[10] In August Milius announced Big Wednesday would be postponed because the script was not ready and he would instead make Extreme Prejudice. It didnt work. The extras got paid $60 a day, plus a catered lunch and a bus ride up from Santa Barbara everyday. It's a movie that I have never forgotten. 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. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? And thats what the movie is. A few of the extras,including Kym Herrin in the blue dress. 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. 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. The mythical resonance of the Big Wednesday, the hump-day, when the weeks beginning tips into its end, when the gods of surf and youth reach the apex of their glory, continues to fascinate new generations of viewers. And we knew how good we had it. Above is a distant view of the set they made, a replica of the Malibu wall, complete with lifeguard tower.
The Big Wednesday Premiere: May 17, 1978 | SURFLINE.COM Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), Jack (William Katt) and The Masochist (Gary Busey) are three buddies who are the local surfing champions of Malibu in the early 1960's. 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.
Big Wednesday: four decades between surfing and myth making 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. fbq('track', 'PageView'); Copyright 2020 Surfing.LA. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. 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. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. Purchase Big Wednesday on digital and stream instantly or download offline. Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . P.T. Check system requirements. Looks like that heavy camera setup bumped George in the eye, and hes laughing it off. Matt Johnson: You know, Mrs. Barlow, there's something I'd like straighten out. IC: Well, it was pretty horrible in 76. All of a sudden he realised hey theres a lot of shit going on out there in the water. 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. It doesn't work. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. These were all props, created for the film, since this portion of it was taking place in the early sixties. Robb Report. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s.
1977 BEAR Big Wednesday Jack Barlow for PT by Mike Perry He had a lot of innovative ideas that changed surfing, and he created them. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. "[7], "A lot of things [in the film] happened to me," said Milius. 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. Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. There was a lot of pressure to make it more like Animal House, but the movie has a huge following now because it did have loftier ambitions. Great feature on Big Wednesday. We were samurai. Because we were at a beach club far away from the city, and werent travelling back and forwards too much, we didnt see much of that stuff, but yeah, they had some bugs out there and we all got sick. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script',
big wednesday stunt surfers big wednesday stunt surfers But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. (1) Peter Townend and actor William Katt. Big Wednesday is a 1978 American coming of age buddy sports comedy-drama film directed by John Milius. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. Which brings us to the extras. Release Dates The film tells the story of three young friends whose passion in life is surfing. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. He looked at these little skinny surfer idiots and he thought these guys are total pussys! Terry didnt bother with all that, she was already at the beach. 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. The international distribution of the movie promoted the Bear label worldwide, with people wanting boards with the bear logo.
The Endless Summer 2 (1994) - IMDb I jumped on a plane and flew down there to join the crew, who were about a week into the shoot. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Milius was later responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now. At some point, Lance bailed. Wed surf and then get a filet mignon for lunch. Filming & Production They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. So he took a sledgehammer and pounded Important all over Big Wednesday. 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.
Big Wednesday (1978) - Plot - IMDb Frank McRae played a tough Army Sergeant at the induction center. He was the double for William Katt in the film. I said of course, who wouldnt! Youre not allowed to drive into the Ranch, so every day youd just wait for your car to come and pick you up. 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. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. Multiple scenes required surfers to ride waves up to 70 feet . (1) George Greenough surrounded by his tools of the trade and (2) with his homemade housing. Lucky for us, Terry was a photographer, and she happened to be friends with George Greenough, who . But not just any BEAR Surfboard made for Big Wednesday -- we have for you the Original Bear Surfboard made for Big Wednesday director John Milius. We had to convince them otherwise. Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. [17][18][19], The film premiered in wide release in the United States on May 26, 1978.[20]. And Denny should know, he co-wrote the film with the director John Milius! Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? Heres Jan Michael Vincent again.
See production, box office & company info, WHAT IS THE SONG AT THE ARMY INDUCTION CENTER ? . 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. But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. | There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. At least half the people who participated are dead now. 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. The seemingly paradoxical juxtaposition between an ordinary day (Wednesday) and epic adjective (Big) also matched Milius double ambition to provide both a realistic account of surfing subculture and to create a long-lasting surf mythology. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. He has since had a long and illustrious career promoting surfing as a sport. So wed gone from death threats in 76 to having them protect us in the water the following winter.
Big Wednesday - Wikipedia IC: Well, it was pretty horrible in 76. Matt Johnson: Well, I did a lot of things around here I'm kind of ashamed of. Published by at June 22, 2022. Big Wednesday - Summer Surfing: Leroy (Gary Busey), Jack (William Katt) and Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent) enjoy surfing together.BUY THE MOVIE: https://www.fandangonow.com/details/movie/big-wednesday-1978/1MVc9480c4ac38b3b6893afc325bd943ccc?cmp=Movieclips_YT_DescriptionWatch the best Big Wednesday scenes \u0026 clips:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZbXA4lyCtqpK6XB5irhpNHjCf4_lmlTLFILM DESCRIPTION:Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.CREDITS:TM \u0026 Warner Bros. Pictures (1978)Cast: Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent, Lee Purcell, Reb Brown, William KattProducer: Buzz FeitshansDirector: John MiliusWHO ARE WE?The MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. The brand morphed into an actual successful company after the release of the movie, producing hundreds of boards, and is still active today, with various people producing Bear-branded boards in different countries. Big Wednesday - The Hottest Ride Ever: Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent) is praised for his magnificent ride, but he, Jack (William Katt) and Leroy (Gary Busey) know that their summer days are over..
Events Harbour Surfboards "[22], The staff at Variety wrote, "A rubber stamp wouldn't do for John Milius. When they were shooting, they would be riding longboards and no wetsuit, or maybe a top only. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. There goes Greenough to get some water shots, with an assistant, we guess. 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. Last accessed: December 1, 2009. 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. Above and below are Peter Townend.
big wednesday stunt surfers The film production hired the Hui to clear the water for us. While Milius has been forgotten by most contemporary viewers and critics, the legacy of Big Wednesday continues to live on. Click here to buy a ticket, or subscribe now for free entry. 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. With this reunion, the transition in their lives becomes the end point of what the 1960s meant to so many as they see that the times have changed, and what was a time of innocence is gone forever. At 62 and 190 lbs., he was a big, powerful Australian surf star that had won lots of international contests. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would. 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. Surf is a reoccurring trope in Milius work. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; The films success, as demonstrated by its great popularity in countries such as Italy where surfing is not a prevalent sport, was not limited to its depiction of surfing subculture. Above is the Silver Splendor 1956 and below is the Overland Trail 1949 Pullman Club Car . We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. [7], They obtained finance from Warner Bros in June 1976. Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. Overview System Requirements Related. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. "William Katt: New Golden Boy of Tile Romantic Lead Katt as the Golden Boy", "Big Wednesday: four decades between surfing and myth making", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Wednesday&oldid=1139114837, American coming-of-age comedy-drama films, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 12:40.
Big Wednesday (1978) - Turner Classic Movies "[11], However, Milius changed his mind again. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. Following its home video release in the 1980s, the film gradually acquired cult status. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona.
Company Credits What was amazing was to see how many waves went by without anyone surfing them, recalls Art Brewer. On the set, from left to right, Billy Hamilton, director John Milius, Peter PT Townend, Ian Cairns, Ray Riddle and Gary Busey. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. 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. 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. ), Cairns was renowned for his big wave prowess and radical manoeuvres in smaller waves. Apparently, therefore, Big Wednesday is a 100% Hollywood movie.
"Big Wednesday": a film about surfing and friendship in times of war It also illustrates the problems with many of his other movies. 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. 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 . 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. Much of the authenticity of the film was due to the fact that Milius was himself an avid surfer. But, when Big Wednesday opened in the spring of 79, it tanked. It become one of the most influential surf movies ever made. 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. Great feature on Big Wednesday. Business boomed with the late 80s surfwear explosion as Bear expanded its line, replacing fishing as his main source of income. So much so in fact, that Milius friends Steven Spielberg and George Lucas famously agreed to trade profit percentage points on their forthcoming films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars with the movies box office takings. Every morning wed meet at Earl Warren and get on a bus for the ride up, going through the Jalama entrance to Bixby. "It's so alluring, so easy to get lost in. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington, Between the Lines: Surfers during the Vietnam War. McRae was covered in Hard Times (1975). Milius described the film in a 1976 interview: It's a surfing HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY: the loss of an aristocracy, the end of an era, the passing of a more innocent time to a more corrupt and complex one-all growing up is the passing of innocence. Our best coup was stashing our boards in the bushes the night before a swell was supposed to hit. 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. Although access has since opened up a little, back then it was only residents and boat owning day-trippers who could surf along the stretch. The idea of the ocean as the new Far West is reinforced by the films references to Milius favourite Westerns, including The Wild Bunch (the scene in which four characters walk to the draft office) and The Searchers (Hank Worden, the actor who played Mose Harper in Fords classic was cast as one of the secondary characters in Big Wednesday). And the climactic showdown between the heroic trio and the monster waves is so good it makes up for the rest (the trio's Wild Bunch-inspired walk to destiny is by far Milius's finest cinematic moment) More than any other movie Milius directed, Big Wednesday contains the joy of filmmaking (he waited his whole career to make this movie). Tell me about your experience at the Ranch? Above is Peter Townend, with a classic arch stance. With the advent of VCRs and DVD players, it is now a full blown cult classic. 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. to hear the song and see some stills from the film. Most importantly, upon its release, Big Wednesdays premise that passion for surfing had an expiration date was unthinkable. Most famously, hes responsible for creating the character Colonel Kilgore in Apocolypse Now and writing the films most iconic line: Charlies dont surf.. In the foreground is what Denny calls the crumple car. Each plays a talented .
One day this El Salvadoran militia comes to visit our beach set, continues Milius. [21], Janet Maslin, film critic for The New York Times, did not like the performances of the actors and wrote, "The surprise is not that Mr. Milius has made such a resoundingly awful film, but rather that he's made a bland onethe 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. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. 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. 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. The story went through many iterations, including a short article by Aaberg entitled No-Pants Mance, published in Surfer Magazine in 74, before forming into the Big Wednesday we know today.