Gang of Roses

      Gang of Roses

     When I first got booked, on this production, casting, or my calling service, told me it was called, “Guns and Roses.” Right away I think I am going to work on a music video. NOT! I was sent to a wild west set, somewhere northeast, of Los Angeles. At the time, I was living in the San Fernando valley, so the set was not to far, from my house. When I arrived, on set, and got my paperwork, I was surprised to see “Guns and Roses,” written on it. Maybe it was a music video, with a cowboy theme. NOT! The wardrobe department dressed me in a late 1800’s gunslinger costume. Long coat. Cowboy hat. Boots, vest, and gun belt. It was the only time I ever wore a gun, on my hip. Ever. Yee-Haw, S**t-Howdy! I was a pedestrian, on the sidewalk. I only worked in 1, or 2 scenes, as a gunslinger.

     This was a real wild west movie starring Lil Kim, Monica Calhoun, LisaRaye McCoy, Marie Matiko, and Stacy Dash, as the main characters. They were the “Rose” gang. They robbed banks. Killed people. Had sex. Smoked. Gambled. Drank whiskey. Slept outside, and got revenge. You know. A typical low budget Hollywood western. Not the first one, I worked on. According to Wikipedia, it took just 18 days, to film. I worked multiple days, on this shoot, but I cannot remember exactly how many, so I will say 3, or more. It was a lot of fun, because when you walk onto an 1800’s set, dressed in 1800’s clothing it is like going back in time. Except for all the cowboys carrying cell phones, it was perfect. I thought about things like, “How in the hell did we ever survive, and I cannot believe we really did this s**t, in America.”

     When my “Gunslinger scenes were done, they dressed me as a worker, in a general store. Filmed a few scenes where I was helping another extra, to load a wagon, that had horses hitched to it. Production had booked a day player, to play the part of the storekeeper. Rumors always fly, on set, and this set was no exception. I heard they filmed a scene where 3 cowboys go into the store, at the same time, and they were all smoking. The guy playing the storekeeper, said he could not handle the smoke, so the production company replaced him, with someone else. It was not me. Later, keeping me in my work clothes, production placed me at various places, all over town. Standing. Sitting. On the sidewalk, Crossing the street. The very definition of “Atmosphere,” in the movies.

     While I was loitering, on the sidewalk, some guy handed me his reins, and said, “Keep an eye on my horse, will ya? I’ll be right back. Don’t worry. He’s pretty gentle.” So I baby sat someone’s horse, for about 20 minutes. I gave the horse a couple of apples, from the craft service table, and VOILA! Instant friend! Later when production had me seated on some bales, of hay, this same horse, was tied to a hitching post, near me. He started eating at the very bale, of hay, I was sitting on. He brushed his nose against my arm, a couple of times, as if to say, “Got any more apples?” I had none, and did not want to push my luck with craft service. The horse hung out, eating hay, until someone came, and got him.

     I also got to work in a wild west saloon. I was a gambler, in several scenes. In one scene, the “Gang of Roses,” rides into town, looking for a man, with a patch, over his eye. When they enter the saloon, they discover several different people, all wearing eye patches, including me. It was pretty funny. The rest of the time, I was seated at a table, drinking smoking, gambling, and flirting with the saloon girls. I think I may have walked across the room, or up to the bar, a couple of times, as well. 

     The last scene I remember, was one that appears early, in the film. One of the roses, Stacy Dash, who played “Kim,” was about to be hung by her neck, until she was dead, dead, dead! Whatever shall we do? I’m not doing anything. I’m just a spectator. Luckily for Kim, “Jessie Lee,” played by Mario Van Peebles, showed up, just in time, to shoot the hanging rope, and help her get away, to be reunited, with the other roses. There was a lot of gunfire, panicked people, and horses, dust, and smoke. At one point, someone in production thought it might be a good idea, to have 1 of the roses, fire a rifle, from the back of a galloping horse. This kind of stunt requires you to take your hands, and your focus, off the large animal, beneath you, who is moving pretty fast. Not so easy to do. So she refused, saying that production should have hired stunt people, for this sort of thing, and stating that she was not willing to risk, ending up like Christopher Reeve. She said this in a loud, clear, and angry voice. I was standing pretty close to her, at the time. That’s why I know about it. I do not recall seeing her, or anyone else performing this stunt, nor do I remember seeing it, in the film. I agree with her. I would not have attempted this stunt either.

     It was nice to see Mario Van Peebles, on this shoot. I always thought of him as being under rated. He has worked on a lot of films, I like. In my humble opinion, a very good performer. I saw him on the set of “Ali,” too. He was walking from the boxing ring, toward us. We were ringside spectators. I yelled at him, “The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla!” The name his character gave himself, in the movie, “Heartbreak Ridge.” As soon as I yelled this, someone else yelled, “Stitch Jones!” His character in the same film. He smiled at us, and we all applauded, for him. For me, the only good thing that happened on “Ali. 

     So I went from “Guns and Roses,” to “Gang of Roses,” in a very short time. I guess somebody finally figured out that the name “Guns and Roses,” was already taken. I like Gang of Roses better anyway. I am visible at least 3 times, in this film. Maybe more. I still smile when I think about this movie. I got to be a cowboy, for a few days, and I was paid for it. I don’t know how well the film did, at the box office, and I’ll bet a lot of people don’t know about it. This does not diminish the fun, I had. I still have a couple of pictures, from that shoot. Both taken in, or near the saloon. Maybe not an Oscar winner, but for me, a winner to work on. If you are an extra who has never worked on a western, you do not know what you are missing. I consider myself very lucky, because I got to work on 3 of them. Yee-Haw, S**t-Howdy!