"True Grit" signs

[Raymond Chapman]

Yesterday, Jeanne and I went to see the remake of "True Grit". The best part was the beginning and the end because there were a lot of signs shown.

The beginning had a lot of town shots with some very accurate signs and then the end were scenes from a Wild West Show that really looked nice.

The town scenes looked just like the downtown of where I live now.

It was hard not to compare everything to John Wayne, but it was still a good movie.

I thought about Mike Jackson as we watched the movie because he is always noticing the signs. It would be interesting to know who did the signs for this remake - they seem to be very accurate to the time.

[Tony Segale]

"Mr Chapman, in your 40+ years of signwriting, have you seen better signs than those in True Grit?"

Hi Raymond, I enjoyed those signs, as well.
Those long, large wall jobs, signs in the street and the canvas, traveling show banners were pretty darn nice.
I can't wait for the DVD so I can freeze those images for longer inspection.

This may be a shock to a few, but John Wayne was a pretty boring, stiff actor, and Glen Campbell, time is up and so are the words for him.
The original did give us Strother Martin as Stonehill, Dennis Hopper as Moon, and (best of the bunch) Robert Duvall as Ned Pepper.
The latter was the only one worth watching when I saw the original way back then.

Jeff Bridges, I feel, did a better, believable performance as Rooster, the girl playing Maddie is very talented,
and Matt Damon sure cured the Campbell-rhea.

I know, its all subjective, but I always thought it was better, tell a man how you feel.

I wash my hands.
I bow out.

[Billie DeBekker]

Looks like I will have to see it.. Just had a hard time breaking down to see it since the original was filmed here and the Cowboys a few years later.
I had the pleasure of Meeting John Wayne during the filming of that one. Just didn't realize how important John Wayne was at that time since I was only 6.

Growing up here in Canon City I got see and meet a lot of movie stars filming westerns as the Studios would rent our campground to store all the equipment since we were only a few miles from Buckskin Joes Old West Town. Where I have done signs for them in the past, but I am bumming now as some rich Jag-off just bought the whole town and is moving it to Aspen.

[Henry Contreras]

Kind of on the same subject. There's a guy that part of the whole Gigposter scene. His name is Aaron Horkey. This guy is super talented and his poster sell out as soon as there put out. He did some screen printed posters fot True Grit. You all have to check this guy out. His work speaks for itself

http://omgposters.com/2010/12/28/photos ... ew-prints/

-loco

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Raymond,
Tyler and I watched True Grit the day it came out and we both enjoyed it a lot. Yes, I was looking at the signs in "Fort Smith, Arkansas" (somewhere in New Mexico). They were all nicely done and seemed authentic to me, too. I was also watching the scenery and wondering whether they would try to present the movie with true Oklahoma, Indian Territory, flavored terrain. Quite a few early movies, including ones with John Wayne, would show green spruce stands and white capped mountains off in the distance. Other than some mountains in the southeast, it is fairly flat. The new True Grit movie was better in this regard, but it felt more like New Mexico terrain to me in many parts. Jeff Bridges did a good job as Rooster!

Cheers to all, and Happy New Year!

Mike Jackson

[Leo Calleros]

I really enjoyed the movie. Jeff Bridges is a great actor. I read the book years ago and this movie was more faithful to t it. I loved the original with John Wayne but that movie was more adapted to John Wayne. I love his movies but he was pretty much the same character in every movie. Regardless, I am going to watch the John Wayne one again tomorrow.

[Noah Moore]

Kind of on the same subject. There's a guy that part of the whole Gigposter scene. His name is Aaron Horkey. This guy is super talented and his poster sell out as soon as there put out. He did some screen printed posters fot True Grit. You all have to check this guy out. His work speaks for itself

http://omgposters.com/2010/12/28/photos ... ew-prints/

-loco

i have done some mural work and some illustrative work with aaron horkey in the late 90s and early 2000s. this guy has always done amazing work and i feel lucky i have had the chance to work with him. he has really been an inspiration with the "old sign style". i still have sketch books with his little doodles in them. wonderful work.

[Ron Berlier]

Greetings all -

Today I had the opportunity to see the new version of True Grit. I thought it was a great remake of the John Wayne classic. However, with no disrespect to Wayne, I thought Bridges played a more believable role, truer to the book character. The town and signs of Fort Smith were real eye candy for those who love the old west and period signs. I noted in the credits that the Sign Painter was Tim Dingle. Does anyone know Tim, or his work in other films? If you like westerns or old signs you are sure to enjoy this film - IMHO.

[Mike Jackson]

I did a search on cable TV the other day and see the original True Grit will be on TV on the 8th of January. I set it to record the old one so I can compare. It has been a long time since I saw it. Tyler was home for Christmas and he brought is X-Box home. He has NetFlix, so I had him look it up there. The old True Grit was only available by DVD. Watch for the old one tomorrow!

M. Jackson

[Tony Segale]

leave the money on the table,
meet here at 7 tomorrow morning...

and we'll go on your 'coon hunt.

[Raymond Chapman]

Here's a link to Tim Dingle, who did the signs for "True Grit".

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227656/

[Larry White]

Just happened to be flickin' through the channels after the football game....and there it was, the original True Grit on AMC channel. It was a little tough to watch, those old domestic westerns seemed to lack the true realism of the west that some of the newer movies capture. Like the Italian directors thought, they (american westerns) were all a bit too polished. I watched it never the less. The best part of it was Robert Duvall playing Ned Pepper. And I like the fact they used a real rattlesnake. I suppose it seemed pretty good, back in 1969.

Gotta love this new version a whole lot better. I just hope Hollywood doesn't think it's time to remake a bunch more of them. Independent directors, fine. But if it comes out of Hollywood, we're just as likely to get beat up by a bunch of unrealistic high speed computer graphics....and men with eye liner.

Remember, sofkee always cooks up bigger than ya think.

-Aho!

[Raymond Chapman]

Yea, I watched the original Saturday night on TV also - seemed kinda clean and stiff compared to the new one. Back in '69 it was a real suspense thriller as I remember, though. Much better acting (and signs) in the new one. Liked the new ending better, too.

All those Aspens and snow capped mountains just didn't remind me of the Oklahoma Indian territory.

Maybe the good old days (1969) were not all that good.

[Raymond Chapman]

I just found out this weekend that the town scenes in the remake of True Grit were filmed just about 25 miles from me in the town of Granger, Texas (pop. 1,200). No wonder it looked so familiar - I've been there several times. They hauled in dirt to put over the brick streets and refinished the store fronts. The local Catholic church parking lot was used for the trailers and other equipment. The steam engine train was hauled in by truck and placed on the railroad tracks with a giant crane.

Most of the town folks didn't know anything about it until they came in and started building and repainting.

Several small towns here in Central Texas have been used for western movies. It's amazing how they can change the look of the town with just a few false fronts and some paint. But everything has to be done quickly and money doesn't seem to be important.

Several years ago I painted some directional signs for a scene that became part of a TV ad (for the U.S. Army). They wanted them rustic and painted on old boards. We used latex paints and "aged" the boards. Exactly what they wanted....but I never saw the commercial.

They overnighted a check to me from California before I even did the signs. But they needed the signs the next day.

[Larry White]

Now that explains why, as the train pulls into town,
the background is a scenic painting. It's a good painting
never the less, but I could tell it was a painting.
Probably to block out the 7-11, or Starbucks.
I surmise they have other tricks to remove powerlines
and 747s flying over. Good eye Raymond.

Never doubt the Texas gilder.....ever stalwart.


.

[Raymond Chapman]

There's not a Starbucks or 7-11 in Granger but there is a Dairy Queen and power lines. It's amazing what they can add and take away in movies today.

For Christmas I got the book "The Making of Avatar" and also have the new DVD that has a documentary on how they made the movie. Now, that will just blow your mind. Nothing is "real" anymore. Well, except Mike Jackson...I know, because I've seen Mike in person. Even touched him...he's real. I've even slept with him... but that's another story. We were in the same room...don't try to read anything else into it.

[Anthony Bennett]

I've even slept with him... but that's another story.

There's many a slip twix cup and lip

[Raymond Chapman]

I thought that might liven up the forum a little.

[Mike Jackson]

Hey Raymond, I didn't think you were going to tell that one!

I watched a show about the film industry in New Mexico and heard them talk about filming the new True Grit there.

http://abqarts.com/?p=7144
This link seems to confirm what I saw on TV, but I know they use other places, too.

The Cohen Brothers used NM for quite a bit of No Country for Old Men, according to this page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/locations

I ordered a DVD of the first True Grit from an Amazon seller. It seems they are delivering by some sort of wagon. Maybe on that train they used in the movie with no tracks out of town?

Mike Jackson

[Larry White]

If a man's gonna be lucky...ain't no words gonna change it.

Yes indeed, yesterday was a good day, as a friend of mine donated a bunch of decor items to the Town of Machine. The two best things are a cigar store indian for in front of the drug store, and an awesome pull down map set from 1896! They are in great condition for 115 years old.

I conveniently found Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the Choctaw Nation on the United States map.
(Fort Smith is the confluence of trails at the wetern border of the state.)



The maps are really interesting along with great graphics!



The other map is of California.



I also got a bunch of other great decor items...but perhaps this isn't the post for 'em.

-Aho!



.

[Leo Calleros]

Here is someone's flickr page with pictures of the set in Lagrange.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zube2

When I was in middle school and high school, the RRISD superintendent had to start coming down on the movie companies because kids would always skip school when they needed extras for a school sports crowd. They always gave us sandwiches, cokes and 50 bucks. That was in the early 90's. They dont get away with that any more. They are always filming here. I was going to be in The Alamo but couldnt get time off but a few friends were in it. Thought about applying to True Grit but didnt do it.


And a news story about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZICmu1 ... r_embedded#!

And a quick vid someone took during filming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZICmu1 ... r_embedded#!

[Mike Jackson]

Howdy,
My original True Grit movie arrived today and I just watched it. There were quite a few telephone poles and lines showing in the Fort Smith town scenes. I guess it could have been telegraph lines. The date on the headstone at the end said 1880 and telegraphs predated that. The sign work downtown was fairly primitive, but probably accurate. The hand painted signs over the stores out in the territory were very primitive. I'd probably pick Jeff Bridges' portrayal over the Duke, that probably isn't fair as the flavor of both movies was quite different. The scenery was beautiful in the earlier one, but it was definitely not shot in the Oklahoma Territory. The new one was much more accurate, even it is was shot in New Mexico and Texas. Outlaw Jose Wales was set in parts of Missouri, Oklahoma Territory, and Texas and had a realistic look as far as I am concerned. I am split on the endings. I actually liked both.

If think if given the choice, I would have preferred the Cohen Brothers make a completely new western movie, with all their little quirks to surprise us from the get-go. Here we are comparing the two movies when they could have started with a blank canvas.

And Larry, congratulations on the great finds!

Have a great week!
Mike Jackson

[Tony Segale]

I do not entertain hypertheticals, this world in itself is vexing enough.

If think if given the choice, I would have preferred the Cohen Brothers make a completely new western movie, with all their little quirks to surprise us from the get-go. Here we are comparing the two movies when they could have started with a blank canvas.

I like the fact they improved this movie, so we can compare. Neither film directors wrote the book.
Its like going to a meet and everyone making a gilded piece of glass from a single design one letterhead created.
We get to compare the techniques used, colors and emotions rendered. and then you get to pick which one is better,
which is all the other pieces except my own.

I have to think about how I can improve my situation.

[Tony Segale]

tg 1.jpg (32.97 KiB) Viewed 22620 times

I used vinyl on those signs, that's which why I'm here.

Had I hand lettered, I don't think I'd been convicted.

I'd seen a lot of signmakers out there...
that's worse than me.

[Duncan Wilkie]

We saw the new movie on Saturday. I really enjoyed it. Bridges was outstanding and Hailee Steinfeld was very refreshing. She's got a real future in show business for sure. Indeed the signs were very good. Top marks in my books all around.