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. 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. At 62 and 190 lbs., he was a big, powerful Australian surf star that had won lots of international contests. Click Here to hear the song and see some stills from the film. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. Photo from the front cover of his biography: Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns. IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. 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. You had to have permission from the director, John Milius [to paddle out]. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. "[15], Milius invented the Bear brand of surfboard as a fictional brand to be used in the movie,[16] and even had surfboards made and arranged for a Californian designer to create a logo. Robb Report. They were depicted as both titanic figures who embody physical perfection and barbarians who refuse to conform to the rules of civilised society. These were all props, created for the film, since this portion of it was taking place in the early sixties. She said it was the last shot on the roll. 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. A coming of age story, it chronicles the three characters transition to adulthood with parties, surf trips, marriage and the Vietnam War in the background. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. and the more I understood about Big Wednesday, the more I learned about surfing. Not to mention a few vintage lenses. Denny can be seen above in the green shorts and thats Ian Cairns in the yellow trunks. 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. In the background you can see them setting up a shot near the crumple car. It become one of the most influential surf movies ever made. So's John. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. The water camera hes holding was one of those ideas. I went there 190 pounds and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I was 110 pounds, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. A lot of people never leave it. It also illustrates the problems with many of his other movies. IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. He was a very popular surfer at the time, but now is best known for being the father of Laird Hamilton. 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. This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. "John has fallen in love and is getting married and that's opened up this other side of him," said star William Katt in October 1977. Surfing is a strange thing. Despite what he describes as a childhood of juvenile delinquency, Milius developed into an accomplished screenwriter, penning a series of hit films in which surfing often featured. He created this waterproof fiberglass housing for a big, bulky 35 mm movie camera. "Big Wednesday" started as a novel written by John Milius and Denny Aaberg and was initially published in 1978 by Bantam Books. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. by Information Press, Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns Wavelength Surf Magazine, Alan Nafzger's Los Angeles Surfing Drama - VERITY'S SURFING MOVIE, Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns, Historic San Augustine is Set for This Weekends Heritage Days, Judge Revives Lunada Bay Lawsuit: Localism Is Illegal and Cities TheInertia.com, From Hawaii to South Africa: Top 10 surfing destinations around the world, Matthew McConaugheys dashing young son collects , Architect Ed Niles Designed This Massive Geometrical Manse on the Malibu Coast. Aaberg says there were about 50 extras used for the scenes shot at Cojo. IC: One day I was at home in Australia and the phone rang and it was Hollywood calling. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. IC: For about two months we were on the North Shore, filming mainly at Sunset, but also other places to get pick up shots. 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. According to a famous Hollywood legend, Big Wednesday was part of a three-way profit point swap between Milius and his old friends, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. "It was a special time," said Aaberg of the 1960s. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. 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. Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . Jan-Michael Vincent and Lee Purcell in Big Wednesday. ()100% You know theyve got craft services there so you can go to the catering truck and order anything you want. And Denny should know, he co-wrote the film with the director John Milius! Theories behind the failure are wide-ranging; the scars of Vietnam were still too raw, there was too much fighting, too much binge drinking and, with the transition brought on by the shortboard revolution complete, the surfing audience viewed the longboard-centric surf scenes as pass. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. It is so very personal. We all knew it was special, we knew it wouldn't last. "It's so alluring, so easy to get lost in. [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 Surf's Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. Another famous water photographer, Dan Merkel, was hired to shoot this film. Their surfing lives are traced from the summer of 1962 to their attempts at dodging the Vietnam War draft in 1965 (including faking insanity, homosexuality, and all manner of medical ailments), and to the end of their innocence in 1968 when one of their friends is killed in Vietnam. 2022 Goleta Surfing. Back then they built the whole Hollywood wall set and we were staying in this country town called Lompoc, which is just north of the Ranch, in the middle of farmland, with all the actors and crew. Milius cancelled shooting for the day and let everyone surf. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', P.S. In 1971, Milius discussed the idea of writing a book about their youth in Malibu with his Aaberg. 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). Writer/director John Milius was born in 1944 and the material draws on a ten year span of his life from the early 1960's to the early 1970's. . Greenough arrived with his own custom-built water housing and proceeded to take apart the 100 grand film camera provided to him by the production to fit it inside. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. Im actually really stoked on the surfing in that final sequence, they did a really good job stitching it all together . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. New York Surf Film Festival. 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. Send her a message via her facebook page if youd like to go. Surf is a reoccurring trope in Milius work. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. Click Here for starters. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. Overview System Requirements Related. It made only US$4.5 million (half of its original budget) at the box office. Seversons title referred to a surfing myth according to which all the great surf days of the year fall on Wednesdays. The film presents a vivid portrait of a specific cultural moment both in surfing and the world at large but equally explores themes that transcend time and place, like loss, friendship and the impact of growing up on each individuals surfing path. The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Davao City Film Festival, Philippines; the Turin Film Festival, Italy; and others. He looked at these little skinny surfer idiots and he thought these guys are total pussys! 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. The film engaged with universal themes such as the passage to adulthood and the nostalgic celebration of an irrevocably lost golden age. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. 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. We know these are freesurfing shots because hes riding a late 70s shortboard. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. No Hype.No Sponsors. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. Originally Milius envisioned the story as a novel and he included the treatment in a letter, entitled We were gods, to literary agent Lynn Nesbit. See production, box office & company info, WHAT IS THE SONG AT THE ARMY INDUCTION CENTER ? 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. He didnt really surf, where as Jean Micheal and Billy were reasonable surfers, so they were down there to have fun, hang out and shoot as many scenes as possible. [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. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. In the background you see all the Hollywood chairs for the actors and such. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Last accessed: December 1, 2009. As he remembers, it was some sort of military vehicle that was there for years and years. Forty years after its release the passion and lyricism of the film are even more compelling. 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. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? The first boards were shaped in 1977, by famous board shaper Bill Hamilton. 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. With the advent of VCRs and DVD players, it is now a full blown cult classic. 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. In 1975, Warner Bros expressed a strong interest in Milius idea about a surf film, which in turn prompted him to buy the rights to the title of John Seversons 1961 surf movie Big Wednesday. 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. 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. IC: Well, it was pretty horrible in 76. 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. Wed have certain times where wed be shooting scenes and the rest of the time we were just hanging out on the film set watching shit happen. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, executive in charge of production (uncredited), second assistant director trainee (uncredited), sound effects editor (as Joe von Stroheim), stairs fall double for Geoff Parks (uncredited) / stunt coordinator (uncredited), camera operator: special water photography, wardrobe supervisor: women (as Ann Lambert), wardrobe supervisor: men (as Bill Minton Jr.), music consultant (uncredited) / musician: violin (uncredited), surfing photography consultant (as Roger Brown). It was a central experience in our lives. So wed gone from death threats in 76 to having them protect us in the water the following winter. 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. By what name was Big Wednesday (1978) officially released in India in English? Purchase Big Wednesday on digital and stream instantly or download offline. Now, with their innocence lost to the deeds . big wednesday stunt surfers. There goes Greenough to get some water shots, with an assistant, we guess. Some say the best surf movie Hollywood has made yet! We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. Shop Now , Home Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns, [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. An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. relative viscosity of nylon 6; predictive index cognitive assessment answers; why do baseball players spit so much; Hello world! 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. WL: So it was year two of the new IPS tour, and you were defending a runner up spot, did all that filming not get in the way of competing? It's about their friendship, and the value of friendship. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; 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. Above is George Greenough, Denny Aaberg with the guitar, Peter Townend and Townends girlfriend. Over the last 40 years, John Milius surf cult movie, Big Wednesday (1978), has made a mark on global popular culture. In a 1976 interview, when he was still at the beginning of his career, Milius claimed that my religion is surfing. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? In the 1980s, Milius would go on to make commercially successful films such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. (2) On the surf trip to Mexico, reportedly inspired by true events. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. He had a lot of innovative ideas that changed surfing, and he created them. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. Trips planned for this summer include roundtrip runs to SLO from SB and Goleta on June 30th, July 21st and August 18th. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. We were outlaws, juvenile delinquents, anarchists and rascals. Frank McRae played a tough Army Sergeant at the induction center. It was pretty bizarre. 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. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. "[7], "A lot of things [in the film] happened to me," said Milius. "[11], However, Milius changed his mind again. and nothing that happens after will ever be the same. fbq('track', 'PageView'); Copyright 2020 Surfing.LA. 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(2) PT with his signature arched bottom turn during the final sequence. In the late 1950s, Milius surfed regularly in Malibu, where he met Denny Aaberg, the brother of surf legend Kemp Aaberg and the future co-writer of Big Wednesday. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. In 1978 surfer and filmmaker John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn) set out to make a feature length film for the big screen based on his youth surfing and growing up in Malibu Ca., it would become the iconic film of the 70's "Big Wednesday". You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. The films authenticity was enhanced by Milius connection to the surfing world, which enabled him to bring in experienced surf documentary maker Greg MacGillivray. That's important to me because I'm a real surfer. ). Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. ABC edited 31 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here.