Here is a cute article from the Tucson Citizen, 1969. You can practically see the show being filmed...

DON SCHELLIE

Meanwhile, Out At The Cannon Spread...

Daily Tucson Citizen, Friday Oct. 24, 1969

 

It's peaceful these days out at the old ranch house.

 

The Cannons have left town.

 

Cast and crew of "The High Chaparral" television series tossed their six-guns and cameras and arc lights and spurs into their warbags and rode off into the setting sun.

 

To Hollywood.

 

There they will work until mid-December, filming interior shots that will carry the popular series through the current season. But the Tucson area location filming for the season was completed Saturday.

 

And so there is a ghostly stillness on the High Chaparral ranch house set out at Old Tucson.

 

Except, of course, for the hundreds of tourists who daily make the pilgrimage to the Cannon spread to photograph one another in front of the ranch house they see weekly in Living Color on NBC.

 

But last week there was action at the place. Real action.

 

Take Friday, for example.

 

Big John Cannon — Leif Erickson — faced down a guest star badman in the ranch yard.

 

Henry Darrow, Cameron Mitchell and Mark Slade were there — guns ready — to back him up.

 

And Linda Cristal wrung her hands and pleaded with Big John to be careful, for the love of Pedro.

 

All the while the cameras rolled on, grinding out an episode to be called "Jelks."

 

A makeup man skittered back and forth daubing at smeared makeup and a prop man carefully cleaned a hogleg that had been thrown to the ground.

 

The morning sun drenched the ranch yard and threw deep shadows on nearby mountains. A crew member wiped at his brow with a bandana.

 

A worker with a big shovel and garden rake followed some horses as another hosed down a stretch of ground. An electrician fiddled with the innards of his klieg light and the director, in a big, floppy hat, checked some dialogue in the script.

 

An assistant director used a bullhorn to call in the stars' stand-ins, and the cameraman jockeyed for a better angle.

 

Three cowboy actors lazed in the shade of the bunkhouse while another practiced his draw. A hairdresser made minor repairs to Miss Cristal's

coiffure.

 

A pair of big lights was wheeled in closer and a sound man, manipulating a microphone on a long pole, called for more cable.

 

Workmen walked back and forth with stepladders, hammers, tape, reflectors, paint, and did their things.

 

Meanwhile, outside the yard, beyond the fence, a man in a yellow vest and big hat kept the crowd of visitors quiet during the filming.

 

And Erickson faced down the outlaw again, this time from a different angle.

As the cameras rolled on.

 

But this week all's quiet at the old ranch house.

 

The Cannons have left town.

Here is a link to the actual article:  Out at the Cannon Spread

        

Here is another newspaper article , this time from 1958, regarding Cameron Mitchell's performance as the King in the musical "The King and I." Wouldn't you have loved to be in the audience for that one?

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STAGE AND SCREEN

Oakland Tribune – Wed, June 11, 1958

No Actor Wanted To Play King's Role

Cameron Mitchell insists modestly he got the role of King of Siam in "The King and I" because "no one else wanted it." When Edwin Lester was casting the production now at the Curran playing to capacity business, all likely actors were reluctant to essay a part already so closely identified with Yul Brynner. Possibility of unfavorable comparison was too formidable for most thespian egos to contemplate.

 

Not so with veteran performer Mitchell who says he became greatly interested in the Orient two years ago while making "Escapade In Japan." It was during this time, incidentally, that the 39-year-old actor met dancer Machiko for the first time, never dreaming they would be playing on the same stage together as they are now.

 

"The king appealed to me as a challenging character," Mitchell said the other evening during dinner at Bardelli's. He was overjoyed to get the role. It's a matter of record now that L.A. and local critics went overboard hauling out the adjectives of praise for his performance. It's a workout for Mitchell, playing the monarch with more depth and emotionalism than Brynner displayed.

 

NEED FOR OXYGEN

In fact, Mitchell finds he makes frequent use of oxygen tanks he keeps in his dressing room. When he's particularly exhausted he finds oxygen helpful in "restoring me to norm."

 

Dinner with Mitchell presents quite an experience. He's enthusiastic about eating raw onions and hot peppers, admits to being "a pretty good cook" himself, says he got his love of food by being raised as one of a family of seven in Pennsylvania Dutch country where hearty farm fare prevailed. Actress Joan Fontaine suggested he change his name

from Mitzell to Mitchell. By that time the lad who left his small home town at 18, braved his reverend father's stern disapproval of the stage and made his way to New York, was a long way from Pennsylvania anyhow.

 

LETTER ANSWERED

He spent his first few months in Manhattan working in a fleabag theater as an usher "and writing hundreds of letters to everyone I could think of to find out about a real theater job." Among those he nervily addressed in his youthful innocence was Alfred Lunt whom he had just seen in the movie, "The Guardsman." Lunt, unexpectedly, replied.

Soon afterward the tongue-tied and flabbergastered Mitchell was actually on stage demonstrating his acting to the Lunts. They signed him to appear in five roles in "The Taming of the Shrew," a production which made its way to San Francisco in 1939—the last time before this that Mitchell appeared on stage here. He was understudy

for both Thomas Gomez and Richard Whorf, also in that famed staging.

 

Mitchell, between 1942 and 1944 was in the Army. Upon his discharge, he looked up his old friend Whorf, then a director at M-G-M, a studio which signed up the ex-G.I. His first full length movie was "They Were Expendable." That was followed by "What Next, Corporal Hargrove?" "Command Decision," "Cass Timberlane," "High Barbaree,'' "My

Brother Talks to Horses," and more recently he was seen in "How to Marry a Millionaire," “Man On a Tightrope," "Death of a Salesman" (repeating his stage role of Willy Loman's younger son), "Desiree," "Love Me or Leave Me," "All Mine to Give," and "Carousel," his only screen assignment which required singing.

 

SELF-DISCIPLINE

A great believer in self-discipline and greatly interested in the philosophy of Zen-Buddhism, Mitchell is relaxed, amiable and straightforward in conversation. Last February he had a rare experience. His father, the Rev. Charles W. Mitzell, had agreed to appear as Matthew Brady in a York, Pa., production of "Inherit the Wind." The Rev. Mitchell became ill at the last moment and Cameron, who happened to be in the area, went on for his dad with the local amateur troupe. With just three rehearsals, he faked all sorts of aids to help him read lines during performances. But he somehow got through it His dad, of course, is reconciled to the theater as a career.

 

Initially Mitchell shaved his head a-la-Brynner, but he let the hair grow in slightly, finds it suits him better. "And, anyhow,'' he revealed, "the real king actually had rather long hair which he wore in elaborate headdresses." He doesn't use much makeup for the part, gives the effect of Oriental features by his expressions and mannerisms, he says. Whatever the combination, he certainly has the role well in hand, testified for by that prolonged applause night after night at the Curran.

click here to see the actual newspaper page

        

Here is an article from Nevada Day Journal, circa 1947, about Cameron Mitchell's pitching ability (click on the link at the bottom to see a photo of the actual newspaper clipping.)

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Movie Star Will Pitch for Las Vegans

Against Reno Silver Sox Friday Night

Cameron Mitchell takes last-minute lesson on rules from Jane Powell, MGA actress.

Mitchell Recently Threw Shutout Stint

For L. A. Angels Over Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Cal., Aug. 30. 1947—

Cameron Mitchell, young M.G.M. motion picture star, has just been signed to pitch for the Las Vegas Wranglers of Sunset League.

 

Mitchell, who recently played second role behind Van Johnson, in M.G.M.'s High Barbary, will pitch his first game for the Wranglers on Sunday afternoon, August 31st, against the Ontario Orioles, at Ontario The handsome M.G.M. star stands 6 feet, 1 inch in height and tips the beam at 190 pounds.

 

Mitchell has been pitching for the Culver City-Palms semi-professional team, on Sundays, for the

past year, taking his turn on the mound when it did not interfere with his studio assignments. He has a fine pitching record. In fact, so good that Dan Crowley, Detroit Tigers' scout, has been watching his work with interest for the past few months. Crowley believes that Mitchell has definite major league possibilities, and has announced that a Detroit Tiger contract awaits Mitchell's signature at any time that the husky motion picture star would care to ink it.

 

Cameron displayed his hurling ability in the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund game at Hollywood, recently, when, while pitching for he Hollywood Stars, he blanked the Los Angeles Angels in the four innings which he worked.

 

The Las Vegas Club has been in need of pitching strength for the last few weeks, and General Manager Les Powers is elated over the fact that he has been able to come to terms with Cameron Mitchell. The studio has given Mitchell permission to pitch the remainder of the season for the Wranglers, inasmuch as the Sunset League campaign comes to a close on Friday, September 5th. Manager Newt Kimball of the Las Vegas Wranglers has announced that Cameron Mitchell will also take the hill against the Reno Silver Sox at Reno City, on Friday night, September 5th, the final game of the 1947 Sunset League season. Mitchell is eager to oppose the Silver Sox in Reno City on September 5th (he will fly to Reno for this engagement, returning immediately after the contest) for the game has been designated "New York Giants' Night." One of Mitchell's idols, ever since he was a youngster, was Carl Hubbell, the famous -New York Giants' pitcher. (The Reno club, incidentally, has a working agreement with the New York Giants—the reason for their New York Giants’ night.)

Movie Star will Pitch for Las Vegas

        

Here is a little clip from the outstanding panel discussion at the Memphis Film Festival with Henry Darrow, Don Collier, and Linda Cristal via speaker phone. There were about 200  people in the audience to listen to their heroes. In this clip Linda tells how she got the part of Victoria Cannon.

Ray Nielsen, director of the festival, is the moderator of the discussion. Besides the HC cast members, other members of the panel are Peter Brown and Anne Helm.


June 5, 2009 Panel Discussion at the Memphis Film Festival with Don Collier, Henry Darrow, Peter Brown, Anne Helm, and Linda Cristal via speaker phone.

        

In this 1947 movie, Leif Erickson plays a character very unlike Big John Cannon and very reminiscent of Manolito Montoya. Listen to his smooth dialog in this clip. Leif really makes this jungle movie something special.

        

Here is a scene from the TV Western series "Tate" with a baby-faced Ted Markland  (along with Martin Landau) as a guest star. This episode, "Tigero," and was broadcast on August 3, 1960.

        

Here is a Cowboy Christmas poem as told by Don Collier.

Played: 183 | Download | Duration: 00:00:00

        

Here is a Christmas poem as told by Don Collier.

Played: 83 | Download | Duration: 00:01:15

        

Here are two scenes from the Thanksgiving episode of The High Chaparral.

        

There are only 46 shopping days until Christmas. Susan McCray has recorded a wonderful promo with a great gift idea for all music lovers.

Played: 115 | Download | Duration: 00:01:38

      Warm Heart Cool Hands