January 2011 Blog Posts (32)

January 11, 2011

   Got a speech today in Ajo, which is about a two-and-a-half hour run down to the border. Carole Glenn is going along to keep me company and help me sell books.

   Meanwhile, over the weekend I uncovered an old photo I took near Moab in 1984. We were coming back from visiting the Bell family in northern Iowa and came back through Canyonlands, Utah. The kids (age four and two) were asleep so Kathy and I hiked out into the sandstone…

January 10, 2011

   For all you keeping score, here's how True Grit stacks up against the last two Westerns to top $100 million at the box office:

1. Dances With Wolves: $184,208,848 (release date 11/9/90)



2. Wild Wild West: $113,804,681 (release date 6/30/99)



3. True Grit: $110,430,000 (release date 12/22/10)

Meanwhile, here's a couple studies I did this weekend:

 …

January 10, 2011

   Big weekend. Scott O'Connor and I hosted a party in Phoenix last night for Austin folksinger Slaid Cleaves. 106 of our closest friends feasted on roasted pig and great tunes by Mr. Cleaves.

   True Grit continues to ride high, holding down the number one spot last weekend, pulling in another $15 million, putting it at $110.4 million, the first Western to go over $100 mil since Dances With Wolves way back in the…

http://www.texascrossroadscowboypoetry.org/  Expecting uupwards of 23 poets/performers... all comin' on our own nickle for this event... 'n maybe sell some C-D's to offset expenses. This'll be my 2nd go-'round there 'n it's a pretty good time... especially in the El Capitan hotel 'jam sessions' afterward.

Reb

January 6, 2010

   Long day doing budgets and planning. Hard work, but worth the effort.

   My son called me yesterday and said, "Adrian's is dead to me." I laughed and instinctively knew exactly what he was talking about. One of our favorite Phoenix Mexican food restaurants has always been Adrian's on McDowell Road. Ed Mell turned us on to it and many times after returning to Phoenix and landing at Sky Harbor, we have stopped at Adrian's for a welcome…

January 5, 2011

   Went home for lunch and worked on a study of Mickey Free getting his mammoth jack in gear:

A little rusty from the holidays, but there are some nice little passages worth saving. Need to spread it out a bit, the cloud, and angle the Mickster more…

Hello Fran,

In the Thursday, October 21, 1976 Pueblo Star-Journal there was a write-up about Oscar E. Hadwiger and his many miniature objects that he had made.

In one of the paragraphs it says: "---he was born in 1891. he most recently has been known for his model of the famed circular staircase in the chapel of the Loretto Academy of Our Lady of Light in Santa Fe, N. M.

Hadwiger said he found plans for the staircase among family possessions and believes that his…

I just joined up and wanted to let y'all know I'm proud to be in the fold. In case you don't know me, I'm a storyteller (I was awarded the Will Rogers Award as Best Storyteller/Humorist in 2003) by the Academy of Western Arts. I'm a 5th generation Texas whose great-great grandfather, Joseph Bell Chance, let a company of Texas Army troups in the Battle of San Jacinto. I love telling tales about cowboys. I'm the cook for the I. O. Everbody Ranch. I used to have a real chuckwagon, but I got too…

January 4, 2011

   Just got word that True Grit is at $89,292,295 as of yesterday and has taken the number one position away from The Fockers. At this rate it looks to break the $100 million mark very soon, making it the best opening of any Coen brothers film ever, and the first Western in a long time to break into this territory. This is great news for all of us who love Westerns.

   Got another call from a reporter at the Wall…

January 3, 2011

   Back in the office for a new year. Ken and Lucinda Amorosano are here from New Mexico and we're meeting to go over goals and strategies for 2011. Very exciting. 1010 was a good year and we're hoping for a better year coming up.

Recollections of A DiscomBOBulated Head

   I'm not sure who recommended me to The Wall Street Journal, but I got a call from a reporter last week about the impending decision…

Come spend Saturday, Jan. 8th, 2011, at Rawhide Old West Town, for the Ruckus at Rawhide. There will be reenacment groups, professional stunt people, and old west entertainment of all kinds, performing throughout the day.Come see Rawhide itself, which is a breathtaking reproduction of an old western town located just south of Phoenix, at the Wild Horse Pass exist of Interstate 10. The event is open to the public and arizona reenactment and actors groups are welcomed to come and participate…