The '55 Ranch Party gang in (((3D)))

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 7 Nov 2004 6:19 pm

I shot the wad on both of these and came up snake eye's each time, but I think some of you will love these unique 1955 outdoors stage photos that were done with 3D photography. We'll have to settle for a bit less, but some the shots are priceless.

SEE!-

Marian Hall and her Bigsby, up close and personal!

The Maddox Bros. and Rose in all their rockin' glory, during the last year of this historic groups life!

Merle Travis, Joe Maphis, The Collins Kids, Lefty Frizzel, Tex Carman(!), Les 'Carrot Top' Anderson, the Ranch Party audience!!, Bigsby necked Gibson's, Carvin PU equipped guitars, and all the usual things you don't find anymore.

Now, I just hope the linx work...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP.lll?viewItem&item=6127815906
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP.lll?viewItem&category=410&item=6127815906&rd=1

...if not try searching for item #s

6127815906, 6127812856[This message was edited by Ron Whitfield on 07 November 2004 at 06:21 PM.]

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 7 Nov 2004 9:22 pm

Ron, you got quite a treasure trove there, man. That's history. I don't think you paid too much. Did you see the one of Joe Maphis leaning over and strumming Merle Travis guitar? Priceless. Did you get the slides in pairs, or just the 2-D version?

That sure looks like Calabassas California in the background.[This message was edited by Dan Sawyer on 07 November 2004 at 09:23 PM.]

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 8 Nov 2004 3:16 am

Holy Toledo, Ron! What a priceless time capsule of American musical history! Fabulous shots of Travis, Maphis, Marian, and the gang. It's only money - right? I'd suggest that after you make good personal copies you might consider sale or donation to a museum like the Experience Music Project or the Country Music Hall of Fame. I downloaded the low-res files from the auction and with your permission, I'd like to send them to Marian. she'd be thrilled to see these. Good 3-D photography can be amazing. I remember finding some shots of my wife's Grandmother in her living room in the early 50's. It was downright weird - there was the same person I knew seated on the same furniture, with the same pictures on the walls but 45 years younger. Well, you made my day, Ron! thanks.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 8 Nov 2004 10:00 am

WOW .....what a score Ron!

There sure is enough sound and film gear in those pics' background to suggest that there might very well be film and/or audio of that Ranch Party somewhere to match up to those GREAT pictures. Here's a link to a 1958 Tex Ritter film "Ranch Party" (TV Series clips) that I found in a yahoo search for Tex Ritter Ranch Party. There was quite a number of other search returns but I couldn't get the search page to link here due to long addresses that won't word-wrap.

Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 November 2004 at 10:10 AM.][This message was edited by Denny Turner on 09 November 2004 at 01:31 PM.]

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 8 Nov 2004 12:17 pm

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 8 Nov 2004 12:31 pm

denny, is that a film clip? I didn't see it.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 8 Nov 2004 12:35 pm

Sorry guys, 'snake eyes' means I lost the bidding (just barely, but this has been a week of hard losses so it just stinks that much more). But I thot these were so special that I had to share AFTER the auction was done. I had more than enuf competition, and the same guy got me on both, so he must have had mucho dinero, which I dint.

The seller sed he posted most of the significant shots, but I'm way curious to know what's on the others. I'm hoping the buyer will respond to an inquiery I made.

Andy, I was intending to get these shots to Marian somehow, and I'm glad you've got that happening. Please tell her it's from a former fellow Downey resident who wishes her the very best.

But as to the pix, I love the shot with the 2 (maybe 3) Standel amps on deck. And the Maddox stuff is beyond compare. To bad the photog didn't have it EVEN more together, but who knew then how important a moment like this was, or would be.

Dan, what makes you think this was at Calabassas? This was one point I wanted to get to, just were was this?

Who's the guy with the white hat and blue Turk suit?

Keith DeLong · Post by **Keith DeLong** » 8 Nov 2004 12:52 pm

Sorry I missed this one, by the time I saw the post it was off Ebay. I saw some of those shows in the 50's, would like to see the photos if they are available.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 8 Nov 2004 1:40 pm

Marian was indeed thrilled to see these shots. Thanks for posting them, Ron. She told me they did a 2-hour show every Sunday afternoon for about 2 years. I had no idea Viewmaster made slides for grown ups. It sure would be cool to do a book on the town Hall Party/Ranch Party group that included a cardboard 3-d viewer for the stereo slides.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 8 Nov 2004 9:36 pm

the guy in the closeup with straw cowboy hat and blue shirt is almost certainly skeets mcdonald.

the oversize dude in bib overalls with the huge tie is texas tiny.

wish i knew who all the girls are.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 8 Nov 2004 10:05 pm

Andy, please ask Marian if the shows were in Calabassas, or where? Ron, i was just guessing, but the California Oak trees in the back and the rolling hills look exactly like it. Calabassas was used to film many cowboy movies and TV shows, so it kinda' makes sense. [This message was edited by Dan Sawyer on 08 November 2004 at 10:06 PM.]

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 9 Nov 2004 4:38 am

The red Standel on stage was Merle's, the green one belonged to Joe Maphis and the white one is Marion Hall's. One of the girls is Mary Lou ( Lefty Frizell pic, standing in the background with a Martin/Bigsby guitar and singing in the next pic ) and Marilyn Tuttle is in a couple of pictures. The girl in a cowboy hat signing autographs could be Molly Bee.
About the pictures, all I can say is WOW!! The winner should make a book out of them!

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 9 Nov 2004 5:11 am

Great shots--my favorite era in music! The "cowgirl" signing autographs with the pigtails is Gail Davis--TV's Annie Oakley. I believe that's Hank Penny (striped suit) standing over Maphis in the photo where Joe is playing the fiddle lying down. Did you catch that Maphis is playing two different Super 400's--one cutaway and one non? Of course Carrot Top Anderson is a giveaway due to his trademark shirts. Must be around 1954? Hey Jussi--when did Joe get his Mosrite doubleneck?
D

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 9 Nov 2004 6:10 am

Dana, that would be either -54 or -55. Deke would know for sure. Joe's non cutaway Super 400 was customized by Paul Bigsby and the cutaway one by Semie Moseley. Notice that Larry Collins has similar customizings on his little hollowbody Gibsons

Deke wrote in his Joe Maphis newsletter, that the cutaway Gibson was ruined after somebody poured beer on it!! What a waste of good beer

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 9 Nov 2004 11:43 am

Andy, you have my total encouragement to do a HUGE book about THP/Ranch Party, it is SO deserving, I hope it happens. I'm stoked to know that Marian got to enjoy the shots in some form, she otta own them.

Who else in those pix that is still alive besides Marian? The Collins Kids, Marilyn Tuttle is still in Canada I believe, Don Maddox(who is interviewed(!) in the current edition of 'Blue Suede News'),...

I was dreaming of the oppotunity to see these shots in 3D, as it would be the closest I'll ever get to actually seeing these guy's in person. Sometimes it sux not to be filthy rich.

Mitch, Dana, and Jussi, thanx for giving more info!

I should have thot of it being Penny as his comic charactor in that crazy suit.

What did Texas Tiny do on the show, merely comedic relief? You'd think with all those other charactors on stage, there would be no need for any comedy act.

Since Deke was mentioned, does anyone know if he has seen them? I fully expected him to be in the bidding mix, but never saw his handle. I'll E him with the belated tip, as I'm sure he'd like to check them out. My hat is SO off to him for keeping the flame alive.

Who's the other guy belting it out in the striped shirt (2 pix)?[This message was edited by Ron Whitfield on 10 November 2004 at 04:26 PM.]

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 9 Nov 2004 1:39 pm

Dan,

Yes it's a film or video of a film. I just now edited the link to a better page about the film/video info.

The Hollywood FILM cameras in the auction pictures Ron linked to, suggest to me that the Ranch Party shows are likely archived on film / audio somewhere ...especially with the top-shelf talent line-ups they had. Further lending to that supposition is that Tex Ritter's main gig at that time was in media production; And being a BIG movie / music star, he and his operations would certainly have been hooked up with people who knew the importance of archiving.

Aloha,
DT~

Al Johnson · Post by **Al Johnson** » 9 Nov 2004 3:29 pm

Marilyn Tuttle is alive and well in California-just spoke with her on the phone.
Al

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 9 Nov 2004 4:10 pm

Got a query in to Marian. I'll post her response. I tried to contact the buyer but couldn't get an email address. Maybe I'm not ebay savvy enough. I did pick up this DVD on ebay for $10 bucks: Tex Ritter's Rockin' Ranch Party DVD, 1957 RARE TV. It features the gang two years later than these photos. I'm hoping Marian's on there too.[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 09 November 2004 at 04:15 PM.]

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 9 Nov 2004 10:22 pm

Just got an E from Deke Dickerson, and he sez the locale for the shoot was Thousand Oaks, CA. for 2 years running. As Denny mentioned, I too think that A/V footage is sitting in a can somewhere. What a crime against society to keep it from us, I just hope it's still in good shape. It would be great if Bear Family Recs. who have been releasing the THP DVDs could do this too. I'll be trying to get in touch with them, with fingers crossed.

Al, very glad to hear that Ms. Tuttle is still enjoying life. Did she have an opportunity to see the pix?

Andy, I can't wait to hear more from Ms. Hall, thanx for doing that for us.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 9 Nov 2004 10:39 pm

Andy, yes Marian is on that DVD, and she does some nice solos there too. Watch for the rousing Town Hall Boogie!! The DVD was put out by Dave Travis/Stomper Time Records in England and actually I just met Dave here in Finland last week. He was talking about maybe putting out more of that stuff in the near future.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 9 Nov 2004 11:26 pm

Wasn't there going to be a web page devoted to Marion?

Or did I just dream that up, I seem to recall someone mentioning it, am I going a little nutty?

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 10 Nov 2004 6:29 am

i would love to know more about Marion considering that i've just discovered her here & now
great to see a happy steelin lady

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 10 Nov 2004 7:03 am

looking at the pix (i copied the samples off ebay) it appears Marian was wearing three finger picks as well as a thumb pick- is this correct?

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 10 Nov 2004 7:40 am

sure looks like it DVA

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 10 Nov 2004 8:06 am

CrowBear, Marian is one cool lady! She was a friend of Paul Bigsby and a hot steel soloist in her prime. Even though she has painful rheumatoid arthritis today and can no longer play, she has a wonderful upbeat perspective on her playing years coupled with a great, self-deprecating sense of humor. Her interview is in my lap steel book and Cindy Cashdollar also did a profile on her last year for Terry's magazine. Some folks are working on a HOF nomination for her.