In this issue of The High Chaparral newsletter:

• Final Deadline for The High Chaparral Reunion announced
• Original Artwork from Patty Schantz will be available at the Reunion Auction
• Vintage Location Photos - contributed by Frank Catalano
• Susan McCray to tape a special High Chaparral Reunion show at Old Tucson
• Vintage Reprint Article, Leif Erickson interview - A Chat with High Chaparral's Head Honcho
• Your Editor will appear as a guest on Getting to Know You and discuss the Reunion
• Ways and Wisdom of the Old West, by Wendy St. Germain
• Bonanza Day at the Autry National Center of American West
• List of Reunion Sponsors
• Upcoming cast appearances & special dates

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FINAL DEADLINE: The High Chaparral Reunion

DON'T MISS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT! There's still time to attend, but the final deadline is here! We must give a final count to caterers and Old Tucson, so we MUST HAVE YOUR RESERVATION by September 25th!

It's easy to make your reservation, if you have questions email info@highchaparralnewsletter.com.

Join the cast and crew in Tucson at The High Chaparral. Make your reservation today for three days you'll never forget. A variety of payment options - Credit Card, Paypal, or check, are available.

$300 for the 3 day package
BOOK NOW

Register today for The High Chaparral Reunion, October 16-18, Tucson, AZ.

Visit The High Chaparral ranch set at Old Tucson - join us in
at The High Chaparral Reunion, October 16-18. If you're considering going but are hesitant, don't be. The stars love meeting their fans, the other folks attending are friendly and welcoming....this is a wonderful event and one you'll always remember.

Questions? Email info@highchaparralnewsletter.com.

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Original Artwork Available in Reunion Auction

We are pleased to have two very special original artwork pieces by Patricia Schantz available at the Reunion Auction.

The first is an enlargement of The High Chaparral Reunion 2009 invitation graphic, featuring John and Victoria Cannon.

Second is a portrait of Buck and Blue Cannon.

Both pieces are 11 X 17, packaged with firm poster board backing in a film sleeve, and will fit in a carry-on suitcase.

If you can't attend the Reunion in person contact a friend who is attending to place a bid by proxy, as these frameable pieces are truly one of a kind and very beautiful.

There are many other unique, beautiful and fun items in the Auction - have a look in the Auction Gallery at what's available, shop in advance, and remember to place your bids while in Tucson. Start shopping

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Vintage Location Photos

Frank Catalano, who worked on the Old Tucson location set, sends some of his private collection photos for all to enjoy.

Frank often played an Apache and found looking the part could be a challenge in the Arizona heat. "They used a sponge on me for the makeup and really caked it on," Frank said, "When I took my shirt off it was smeared with makeup. What was really warm were the wigs, they made you scratch your head later. Never was meant to be an Apache, I guess!"

"Some of the photos are a little blurry," Frank said. Yes, but fans of the show still appreciate getting to see these glimpses of the cast.

Thanks to Frank for sharing his memories and photos. If you're attending the Reunion you can ask him for more stories in person, as he'll be there, too!

 

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Wait a Minute
Mr. Postman

Don't you love it when you get a card or letter? It makes your day! We're going to put together a BIG letter to The High Chaparral cast and families, with notes from YOU, the fans.

This is open to ALL of you, any fan, so please participate.

Take a minute to send a few lines expressing your appreciation. It can be for a certain character, scene, the show. Anything you'd like to say. We'll put all of them together for the HC folks at the Reunion. Anyone who isn't attending will receive a copy, too, including families of those who are no longer with us.

Tina has graciously agreed to compile your letters, so send yours to sweett@ntelos.net

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A Chat with High Chaparral's Head Honcho

Vintage article from The Arizona Republic, Sunday, June 21, 1970
Maggie Wilson

What? Leif Erickson in a skipper's cap instead of the Stetson he wears in "High Chaparral?" What happened?

Well, he said, he was relaxing. Spending a few days at Executive House Arizonian in Scottsdale - away from the set at Old Tucson.

And when he's not playing John Cannon, the head honcho of the TV series' ranch, he likes to wear that cap because: "I've got a schooner at home in Malibu and I like to bring a bit of it with me when I come to the desert."

"Besides, if I wear this cap, I don't have to glue those censored hairpieces up there on those receding spots like I do when I'm working or doing personal appearances."

But should you think "those censored hairpieces" are censorious because of vanity, Erickson launched into a story that he, too, enjoyed about doing an exterior scene one day in Old Tucson when he was caught in the middle of a dust devil.

"That hairpiece lifted right off my head and twirled in the whirlwind until it came to rest at the feet of a visitor on the set. He got so excited he stomped it like it was a low-down, no-good polecat. That's so precisely the way I feel about the thing, I went over and gave it a good stomp myself," he said.

So much for vanity.

So how does he feel about the role he plays on the Western series (9 p.m. Fridays, Channel 12) with the Arizona background?

"I'm kinda the anchorman," he said. "It's a helluva challenge to be in charge, to be expositional ... the one everybody else bounces off of."

"But it's not as much fun for an actor. You can't play it loose. You've got to hang in there being staunch, stoic and steadfast."

"It could be a drag if you didn't constantly con yourself into the function and tell yourself the pay is good.

"And with 80 per cent unemployment in the guilds, crafts and theatrical unions out on the coast, just to be working is Something Else," he said.

And about ratings?

"I don't know. I just don't know about them. But they are the only game in town. The only measure there is. But the fallibility is that you've got to appeal to 45 million people; 20 million won't do."

"We were in fair shape at the end of the year and took off zoom! in January. February is renewal time, so the breaks were all our way."

"But I feel the same way about theatrical reviews as I do television ratings: Even if they're good it does not matter. Not personally."

"I did 'The World of Carl Sandburg' with Bette Davis in 1959. Great reviews. Smashing reviews. But nobody came. The show closed in three weeks. Right after I rented a house for two years."

"But that's show biz. And as far as I'm concerned, that's really the only game in town. And the town doesn't matter. I'm as happy as a desert rat working in Tucson. It's a good place to shoot this series. And a relaxing relief from the L.A. freeways," he said.

"But this cap shakes 'em up a bit in the buckaroo bars I patronize after work," he said. "It's probably just a matter of time before one of those real cowboys decides to take me on."

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Editor on Getting To Know You

High Chaparral Newsletter editor Penny McQueen will be a guest on Getting To Know You with Susan McCray, September 22 at 6:30 pm PST/9:30 pm EST on KSAV.org. Penny discusses The High Chaparral, The High Chaparral newsletter, the 2009 Reunion, her life and profession.

Hosted by Susan McCray, Getting To Know You features Susan interviewing people from all walks of life - celebrities from the entertainment business, educators, sports personalities, business people and more.

You can listen to Susan's promo here.

 

 

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Ways and Wisdom of the Old West

By W. St. Germain

I have heard people comment that women were ‘lucky’ in the days of the Old West. After all, they weren’t expected to hold down day jobs as well as run a home, like many modern women do. I’m someone who ‘wears many hats’ as I’m sure all of you are and I expect that a lot of us would love it if we could take some of those hats off. Or maybe not, they do come in handy to hide bad hair days don’t they? Actually, if we took some of those hats off we might have time to do something about our hair however we won’t go there. But seriously, to suggest that the women of The Old West had it easy is definitely an unfair statement. Victoria was amazing. She managed to feed her family, the staff, run a smooth home and still be the embodiment of grace and elegance. An example to us all! Especially with all that cooking.

I am someone who struggles to cook a good meal. It is an exercise that leaves me puzzled for the most part. My sons often joke about how I can discuss in detail the science behind an egg; its formation, the calcium build-up that produces the outer shell, the structure of the egg’s protein and iron atoms, how the bonding between atoms occurs and why the clear, gooey substance turns white and firm when you heat it. (In case you’re interested, it’s because heat breaks the bonds, converting it to a different structure.)

As you can imagine, armed with this sort of knowledge, I’m in demand with the social scene. I probably would’ve been quite a hit with my egg facts if I were able to attend the big HC reunion (and then I could astound you all by moving on to mushrooms!) I know eggs alright, yet it is a running joke in my home that despite my egg knowledge, I can’t actually cook an egg properly. Eggs defeat me every time and the best I can manage is to hard boil them. Even then, I’ve turned a few into tennis balls.

I have incinerated them in fry pans, poached them until they became little white and yellow thread-like objects, exploded them in microwaves - did you know that an exploded ‘nuked’ egg resembles purple popcorn and, I suspect smells like Tillie the Camel? I have committed a number of other crimes against the humble egg. I expect if there were an Egg Police, I’d be on their Most Wanted list. I finally knew when I was defeated. I just don’t ‘do eggs’. But most homes in the Old West had at least one hen and those women, Victoria included, would have done their eggs justice. I bet Victoria even whipped up the perfect soufflé in her spare moments. It wouldn’t surprise me.

I have often marveled at the women of the past being able to feed their families at all. How did they cook such hearty meals without microwaves, convection ovens, fat trimming grills – without electricity! When Mano made one of his ‘Victoria’s Cooking’ jokes in a recent episode (don’t you love it when they have those quibbles!) it got me wondering about what she, and the women like her, must have done in their kitchens. What little handy hints did they pass down from generation to generation to make life easier? My original aim for this piece was to give you lots of recipes and helpful hints from HC’s time.

So I started investigating... and soon discovered that a single recipe would be quite sufficient for now!

Without fridges, the need to preserve foods was important. The idea of pickling and preserving interests me. The people who invented it, probably women, were brilliant. At least the day’s work provides jams and relishes for a year or so. This justifies the time and effort spent with preparation. You’ve got to wonder how many preserved foods went bad before they got it down to a science. There’s also the question of how many people who ate them got sick, too. But succeed they did. Those women may not have had letters after their names but they sure deserved them.

I decided to dig out some old fashioned recipes and helpful hints that Victoria and her contemporaries might’ve used in case some of you wanted to try one out. I suspect by her calm demeanor and beautiful home that Victoria knew many. In the recipe below, I’ve tried converting the measurements the best I could but whatever you do, don’t spend a lot of money on the ingredients in case it’s not perfect. You should see what I had to work with. These women definitely learned from previous example. My personal favorite cooking instructions were, ‘Take a quantity of fruit...’ and, ‘This recipe will require a crate of apples.’ Oh and let’s not forget, ‘Keep at it until you reach the desired texture.’

These are instructions? A quantity? Please define. A single apple? A kilo? What about the crate? How big is a crate? It’s up there with, ‘How long is piece of string?’ What about ‘the desired texture?’ Is the desired texture creamy? Grainy? Rubbery? Gluggy? Watery? That one still has me baffled. If you’ve never seen the elusive desired texture before how do you know what it is? I expect those of you who are competent at this sort of thing will be amused but that’s alright. Part of the fun of keeping the Chaparral and its characters alive is trying to live a bit of what they must have lived. I suspect I, and my family, wouldn’t have lived long with me in charge of the kitchen. If I may digress a moment here, with reference to keeping the characters alive, I’d like to say that with each newsletter, I enjoy checking out the latest photos of our readers dressed for the part. As a horse lover from way back (I have owned two Appaloosas), I’d love to see some of you with your horses.

OK, or after my July article, I should say Okay... back to The West. Here is ‘a simple’ recipe I’ve dug up for you to try – and I use the term simple loosely! I’ve peppered it with my own views which are in italics so as not to distract the serious cook. I have provided the best conversions I could make (in brackets). Descriptions like, ‘take about,’ ‘a good handful’ and ‘roughly’ make precision measurement a bit tough and for those of us who aren’t domestically gifted, downright frustrating. Good luck!

Bottling a Bumper Harvest
To make the best of a good crop of fruit, preserve that which you have not eaten raw, dried or baked into pies, using the following technique. You might wish to set aside some of the prettier dried fruits to use as Christmas tree decorations if you are dealing with an Autumn Harvest.
Don’t you just love that? Like the lady of the ranch might want to start a major preservation task after drying a ton of fruit then baking a multitude of pies from more. To throw in a bit of Christmas tree decoration-making as well is a bit much, don’t you think? By the way, what makes one shriveled piece of dried fruit prettier than the next? I must go and have a good look at some raisins.

Ingredients
About 4 ½ pounds of fruit (2 kg)
12 ½ cups of water (3 litres or 6.3 pints)
Between ½ to 1 ½ pounds of sugar. (200-500 gm or 7-17 ounces)

Sugar will vary depending on the fruit you are preserving. Sweeter fruits will use less sugar, tart fruits such as gooseberries, will use more. Use only undamaged, fresh fruit.
Use jars you have sterilized using boiling water or the oven technique. Oven technique? Which is? There they go again, assuming we know. And what do we do with the boiling water? Pour it into the jars and wait or boil the jars in it?

Peel, halve and core your fruit. Starting with about 1/3 of the water into the cooking pot and bring it to a boil. Add fruit to the boiling water for a couple of minutes then remove and plunge them into the coldest water you can provide. I expect we’d use ice water these days.

Pack your fruit in a tidy order into the jar leaving just less than an inch. Exactly what does tidy fruit look like? Can fruit behave in a disorderly fashion? While the fruit cools, bring to a rolling boil the remaining water and sugar. Boil until it becomes a syrup.

Pour the syrup over the jarred fruit until they are completely covered but do not fill the jar to the top with syrup. I’ll leave you to work that one out! Put the lids on to keep flies and dust out but do not seal until cooled. To ensure your preserves are properly sterilized and sealed, secure the lids in place then place in oven for about one hour or slightly more. I sense The Return of the Oven Technique here. If you are fortunate enough to have a very large oven, you can do this while your bread is baking.

Naturally, after drying sliced fruit, baking all those pies, making preserves and singling out pretty Christmas fruit, I’d want to be baking bread that day too.

You will note the terms of precision used above: ‘about 1/3’ is reasonable I guess, but what about ‘a couple of minutes’ – presumably 2-3 minutes or ‘the coldest water you can provide’ which really needs defining. On a hot summer day in Australia, the coldest water might be far too warm for anything. Then there’s my favorite, ‘a tidy order’. I guess ‘just under an inch’ is well, a bit less than an inch. As for making the remaining water into a syrup, a jam-making friend of mine said about 4-6 minutes. I felt like saying why not just say 5, but didn’t want to appear ungrateful for her help.

It was at this point, after converting the above, that I decided to include a single recipe this month. I’ll save the handy hints for another time. Hopefully they’ll be easier to translate. I can’t wait to see what’s in store with those. This recipe alone gave me an even greater respect for the women of the Old West. When I think that I’ve got all the labor-saving devices, you’ve got to wonder about the damage I could’ve done to eggs in those days!

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Go Shopping, New Items in the Auction Gallery

The High Chaparral Reunion will include a Goody Auction, with lots of fun things, including items you can have autographed. Start shopping in the Auction Gallery.

See you in Tucson at The High Chaparral!

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Bonanza Day
at the
Autry National Center of American West

On Sunday, September 20, the Autry National Center of the American West, which includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of the American West, and the Institute for the Study of the American West, will present Bonanza Day to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bonanza on the air. It is said that somewhere in the world, 24/7 since September 1959, a Bonanza episode can be viewed on television. Kent and Susan McCray will be on hand to greet guests and will participate in panel discussions. Although the focus of the day is on Bonanza, The High Chaparral will also come up as it was created by David Dortort.

The Autry Center Bonanza Day link is: http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/bonanza_day.php. Watch the main Autry Center page for a banner, and check out the Events Tab, too.

The Autry National Center is located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The street address is Autry National Center 4700 Western Heritage Way, telephone 323.667.2000, http://www.autrynationalcenter.org. Bonanza Day hours are from 11AM to 5PM. Admission to Members is free, regular non-member museum admission includes all the activities and festivities of Bonanza Day as well as all other museum attractions.

David Dortort, Matt and Wendy Dortort Czarnecki, and Fred and Gael Fitzmaurice Dortort will be on hand the entire day. Bonanza Ventures attorney Andy Klyde will attend and participate in discussions. Kent and Susan McCray will participate in panel discussions and welcome guests. Highlights of Bonanza Day will include continuous showing of Bonanza and High Chaparral episodes and associated video, a presentation by Autry curator of popular culture materials Jeffrey Richardson and other staff members, viewing and discussion of select materials from the Dortort Archive, a panel discussion with principals from the show's production with audience participation, opportunities to briefly meet personally with David Dortort, the Western Music Association monthly jam session, and the announcement of the Gift of the Dortort Archive to the Autry National Center, followed by a reception with light refreshment. In addition the museum store will feature the Bonanza DVD set and a number of other items of memorabilia.

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Reunion Sponsors - THANK YOU

A huge THANK YOU to each of our sponsors. Without you the Reunion wouldn't take place.

Listen to this special Thank You from Susan McCray:

Click to listen to a special message from Susan McCray

Listen to this message from Henry Darrow:

Click to listen to a special message from Henry Darrow

Listen to this message from Ted Markland (Reno)

Click to listen to a special message from Ted Markland

• Kent McCray
• Susan McCray
• Kola's Screen Graphics LLC 
• KSAV.org
• Share-A-Vision Productions
• Luisa Victoriano
• Patryka Duran y Chaves
• Heleen Helsdingen
• Patricia Schantz
• Artist Walter Fornero (click here to see this magazine interview on the artist)
• Sandra Smythers
• Paula Evans
• Brenda Greenwood
• Helen Campbell
• Ginger Kullman
• Jackie Hoell
• Peggy Oakland
• Plinio Rodolfo Orellana Romero
• Jan Pippins
• Mike Pippins
• Tina Sweet
• Teddi Giggy
• Gene Giggy
• Nieves Fernandez
• Crystal Hudson
• Amy O'Donoghue

Getting To Know You with Susan McCray 

Arbuckle Coffee is a proud sponsor of The High Chaparral Reunion. Don Collier is their spokesman and the official Arbuckle Cowboy. Try a good cup of Arbuckles, the Coffee That Won the West.

Copper Kettle Popcorn & Confections

Old Tucson Studios

Gammons Gulch Movie Set & Museum

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