynn and often participated in their outrageous drinking sprees and wild antics. When I asked Happy about "Big Boy" he informed; "He's bought a small ranch out here, wants to get away from the Hollywood rat race. That's the beauty of Southwest Texas; people love its simplicity, and stark natural beauty. "Big Boy" says he's never going to leave here, Shahan was right. Brackettville was a walk through Texas history, as so little had changed since the late 1800's
"You see," Happy ranted, "You've seen all the facilities at the fort to house hundreds of movie people; the horse stables, eating and sleeping quarters; Del Rio is only 35 miles west, San Antonio 70 miles east, we can get food and supplies quickly, and for man power we've got Old Mexico; Piedras Negras, and Via Acuna with plenty of construction help and extras by the hundreds." Happy's enthusiasm exploded. "This is the perfect spot for film production and I can make it happen; it's starting already. Let me show you my plan, already in action, let's take a ride back to my place." "My place" turned out to be thousands of acres of West Texas sage and sand owned for generations by the Virginia Webb family; the Webbs being one of the pioneer settlers of the area.
We boarded the Imperial and soon the Hemi was purring North, on 674. After approximately 7 miles we turned right, bumped over the metal rollers of the cattle guard and after a dusty 3 minute drive we approached the old Webb family ranch house, another 19th Century relic, wood and white all over. Shahan informed, "this is where we all work and live. We'll have a good steak dinner tonight and play some music; I'm kind of a musician myself." I was to learn that besides cattle and sheep raising, his real love was the music and entertainment business. In his college years he was a top basketball player and he still had the figure to prove it.
"I've got me a project going on here, that will make it all happen. We bounced past the family residence and continued to ride for about a quarter of a mile, passing curiously staring sheep and Angus. When the car slowed and the dust began to settle, I spied an open area bordered by partially completed adobe buildings. "Shahan pointed out, "there'll be the Alamo compound. We're building a high wall around this area. How do you like the church? It looks like the original doesn't it? Wayne sent to Spain to find drawings and plans of the original structure that was built in San Antonio, today the famous Alamo. They were the plans for the one you see before you. It's the real thing you might say. I'm overseeing all of the construction of this compound and the re-creation of the town of San Antonio of 1835. This was when I learned first-hand that John Wayne had contracted with Happy Shahan to build the movie set on his immense ranch for the actor's epic film on Texas history, The Alamo and filming was to begin in the fall of 1959. "Where do I fit in all of this I thought?" This was the question on my mind that moment on that day, with no immediate answer on the blistering West Texas horizon.
I spent that interesting day in Brackettville, Texas on the set; the surrounding countryside of Fort Clarke, of the movie Five Bold Women and watched the filming on the shores of the beautiful stream flowing through the property, which was now a vacation hotel. Leading lady Irish McCalla was a wonderous sight to behold, especially in the scene where she entered and emerged from the waters of the creek.
"It's getting close to dinner time," Shahan informed me, "let's get out to the ranch and see what Virginia has planned for supper." I was eager to reply, "good idea." My curiosity about "the ranch" and my growing appetite were in control by this time.
I had left my car at the Gateway gas station and hotel, the only game in town where I had booked a room and was Happy's co-pilot most of the day. We hopped into the white '57 Imperial, the number one luxury American car of the time, and we flew up and down the two lane for about 7 miles. As recounted in my last report (Forget the Alamo Part 2)Shahan gave me a thorough trip through the partly comleted movie set on his ranch, explaining in detail how it was being constructed and his important role as John Wayne's liaison.
"I'm ready for dinner, how about you?" The wet Texas sun was dwindling and we drove through the dusty front street of what was to become the tourist attraction Alamo Village the Imperial jogged up to the ancient ranch house situated next to a building under construction. "That's going to be our new home just as soon as the set is completed. Right now we don't have time to work on both places," Happy informed.
I met his family, two girls and a boy, and friendly wife Virginia, and dug into the massive plates of food Texas style with the biggest glasses of ice tea I've ever attempted to gulp down.
Friendly conversation continued throughout the meal when Shahan invited, "let's go into our music room" We all entered an area of the old house where I saw a drum set ready to go, as well as an acoustic, Spanish guitar, and a couple of microphones on stands. Another mike was situated next to the snare drum. They were plugged into a small p.a. system. "This is my fun spot, Happy proclaimed as he situated himself behind the drums. I grabbed the guitar and began singing some well worn country standards known to all; White Lightning, Sleeping At the Foot of the Bed, Window Up Above, A whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, as Shahan the aspiring drummer beat the snare with some brushes behind me. He even sang a few also. Years later, he promoted himself with Mary Reeves in Nashville and secured some 45 releases on London and Musicor Records. At that time the later company had been sold by Aaron Schroeder to Art Talmadge and Harold "Pappy" Daily who I was to record for in 1959 (D 1047). The Ballad of Donna & Peggy Sue b/w The Man I Met.
As the night grew deeper, and fatigue set in, I bid this personable family goodnight, thanked the rancher for his great hospitality and hit the road 7 miles back to my reserved room at the famous Gateway gas station, cafe and sparsely furnished upstairs hotel.
A few years later when I was back in town for a night, I tried to re-book a bed at this facility, but learned that Tom Rosell was no longer renting out the upstairs rooms which was a blessing. Ft. Clarke filled the bill much more adequately.
In the early morning I left Brackettville for my home in Austin with a promise from Shahan to be considered for an extra job in John Wayne's The Alamo when it began filming in the fall of '59 "Keep in touch Ray, you'll know when filming will begin, it will be in all of the Texas papers, I'll see to it."
"I'll do it," was my reply although I didn't do it. Little did I imagine that in August of that year, completely bored with my power plant "do nothing" job, and a hopeless looking music career, that I'd be pushing my '54 Kaiser, loaded with one trunk of all of my worldly possessions to Hollywood, California to more adventures in music and obscurity.
