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"O Wind, that sings so loud a song"
By Penny McQueen
In 1970, M*A*S*H premiered, the Beatles split, Apollo 13 made
it home and a half-Pawnee, half-white loner stole one of John Cannon's
cows, then stayed on at the High Chaparral.
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Rudy Ramos as Wind
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When 20 year-old Rudy Ramos joined the seasoned cast of a
critically praised series, a few nerves were understandable. Six
months before taking the role of Wind on The High Chaparral, his dark,
intense good looks and talent won him his first professional job on
another popular television show, Ironside. Now he had his second.
Forty years later, he recalled, "The High Chaparral was my big break,
so to speak, so you have to give all of the credit to Mr. Dortort
for taking an unknown actor with only one credit and making him a
principal actor in a series that was already an established hit."
Serious and thoughtful about his craft in 1970 and now, Rudy said,
"That was a big chance he took hiring me and I hope I didn't let him
down."
Evidently not. At David Dortort's birthday party in 2006, Rudy
asked the man himself. "He just smiled and said 'You were great and
everything we had hoped for. You were Wind.'"
The role opened doors for the young actor in a tough business.
Most actors recall the perks of a high-profile role on a top
rated show, fan magazines, and guest appearances. Worshipful teenage
fan letters to stars of hit TV dramas make the air downright rarefied.
But Rudy Ramos remembers his colleagues best. "Number one on my
list of what I enjoyed most about The High Chaparral was the wonderful
cast. They really protected me from all the fuss that surrounds a new
star of a hit show. I was welcomed from day one with open and loving
arms. The cast and crew were like family."
With a shooting schedule that kept them in Tucson for six
months at a time, the newest kid on the block looked to veterans for
pointers. Like Uncle Buck, Cameron Mitchell assumed
responsibility for teaching the youngest cast member the facts of
acting life. "Cameron Mitchell really took me under his wing and was
like a big brother, dad, or mentor to me." One of Mitchell's favorite
destinations, the dog races in Nogales, provided opportunities for
discussion. "During the drives there we talked about many things,
some of which are not printable. We talked about acting mostly. He was
a very serious actor, but he made it look so easy. I loved him very
much."
The lost episodes beyond the fourth season tantalize all fans,
who wish this groundbreaking and successful television series had
continued for many years. Rudy provided a glimpse of a storyline
between Buck and Wind, one that today fuels speculation among fans of
the show. "I've always heard that had there been another season of The
High Chaparral, it would be discovered that Wind was his son from
an Indian woman he had met."
Rudy found willing teachers in other cast-mates. "Henry was
there to greet me from day one and was always available to me for any
reason. Linda really looked out for me from a business standpoint
and gave me a lot of good advice about how to handle my money. The
bunkhouse boys taught me that tequila was the drink of choice, how
to play liars poker, and they loved to play practical jokes on me
daily."
The hard-headed, stubborn, character of Wind stirred up
controversy on the ranch and among fans. Theories still surface that
Wind was added as a replacement for Blue Cannon, who disappeared in the
fourth season. Rudy disagrees, saying, "The reason Wind was added
to the cast was, and I was told this by the higher ups, because they
wanted to get younger." Although the Blue/Wind controversy will likely
continue among the fan base, the actors and crew who created the show
deny any connection. Rudy insists scripts would've included both
characters if it had been possible. "I've heard over and over again
that most The High Chaparral fans think I replaced Mark Slade. That is
absolutely not true. Wind was created before Mark quit the show and
there would have been some great storylines had we both been in the
show that last season."
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Rudy Ramos today
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An actor since his teens, his career now spans five decades,
with credits in feature films, television movies, series television,
and stage. Rudy continues to work seriously at his craft, recently
appearing in a staged reading of Beyond the 17th Parallel at the
ART/New York Spaces.
(Part 2 of the Rudy Ramos interview will appear in a future newsletter. Read more about Rudy at
www.rudyramos.net. Rudy's CD's, including an interview about The High Chaparral, are available on
www.outwestentertainment.com)
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