You lead a very interesting life, and I would like to see that script sometime, see how it compares with the new movie.
On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 3:41 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Charles, > > Why thanks. True story. > > Bill > > ---- Charles Goldsmith <[email protected]> wrote: >> Bill, you amaze me with your stories. That is a great one! >> >> On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 8:39 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Here's a story for you all. >> > >> > A few days after Christmas 1993 I got a phone call from a man who said he >> > was a producer with Disney films. I thought some caving friend of mine was >> > putting me on, like I've done a time or two (like the time Rick Bridges >> > was on TV talking about Lechuguilla, so I called him and in my best fake >> > French accent told him it was Jacques Costeau, and "we should do zee >> > projects togezer.") Anyhow, this guy said that Disney had a script and an >> > approved budget and they were going to make another Journey to the Center >> > of the Earth. Their premise was that the Jules Verne story had happened, >> > and now modern cavers were going to go back. It was to be a new story, not >> > the same one. They invited me to come to LA and bring a duffel of caving >> > gear, slides, and ideas of what sorts of gadgets cavers in the future >> > might use. So I took them up on it and went to LA a couple of weeks later. >> > >> > The morning I was to meet at the Disney studios was the morning of the >> > Northridge Earthquake. It happened in the wee hours of the morning. I was >> > staying in well known cavers Matt Oliphant and Nancy Pistole's guest house >> > behind Matt's parent's house on the north end of the LA basin. I didn't >> > know what to do about the scheduled meeting at the Disney studios. The >> > phones were out. So I picked my way around closed roads and made it to the >> > studio in Burbank, which was closed. Eventually I managed to get through >> > to an associate producer and we planned to meet at the director's home in >> > Burbank later the next day. >> > >> > The director's (Charlie Haid) chimney on the side of his house was laying >> > flat in his yard. For several hours I met with him, two producers, a set >> > designer from England (who had designed the sets for the movie Willow), >> > and a couple of other people. I showed them gear, slides of Huautla, >> > Cheve, Golondrinas, Honey Creek, etc., and entertained them with caving >> > stories. They got me to speculate about what cavers of the future might >> > have, like lightweight lights with very bright beams (this was pre-LEDs), >> > radio headsets in helmets like in Sylvester Stallone's movie Cliffhanger, >> > and so on. >> > >> > The movie was a go and they started planning locations. They were in >> > constant touch with me and offered to hire me away from my job for one >> > year. I named a price, which I thought they would think would was too high >> > ($250K) and they agreed to it. They let me read their script and I told >> > them there were lots of things that cavers would scoff at. They let me >> > re-write it to the point that I thought cavers would like it. I still >> > have a copy of that script. I've thought about donating it for the TCMA >> > auction. >> > >> > Then the whole project fell through when Disney president Frank Wells, who >> > had climbed the Seven Summits, and was somewhat the outdoorsman, who >> > planned on making a series of outdoor adventure films and had already made >> > Iron Will, which Haid directed, was killed in a helicopter crash while >> > remote skiing. The Journey project was immediately shelved. About a month >> > later the producer called me and said he was going on to other projects >> > and he didn't know what would happen to the movie. He said, and I quote, >> > "My guess is that they'll change direction and start making goofy animated >> > films instead." Michael Eisner got Frank Wells job, and the rest is >> > history.. >> > >> > Bill >> > >> > PS - I asked them if Kurt Russell could play me, and they said they >> > probably could do that. >> > >> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com >> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] >> > >> > > >
