Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Legend of Pancho Barnes / October, 2009 UPDATE

Here's some of the latest news from "Pancholand".

Hot Springs Documentary Festival Screening Times Announced

Amanda Pope and I are looking forward to attending the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival next week.  Joining us will be our good friend and participant in the film, Patrice Demory along with her husband Steve.  For those of you who have never met this amazing couple, they do a "living history" re-enactment of Pancho's grandfather (and Civil War balloonist) Thaddeus Loweand his wife Leontine.  I don't know if they are planning to show up in the festival in character, but even if they don't Hot Springs will never be the same after Pancho gets through with it!!  If you plan to attend, or want to let friends know about the event, the screening dates are Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 2:25pm and Friday, October 23, 2009 at 11:25am. See you there!

Pancho Barnes in Palm Springs
  November 11th
Exciting news!  On Wednesday, November 11, we'll be barnstorming into Palm Springs for a special screening of The Legend of Pancho Barnes at the fabulous Palm Springs Air Museum.  The event begins at 6 p.m. and is free to members, $5 for non-members.  To RSVP, please call 760-778-6262.  

For those of you who have never been to the Palm Springs Air Museum, this is a great excuse to come out and see an amazing collection of WWII aircraft, most of which are still in flying condition. 

Pancho at NASA / Dryden December 4th
Speaking of screenings, we've just been invited to present the film at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Friday, December 4th.  Unfortunately, the event is closed to the public, but if you live or work at Edwards AFB you can join us.  Dryden is an appropriate venue for a screening of the film, as it is NASA's premier site for aeronautical research and operates some of the most advanced aircraft in the world.  Wouldn't Pancho Barnes be proud?

Screening at Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum  December 6th

We'll also be presenting the film on Sunday, December 6th at the Essanay Silent Film Museum in Niles, California. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, this should present an excellent opportunity to see the film.  The screening will take place on Sunday, December 6 at 12:30 PM.  Suggested donation $10 general admission, $8 museum members.  Our film will be shown as a double feature with what else? — Howard Hughes' "Hell's Angels".

First Review of the DVD Shows Up on Amazon
A kind soul reviewed our DVD, and gave us five stars.  Here's a little bit of what he said:   Chock full of vintage photos & video, this film delves into the character of a woman who lived her own dreams and never gave up, an individual that many would consider larger than life. In her own words, "We have more fun in a week than other weenies do in a lifetime". Narrated by Tom Skerrit, with the voice of Kathy Bates as Pancho, this is an entertaining, informative look into an era that could never happen again. A fine addition to the video library of the aviation enthusiast.  We couldn't have said it better!  To read the full review CLICK HERE.

New Journal Entry / Pancho in Mexico

One thing I did not anticipate but should have, is when you make a film about someone named Pancho Barnes, you get a lot of confusion.  Pancho who?  Many people think the film must be a story about a Mexican.  We even had someone come up, just prior to a screening, look at our poster and say "Huh, The Legend of Pancho Villa, why would you show that at an air show?" 

Well, there's no question that even though Pancho wasn't Mexican, Mexico had a profound influence on her life.  I've previously mentioned the story of how Florence Lowe Barnes became "Pancho" Barnes during her infamous trip to Mexico in 1927.  While that might have been the first time she went to Mexico, it certainly wasn't her last.  Shirley and Seth Hufstedler told us about an airplane trip with Pancho and Mac in the 1950s, and Chuck Yeager also recounted a vacation  "South of the Border" with Pancho and Mac.  In that instance, they made the flight in their Stinson Station Wagon airplane. The sound-barrier-busting test pilot was more than little surprised to discover that Pancho could not only speak passable Spanish, but got on well with local Indians in their own native tongue. Read the rest in the Production Journal  ... click here!
 
"The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club" is ©2008-2009 Nick Spark Productions, LLC.  The name, image and likeness of "Pancho Barnes", as well as the "Happy Bottom Riding Club" are trademarks of Pancho Barnes Enterprises, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission. 

Visit www.LegendofPanchoBarnes.com for more information and to purchase our brand new DVD!

Nick T. Spark
Los Angeles

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