I do not recall you expressing any interest in the motion picture medium when we hung out together and traveled to Virginia City and Baja California on CYCLE Magazine's dime. I was already making short experimental films which proved utterly unpopular with audiences. I started off with a Bolex H-16 that Lulu du Ulul, my first wife and movie starlet, called "Byron's alarm clock camera" because of the way that you wound up the spring. But my true loves were my Beaulieu R-16s, and your mention of the marque brought a smile to my lips. I still have my Beaulieus but they haven't run film through them for years. Arthur Cantrill said there's some European in Australia who could rebuild my two R-16s but that was over 30 years ago so the guy's probably dead by now. Nobody here in Jakarta is souping 16mm anyway these days, and as soon as I started shooting documentation in the narrow-gauge video medium I felt much more at home than I had with fillum (as the Canucks call it). Nice and credible story you shared; I thought about my time in the Bay area, and riding a four-hour road race at Vacaville with one Eric Dahlquist, who went on to murder a guy over a drug deal gone bad. You won't forget that family name, as Jon Dahlquist was a very popular automotive cartoonist.
I'm glad I'm on your mailing list, Paul. Hope you are holding up well.
Byron - the Beaulieu R-16s were / are wonderful film cameras. I had two of them making my World Cup Ski films, Ski Race and Karli. One as a back uo as I usually destroyed one tossed in a backpack or shooting POV shots running downhill courses. So facile for spontaneous filming - battery serving as hand grip. The films https://vimeo.com/669940633 and https://vimeo.com/17954986
This is funny - you cannot film with an R-16 while on horseback or around horses, as the high-pitched whirr of the (really noisy) Beaulieu camera apparently sounds like the buzzing of an angry rattler to a horse. I had several experiences where an animal bolted.
Paul: how do I get a copy of photo Angels on front porch house with English 'prospect' Peter Welsh "Buttons" ... I co-authored his autobiog in 1971 ... details how he brought Frisco patch to UK. I was journo underground press International Times - Frisco Pete bunked our crib on trip with Sweet William to UK where they met Buttons & invited him to US. ... thanks mate. JamieM
Fascinating account, thank you for sharing. I was just wondering, did you sell your footage of the Frisco Angels to Bo Bushnell of Outlaw Archive? This film sounds the same as one he described as having bought up. Would have been great to see it.
I love the hell's angels in San Francisco I lived on pacheco street My mom had 5 kids we're very poor but these bikers were bring us food they bring us toys and the respect your my mom a lot I have nothing but good things to say about the hell's angels and if you don't know them then don't say anything bad about them because they're not Bad people I would give my life up for 1 of them thank you angels for making my childhood a lot better
Amazing tale. What a story of diplomacy in a potentially volatile environment. They like you til they don’t.
I do not recall you expressing any interest in the motion picture medium when we hung out together and traveled to Virginia City and Baja California on CYCLE Magazine's dime. I was already making short experimental films which proved utterly unpopular with audiences. I started off with a Bolex H-16 that Lulu du Ulul, my first wife and movie starlet, called "Byron's alarm clock camera" because of the way that you wound up the spring. But my true loves were my Beaulieu R-16s, and your mention of the marque brought a smile to my lips. I still have my Beaulieus but they haven't run film through them for years. Arthur Cantrill said there's some European in Australia who could rebuild my two R-16s but that was over 30 years ago so the guy's probably dead by now. Nobody here in Jakarta is souping 16mm anyway these days, and as soon as I started shooting documentation in the narrow-gauge video medium I felt much more at home than I had with fillum (as the Canucks call it). Nice and credible story you shared; I thought about my time in the Bay area, and riding a four-hour road race at Vacaville with one Eric Dahlquist, who went on to murder a guy over a drug deal gone bad. You won't forget that family name, as Jon Dahlquist was a very popular automotive cartoonist.
I'm glad I'm on your mailing list, Paul. Hope you are holding up well.
Byron - the Beaulieu R-16s were / are wonderful film cameras. I had two of them making my World Cup Ski films, Ski Race and Karli. One as a back uo as I usually destroyed one tossed in a backpack or shooting POV shots running downhill courses. So facile for spontaneous filming - battery serving as hand grip. The films https://vimeo.com/669940633 and https://vimeo.com/17954986
This is funny - you cannot film with an R-16 while on horseback or around horses, as the high-pitched whirr of the (really noisy) Beaulieu camera apparently sounds like the buzzing of an angry rattler to a horse. I had several experiences where an animal bolted.
Paul: how do I get a copy of photo Angels on front porch house with English 'prospect' Peter Welsh "Buttons" ... I co-authored his autobiog in 1971 ... details how he brought Frisco patch to UK. I was journo underground press International Times - Frisco Pete bunked our crib on trip with Sweet William to UK where they met Buttons & invited him to US. ... thanks mate. JamieM
Paul, you certainly looked like you fit in. Again , I wish I were there
Fabulous! Did you ever edit into short film?
Fabulous
Paul, were you able to save any of the film or did the Angels confiscate all of it? I'd really like to see what you captured.
The house with them on the steps is 715 Ashbury (not Clayton)... Bill and Lenore lived there.
Fascinating account, thank you for sharing. I was just wondering, did you sell your footage of the Frisco Angels to Bo Bushnell of Outlaw Archive? This film sounds the same as one he described as having bought up. Would have been great to see it.
Fascinating window into a bygone world … what an adventure …
Thanks for posting this piece of history - a vignette into times past that will never return.
Bad edit.... BUTTONS was prospecting HA for UK charter. I co-wrote with him BUTTONS THE MAKING OF A PRESIDENT published UK McMillan 1971. love a chat.
With this article you and I crossed paths. Photo SF HA house 2nd left Peter BUTTONS Welsh
Best giggles I've enjoyed in a while, seeing you perched backward on S.W.T's bike. Thanks for sharing glimpses of "ghosts & angels stories".
I love the hell's angels in San Francisco I lived on pacheco street My mom had 5 kids we're very poor but these bikers were bring us food they bring us toys and the respect your my mom a lot I have nothing but good things to say about the hell's angels and if you don't know them then don't say anything bad about them because they're not Bad people I would give my life up for 1 of them thank you angels for making my childhood a lot better
Paul , do you know If the photograph of the guys standing on the steps of the house was taken by Don McKinnon?
Cool.