The Latest in Philo Beddoe Bands News

A fourth band joins the ranks of the music groups that take on the name and legacy of Philo Beddoe. This Milwaukee, Wisconsin, modern punk band adds a bit of flair and mystery by occasionally putting an E at the end of Philoe, as they do on their facebook page, but other times, as in their logo below, they drop the E and one of the D's from Beddoe.

While frontman Mat and drummer Jarod have been playing together since they were in elementary school, Wes the bassist recently helped form their latest group after meeting Jarod in paramedic school. Their single "Dick Bacon" has a sound reminiscent of Green Day. Other songs include "Black Bear Swamp" and "Digging Up Worms." Apparently the band had a gig at Liquor Sweets back in July when they opened for Beatallica, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Beatles and Metallica. No word on how the gig went at this point.

Wanna Eat? Take a Seat at This Old Diner

Robby Cress, author of the blog "Dear Old Hollywood," has done us a service by scouting out the locations of some of the most memorable scenes of EWWBL.

Cress informs us that the Corner Cottage is located at 310 South Victory Boulevard in Burbank, California. Philo and Clyde sit at this red light when a couple of the Black Widows pull up and start making fun of Clyde. Things get out of control when one of the bikers throws a lit cigar and hits Clyde. Then Philo chases them to what appears to be an improvised loading dock where immigrant workers load produce onto a train.

Philo Beddoe (The Band, Not the Man)

It's hard to keep up with a lot of the developments that surround Every Which Way But Loose and the Black Widows, and this one almost slipped by us. Almost.

A band in Seattle has taken on the moniker of our favorite bare-knuckle boxer west of the Rocky Mountains. On their myspace page, they've got a single titled "Hooker." I'll have to listen to it again, but there weren't any overt references to our least favorite quasi-hooker, Lynn Halsey Taylor. I would describe this metal band as a mix between Guns N Roses and .38 Special.

Having said all this, the band may have broken up as it doesn't seem like their page has been updated since a November 2009 post when "Double J" left the comment: "oh sure..my new favorite band breaks up..before i even get to see a show."

But hold on just a minute. It looks like another band has taken up the gauntlet. San Antonio sensation "Philo Beddoe" features Raymond on bass, Dee on vocals, Joseph on guitar and vocals, CJ on vocals, and Mario on drums...and sarcasm, according to the band's myspace page. They describe themselves as Nirvana playing New Wave and have a cover of "One Way or Another" on their page. They appear to have more staying power than the Seattle band, but while they've got the man on their posters, I can't detect any of the influence of country-western redneck subculture on these folks.

Just when you think that there can only be two bands named Philo Beddoe, this UK guitar rock band finds you with a cowboy named Harlan behind a seedy bar. They have about 8 originals on their web page, and they explain that they named themselves after this regular at the Palomino "COS WE'RE ALL MONKEYS."

If that's not enough musical Philo content for you, try out this single titled "Philo Beddoe" by laid back Alaskan rock band BOXX OF ROXX. They ask the questions, "What ever happened to Philo Beddoe? What ever happened to Clyde?" I suspect they are wondering what ever happened to the Seattle band Philo Beddoe. I have not found the band named Clyde yet.

William O'Connell

One of the standout Black Widows is Elmo, played by William O'Connell. He utters the immortal line "Them's Black Widows" in the restaurant where Lynn is telling Philo and Orville a classic Tank Murdoch story.

There are a few reasons that Elmo stands out. First off, his face shows in a subtle way that he's about ten years past his prime. His hair is thinning and his face is fairly wrinkled.

He's also over-confident. He is extremely anxious to get into fights but never even comes close to winning one of them. In the restaurant, after he's lured Philo into a fight by buying a beer for his girlfriend and trying to intimidate him, he immediately regrets it.

He wears the fanciest pants of any Black Widow. They are very tight with a line going down the outside of the thigh. They highlight his slender frame, making his bravado even more comical.

O'Connell got a tremendous amount of TV work during the 1960s, appearing in episodes of the Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Petticoat Junction, and Rawhide where it's possible he met Eastwood. If he didn't meet him then, they surely met during the filming of Paint Your Wagon, for which O'Connell played Horace Tabor.

He also appeared in one episode of Star Trek as Thelev (pictured above in chainmail). In the episode, Spock's father is implicated in the murder of a diplomat, but Thelev turns out to be the sabateur secretly communicated to an enemy vessel and wreaking havoc until Kirk outsmarts the enemies and Thelev commits suicide.

During the 1970s, O'Connell worked with Eastwood on more than one project. In High Plains Drifter, he played a barber, and in Outlaw Josey Wales, he played Sim Carstairs, a ferryman who could sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie with equal enthusiasm. In this role, he perfected the confident and terrified snake whose greed outweighs any misgivings he might have for putting himself in harm's way.

In Every Which Way But Loose, one of Elmo's strangest choices is to run after Philo's truck after the rest of the Widows have been beaten down and are fleeing. Elmo catches up with the truck and tries to enter the camper on the back only to be kissed on the mouth on the Clyde. I wonder what Elmo's plan was in that moment. Perhaps he planned on stowing away in the back until he had the element of surprise on his side. Or maybe he planned on trying to take over the truck and run it off the road. Whatever his plan, his audaciousness was true to his character, and once again he discovered that he was in over his head.

Pacoima Black Widows Gear On Sale

Now that demand for Black Widows gear has reached a fever pitch, an enterprising website has finally made Black Widows bags, shirts, stickers, and organic baby clothing.

Mike, co-contributor to this blog, gave me the messenger bag for Christmas. One off-label usage I've discovered: filling it with ice and a six-pack of Olympia. It's perfect for when Philo and one of his opponents leave the ring and start throwing each other threw windows and the like. You can follow the action and never be more than an arm's length from a cold beer.

John Quade, Rest In Peace

John Quade died in his sleep on Sunday, August 9, 2009, according to the LA Times. Quade's portrayal of the leader of the Black Widows (whose name is variously spelled Chola or Cholla) is one of those essential ingredients in the EWWBL franchise that you might take for granted.

Mike has already written an appreciation of Quade's comic acting, and I commented on his more recent involvement in conspiracy theorist groups. I'll take this moment to remember his physical presence on screen.

In his obituary, his wife is quoted as saying: "He looked like he could do murder and mayhem at any moment, but he was a big teddy bear -- the kind that he just loved little kids, but they were always afraid of him."

He certainly hits some different notes at various points in the movie, but it's his smoldering rage that I think really makes his performance. With his large frame straddling his motorcycle, he gives a wide variety of reactions to the indignities he and the Widows suffer throughout the two films. Exasperation, shame, confusion. But my favorite is when he sets his jaw and looks like he is silently counting to ten and trying to keep from strangling one of his underlings. He did all of this without saying a word.

He also has a particular strut nicely complemented by swatting his riding crop into his hand rhythmically. Hats off to the costume department. The biker regalia crosses into the absurd without being too obvious. Quade's stride suggests an arrogance genuinely won by past accomplishments--times now past. Quade's age and the age of the other Black Widows is a subtle way to tell that story as well.

Quade's rough complexion suggested that he had survived many rough years. And every once in a while that smoldering expression crumbles and breaks when Cholla is pushed too far. ("It was only one old woman that nearly ruinated you!")

I dare say that there aren't too many character actors like John Quade left in Hollywood. Adam Sandler and a couple others have assembled regular companies of character actors, but guys like Quade are a dying breed. Hopefully his performances in EWWBL and AWWYC are being closely studied, inspiring a new generation of tough guys with perfect comedic timing.

The People Still Love EWWBL

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