The INDEPENDENT, September 20, 2000
After 40 years, Vernonia’s movie role still remembered by many
By Robb Wilson
Forty years ago this month,
Vernonia was transformed into
a Hollywood fantasy. A burning
inferno of destruction, where
the town folk went crazy, panic
ing to escape the blaze that
was to envelop them, destroy
our beloved town and turn it
into a certain, fiery grave.
“Ring of Fire” was the name
of the Andrew and Virginia
Stone Productions movie that
featured the semi-known actor
David Janssen. Joyce Taylor
was the beautiful teenage girl
in the film and the later-to-
become-famous Frank Gor-
shen, was a bad guy. A number
of other character actors from
Hollywood and a few from the
Portland actors union also had
parts in the film. Many of the
town folks here got bit parts
and walk-ons, too. I was paid
$10 for a walk-through part and
my brother and many of his
classmates got out of school to
be in the picture. My father was
the only local to have a speak
ing part; he also had a scene
with David Janssen, trying to
wrestle him off the train’s
engine! In the movie you can
see many Vernonia old timers
running for the train - Ma Vike,
Albert Schalock, Loren Stiff
and many more. Oscar En-
strom’s beautiful 1957 Chevy
and Mike Schafer’s custom ‘47
Chevy are seen in parts, too,
as well as our beloved old
firetrucks.
A
great
misconception
among many people in Vernon
ia today is that the old mill
closed because it burned
down. The fact is, the mill
closed its main operations in
1957 and the shipping depart
ment in 1958, for other rea
sons.
The mill was being torn
down, piece-by-piece, by differ
ent operators after its closure
and, somehow, word got to the
movie producers and a deal
was made for the planing shed
to be used in their movie. The
shed was a quarter-mile-long
wooden building that would
burn very well, indeed.
So, on a hot, dry and wind
less day, September 10, 1960,
a fire was set, a movie filmed
(a section of it) and history, for
Vernonia, was made. The
black smoke (with help from
napalm) rose in a column to
thousands of feet, as there was
not a breath of wind to disturb
it. Many folks in the area still
have a vivid recollection of the
events during the time the
movie company was here film
ing. Ladies from the Christian
Church catered meals for the
crew and such. Ask around and
you might be surprised who still
remembers the week when
Hollywood came to Vernonia.
The filming lasted nearly a
week, with other scenes also
being filmed in town and the
surrounding area. It’s fun to
watch the movie and see how
little the downtown
has
changed in forty years. The
West Oregon Electric Co-op
building was used as the Sher
iff’s Department. The old Erik-
changed and moved up toward
the old tracks and RR crossing,
the town really looked ablaze
with this added special-effects-
fire. Some of these scenes
occasionally pop up else
where, too. In the movie, “Day
of the Locust," there is a scene
where part of Hollywood is sup
posedly burning up. Sharp
eyes that know, can tell that it’s
Vernonia, NOT Hollywood,
burning up. One time on Satur
The Joy Theater marquee was nearly ready for the 1961 pre
miere of Ring of Fire. This photo was loaned by Joe Corsiglia
of St. Helens, whose aunt, Rose Valpiani, lived in Vernonia.
son farm house at Pittsburg
was torched for the movie.
Downtown was turned into a
smoky mess as smudgepots
were lit by the National Guard.
This is where my scene was,
downtown during this smokey
affair, as the townfolk were run
ning around in a panic, fire
trucks were moving about and
general chaos was taking
place. When you watch the
movie, it appears that the town
was on fire, but the flames
were» added in the editing
room. The smoke, however,
was for real!
When the camera angle
day Night Live, there was a skit
with the same view of our burn
ing town. I suppose those fire
scenes were used in other
films, too.
The town came alive again
in May of 1961, when David
Janssen and Joyce Taylor
came back for the World Pre
mier of the film at the Joy The
atre. A parade was held and
more fun was had by all. The
movie was shown at the the
atre every Jamboree for many
years. It was also played on
Channel 12 many times over
the years. The last time I was
aware of its showing was on
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Sept. 22-23, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Green's Vari
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the Turner Broadcasting Net
work, three years ago, on their
“classic movie" program. I won
der who determined that this
suspenseful drama was a clas
sic?
For those of you who don’t
know the story line, I’ll give you
a two-minute version:
Three teenage juvenile
delinquents (Taylor, Gorshen
and J. Johnson) are in a fic
tional town eating lunch at the
café. The sheriff and a deputy
enter and talk to the tough-act
ing kids, wondering where they
got a car. The car matches the
description of a stolen vehicle
and the two boys meet the
description of robbery sus
pects. The sheriff and deputy
load the kids into their squad
car and are taking them to
headquarters when one of the
boys pulls a pistol and makes
the sheriff drive across the
state line. The quick-thinking
sheriff turns on the siren, pulls
a car over, and they all switch,
so they won’t be so obvious.
He then turns off the pavement
onto a logging road, to the
protest of the kidnappers, stat
ing that they can drive the back
roads to cross the line, again
not to be obvious.
They come to a dead-end
and roll the car over a cliff.
Now, they have to walk through
the forest to cross the state
line. The deputy is handcuffed
to a tree and the other four take
off through the woods. The
sheriff asks that they not
smoke because of the extreme
dryness of the forest. One of
the boys smokes anyway and
tosses his cigarette butt in the
grass. Later, as the movie pro
gresses, the town folks rally to
set out and catch the teens.
They see smoke billowing up
from the trail miles behind
them. Worried, they head back
to town. Meanwhile, the wind
has picked up and the flames
are moving toward town. By
the time they arrive, the mill is
on fire. Janssen gets on an old
locomotive and heads into
downtown to pick up people so
they can escape the blazing
inferno of this fictitious mill
town.
Through many subplots and
scenes of action and sus
pense, Janssen’s goal is met,
as he takes the townfolk to
safety. There it is, a B movie at
its best.
The burning trestle scene
was originally scheduled to be
shot near here using the old
trestle by Scaponia Park. The
one actually used in the movie
was near Shelton, Washing
ton., where it was easier for the
movie’s artistic director to get
shots and angles. The country
gas station and forestry build
ing scenes were also filmed
near Shelton.
When I mentioned to some
one the other day that it has
been 40 years since the movie
was shot, they couldn’t believe
it had been that long. Time flies
when you’re having fun!
Check your TV schedules to
see if it comes on sometime-
somewhere-someplace. If it
does, let everyone know about
it. It is not available on video,
that I’m aware of. I’ve checked
many places and sources.
Turner fixed the color and
made the audio clearer. It is the
best copy I have on file. Sorry,
it’s not for loan! Besides, I’m
gonna load it and watch it right
now...it’s been at least eight
months since I last viewed it.
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Lunch & Breakfast Specials M-Sat.
ORDERS TO GO: 429-4810
Mon-Sat 5-2, Sun 7-2 • 58360 Nehalem Hwy. S., Vernonia
I am running for county
commissioner to give voters a
positive choice. I have been
working for Columbia County
citizens since 1978, and I wel
come the chance to bring my
experience in economics,
finance, job developm ent and
managem ent to county govern
ment."
PULLIAM
County Commissioner
Experience ★ Knowledge ★ Results
Paid for by the Paul A. Pulliam for County Commissioner Committee,
Pam Powell treasurer, PO Box 1055, St. Helens, OR 97051