I have seemingly exhausted most other possibilities and so I ask the august
body of older Texas Cavers if one of you might have either an arcane memory and
an actual hard or digital copy of something from the late 60s. This DOES have a
tie to Texas caves and cavers, albeit a bit tangential. Less so that other
topics that drive folks away from this forum. At least this involves Real
Cavers and an almost-real cave (at least it is a collapse into one that once
was: Terlingua Sinkhole).
The quest: For a copy of a movie titled " Rim Of Hell ".
This may have been filmed on 16 mm film, I am not sure. It was written and
directed by Frank Dobbs (of later greater fame, including Lonesome Dove and a
series of later movies filmed in the Lajitas-Terlingua area); Mike Cusack
Producer and Cinematographer (also of Greater Fame).
This was filmed sometime around 1966-1968 in Terlingua, and involved at least
three cavers: Ring Huggins, Bill Wright, and Fred Meyer, at that time caving
with the Sul Ross Cave Club. The story I have from Ring and Fred, told and
retold over the years and repeated to me last week in Terlingua (with only
slight variations): Ring was the Snake Wrangler who, after innumerable tries
finally succeeded in pissing off a reasonably-sized rattled enough to strike at
him; Fred and Bill were "technical support" who tried to get the actors to
rappel into Terlingua Sink, without success. "You gotta be kidding!", the
actors said.
The story I hear is that Fred then successfully got the cinematographer down to
the bottom of the sink (Mike Cusack), and Bill was recruited on the spot as the
stunt double to rappel so he could be photographed from below. Bill rappelled
in, zipping down the rope as was his normal fashion, to the horror of the
producer and director. They made both Fred and Bill climb out and do it a few
more times in a much more hesitant and unsure fashion. "Geeze! You're supposed
to be SCARED!"
This is not to be confused with the later film Disciples of Death (distributed
at least in part under the title "Enter the Devil" in 1972), by the same
producer and director. I have a poor copy of that: a VHS which is supposed to
have been made from a 16-mm version that I digitized (if anyone is interested)
some time ago. That was a Grade Z horror movie filmed at the old Waldron Mine
shortly after Glen Pepper started to develop the Villa de la Mina and is fun to
watch for those that knew the Villa in the early daze. That's when the "alter"
was built in the big room in the mine but before Glen had built much of the
outbuildings and guest quarters. Now-historic images of the old steel bridge on
the county road, the gas pump (then still functional) at the Lajitas Trading
Post, Brewster County Courthouse, and more.
Sandy and I actually watched what was claimed to be "the world premier" of
Disciples of Death at a drive in movie theater in San Antonio. Backed Tortuga
One in, honky chairs and a cooler. A Hoot and a half-----!.
I have copies of more than 10 films made using some locations in the
Terlingua-Lajitas area and would like to add this (supposedly "that first one",
but not sure I believe that). Includes Uphill all the Way (great fun with Roy
Clark, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Burl Ives), John Sayles' 1996 movie Lone
Star; as well as Dead Man’s Walk and Streets of Laredo, which were part of the
Lonesome Dove series, part of Kenny Rogers The Gambler series, and a couple of
Willie Nelson productions.
I have been in contact with both Mike Cusack and Frank Binney on this quest, so
far with no luck. I would appreciate it if anyone could point the way to
actually obtaining a copy of " Rim of Hell ", or have stories from their
involvement or knowledge of the filming (Carl Kunath, Bob Oakley?). Please
share with me. Probably best off-line so as not to irritate the serious,
cave-tunnel-vision, newbie Texas Cavers.
DirtDoc
