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Yellowneck (1955)
Hurricane scenes shot in real hurricane!
First movie my father co-produced with R. John Hugh. Used color as a first since many movies were in b/w in 50s. Although I was too small to remember this movie being made, I played with rolls of cutting room floor scraps for years.
This was Laurence Rosenthal's first movie music score. He was a student at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. He went on to score more movies and several TV shows in the 90s. Interestingly, a promotion still picture my father had of him was in the newspaper 40 years after it was originally taken. Guess no one ages in the movie business.
The scenes that take place during a storm were actually shot during a hurricane that visited Florida during the shooting schedule. Snakes used in the scenes came from a local tourist trap called Alligator Farm. Many of the exterior scenes were made in Altamonte Springs area.
The quicksand scene was actually a pit that was dug about chest deep and filled with leaves, etc. The actor got in and faked the sinking part. The hand going down was actually a closeup of him just pulling down his arm (trick photography 50s style). The Florida panther that jumps out of the tree was a fake that was pushed from behind by a guy with a pole. Looks real though.
Yellowneck was R. John Hugh's first stab at writing, directing, producing, et AL, a movie in Florida. The world premiere was held at the former Astor Theater in Orlando. I have the still pictures of the premiere. Lin McCarthy was on hand for the opening night. He later went on to do television.
Naked in the Sun (1957)
Made by 1st motion picture company in Florida
My father was co-producer of this movie when I was in grade school. I still have still photos of the shoot and a copy of the original script. It was made by Empire Studios, the first motion picture studio in Florida in the early 50s, long before Disney and Universal Studios.
I went on location many times and was on site for the Major Dade massacre and the scenes where the guards are found dead on the settler's porch. I also was at the studios in Winter Park when much post production took place.
This was the second of three movies my father worked with R. John Hughs on in the 50s. As a grade "B" movie it wasn't so bad and was in color, which wasn't usual at that time. I've seen the movie for sell at a video store in the past and wished I had bought it.
The lead actor, James Craig, starred on a 15 minute TV detective series at the time and was a "B" list actor. Of course, Barton MacLane starred in movies as a supporting actor with the big names of the 30s to the 50s (John Wayne, etc.). MacLane also starred later in the 60s as the general on I Dream of Jeanie TV show.
Many of the extras in the movies were students at Boone and Edgewater High Schools in Orlando. I graduated from Edgewater. My father said he always got calls from the school's deans complaining about skipping while the movie was being shot in Orlo Bronson's cow pasture in St. Cloud, Florida. Bronson was a former Fla. State senator.
Several of the other actors were local aspiring actors and Rollins College theatre students. It wasn't Hollywood but it sure was exciting to see the movie being made.