One thought kept crossing my mind while watching Lauren Cardillo's "The Mother Road," a PBS documentary about her and her mother's trip on Route 66. Lauren has one cool mom. How many moms do you know took their kids to a Bruce Springsteen concert? How many moms at Social Security age would have the endurance … Continue reading “The Mother Road” — a review
Category: Television
Mel Torme gets his kicks
Here's a little fun for you roadies from YouTube:
Which town truly earns the “Redneck” title?
Harley Russell, during the course of his entertaining and sometimes eccentric Mediocre Music Makers shows with wife Annabelle, will tell his audience, "Welcome to Erick, Oklahoma, the Redneck Capital of the World." But the Oklahoman newspaper, in a lighthearted article, reports that East Dublin, Ga., was bestowed the "redneck capital" title by the "Jeopardy" game … Continue reading Which town truly earns the “Redneck” title?
Videos spotlight southwest Missouri and Kansas
The good folks at Route 66 TV Online tell us about two 25-minute films about Route 66 in southwest Missouri and Kansas filmed by Passport America, which is a site geared to RV users. If you don't mind sitting through the obligatory RV plugs, the videos are pretty good. They contain stories about the Joplin … Continue reading Videos spotlight southwest Missouri and Kansas
“The Mother Road” airs next month on PBS
Award-winning filmmaker Lauren Cardillo always wanted to do a documentary about Route 66, but was having trouble thinking of an original angle in which to shoot it. Then she realized that her mother, Irene, was born in 1926 -- the same year the Mother Road was certified. So mother and daughter hit the road together. … Continue reading “The Mother Road” airs next month on PBS
Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”?
Karen Funk Blocher, a published author, had done years of research during the 1980s about the "Route 66" television show. She was going to write a book about the '60s show and its involvement with the true Mother Road, but the project was eventually abandoned. One of the reasons the book was never finished was … Continue reading Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”?
Two Route 66 sites may be featured on Rachel Ray’s show
Rachael Ray is the busy host of four programs on the Food Network. The network is launching a daily syndicated show for her in September, and Route 66 may be featured on one of the episodes, according to the Springfield Journal-Register. So this morning, a film crew will shoot local Lincoln impersonator Fritz Klein visiting … Continue reading Two Route 66 sites may be featured on Rachel Ray’s show
Do road-trip adventures still exist? You bet!
Michael Yessis of World Hum: Travel Dispatches from a Shrinking Planet asks this question amid a preview of the Independent Film Channel documentary "Wanderlust: On the Road with American Road Movies": “Does the road still promise us an open sense of freedom and liberation as it did in so many great films? Or, has the … Continue reading Do road-trip adventures still exist? You bet!
Disney film crew looks for “Cars” inspiration
Author Michael Wallis (above, left) and a camera crew from the Disney Channel were on Route 66 in Kansas and Oklahoma on Monday and Tuesday to tape a segment for the "Movie Surfers" show. They sought out the real-life inspirations to the Pixar Animation Studios crew when it was touring Route 66 and brainstorming ideas … Continue reading Disney film crew looks for “Cars” inspiration
“Ghost Light” short will be in “Cars” DVD
Best-selling author Michael Wallis has confirmed that a Pixar animated short based on the real-life "Spooklight" near Route 66 in Kansas will be included with the eventual "Cars" movie DVD. Wallis voices the part of the sheriff in the "Cars" full-length movie, set to be released wide on June 9. He and his character, along … Continue reading “Ghost Light” short will be in “Cars” DVD