the cast & crew remember
boomtown with Skip Boucher
boomtown with Skip Boucher
| Skip Boucher, Boomtown's Production Coordinator in the early 1960's, starts us off with a great story from behind the scenes of the show: "I remember one time Dallas Trailer was taking Goldrush out of the trailer behind the WBZ studios. Somehow, Goldrush got away from him and took off down Soldiers Field Road, then he crossed over into the parkland by the Charles River, with Dallas in hot pursuit! Goldrush was galloping off, enjoying his newfound freedom and we all had visions of him being hit by a car in the heavy traffic. Fortunatly, Dallas was able to capture him and get him back to the station in time for the opening of the show!" |
| John 'Pudge' Flynn, Boomtown's assitant Production Coordinator during the same time period, send us the following memory: I remember the time Rex crashed his trailer! I wasn't there for THIS, but we had done a road show down around Cohasset,MA and were invited back to someone's house afterwards. Well, Rex went around this rotary and the trailer hit the curb. The trailer flipped and Goldrush was o.k. and everything, but the local paper the next day ran the headline: "Rex Trailer Wrecks Trailer"! |
| Skip says: "I never heard the story John told you, but, I have one involving the trailer that I was there for. Rex's brother, Dallas, was driving the Mercury station wagon, pulling the horse trailer. We were coming down Rt3 from a personal appearance in N.H. I think Rex had flown to it in his helicopter, so he wasn't with us. It was the end ov a very long Saturday. We had been up since 3A.M. and it was now after dark and we were drowsy. Dallas was moving along at a good clip. In those days there was a rotary on Rt3 and somehow, none of us saw it coming! Either we dozed off at the same time or we were distracted, but there it was, RIGHT IN FRONT OF US and there was no room to stop, or turn, without causing an accident. Dallas held a steady course as the car and the trailer rocketed straight up and over the middle of the rotary and then out the other side. The trailer shook mightily and I'm sure Goldrush had a wild ride in back, but the trailer hitch held together and we safely came to a stop back on Rt3 . We checked everything and all was well. |
Robert, I stumbled across your website and enjoyed the memories. As a teenager circa 1965-70, i worked for Rex on the Saturday morning show and at personal appearances. It had to be one of the most rewarding jobs a teenager could ask for, and I thought you might enjoy some of my memories of that time. My main job at the studio was to care for Goldrush. At personal appearances, my duties also included being a stagehand, running the PA system and occasional filling in as Homer Corntassle. The Homer character was a buffoon hick farmer usually played by Rex's brother, Dallas. Homer was used at PA's, (personal appearances) to pick kids from the audience and assist them on and off stage. He also played Rex's 6-string banjo and added color and comic relief to the show. On a typical Saturday morning, we would meet at Rex's house around 5:00 to hook up the trailer and head to the stable in Framingham. We'd pick up Goldrush and one of his traveling companions: either PowWow the pony or Chiquita the donkey. At the studio, I would groom and saddle Goldrush, as well as tend to him during the show. After the show, we would head out and do one or two PA's, which made for a long day. It was common to get home around 10P.M. During the 5 years I worked for "Goldrush Productions" there was a dozen or so young people that worked in some capacity. Rex was a great guy to work for, as well as a good role model. He was patient and even tempered,even if we messed-up. Like the time I forgot to clean Goldrush's hooves. Goldrush was shod with rubber shoes for grip on slippery surfaces. Even with rubber shoes, manure could build up and negate this grip. Cleaning his hooves with a hoof pick wasn't top on the list of desirable duties, and one day "I forgot" to do it. As you probably remember, the ride from the bunkhouse to Boomtown ended with Rex and Goldrush around the corner of the set and onto Main Street where he would greet the kids and sing the theme song. Well, on this particular day, Goldrush lost his footing as they rode around the corner. My recollection is of Goldrush's legs spread in four directions, his belly on the floor. Remember this was live TV, no second takes! Rex calmly stood up and after making sure Goldrush was okay, and turned the mishap into an educational talk with the kids. I'm sure he gave me an educational talk afterward, but he never lost his cool. Most of all, I remember that working with the Boomtown crew was fun. There was much camaraderie behind the set as there was on the stage. Knowing that Rex had to remain composed on stage, we would pull pranks to try to slip him up. There were practical jokes like the time Dallas loaded Rex's gun with blanks before he did some trick shooting. On the show there was a game where kids would throw darts at a board full of balloons. Each balloon had a slip of paper listing a prize which Rex would read aloud. Sometimes, we would substitute a slip for one with a funny saying like: "May the bird of paradise fly up your nose!". Rex was unflappable. He gave us a wink, and then would go on like nothing had happened. I'm attaching two photos I have from the Boomtown years. One is of me holding Goldrush outside the trailer at a PA. The other is of another worker, Billy Robinson,(left), and myself. After the show, we had gotten into the costume locker and were goofing around. Rex saw us and snapped this picture with the same Polaroid Camera we used for the "WANTED MAN" posters. Both photos are circa 1969. In the 5 years I worked for Rex, I'll bet I inadvertently ended up in hundreds of snapshots of Goldrush or the show. Sadly, these are the only ones that I have copies of. I have many more fond memories of my Boomtown years, I hope you enjoyed these. Regards, Tom McDonough |
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| July 4th 2009 'Pudge' Flynn Rex Skip Boucher |