Wildomar Movie Ranch

Edgar Allan Poe had a best friend in real life, his name, John Pendleton Kennedy.
In the movie You may call me Reynolds, John is portrayed by Rob Crisell.
Rob and Wildomar Movie Ranch became friends in 2019, as Rod signed with us to represent his Wine Country Estate and Vineyard as a film production property.
His property was used for the final scene in “The girl in the backseat”.
Rob, besides being a retired attorney, is an author, a teacher, an actor, a leading authority of William Shakespeare, Temecula’s speaker of the year, and the list goes on from there.
I went to Rob’s home yesterday to re-record some dialog for “Reynolds”, and as I was leaving Rob presented me with his newest book, “Temecula Valley Wineries”. A wonderful read where he gives the history of every wine producer in Wine Country Temecula, from Callaway, to his own brand.
Here’s a link, just in case. (get it! Like in a case of wine 😀)

Temecula Valley Wineries (No Series (Generic)) In the early 1800s, Spanish missionaries were the first to plant vineyards in the area now known as Temecula Valley. Over the next two centuries, the region became known for raising cattle, farming, and as a stop for stage and rail. In the late 1960s, Temecula began to attract a new breed of pion...

I normally would not post something this personal, but you'll see why.

The subject came up "why Hollywood" with my 1st Cuz, Two-time Emmy award winner, Chris Godsick. I thought it worthy of a post.
Chris
My love for Hollywood didn’t just happen when Lois and I formed Wildomar Movie Ranch, in fact my roots go back to when Hollywood was Hollywood!
In a roundabout way it even involved Lew Wasserman, yep, the CEO of Universal/MCA.
In late 1975 I went into the USAF. After completing Basic Training in TX, while waiting to be transferred to my permanent duty base, tests taken while in basic had come back and said that I had what they called, “exercise Induced Asthma”.
As it wasn’t a draft year, if they deemed you weren’t physically fit to go anywhere in the world, they gave you an honorable discharge and your service was finished. Personally, I felt fine.
Anyway, when I returned home I was floundering, so my Mother got me a job as a salesman with the Buick agency she worked as an office manager for. They also had GMC and Executive brand Motorhomes.
It turns out that at 19 I was the world's worst salesman, so the Sales Manager threw a phone book on my desk and said for me to call everyone in the area and tell them about our specials.
And since I was only 19-years-old I didn’t take directions well, but I did what the Sales Manager had ordered me to do, except, I started at the back of the book with “Z” and worked toward “A”. 😉.
(Yeah, I was a rebel🧐)
While finding people to call, “Z” through “U” in the phone book took only a few hours, but while I was in “U”, WOW there it was, *Universal Studios*!
I don’t know what I thought I’d get out of calling them, but I did.
“Universal MCA, where may I direct your call?”
(heck, I didn’t know) “uh, Transportation?”
“I’ll put you right through".
-my thoughts were, Now what? Now you’ve done it, just hang up!
“Transportation, may I help you?”
I,I,I wanted to talk to someone about transportation vehicles."
“Hold for Marlo Hellerstein”.
The next few minutes were responsible for the next year of my life.
The personal driver for Lew Wasserman had the exclusive rights to supply motorcoaches for the stars. (like Star coaches today).
Well, the line he supplied, “Sportscoach”, apparently had a shortage of coaches, enter Craig Sussman and his Executive line of coaches.
They brought me down to the backlot to show Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man) one.
Wow, my foot was in the door!
But Majors didn’t care for it, so just as quickly as it got in, my foot was right back out.
But I got to meet him. 😊
Three weeks later Marlo calls me. “Lindsay Wagner” (The Bionic Woman) was told by Majors about the coach.
My foot was back in, and it stayed in for 12 months!
Lindsay wanted it.
A week-to-week lease was signed for $3,500 per week.
Next, Brenda Vaccaro saw Lindsay's and wanted one for her series, “Sara”.
Next, Bill Bixby, TV movie of the week (four months to film).
I was called on to be on different sets three to four days in a week.
I received my own backlot pass to Universal Studios, WOW!
Mr. Wasserman’s driver was not a happy camper and he knew my name.
He worked to get my coaches out of Universal and finally did, but it took him one year. And in that year I sat on more sets, met more A-List celebrities, and lived a dream.
I even read lines with Brenda.
I was just one of the guys, talking with Richard Anderson, Robert Mandan, Larry Hagman, James Garner, and lots of actors that started off as extras and went on to fame.
I was the coach’s liaison, but that turned into, "Hey Craig grab that tape, Craig bring us one more milk crate for Lindsay to stand on."
And during lunch I headed out on Celebrity Safari, meeting Robert Blake, Eddie Albert, even Ellery Queen, Jim Hutton.
I guess the one moment that stuck with me was when I was inside Brenda’s coach getting something for her and a call came in.
“Miss Vaccaro’s coach.”
“Is Brenda there?”
“She’s on set right now.”
“Have her call Michael when she’s done”.
Brenda’s coach was loaded with roses for her Oscar nomination the night before for Best Supporting Actress in, “Once is not enough”.
And the call was from her boyfriend, actor Michael Douglas.
Brenda was the best, and even called my Mother looking for me on occasion. (as no beepers back then).
Well, I never made it past the “U’s” in the phone book, but traveling through the backdoor got me all the way through the front door, and I wasn’t leaving without a fight!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
And as far as the picture.
When Marlo first met me he said, You're just a kid"🤱
And I heard from more than one person, "That's the only reason I made it out alive"!!!
**The previous story is true, the name wasn't changed cause I wasn't that innocent. (Those my age will get that)🤣*