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In 1976, Travis wrote an
original thriller, “The Coven.” In 1977, he wrote the treatment
for a television special called “Halloween from the Castle of Dracula,”
that Beaux Arts Productions hoped to make in Transylvania, a re-write of
his original screen musical “Changeling” set in Israel called “The
Jerusalem Concert,” for Cine-Media, and an original horror screenplay
for Pike Productions he called “The Berkshire Terror,” which his
father hoped to make in New England. Then, after “ghosting” on still
another screenplay, he was offered the opportunity to be Key Grip and First
Assistant Director on a sci-fi epic slated to roll in southern California
that winter. The show was Barrich Productions “The Galactic Connection.” |
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Gerard Alcan was director
of photography, Ellen Hibler was the writer, script supervisor and possibly
an associate producer, Herb Gelbspan was the executive producer and Peter
B. Goode was the producer-director. It's hard to know exactly who
else was involved, because most of them showed up in disguise! In
fact, one of the monkeys was Travis' youngest brother, Adam, who had just
moved to California. Monty Cox supervised the animal cast assembled
to maul and terrify the apes, which included bison, timber wolves, mountain
lions, bears, hawks, scorpions, tarantulas and rattle snakes! |
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Travis had moved to the
west coast when Adam was still an infant, so this was the first time the
two brothers had ever really spent time together. “I was just hoping
to get Adam back to my mother all in one piece!” Travis says. Adam
says he was hoping the same thing. Compare Travis' ruddy outdoor
look with Adam, who spent much of his time gasping for air, trapped inside
a full body monkey suit and mask, trying not to be bitten, gored or stung!
After six weeks at high altitudes and low, the show wrapped for Christmas.
This photo was taken the night before the crew retuned to Los Angeles from
Big Bear Lake, in the San Bernardino mountains, about the same time 12-year-old
Adam was deciding to go into music, instead of movies! |
