Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company by Carey Jr

Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company by Carey Jr

Author:Carey Jr. [Carey Jr.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Performing Arts, Acting & Auditioning
ISBN: 9781589799110
Google: l8FnAgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
Published: 2013-12-07T23:43:38.401720+00:00


Rio Grande

By the time Uncle Jack began preparing Rio Grande for Republic Pictures, Barbara Ford had made good her prediction and was engaged to marry Ken Curtis. That was sure okay with Jack, because he liked Ken, but what he was really tickled about was having a professional first-rate singer in the family to sing all those Irish songs for him whenever he got the notion. “The Young May Moon,” “Down by the Glenside,” “Danny Boy,” “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen”; all he had to do was yell, “Ken!” If Borzage wasn’t there, no matter; Ken sounded great without any accompaniment.

Stan Jones got himself in deep trouble with Uncle Jack over that engagement. I had wondered how long Stan would manage to go unscathed by the wrath of Ford. The engagement was his undoing. It was supposed to be a secret until the Ford family made the announcement, but poor Stan accidentally let the news slip out to someone, and it got back to Uncle Jack. His punishment was simple: Ford didn’t speak to Stan during the entire filming of the movie. He’d notice Stan on the set, walk straight up to him, look him in the eye (you were never exactly sure about this, because of the patch and the dark glasses), and then call, “Dobe!”

Over I’d come. “Yes, Uncle Jack?”

Then Jack would say. “Ask him (he would not say his name) if he’s rehearsed the songs with the Pioneers. The ones he wrote.”

Now the three of us are standing in a tight group. So I would say to Stan, feeling very foolish, “Have you rehearsed the songs with the Pioneers? The ones you wrote?” And Stan would say, “Yes, I have, and they sound great.”

Then Ford would say, “What did he say?”

And I would say, “He says, yes, he has, and they sound great.” That’s the way it went during the whole shooting of Rio Grande. The songs Stan wrote for the movie are fantastic, and the way the Pioneers sing “My Gal Is Purple,” as Duke is wandering by the river takes your breath away. It’s perfect for him and Maureen. Of course, Stan didn’t write “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,” but no singer could do it as beautifully as Ken Curtis and the Pioneers did it in that movie.

Ken and Barbara were happily married for a number of years, and then things went haywire. It’s none of my business why, and I just remember the happy times—the music and the laughter.

I heard that Uncle Jack wanted to go back to Moab, his miniature Monument Valley, and that he had moved over to Republic Studios. Then I heard that John Wayne, who still had a contract there with Yates, was going to be the star, and it was going to be another cavalry movie. That’s when I decided that it was about time I paid the Old Man a visit. Before I had a chance to get there, though, Meta Stem called and said that Himself wanted to see Ben and me in his office that afternoon.



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