Ron Ormond
Encyclopedia
Ron Ormond was an American author
, showman
, screenwriter
, film producer
, and film director
of Western, musical, and exploitation film
s. Following his survival of a 1968 plane crash, Ormond began making Christian films.
and hypnotist Ormond McGill
. Ormond married the vaudeville
singer and dancer June Carr (1912-2006) three weeks after he met her when they were performing on stage in 1935. Ormand was performing as a magician calling himself "Rahn Ormond" and was acting as the master of ceremonies of the show he and June were in. They remained married until his death. They became partners in film production and had one son Tim who appeared in several of their films. June Ormond's father actor, former nightclub owner, and burlesque
comic Cliff Taylor also appeared in many of the Ormond's films.
Ormond's first film was as an uncredited technical director on The Shanghai Cobra (1945). Ormond formed Western Adventures Productions, Inc in 1948 and formed a partnership with Lash La Rue
writing and producing and eventually directing his films. Ormond's first credit was Dead Man's Gold in that year. Ormond made his directing debut in King of the Bullwhip with La Rue in 1950. Ormond also wrote a series of Western s starring former Hopalong Cassidy
sidekick
s James Ellison and Russell Hayden
and filmed vaudeville acts for a film released by Robert L. Lippert
.
As B picture Westerns became replaced with Western television series, Ormond moved into other exploitation genres with films such as Mesa of Lost Women
, Untamed Mistress, Teenage Bride aka Please Don't Touch Me and country and western films such as White Lightning Road
During the 1950's Ormond spent eight months with Ormond McGill in Asia writing the book Religious Mysteries of the Orient/Into the Strange Unknown that centered Western attention on Psychic surgery
. Other books by McGill and Ormond include The Master Method of Hypnosis, The Art of Meditation, and The Magical Pendulum of the Orient.
Ormond also produced roller derby
on television for Leo Seltzer
for a year with his son Tim as one of the players.
At the time Roller Derby was big business, at least for Leo Seltzer who was a big land owner in San Fernando Valley, he owned orange groves and lived in a gated home. Ormond managed the Derby which held weekly skate offs at the Olympic auditorium in downtown LA. The skaters who had kids and young Tim skated in a kid's league, which was not the type of hard contact contest which the adults engaged in, but was mainly for the fans before the main match. Ormond ended up leaving the Derby after telling Sletzer, "I can't work for you and still remain your friend, and I consider you a good friend." This ended that segment of Ormond's life.
After making more exploitation film
s such as The Monster and the Stripper] and The Girl from Tobacco Row, Ormond's survival of a plane crash led him to a conversion to Christianity. Ormond's productions after that include 39 Stripes, produced for Ed Martin Hope Aglow Ministries, If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?
, The Burning Hell
and Believer's Heaven (for Estus Pirkle
), The Grim Reaper produced by June Ormond, aka June Carr, as well as Surrender at Navajo Canyon for Pete Rice, and a travelogue for Dr. John Rice. The Second Coming was next on the agenda, but cancer took Ormond's life before production. The script was written by Tim Ormond, and produced by he and June Ormond. The film is dedicated to the memory of Ron Ormond and John Rice.
Ormond's popularity after his death mushroomed as many enjoyed his films, though some on the basis of the quality of the films being "so bad they're good".
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, showman
Showman
Showman can have a variety of meanings, usually by context and depending on the country.- Australia :Travelling showmen are people who run amusement and side show equipment at regional shows, state capital shows, events and festivals throughout Australia...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of Western, musical, and exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
s. Following his survival of a 1968 plane crash, Ormond began making Christian films.
Films
Ron Ormond was born Vittorio Di Naro, anglicised to Vic Narro. He took his surname from his friend the magicianMagic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
and hypnotist Ormond McGill
Ormond McGill
Ormond Dale McGill was the "Dean of American Hypnotists".Born in Palo Alto, California, McGill became interested in magic as a child , but first studied hypnosis in 1927 while still a teenager...
. Ormond married the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
singer and dancer June Carr (1912-2006) three weeks after he met her when they were performing on stage in 1935. Ormand was performing as a magician calling himself "Rahn Ormond" and was acting as the master of ceremonies of the show he and June were in. They remained married until his death. They became partners in film production and had one son Tim who appeared in several of their films. June Ormond's father actor, former nightclub owner, and burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
comic Cliff Taylor also appeared in many of the Ormond's films.
Ormond's first film was as an uncredited technical director on The Shanghai Cobra (1945). Ormond formed Western Adventures Productions, Inc in 1948 and formed a partnership with Lash La Rue
Lash La Rue
Alfred "Lash" LaRue was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. He had exceptional skill with the bull whip, and taught Harrison Ford how to use a bullwhip in the Indiana Jones movies...
writing and producing and eventually directing his films. Ormond's first credit was Dead Man's Gold in that year. Ormond made his directing debut in King of the Bullwhip with La Rue in 1950. Ormond also wrote a series of Western s starring former Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of popular short stories and twenty-eight novels based on the character....
sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
s James Ellison and Russell Hayden
Russell Hayden
Russell "Lucky" Hayden was an American film and television actor.He was born as Hayden Michael "Pate" Lucid, son of Francis J...
and filmed vaudeville acts for a film released by Robert L. Lippert
Robert L. Lippert
Robert L. Lippert was a prolific film producer and cinema owner who eventually owned a chain of 118 theatres -Biography:...
.
As B picture Westerns became replaced with Western television series, Ormond moved into other exploitation genres with films such as Mesa of Lost Women
Mesa of Lost Women
Mesa of Lost Women is a 1953 black-and-white science fiction film. It is available on DVD, with a theatrical trailer. Wade Williams describes it on the DVD case as a "must-see for fans of the bizarre and unexplainable"...
, Untamed Mistress, Teenage Bride aka Please Don't Touch Me and country and western films such as White Lightning Road
During the 1950's Ormond spent eight months with Ormond McGill in Asia writing the book Religious Mysteries of the Orient/Into the Strange Unknown that centered Western attention on Psychic surgery
Psychic surgery
Psychic surgery is a procedure typically involving the supposed creation of an incision using only the bare hands, the supposed removal of pathological matter, and the seemingly spontaneous healing of the incision....
. Other books by McGill and Ormond include The Master Method of Hypnosis, The Art of Meditation, and The Magical Pendulum of the Orient.
Ormond also produced roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
on television for Leo Seltzer
Leo Seltzer
Leo A. Seltzer is generally credited as the creator of the sport of roller derby, and was the founder and head of the original Roller Derby league from 1935 until his son Jerry Seltzer took over the business in 1958....
for a year with his son Tim as one of the players.
At the time Roller Derby was big business, at least for Leo Seltzer who was a big land owner in San Fernando Valley, he owned orange groves and lived in a gated home. Ormond managed the Derby which held weekly skate offs at the Olympic auditorium in downtown LA. The skaters who had kids and young Tim skated in a kid's league, which was not the type of hard contact contest which the adults engaged in, but was mainly for the fans before the main match. Ormond ended up leaving the Derby after telling Sletzer, "I can't work for you and still remain your friend, and I consider you a good friend." This ended that segment of Ormond's life.
After making more exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
s such as The Monster and the Stripper] and The Girl from Tobacco Row, Ormond's survival of a plane crash led him to a conversion to Christianity. Ormond's productions after that include 39 Stripes, produced for Ed Martin Hope Aglow Ministries, If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?
If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?
If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? is a 1971 Christian film directed by Ron Ormond.The film is based on the teachings of Rev. Estus Pirkle and warns of the dangers facing the United States from Communist infiltrators. The film suggests that the only way to avoid such a fate is to turn to...
, The Burning Hell
The Burning Hell
The Burning Hell is a 1974 film created by the evangelist Estus Pirkle. This film is Pirkle's interpretation of what the Bible has to say about hell. It is available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The screenplay is by Ron Ormond....
and Believer's Heaven (for Estus Pirkle
Estus Pirkle
Estus Washington Pirkle was a Baptist minister from New Albany, Mississippi. In addition to his preaching, Pirkle was known for creating and starring in his own Christian films as well as writing numerous books...
), The Grim Reaper produced by June Ormond, aka June Carr, as well as Surrender at Navajo Canyon for Pete Rice, and a travelogue for Dr. John Rice. The Second Coming was next on the agenda, but cancer took Ormond's life before production. The script was written by Tim Ormond, and produced by he and June Ormond. The film is dedicated to the memory of Ron Ormond and John Rice.
Ormond's popularity after his death mushroomed as many enjoyed his films, though some on the basis of the quality of the films being "so bad they're good".
External links
- Ron Ormond at GCDB http://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Ron_Ormond
- Ron Ormond at IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0650259/
- Ormond biography and filmography at http://www.filmnashville.org/june/psycotronic01.html
- Ron Ormond at Turner Classic Movies http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?participantId=145205|134667&afiPersonalNameId=null