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Surfing is a strange thing. It never strayed from that. Above is the Silver Splendor 1956 and below is the Overland Trail 1949 Pullman Club Car . Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would later appear as an actor in other films directed by Milius, played himself in the last sequence of the film. At some point, old cars were placed on the beach by ranchers to try to keep the surfers out. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. Following its home video release in the 1980s, the film gradually acquired cult status. We never got a Big Wednesday day down there, and I was always just saying to Milius, dude, you should have just gone to Western Australia. Even luckier was Denny, who got to help choose from hundreds of cute little beach bunnies. Categories . [10] In August Milius announced Big Wednesday would be postponed because the script was not ready and he would instead make Extreme Prejudice. and nothing that happens after will ever be the same. ABOUT A SHIPWRECK THAT (RAN AGROUND IN "53" NOW A VICTIM OF THE SEA ? Several surf legends - Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Jay Riddle and Bill Hamilton - were involved in the making of the film as stunt coordinators or doubles. The final treatment drew on many of the writers own experiences, with the trip to Mexico and the famous draft dodging scene reportedly both based on real events. Shop Now , Home Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales & Trivia From The Making Of A Cult Classic, [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surfs Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. By 1998, following a 20th anniversary showing at the Newport Film Fesival, the turnaround in opinion appeared to be complete. IC: We were with the whole Hollywood crew, and the stunt coordinator was this really famous guy that did Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movie, a real mans man. Malibu in the early 60s, immediately post-Gidget, when some old-timers were already arguing the breaks best day were behind her. No Ads. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. Shop Now , Home Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns, [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surfs Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. According to surf journalist Paul Gross, hard-core surfers found the film too cheesy. Here it goes, the good, old story of the dog chasing its tail. ), For starters, it was only decided that the tour was a tour halfway through the year, with a few events from the dozens of surfing comps that had already taken place around the world chosen retrospectively as the opening leg. WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. I tore up your lawn with my '40 Ford Matt Johnson: Took my pants off in front of your friends Matt Johnson: And I even passed out in your closet, but I never, and I don't know who could have if I didn't, but I never, and I repeat never, ever pissed in your steam iron. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; Here well present a miscellany of facts, trivia and anecdotes from behind the scenes on Big Wednesday. For those of you that dont know about George Greenough, you should learn. That's important to me because I'm a real surfer. I said of course, who wouldnt! Remick says this was typical Greenough attire; barefoot, jeans, sweatshirt and self cut hair. He flew to Hollywood and headed straight for Warner Brothers studios, where he happened to pull up a chair alongside another of the films stars, Billy Kat. ), Cairns was renowned for his big wave prowess and radical manoeuvres in smaller waves. Although today Big Wednesday is considered one of the best surf movies ever made, the path that led to its cult status was a long and convoluted one. Sign up for the Wavelength newsletter to get the latest news, announcements, special offers and event information, Wavelength Media, Unit GF43 & GF55, Winslade HouseManor Drive, Exeter, EX5 1FY, UK, Wavelength Magazine. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. Over the last 40 years, John Milius surf cult movie, Big Wednesday (1978), has made a mark on global popular culture. Although two of the lead actors Jan-Michael Vincent and Willliam Kat had been surfing since childhood, Milius brought in an all-star cast of surfing talent to serve as stunt doubles, including World Champ Peter Townend (whose surfing shines throughout), Ian Cairns, Billy Hamilton, Jay Riddle and Jackie Dunn. When he comes home from Vietnam he is an Army Green Beret. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Denny wrote a song about it with Phil Pritchard and it was featured in this film and became quite popular. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. Milius and Aaberg based their script on their own stories about Malibu, which in the film would be referred to as The Point. Jan-Michael Vincent and Lee Purcell in Big Wednesday. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. In the background you see all the Hollywood chairs for the actors and such. They said, Hey, its Warner Brothers, do you want to come to El Salvador?. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. All Rights Reserved. She is the guide for a few of these private rail trips which travel through the Gaviota Coast. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. It was super fun. The extras got paid $60 a day, plus a catered lunch and a bus ride up from Santa Barbara everyday. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. Big Wednesday (1978) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by John Milius Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Basil Poledouris Cinematography by Bruce Surtees . Photo from the front cover of his biography: Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns. Give me a break! When they were shooting you werent allowed in the water. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. Filming for the action sequences began with a two-month stint in El Salvador, with the right point at El Sunzal serving as a nice empty stand-in for Malibu. A 20th Anniversary screening (which included cast and crewmembers) took place at the Newport Film Festival in 1998. IC: The guys were held at gunpoint at Sunzal one morning as part of the revolution thing, but that was before I got there. While Big Wednesday was a "Hollywood production" and featured then popular actors William Katt, Gary . Big Wednesday is the opposite of all those "beach party" movies of the early 1960's; it takes surfing as seriously as the surfers themselves. Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. It become one of the most influential surf movies ever made. Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? Senior Lecturer, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the movie and 48 hours to finish it. The water camera hes holding was one of those ideas. Of the eight hours we were there everyday, we probably averaged about an hour of actually doing something for the movie. Overview System Requirements Related. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? Apple Computers was founded, NASA unveiled its first space shuttle, Concorde took its maiden commercial flight and, of equally critical importance, surfing had its very first crack at a joined-up international contest circuit. We were samurai. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. "He was going to do another gun and guts macho fight film but he decided to do this; he decided he needed this in his life. The logo, a red diamond with a bear in it, features prominently throughout the movie, on shop windows, T-shirts, car windows and on surfboards. The fictional "Bear surfboards" logo and t-shirts, originally created by the filmmaker as props for the film, went on to become a popular surf trademark owned by Milius himself. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. Some commentators ascribed the early critical and commercial failure of Big Wednesday to its excessive sentimentality. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would. A lot of them died in Vietnam and OD'd on dope. So anyway one Sunday we took him out surfing at Sunzal, it was about 3 feet, and he got smashed and almost drowned and had to be rescued and brought in. This film about three Malibu surfers in the 1960s has been branded major statement and it's got Big Ideas about adolescence, friendship and the 1960s. Big Wednesday Warner Brothers' 1978 coming-of-age surfing movie directed by John Milius, starring Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent, and William Katt; initially a critical and box-office dud, but rehabilitated over the years into a cult favorite. We have found an absolute gem of a surfboard packed with provenance. Townend was just gearing up to embark on the tours second spin around the sun when he received a phone call from John Milius a long time Malibu surfer and Hollywood director inviting him to fly to LA to stunt double on a new film he was working on. IC: Well in May we were in El Salvador, in the summertime, from August to September we were in the Ranch, then we did surf the winter events on the North Shore. This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. Directed by John Milius.Written by John Milius and Denny Aaberg, loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Lance." !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. IC: One day I was at home in Australia and the phone rang and it was Hollywood calling. I said of course, who wouldnt! Most importantly, upon its release, Big Wednesdays premise that passion for surfing had an expiration date was unthinkable. Which by contrast seem to contain the frustration of filmmaking."[25]. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. Similarly, most of the sequences of the film, including the iconic Vietnam draft dodging scene and the trip to Mexico, were based on the filmmakers own real-life experiences. We had a huge bottle of water, and what they didnt tell us was they were filling it up out of the well, so everyone got amoebic dysentery. The first week was fairly fraught, beset by illness, bad waves and a standoff with a gun-toting local militia. Click Here to learn about Dan. It was super fun. Greenough arrived with his own custom-built water housing and proceeded to take apart the 100 grand film camera provided to him by the production to fit it inside. And then there was the surfing. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. He was also responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore and some of the most iconic lines (Charlies dont surf) in Apocalypse Now (1979). An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. Big Wednesday Jump to Edit Summaries The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. In particular, Milius film had a huge impact on surfing subculture, both in shaping the international perception of the sport and providing one of the most authentic depictions of Californian surfers during the 1960s and 1970s. It took an awful long time to write the script. Denny can be seen above in the green shorts and thats Ian Cairns in the yellow trunks. And at the same time our lives were regulated by a strict chivalry code. All of a sudden he realised hey theres a lot of shit going on out there in the water. This largely autobiographical film from director John Milius ("Conan The Barbarian") features truly spectacular surfing scenes. [8], "Because I surfed, I'm the only director in the world who could have made his picture," said Milius. Now It Can Be Yours for $68.8 Million. A few of the extras,including Kym Herrin in the blue dress, working hard for their sixty bones. It was pretty bizarre. They formed their own company, The A Team. Terry was commuting from the Ranch and Goleta to attend SBCC and UCSB. My contribution to the movie was telling the assistant director that the license plates on the cars were wrong for the period. Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. (1) Peter Townend and actor William Katt. Matt Johnson: Well, I did a lot of things around here I'm kind of ashamed of. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,500 academics and researchers from 4,573 institutions. As part of the sequence, the director wanted big wipeouts and snapped boards, so he roped in Aussie pro Bruce Raymond, whom he paid $200 a day a months rent on the North Shore back then to repeatedly go over the falls. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s.The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s.The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. Aaberg says there were about 50 extras used for the scenes shot at Cojo. But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. Most of the shots of Gary Busey paddling out are me, so I kind of have a lot of those stunt double pieces. Following on from their El Salvadoran debacle, the production set up shop at Hollister Ranch, the privately-owned 8.5 mile coastal stretch of glistening point breaks that sits to the north of LA. Warner Brothers rented the Bixby Ranch to film a major motion picture called Big Wednesday, and she had a front row seat. IC: One day I was at home in Australia and the phone rang and it was Hollywood calling. It doesn't work. We all knew it was special, we knew it wouldn't last. Together with percussionist Sam Adams, they are the Saltwater Cowboys and play gigs on a regular basis. [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surf's Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Lucky for us, Terry was a photographer, and she happened to be friends with George Greenough, who . But we simply didnt take into account things like, oh, sharks, civil war and dysentery.. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. Greenough was hired to do water shots and Townend was a surf double for William Katt, one of the stars in the film. In 1971, Milius discussed the idea of writing a book about their youth in Malibu with his Aaberg. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. The points were aggregated and surfers were informed of their standing and which competitions would constitute the second half of the tour. Other potential explanations suggested that in the late 1970s, the Vietnam wound was still too fresh and binge drinking, a prominent feature of the film, had lost its flavour. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. "The novel is a story about old Malibu, its waves, its local characters, and what it was like to surf there in the 1950s and 1960s," explains Aaberg. His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friend of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch.