volume one IN THE D U D L E Y C L A R K - Ohio Vine Tours

And the popcorn.
Best popcorn in the world.
“—William Wyler won three Oscars, second only to Ford’s
two—”
But the thing he loves most is Pete’s knowledge. He loves that
he doesn’t learn stuff for money or fame. He also loves listening
to his raspy old man’s voice, makes him feel like a teacher’s pet
that he would spend so much time telling him what he knows.
“—his pitchers feature multiple horizontal planes, with
characters arranged in diagonals at varyin’ distances from—”
Even if some of it is boring.
“—wasn’t Toland an’ Welles who first used deep-focus
shots in Citizen Kane, but Wyler in Th’ Good Fairy—scripted by
none other than Preston Sturges—Norbert Brodine was th’
cinematographer—”
The joint reappears in Roy’s face. He concentrates on
plucking it from Pete’s creased fingers.
“—made over forty Westerns, said he used to lie awake nights
tryin’ to think up new ways’ve getting’ on an’ off a horse. See,
Willy Wyler was th’ greatest—after Ford, of course—director
who ever—”
Wistful Roy eyes the remote.
But Pete’s just warming up.
“—an’ there really was a Judge Roy Bean, an’ there really was
a town called Vinegaroo—means scorpion, in Texican—but his
story became a legend an’ like th’ reporter at th’ end of Liberty
Valence says—when th’ legend becomes fact, print the legend. You might
want to write that down, Roy.”
Roy, bogarting the joint, nods.
Roy no more understands what bogarting means than he
knows who Bogart was.
Noticing the joint’s growing absence, Pete reaches inside his
vest pocket and produces its twin.
Finally, he picks up the remote.
Finally.
Lecture over, Roy settles back. He smiles his greeting to the
second joint. This means the one he currently, barely, holds is
his.
2 2 ROY ROGERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY