Release date, price set for “Route 66″ DVD set February 10, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Television, Vehicles.3 comments
Shout! Factory, which recently acquired rights to the “Route 66″ television series of 1960-64, announced Friday 
a price tag and release date for its 24-DVD box set of all four seasons of the acclaimed drama.
The “Route 66″ box set has a street date of May 22. However, customers who pre-order direct from Shout! Factory will get the privilege of having the set shipped one month early, on April 22.
Also, those who pre-order will get the full box set for $99.99, plus 66 cents shipping (get it?). The regular retail price will be $129.99.
Here’s what’s going to be in the box set:
- All 116 episodes, including the “lost” one that was never broadcast in the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination.
- Vintage commercials
- Bonus DVD of “Great Cars — Corvette” program
- Rare “Route 66″ Paley Festival panel footage
More bonus features for the box set are being developed, and will be announced later.
Roxbury Entertainment, which issued three one-season DVD sets of “Route 66,” retained trademark, television remake, and film rights. Roxbury also is developing a “Route 66″ TV series remake with Shout!.
The Emmy-nominated “Route 66” co-starred Martin Milner, George Maharis and a Corvette convertible. My interview with Maharis in 2007 can be read here.
Maharis left the show after the third season, and was replaced by Glenn Corbett for the rest of its run.
Two Chevy Route 66 commercials shot on the Mother Road February 8, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations, Television, Vehicles.2 comments
In recent weeks, we learned that one of the candidates for the Chevrolet Route 66 commercial for the Super Bowl was shot on Route 66.
Apparently at least two others were shot on Route 66. One of the spots prominently feature the historic U-Drop Inn gas station in Shamrock, Texas, and a couple of great-looking Corvettes. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the spots created by Michael Brown Productions, based out of the Dallas area.
Alas, both of Brown’s ads didn’t make the final round.
“Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” Episode 5 January 31, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Road trips, Television.4 comments
Here’s the fifth installment of Japanese television’s “Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” which chronicles a singer and actor’s trip down the Mother Road last fall.
He goes from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Texas. I’m glad he got to see wild turkeys in western Oklahoma. And he didn’t attempt the Big Texan 72-ounce steak challenge, but close.
Looking forward to the next episode. He’s going to be a cowboy, albeit briefly.
“Route 66: Return to the Road” January 29, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Road trips, Television.add a comment
Here’s something I haven’t seen in a few years … the first few minutes of “Route 66: Return to the Road with Martin Milner.” Someone posted this segment on Vimeo in recent days; you’ll have to click on the screen shot to see the clip:
The 1998 film, which was more than 2 1/2 hours long, was released on DVD 10 years ago this week. It featured a vintage Corvette and Martin Milner, both whom starred with George Maharis in the “Route 66″ television drama of the early 1960s. Plus there were all the real-world attractions of the Mother Road itself at that time.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen “Return to the Road,” and undoubtedly changes have occurred in the nearly 15 years since. That includes Milner, who was regularly attending Route 66 gatherings for a few years after that, but reportedly now is in poor health and has gone into seclusion.
“Return to the Road” was skillfully directed by John Paget, who also helmed “Route 66: An American Odyssey.” Both are terrific films that I recommend unequivocally.
“Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” Episode 4 January 26, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Road trips, Television.add a comment
Here’s the fourth installment of Japanese television’s “Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” which chronicles a singer and actor’s trip down the Mother Road during the fall of 2011.
He goes from Joplin, Mo., to Oklahoma City. Afton Station in Afton, Okla., and Ron “Tattoo Man” Jones play a big role in this episode.
Boot Hill restaurant put up for sale January 24, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Restaurants, Television.add a comment
The owner of the Boot Hill Saloon & Grill in Vega, Texas, has put the restaurant up for sale. However, Boot Hill will continue operating until it finds a buyer.
Boot Hill chef and owner Rory Schepisi, known for her reality television roles in CMT’s “Popularity Contest” and “The Next Food Network Star,” has an asking price of $450,000 for the restaurant and tavern, which has operated for five years off Route 66 and is known for its creative twists on Texas cuisine.
Schepisi said in a telephone interview Tuesday that travel commitments — including a near-weekly gig with the Cadillac Culinary Challenge — has kept her from devoting as much time to Boot Hill as she’d like.
“I just can’t keep an eye on it like I should,” she said. “I hate that for my customers. It sucks.”
Schepisi added it’s difficult to find good restaurant management personnel in the small town of Vega (population 900).
“Boot Hill will be better for someone who can live in Vega full-time and operate it as a family-style restaurant,” she said. “It’s still a good business. With all of its world exposure to Route 66 travelers, it’s still doing well.”
Schepisi remains adamant about keeping the restaurant operating as usual in the meantime.
“I will keep it open if I don’t sell it,” she said.
Even if the restaurant sells, Schepisi says she’ll still live on a Vega-area on a ranch with her boyfriend Klay. She’s lived in Vega for eight years after moving from her native New Jersey.
Boot Hill is the second prominent Route 66 restaurant in the region to go on the block recently. The Midpoint Cafe in nearby Adrian, Texas, was put up for sale last summer. It hasn’t found a buyer.
“Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” Episode 3 January 19, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Road trips, Television.3 comments
Someone has posted the third installment of Japanese television’s “Yamashita Tomohisa Route 66,” which chronicles a singer and actor’s trip down the Mother Road last fall.
It’s in four parts. Again, language may be an issue, but you probably can still follow it.