They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. [6], In writing the script Milius and Aaberg interviewed a lot of their friends from the 1960s. The film makers had what they refer to as a cattle call up at the Riviera theater to select the lucky folks. At some point, Lance bailed. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. No Hype.No Sponsors. The film tells the story of three young friends whose passion in life is surfing. Much of the authenticity of the film was due to the fact that Milius was himself an avid surfer. All Rights Reserved. They also created a fictional Bear Surfboards label for this movie, which became quite popular for a while afterwards. These were all props, created for the film, since this portion of it was taking place in the early sixties. They said, Hey, its Warner Brothers, do you want to come to El Salvador?. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. 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. A 17-year-old boy was busted for subway surfing in Queens on Wednesday just two days after another teenager was killed pulling the same stunt on the Williamsburg Bridge.. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. 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. Business boomed with the late 80s surfwear explosion as Bear expanded its line, replacing fishing as his main source of income. When they were shooting you werent allowed in the water. Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. Big Wednesday: Directed by John Milius. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. According to surf journalist Paul Gross, hard-core surfers found the film too cheesy. "But I couldn't," he said. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The production team would send him out on partially sawed through boards, to ensure that when he reached the trough of each set wave, the board would duly shatter beneath his feet. The prevailing wind is offshore, summertime theres swells. ABOUT A SHIPWRECK THAT (RAN AGROUND IN "53" NOW A VICTIM OF THE SEA ? That's important to me because I'm a real surfer. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. While the studio had high hopes for the success of Big Wednesday, it flopped, and was out of the theaters in a month. (2) On the surf trip to Mexico, reportedly inspired by true events. Photo via www.bearsurfboards.eu. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. Milius cancelled shooting for the day and let everyone surf. When John Milius made Big Wednesday in 1978, he was considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Hollywood. On the set, from left to right, Billy Hamilton, director John Milius, Peter PT Townend, Ian Cairns, Ray Riddle and Gary Busey. Recently, we called him up at home in Laguna Beach to see what he could remember from his time working on the film. relative viscosity of nylon 6; predictive index cognitive assessment answers; why do baseball players spit so much; Hello world! 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. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. It combines brilliantly heart gripping surfing action, heart wrenching emotions, and heart uplifting humour, all set against the back-drop of the Vietnam War, teenagers growing up, the wisdom of elders (Bear) and of course, the surfing. What was amazing was to see how many waves went by without anyone surfing them, recalls Art Brewer. A lot of them died in Vietnam and OD'd on dope. This is one of Terrys favorite shots. In a 1976 interview, when he was still at the beginning of his career, Milius claimed that my religion is surfing. You know theyve got craft services there so you can go to the catering truck and order anything you want. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. Remick says this was typical Greenough attire; barefoot, jeans, sweatshirt and self cut hair. Above and below are Peter Townend. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. It took an awful long time to write the script. We grabbed our boards from the bushes and had a session with the pros for the 45 minutes it took for the truck with everyone elses boards to show up. Also notice all the longboards. Unlike any other film that has been made about surfing, in this one the characters and not the waves are the most important. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. "A lot of the characters are me and in another sense none of them are me. Published by at June 22, 2022. 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. It's about growing up and relationships and the surf is the exotic background. We all knew it was special, we knew it wouldn't last. Thats not enough. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. It's all changed now."[7]. Big Wednesday (1978) - Summer Surfing Scene (2/10) | Movieclips Movieclips 58.5M subscribers Subscribe 142 Share 28K views 4 years ago Big Wednesday - Summer Surfing: Leroy (Gary Busey),. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Conceived by Randy Rarrick and Fred Hemmings, The IPS, as it was known, was a little haphazard during that first foray according to those in attendance (or chaos if a certain wounded winged Novocastrian is to be believed. Another famous water photographer, Dan Merkel, was hired to shoot this film. Milius Waxes Up 'Big Wednesday' You just get treated like a king, youre part of the crew, hanging out with the actors, writers and directors. MacGillivray, in turn, supervised a team of surf cinematographers. "I'd lived that life since I was ten. Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. He encourages such stiffness in his players that Barbara Hale, for instance, is quite unconvincing as Mr. Katt's mother. The friends reunite years later, after Barlow has served in Vietnam, for the "Great Swell of '74". 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. But we simply didnt take into account things like, oh, sharks, civil war and dysentery.. The first week was fairly fraught, beset by illness, bad waves and a standoff with a gun-toting local militia. Milius was flipping out, remembers a chuckling Peter Townend in an interview with Surfline. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. While the storys original novel treatment was titled We Are Gods, after Warner Bros expressed an interest in making it into a film, Milius approached Surfer Magazine founder John Severson, to acquire the naming rights of his surf film Big Wednesday, released over a decade prior in 61. Three friends who share a passion and talent for surfing are separated by military service in Vietnam, but return to the same beach ten years after the summer they ruled the waves. Sure enough, the next morning we arrived to 4-6 perfect Cojo with only P.T., Cairns, Mark Warren, and Gerry Lopez out. big wednesday stunt surfers. Other highlights included a complex dual scoring system and hilariously swollen heats sizes, often featuring up to eight competitors, (which sounds like a heavy crowd, but thanks to a lack of leashes and clean up sets, still resulted in frequent periods of entirely empty lineup. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. Matt Johnson, Jack Barlow, and Leroy Smith are three young California surfers in the 1960s. 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. Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. Rent $2.99. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Karen Rea . The production assistant tried to shoo her off when he saw her camera but George told them she was a regular and harmless, so they let her keep shooting. In addition, two-time Pipeline Masters champion Gerry Lopez, who served as one of the six surfing masters in the production of the film, also appears in a cameo as himself during the final surfing section of the film. "[14], Milius at one stage intended to play the role of the Bear himself. 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. Vincent was covered in The Undefeated (1969). WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. Photo from the front cover of his biography: Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns. And just when they were finally convinced, out of the water comes one of our surfers, Dan Merkel, with his skin suit on and a knife strapped to his leg. All Rights Reserved. Surf is a reoccurring trope in Milius work. By most accounts, the trip was a disaster. There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. Above is a distant view of the set they made, a replica of the Malibu wall, complete with lifeguard tower. But even though we did the Ranch for a month, and El Salvador for a couple of months, they still didnt have the big day, so they just said ok were going to Hawaii., were going to sit up there and make it happen. Although Milius, a self-proclaimed gun-loving Zen Anarchist, blamed Hollywood executives for blacklisting him on the grounds of his outspoken right-wing beliefs, his decline was caused, more likely, by a series of box-office flops and a stroke in 2010. The film production hired the Hui to clear the water for us. Above he is shooting Billy Hamilton and Ian Cairns in action. Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. Lucky for us, Terry was a photographer, and she happened to be friends with George Greenough, who . | fbq('init', '916699485848838'); {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? Shop Now, Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. Jack's induction notice says he is to serve in the United States Marine Corps. Most of the shots of Gary Busey paddling out are me, so I kind of have a lot of those stunt double pieces. Above is Peter Townend, with a classic arch stance. This board is deep red with the classic BEAR logo on the deck made famous by Sam Melville's character in Milius . 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. We were outlaws, juvenile delinquents, anarchists and rascals. Jan-Michael Vincent and Lee Purcell in Big Wednesday. Either way, the cast and crew enjoyed filming at such an amazing location. Warner Brothers rented the Bixby Ranch to film a major motion picture called Big Wednesday, and she had a front row seat. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ. Terry knew him through friends at the beach and Denny knew him from surfing. Above is George Greenough, Denny Aaberg with the guitar, Peter Townend and Townends girlfriend. The friends include Matt Johnson, a self-destructive type who has a devil-may-care attitude; Jack Barlow, the calm and responsible one of the bunch; and Leroy "The Masochist" Smith, whose nickname tells a lot about his personality. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. A lot of people never leave it. Made by movie fans, for movie fans.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MOVIE CHANNELS:MOVIECLIPS: http://bit.ly/1u2yaWdComingSoon: http://bit.ly/1DVpgtRIndie \u0026 Film Festivals: http://bit.ly/1wbkfYgHero Central: http://bit.ly/1AMUZwvExtras: http://bit.ly/1u431frClassic Trailers: http://bit.ly/1u43jDePop-Up Trailers: http://bit.ly/1z7EtZRMovie News: http://bit.ly/1C3Ncd2Movie Games: http://bit.ly/1ygDV13Fandango: http://bit.ly/1Bl79yeFandango FrontRunners: http://bit.ly/1CggQfCHIT US UP:Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1y8M8axTwitter: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmtPinterest: http://bit.ly/14wL9DeTumblr: http://bit.ly/1vUwhH7 In Milius film, the surfers are the last true American pioneers whose courage and heroism are forged by their ability to live at the intersection between nature and culture. With the advent of VCRs and DVD players, it is now a full blown cult classic. Trips planned for this summer include roundtrip runs to SLO from SB and Goleta on June 30th, July 21st and August 18th. After that whole period in El Salvador, they wanted to do some shots in California so they set up at Bixby Ranch to get that really sparkling California look. Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the movie and 48 hours to finish it. Ahead of the release, Hollywood was abuzz with talk of Big Wednesdays impending success. After roping in a few replacements, including Billy Hamilton, to stand in for Vincent and famous Malibu surfer Lance Carson to double for the third star, Gary Busey, the crew set off for El Salvador, where the filming for Big Wednesday got underway. The points were aggregated and surfers were informed of their standing and which competitions would constitute the second half of the tour. The picture stars Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, and Gary Busey as California surfers facing life and the Vietnam War against the backdrop of their love of surfing . It was work that you got to have fun and got paid for, which was rare back then., Being a lifelong surfer himself, Jan-Michael Vincent had no trouble pulling off an authentic-looking knee paddle. Company Credits In early 77, the points were counted and Peter Townend emerged as the first-ever winner, with fellow Bronzed Aussie Ian Cairns taking the runner up spot. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. Join us in a beautiful clifftop location overlooking Watergate Bay in West Cornwall on July16th for a drive-in screening of the film. [10] In August Milius announced Big Wednesday would be postponed because the script was not ready and he would instead make Extreme Prejudice. It was a lot of money. I said of course, who wouldnt! No Ads. The points were aggregated, and surfers were informed of their standing, as well as of the remaining competitions that would constitute the second half of the tour. Buy $9.99. Another luminary brought in for this film was none other than Gerry Lopez. 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. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Which by contrast seem to contain the frustration of filmmaking."[25]. [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. Aaberg says there were about 50 extras used for the scenes shot at Cojo. | We got alot of emails regarding this page from folks that were extras. 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. . The Novel Before the Movie. 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. It was a central experience in our lives. 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. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. The film engaged with universal themes such as the passage to adulthood and the nostalgic celebration of an irrevocably lost golden age. His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friends of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. "[7], Aaberg says "it took about a year to write" the script. 2022 Goleta Surfing. Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . You can also see a pretty nice wave rolling throughGreat photo. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,500 academics and researchers from 4,573 institutions. Among these was Kym Herrin, who later gained fame as a Playboy bunny. An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. 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. We know these are freesurfing shots because hes riding a late 70s shortboard. Nature enthusiast Dean Bannatyne captured this epic video footage Together with percussionist Sam Adams, they are the Saltwater Cowboys and play gigs on a regular basis. (1) George Greenough surrounded by his tools of the trade and (2) with his homemade housing. Shop Now, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. Youlll see in the movie Jean and Billy paddling out, pushing under and catching a couple of waves and then youll see the stunt doubles come in. Its the artful portrayal of these hardy perennials that allows Big Wednesday to still resonate so thoroughly with wave riders over forty years on. This is a faux pas of no mean eminence; after all, Miss Hale actually is Mr. Katt's mother. I don't think that kids today have the same kind of values that these people had then; I don't see movies being made about that kind of thing. He was the double for William Katt in the film. I mean, you had George Greenough in his black and white Highway Patrol car, burning down the dirt roads and then coming into the lot doing donutsIt was more like a party than a working situation, and for me it was just like another day at the beach. 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). This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Give me a break! She said it was the last shot on the roll. 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. "What I've got to watch out for is getting lost in the surf again," said Milius during filming. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', Matt Johnson: Well, I did a lot of things around here I'm kind of ashamed of. Heres Jan Michael Vincent again. A 20th Anniversary screening (which included cast and crewmembers) took place at the Newport Film Festival in 1998. [27 June 1978] The movie often seems even more uneventful than material like this need make it, and Mr. Milius's attention to his actors focuses more closely on their pectorals than on their performances. When John Milius made Big Wednesday in 1978, he was considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Hollywood. Youre not allowed to drive into the Ranch, so every day youd just wait for your car to come and pick you up. George had broken it up into pieces and [stuffed it into] that yellow fibreglass thing. He would then either place the big homemade housing on his shoulder while sitting on a board in the channel or balance it on his surf mat. It inspired the names of things as disparate as the weekly New Zealand lotto draw, an Australian pale ale and countless storms and hurricanes. Click Here for starters. Apparently, therefore, Big Wednesday is a 100% Hollywood movie. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) [13], The leads were played by Jan Michael Vincent, Gary Busey and William Katt. "[9], Milius and producer Feitshans had met at American International Pictures, where they worked on Dillinger (1973). [17][18][19], The film premiered in wide release in the United States on May 26, 1978.[20]. Terry was commuting from the Ranch and Goleta to attend SBCC and UCSB. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? I went there 190lbs and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I lost 10lbs, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. Milius and his friends George Lucas and Steven Spielberg famously agreed to exchange a percentage point of Big Wednesday, Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind prior to the release of the three films throughout 1977-1978. However, the rapid commodification of surfing culture that occurred during the late 1970s and 1980s made Big Wednesdays nostalgic celebration of a pure surfing culture relevant again. Most importantly, upon its release, Big Wednesdays premise that passion for surfing had an expiration date was unthinkable. Our best coup was stashing our boards in the bushes the night before a swell was supposed to hit. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would. 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. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. Malibu in the early 60s, immediately post-Gidget, when some old-timers were already arguing the breaks best day were behind her. Surfing is a strange thing. Academy Award-nominee Gary Busey ("Under Siege," "The Firm") stars in a story of three young surfers searching for meaning as their lives change in the '60s and '70s. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. I first saw this film in 1978, my father took me to see it with my brothers at the drive-in as a double feature with "Every Which Way But Loose."