The Legend-News

Pisgah: Scene of Romance For C.W. McCall Commercials

[Editor's note: this is the second in a series of two stories about the recent filming of Metz Baking Co. commercials at Pisgah featuring C.W. McCall and Mavis.]

[Ed.'s note: Part One was published in the 13 August 2001 edition of The Legend-News — Ed.]

C.W. McCall and Mavis were in Pisgah two weeks ago filming three commercials to be released for the Metz Baking Co.

The commercials are filmed for Bozell and Jacobs Advertising Agency in Omaha of whom Bill Fries (who works and sang the hit song "Convoy" using the name C.W. McCall) is an executive.

The three 60-second commercials were to be filmed entirely at Pisgah and included some local people.

It was not the first visit to Pisgah nor the first time Pisgah area residents were used in the commercials.

THREE COMMERCIALS

One of the three commercials involves a romance between C.W. McCall's dog Sloan and a local dog called the Poodle from Pisgah.

The two dogs are trained by a woman named "Sarah" and are not really "local" dogs. Sarah also is from Texas, according to Dan Levitan, assistant director of the porject.

The second commercial has C.W. McCall and Mavis in the Old Home Filler Up and Keep On Truckin' Café (formerly Hinkel's Café owned by Mr. and Mrs. Darolyd (Phyllis) Hinkel and the F.E. Miller Store across the street. In that commercial C.W. buys a ring for Mavis at Miller's Store sold to them by who else but Francis Miller.

The third commercial introduces a new character to the commercials and the opportunity for possible romance in the future, according to Levitan.

The new character is B.Q. (whose wife said B.Q. stands for be quiet) the father of C.W. He is played by Leo Alton of Pisgah.

In that commercial, B.Q. is riding with his son C.W. in the truck when they stop at the cafe where Mama and Mavis are working. B.Q., eating a donut without his teeth, is introduced to Mama.

THE CAST

"Stars" of the commercials working on the set included C.W. McCall played by Jim Finlayson of Tyler, Texas; (the voice of Bill Fries is heard in the commercials. Fries used the nam C.W. McCall for his smash hit "Convoy"); Mavis played by Jeannie Capps of Dallas, Texas; Mama played by Dorothy Forster of Wicheta Falls, Texas; and the newest addition to the cast, C.W.'s father called B.Q. (it stands for Be Quiet, according to his wife) played by Leo Alton of Pisgah.

The crew includes director Burt Rodrigez and assistance director Don Levitan as well as a cameraman, assistant cameraman and two other assistants.

The group was very well received in Pisgah. Both the cast and crew as well as residents of Pisgah expressed themselves on the hospitality offered and the genuine "down-to-earth" personalities of the stars of the commercials.

In fact, last year Dorothy Forster (Mama) sold a book she had written. It was on sale at Miller's store and was called "Dishpan Dreams", a collections of poems.

LAST VISIT

The last time the crew came to Pisgah was in October, 1974. At that time they filmed three commercials: one was a firemens ball in which many local residents were used.

Another was when C.W.'s truck became stuck in the mud at Ute. Actually it became stuck in the mud just outside Pisgah, and four local residents were used in one scene where Mama receives a call to come and tow C.W.'s truck back to the cafe. Four residents were drinking coffe at the counter of the cafe: Darolyd Hinkel, Bryon Swain, Leo Alton and Francis Miller.

The third commercial was a fishing scene filmed five miles northwest of Pisgah at a pond.

In 1974 the cast and crew also stayed five days for filming of the 60-second commercials.

FINISHING TOUCHES

After the crew finished filming this year, the cast and production crew return to Dallas. Levitan said the group is "the remains" of the original company which worked on the original set of commercials at the Image House of Dallas. The original three commercials were filmed entirely in Texas. The present set of commercials filmed two weeks ago are the 10th, 11th and 12th commercials for the Bozell and Jacobs' account of Metz.

The Image House group worked with Fries on the original commercials in the concept stage.

By the time the second set of commercials rolled around, Roderigez and Levitan shot the interior scenes in Dallas but all exterior scenes were filed in Pisgah, Levitan said. And third set of three commercials were filmed entirely at Pisgah as well as the most recent set.

Fries still writes all the songs for the commercials Levitan said.

FINAL STAGE

Once the cast and crew return to Dallas, they finish the processing (filming and processing take about six weeks).

The client then will see the films for the first time June 12 in Dallas, Levitan said, where the picture and sound are still separated (not all on the same tape).

Bozell and Jacobs will receive the commercials, and they will be sent to California for videotaping, Levitan said.

By late June they are expected to be ready for television, and then it is a matter of when the Bozell and Jacobs schedules them for television. Levitan said that it will probably be late June.