Hollywood Comes to Jake's Corner
Arizona Free Press
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by Karon Schneider
On the set
While Phoenix has been well on its way to following in the footsteps of the booming metropolis of Los Angeles, the small community that comprises Jake's Corner has shied away from the all the hustle and bustle. Approximately 1½ hours north of Phoenix, 3½ miles east of the Beeline Highway, the former stage stop, with a population estimated at around 250, is about to find itself on the map as the site of Scottsdale director Jeff Santo's new movie Jake's Corner.
Santo is no stranger to writing, directing and producing movies. Liar's Poker, another Santo independent film, won "Best Film at the Chicago Film Festival" and acclaimed Santo as "Best First Time Director at the 1999 Palm Springs Festival." The movie, which was released in October 1999 and received an exclusive Blockbuster Video deal in the summer of 2000, featured actor Richard Tyson, who plays lead character Johnny Dunn in Jake's Corner.
Actor Richard Tyson
Johnny's character closely parallels that of Ron Santo (Jeff's father), who played 3rd basemen for the Chicago Cubs for 15 years and has been the team's announcer for the past 17 years.
The family drama centers around Johnny Dunn, a former University of Arizona Heisman trophy winner who moves away from the spotlight when he buys Jakes Corner after a family tragedy. The story unfolds when Johnny has to take care of his 9-year-old nephew Spence, played by Peoria, AZ resident, Colton Rodgers, who "has survived a family tragedy of his own."
The idea for the story came to Jeff when he met "Wild Bill" Holden, who after watching Santo's film, This Old Cub," more times than he could remember, was inspired to walk from Prescott, Arizona to Chicago's Wrigley Field in an effort to raise awareness and money for juvenile diabetes.
Santo explained that he wanted to do a story about a small town for some time, and after meeting Holden and helping him find his lost wallet, Jeff went back to Jake's and "hung out for most of the day." "This Old Cub led me here," he explained. He had the first draft in those first three months.
Producer Hollywood Heard & Co-producer Tim Comstock
Filmed entirely on location in Arizona, "Jeff has written an incredible family drama that is entertaining, heart wrenching, and heartwarming all at the same time," said producer Hollywood Heard.
He added that "85% of the crew is from Arizona with about 10 from LA" and they are "by far, a great, great crew" who has done "everything they could to make this shoot go smooth for us. As ambitious as this movie is, it's happening because we have a great crew."
Heard also noted that Paul Sanchez has "an incredible camera crew! We see Jeff's passion and we all get as passionate as he does. This could not happen without the crew giving 110% everyday."
The cast is certainly nothing to sneeze at either. The entire cast, which includes many notable names, personify and exude a down-to-earth persona almost unexpected in those who have found fame and fortune.
Actor Richard Tyson
Portraying Johnny Dunn is actor Richard Tyson, who has appeared in over forty films and television projects. He describes Johnny Dunn as a "serious character" and of the movie, says, "it's not fluff, it's real."
Born in Mobile, Alabama to a close knit family, the son of a former state senator, Tyson caught the "acting bug" early when he was hired to do children's theater while on the debate team at the University of South Alabama. He played his "baby monkey" role to the hilt to an audience of 1500 first graders. Talk about a tough group!
Amidst the cheers and the pats on the head with "nice baby monkey," the "acting bug" bit him and "he left to go be in the movies."
After arriving in LA, he worked various jobs to support himself and "sneaked into every studio, every door."
He got his first break with 3 O'Clock High as the bully Buddy Revelle. In addition to Liar's Poker ("about a hard-nosed crime boss who knows everything"), Tyson's film credits include Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down ("everyone making a military movie should see this one") where he plays staff sergeant Dan Bush, a sniper on the Black Hawk; Kindergarten Cop ("What would you do as a dad trying to get your kid back?"); There's Something About Mary; Me, Myself and Irene; and Two Moon Junction.
After Kindergarten Cop, Tyson went to Russia to film a miniseries, Genghis Khan, which has yet to get past all the production hurdles. He noted that his father, who is also "his hero," was a major puissance in setting up the government of Kirkistan (above Afghanistan). Kris Kristofferson is his father-in-law.
Richard Tyson has done numerous plays over the last 15 years, with Shakespeare among his favorites. His repertoire includes Richard III (from which he eloquently quoted during the interview), Romeo & Juliet (he played Mercutio) and Taming of the Shrew.
In addition to a Bachelor's in Fine Arts from the University of South Alabama, the accomplished actor has also earned a Masters in Fine Arts from Cornell University.
Tyson's latest character, besides the role of Johnny Dunn, cast him as Mitch Toblat, a werewolf in Big Bad Wolf, out on DVD on June 5.
Richard met Diane Ladd while filming When I Find the Ocean, whom he called after reading the script for Jake's Corner. It became obvious that the two of them have tremendous respect for each other and enjoy working together. Diane has referred to Richard as her "new Jimmy Dean."
Actress Diane Ladd & Editor Karon Schneider
In describing Jake's Corner, she said, "you've got one diamond already . . . a diamond in the jewelry box . . . what the box is made of, that's the script."
Producer Hollywood Heard explained that her character, Fran, "is the oracle in the movie. Everybody thinks she's just a little crazy, but you'll have to wait for the movie to find out if she really is."
A Hollywood icon, Diane Ladd has three Academy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actress in Martha Coolidge's Rambling Rose, Martin Scorcese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Her list of credits include Chinatown, Ghosts of Mississippi, The World's Fastest Indian, Primary Colors, and Citizen Ruth. Diane did Rambling Rose with her daughter Laura Dern (whose father is well-known actor Bruce Dern). She was the first woman to direct her ex-husband Bruce in Mrs Munck, which was selected for ten International Festivals.
Born in Mississippi (her daddy was a veterinarian) on November 29, 1942, Ms Ladd commented on how reporters often miss the facts (imagine that) and on several occasions, have inaccurately printed her age. However, her sense of humor continues to pervade and she reflected on a statement her mother once made, "I don't care if they lie about you, you're an actress. Why do they lie about me?"She is a cousin to the late great Tennessee Williams and is NOT related to Alan or Cheryl Ladd.
In addition to acting, Diane Ladd also writes, directs, sings, dances and does stand-up comedy. Diane "loves the theater" and added that "the theater is my favorite art form." She has written "Spiraling Through the School of Life," and recently finished "They All Lied," due out soon.
She is currently in working on a project, "Woman Inside," with Exxcell Entertainment, a company she jointly owns with her husband Robert Charles Hunter, to tell the story of Martha Mitchell.
Diane is also member of the Board of Advisors for the National Foundation of Alternative Medicine and is on the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
For more on Diane Ladd, visit her websites: www.acttaskforce.org/
www.dianeladd.com/ and www.exxcell.com/
Actor Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo, another well-known face, plays Clint, a "happy-go-lucky guy they keep around who takes care of the bar, but is not allowed inside until after 5:00 p.m."
Although Danny has played the "bad guy" character in many of his movies, he "likes the fact that nobody dies in a real feel good movie." Readers may remember him in Spy Kids as Uncle Machete, another good guy character.
Danny lives in LA and has appeared in Con Air, Heat, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Desperado, Reindeer Games, Point Blank, and numerous TV episodes including Desperate Housewives, King of the Hill, and NYPD Blue.
Actor Danny Trejo and friend
As a child, he found himself in and out of jail, spent time in prison and turned his life around. His story, Champion, can be found on NetFlix.
Wheels,' played by David Della Rocco, affectionately known as "Rocco," is a "truck driver who came through town 7 years ago in the middle of a route, stopped, and never left."
He gets a job at Jake's Corner cooking and becomes one of the group. The younger generation may remember Rocco in the cult classic "Boon Dock Saints," which is where he met Jeff Santo. Rocco did theater in college and went to LA in 1980.
Actor David Della Rocco
Royce O'Donnell is currently working on this film as a stand-in. Born in Coolidge in "an adobe building in a cotton patch," Royce started in films 30 years ago
Actor Royce ODonnell & Actress Diane Ladd
as a stuntman. Many may remember his as Rufus on the Wallace and Ladmo show. He worked with Diane Ladd twenty years ago and with Bruce Dern in the film Into the Badlands.
Actor Colton Rodgers
Colton Rodgers, who was selected from hundreds of other young men for this part, is a student at Oakwood School in Peoria. He's very interested in a career in the movies and modeling. He wanted to take this opportunity to say hi to Taylor Ross and to Isaiah.
Local resident, Sylvia Dimas, who's familiar to anyone who's stopped in at Jake's and tasted her cowboy beans, plays - who else? - Sylvia, who "makes a mean pot of beans and helps whoever needs help." Sylvia was raised with 15 boy cousins, and hunted and fished with her daddy, her buddy, whom she still misses dearly. She moved here with him in 1991.
Jeff Santo certainly called it when he described this as a movie that "brings innocence" to a story of how these characters deal with tragedy together. It's a movie about loss, healing, hope and about learning when "those close to you die, they live in you forever. That's how you move on."
For updates and progress on Jake's Corner, please visit, jakescornerthemovie.com.
On the set
While Phoenix has been well on its way to following in the footsteps of the booming metropolis of Los Angeles, the small community that comprises Jake's Corner has shied away from the all the hustle and bustle. Approximately 1½ hours north of Phoenix, 3½ miles east of the Beeline Highway, the former stage stop, with a population estimated at around 250, is about to find itself on the map as the site of Scottsdale director Jeff Santo's new movie Jake's Corner.
Santo is no stranger to writing, directing and producing movies. Liar's Poker, another Santo independent film, won "Best Film at the Chicago Film Festival" and acclaimed Santo as "Best First Time Director at the 1999 Palm Springs Festival." The movie, which was released in October 1999 and received an exclusive Blockbuster Video deal in the summer of 2000, featured actor Richard Tyson, who plays lead character Johnny Dunn in Jake's Corner.
Actor Richard Tyson
Johnny's character closely parallels that of Ron Santo (Jeff's father), who played 3rd basemen for the Chicago Cubs for 15 years and has been the team's announcer for the past 17 years.
The family drama centers around Johnny Dunn, a former University of Arizona Heisman trophy winner who moves away from the spotlight when he buys Jakes Corner after a family tragedy. The story unfolds when Johnny has to take care of his 9-year-old nephew Spence, played by Peoria, AZ resident, Colton Rodgers, who "has survived a family tragedy of his own."
The idea for the story came to Jeff when he met "Wild Bill" Holden, who after watching Santo's film, This Old Cub," more times than he could remember, was inspired to walk from Prescott, Arizona to Chicago's Wrigley Field in an effort to raise awareness and money for juvenile diabetes.
Santo explained that he wanted to do a story about a small town for some time, and after meeting Holden and helping him find his lost wallet, Jeff went back to Jake's and "hung out for most of the day." "This Old Cub led me here," he explained. He had the first draft in those first three months.
Producer Hollywood Heard & Co-producer Tim Comstock
Filmed entirely on location in Arizona, "Jeff has written an incredible family drama that is entertaining, heart wrenching, and heartwarming all at the same time," said producer Hollywood Heard.
He added that "85% of the crew is from Arizona with about 10 from LA" and they are "by far, a great, great crew" who has done "everything they could to make this shoot go smooth for us. As ambitious as this movie is, it's happening because we have a great crew."
Heard also noted that Paul Sanchez has "an incredible camera crew! We see Jeff's passion and we all get as passionate as he does. This could not happen without the crew giving 110% everyday."
The cast is certainly nothing to sneeze at either. The entire cast, which includes many notable names, personify and exude a down-to-earth persona almost unexpected in those who have found fame and fortune.
Actor Richard Tyson
Portraying Johnny Dunn is actor Richard Tyson, who has appeared in over forty films and television projects. He describes Johnny Dunn as a "serious character" and of the movie, says, "it's not fluff, it's real."
Born in Mobile, Alabama to a close knit family, the son of a former state senator, Tyson caught the "acting bug" early when he was hired to do children's theater while on the debate team at the University of South Alabama. He played his "baby monkey" role to the hilt to an audience of 1500 first graders. Talk about a tough group!
Amidst the cheers and the pats on the head with "nice baby monkey," the "acting bug" bit him and "he left to go be in the movies."
After arriving in LA, he worked various jobs to support himself and "sneaked into every studio, every door."
He got his first break with 3 O'Clock High as the bully Buddy Revelle. In addition to Liar's Poker ("about a hard-nosed crime boss who knows everything"), Tyson's film credits include Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down ("everyone making a military movie should see this one") where he plays staff sergeant Dan Bush, a sniper on the Black Hawk; Kindergarten Cop ("What would you do as a dad trying to get your kid back?"); There's Something About Mary; Me, Myself and Irene; and Two Moon Junction.
After Kindergarten Cop, Tyson went to Russia to film a miniseries, Genghis Khan, which has yet to get past all the production hurdles. He noted that his father, who is also "his hero," was a major puissance in setting up the government of Kirkistan (above Afghanistan). Kris Kristofferson is his father-in-law.
Richard Tyson has done numerous plays over the last 15 years, with Shakespeare among his favorites. His repertoire includes Richard III (from which he eloquently quoted during the interview), Romeo & Juliet (he played Mercutio) and Taming of the Shrew.
In addition to a Bachelor's in Fine Arts from the University of South Alabama, the accomplished actor has also earned a Masters in Fine Arts from Cornell University.
Tyson's latest character, besides the role of Johnny Dunn, cast him as Mitch Toblat, a werewolf in Big Bad Wolf, out on DVD on June 5.
Richard met Diane Ladd while filming When I Find the Ocean, whom he called after reading the script for Jake's Corner. It became obvious that the two of them have tremendous respect for each other and enjoy working together. Diane has referred to Richard as her "new Jimmy Dean."
Actress Diane Ladd & Editor Karon Schneider
In describing Jake's Corner, she said, "you've got one diamond already . . . a diamond in the jewelry box . . . what the box is made of, that's the script."
Producer Hollywood Heard explained that her character, Fran, "is the oracle in the movie. Everybody thinks she's just a little crazy, but you'll have to wait for the movie to find out if she really is."
A Hollywood icon, Diane Ladd has three Academy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actress in Martha Coolidge's Rambling Rose, Martin Scorcese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Her list of credits include Chinatown, Ghosts of Mississippi, The World's Fastest Indian, Primary Colors, and Citizen Ruth. Diane did Rambling Rose with her daughter Laura Dern (whose father is well-known actor Bruce Dern). She was the first woman to direct her ex-husband Bruce in Mrs Munck, which was selected for ten International Festivals.
Born in Mississippi (her daddy was a veterinarian) on November 29, 1942, Ms Ladd commented on how reporters often miss the facts (imagine that) and on several occasions, have inaccurately printed her age. However, her sense of humor continues to pervade and she reflected on a statement her mother once made, "I don't care if they lie about you, you're an actress. Why do they lie about me?"She is a cousin to the late great Tennessee Williams and is NOT related to Alan or Cheryl Ladd.
In addition to acting, Diane Ladd also writes, directs, sings, dances and does stand-up comedy. Diane "loves the theater" and added that "the theater is my favorite art form." She has written "Spiraling Through the School of Life," and recently finished "They All Lied," due out soon.
She is currently in working on a project, "Woman Inside," with Exxcell Entertainment, a company she jointly owns with her husband Robert Charles Hunter, to tell the story of Martha Mitchell.
Diane is also member of the Board of Advisors for the National Foundation of Alternative Medicine and is on the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
For more on Diane Ladd, visit her websites: www.acttaskforce.org/
www.dianeladd.com/ and www.exxcell.com/
Actor Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo, another well-known face, plays Clint, a "happy-go-lucky guy they keep around who takes care of the bar, but is not allowed inside until after 5:00 p.m."
Although Danny has played the "bad guy" character in many of his movies, he "likes the fact that nobody dies in a real feel good movie." Readers may remember him in Spy Kids as Uncle Machete, another good guy character.
Danny lives in LA and has appeared in Con Air, Heat, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Desperado, Reindeer Games, Point Blank, and numerous TV episodes including Desperate Housewives, King of the Hill, and NYPD Blue.
Actor Danny Trejo and friend
As a child, he found himself in and out of jail, spent time in prison and turned his life around. His story, Champion, can be found on NetFlix.
Wheels,' played by David Della Rocco, affectionately known as "Rocco," is a "truck driver who came through town 7 years ago in the middle of a route, stopped, and never left."
He gets a job at Jake's Corner cooking and becomes one of the group. The younger generation may remember Rocco in the cult classic "Boon Dock Saints," which is where he met Jeff Santo. Rocco did theater in college and went to LA in 1980.
Actor David Della Rocco
Royce O'Donnell is currently working on this film as a stand-in. Born in Coolidge in "an adobe building in a cotton patch," Royce started in films 30 years ago
Actor Royce ODonnell & Actress Diane Ladd
as a stuntman. Many may remember his as Rufus on the Wallace and Ladmo show. He worked with Diane Ladd twenty years ago and with Bruce Dern in the film Into the Badlands.
Actor Colton Rodgers
Colton Rodgers, who was selected from hundreds of other young men for this part, is a student at Oakwood School in Peoria. He's very interested in a career in the movies and modeling. He wanted to take this opportunity to say hi to Taylor Ross and to Isaiah.
Local resident, Sylvia Dimas, who's familiar to anyone who's stopped in at Jake's and tasted her cowboy beans, plays - who else? - Sylvia, who "makes a mean pot of beans and helps whoever needs help." Sylvia was raised with 15 boy cousins, and hunted and fished with her daddy, her buddy, whom she still misses dearly. She moved here with him in 1991.
Jeff Santo certainly called it when he described this as a movie that "brings innocence" to a story of how these characters deal with tragedy together. It's a movie about loss, healing, hope and about learning when "those close to you die, they live in you forever. That's how you move on."
For updates and progress on Jake's Corner, please visit, jakescornerthemovie.com.