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. Monster waves swept into Cape Town this week, with surfers jumping at the chance to experience the unforgettable huge surf. New York Surf Film Festival. Great feature on Big Wednesday. ), Cairns was renowned for his big wave prowess and radical manoeuvres in smaller waves. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? Youre not allowed to drive into the Ranch, so every day youd just wait for your car to come and pick you up. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. They said, Hey, its Warner Brothers, do you want to come to El Salvador?. It's about their friendship, and the value of friendship. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. IAN will be signing his new book from 6:30 to 7:30. This board is deep red with the classic BEAR logo on the deck made famous by Sam Melville's character in Milius . Sure enough, the next morning we arrived to 4-6 perfect Cojo with only P.T., Cairns, Mark Warren, and Gerry Lopez out. The opening and closing sequences of Big Wednesday feature the three protagonists walking through the ruins of a decaying portico like kings of an ancient civilisation where traditional values such as heroism, courage and loyalty are still upheld. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Karen Rea . Our best coup was stashing our boards in the bushes the night before a swell was supposed to hit. The final treatment drew on many of the writers own experiences, with the trip to Mexico and the famous draft dodging scene reportedly both based on real events. Raised in Southern California, Milius made Big Wednesday as an homage to the time he spent in Malibu during his youth. A few of the extras,including Kym Herrin in the blue dress, working hard for their sixty bones. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. When they were shooting, they would be riding longboards and no wetsuit, or maybe a top only. It's about growing up and relationships and the surf is the exotic background. Official Sites Hell, we offered to smoke dope in front of them just to prove we were surfers. It was a lot of money. 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. There was perfect longboard waves coming through, a little groomed south swell at Cojo Point, and while the surfers managed to get out and score a few waves, it was the extras who had to suffer. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. He had a lot of innovative ideas that changed surfing, and he created them. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; Its the artful portrayal of these hardy perennials that allows Big Wednesday to still resonate so thoroughly with wave riders over forty years on. Im actually really stoked on the surfing in that final sequence, they did a really good job stitching it all together . You just get treated like a king, youre part of the crew, hanging out with the actors, writers and directors. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? The surfing scenes used in the finale to Big Wednesday were not filmed in California, where the film is set, but at Sunset Beach in Pupukea, Hawaii. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. Similarly, the ocean and the American west coast symbolise the possibility of a return to the frontier, the physical and symbolical home of the authentic American character. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. And then there was the surfing. Ahead of our upcoming screening, we dived deep into some of the backstories behind the production, exploring the writers, actors, surfers and lensmen who brought it to life. The Los Angeles Times reported that it was one of the very few to really capture the surfing life., Surf journalist Paul Gross concurred, writing in The Surfers Journal on the films 25th anniversary that even its harshest critics had to acknowledge that Big Wednesday remains true to the sport., While Surfer Magazine went one further in their modern appraisal bestowing what may be the ultimate compliment, declaring simply that Big Wednesday makes you proud to be a surfer.. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. 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. Categories . Several surf legends - Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Jay Riddle and Bill Hamilton - were involved in the making of the film as stunt coordinators or doubles. HD. When he comes home from Vietnam he is an Army Green Beret. ABOUT A SHIPWRECK THAT (RAN AGROUND IN "53" NOW A VICTIM OF THE SEA ? On the set, from left to right, Billy Hamilton, director John Milius, Peter PT Townend, Ian Cairns, Ray Riddle and Gary Busey. I jumped on a plane and flew down there to join the crew, who were about a week into the shoot. Nowadays, he lives inland in Connecticut, having traded trimming the waves down the Bu for clay pigeon shooting and smoking cigars in his later years. A 20th Anniversary screening (which included cast and crewmembers) took place at the Newport Film Festival in 1998. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; He was a very popular surfer at the time, but now is best known for being the father of Laird Hamilton. "The novel is a story about old Malibu, its waves, its local characters, and what it was like to surf there in the 1950s and 1960s," explains Aaberg. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. It was written by John Milius and Dennis Aaberg, who met hanging on the beach at Malibu in the late '50s, alongside characters like Miki Dora and Lance Carson. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. I said of course, who wouldnt! I dug a Yater spoon out of David Adornettos back yard and used it as my longboard, though we also brought our shortboards. It never strayed from that. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. 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. Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. Can't play on this device. The attrition rate among surfers is very high. We had a helicopter [for filming] and all these fit surfers with really short haircuts, so these guys figured we were CIA, U.S. military or something. So's John. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; So anyway one Sunday we took him out surfing at Sunzal, it was about 3 feet, and he got smashed and almost drowned and had to be rescued and brought in. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', Big Wednesday: Directed by John Milius. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. From left, Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent and William Katt in Big Wednesday. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. No Hype.No Sponsors. The extras got paid $60 a day, plus a catered lunch and a bus ride up from Santa Barbara everyday. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. Several surf legends Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Jay Riddle and Bill Hamilton were involved in the making of the film as stunt coordinators or doubles. Seversons title referenced a popular myth that posited all great surf days fall on Wednesdays. The new Point Break is hitting the theaters Dec. 25 and the movie required some death-defying stunts that have never happened before. Although two of the lead actors Jan-Michael Vincent and Willliam Kat had been surfing since childhood, Milius brought in an all-star cast of surfing talent to serve as stunt doubles, including World Champ Peter Townend (whose surfing shines throughout), Ian Cairns, Billy Hamilton, Jay Riddle and Jackie Dunn. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. These were all props, created for the film, since this portion of it was taking place in the early sixties. Click Here to hear the song and see some stills from the film. 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. A lot of people never leave it. Check system requirements. Another luminary brought in for this film was none other than Gerry Lopez. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Click here to buy a ticket, or subscribe now for free entry. All of a sudden he realised hey theres a lot of shit going on out there in the water. MacGillivray, in turn, supervised a team of surf cinematographers. They said, Hey, its Warner Brothers, do you want to come to El Salvador?. Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), Jack (William Katt) and The Masochist (Gary Busey) are three buddies who are the local surfing champions of Malibu in the early 1960's. 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. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,500 academics and researchers from 4,573 institutions. The Novel Before the Movie. After that whole period in El Salvador, they wanted to do some shots in California so they set up at Bixby Ranch to get that really sparkling California look. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. Billy Hamilton, above, was the double for Jan Michael Vincent. 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. Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. At some point, Lance bailed. [1], Big Wednesday was a box office flop upon its release, and was quickly pulled from theatres after taking in only $4.5 million. His success was shortlived, as Milius sued for patent rights. IC: Well, it was pretty horrible in 76. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. 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. Los Angeles Times 21 August 1977: n7. IC: For about two months we were on the North Shore, filming mainly at Sunset, but also other places to get pick up shots. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Movie Info. The talent behind the lens for the surfing sequences was equally prolific, with George Greenough (fresh off the back of Crystal Voyager), legendary stills photog turned filmmaker Dan Merkel and surf movie pioneer Bud Browne all overseen by Five Summer Stories co-creator Greg MacGillivray. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. All Rights Reserved. Not to mention a few vintage lenses. Hamilton was surfing for Jan Michael Vincents character and Cairns was the double for Gary Busey. [7], They obtained finance from Warner Bros in June 1976. But not just any BEAR Surfboard made for Big Wednesday -- we have for you the Original Bear Surfboard made for Big Wednesday director John Milius. Unlike many Holywood surf flicks, Big Wednesday had real surfers' fingerprints all over it. Surfing is a strange thing. Ahead of the release, Hollywood was abuzz with talk of Big Wednesdays impending success. This largely autobiographical film from director John Milius ("Conan The Barbarian") features truly spectacular surfing scenes. You always feel you owe it something. Spielberg in particular was certain that Big Wednesday was going to be a box office hit, opining it was like "American Graffiti meets Jaws", two of the decade's most successful films.[2]. 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. 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.