They were the perfect team; Beau who could think up things
that no one else would bother doing and Paul who could actually
make them work. With clear-eyed determination, they set out
to conquer the mean streets of Van Nuys, California.
Together they worked on student films and eventually moved
on to different jobs in the Motion Picture industry. Paul's
degree in Technical Theater and Performance led him to a position
at the Ben Nye Theatrical Make Up company. He quickly worked
his way up through the ranks, managed several departments, represented
the company nationwide at trade shows and seminars and wrote
and produced a series of "How-To" instructional videos.
Beau worked for several different TV production companies before
leaving the movie business behind (actually it left him behind,
18 months of 16 hour days will do that) to work overseeing various
aspects of book production for Louis L’Amour Enterprises.
One
of Beau's many responsibilities was to work with Bantam's fledgling
Audio Publishing group, supervising the production of several
Louis L’Amour short stories on audio
tape. These stories were to be dramatized, like old time
radio shows, with specially adapted scripts, casts of up to
a dozen actors, sound effects, and music. The able crew of David
Rapkin and Charles Potter were to execute the recordings in
New York City and Beau to supervise the scripts from Los Angeles.
Trying
to learn everything he could about this medium, and in order
to better understand the problems involved in producing an audio
drama, Beau decided that he should write and direct one of the
shows. Knowing that Paul had extensive radio production experience
from his stint at KLC, his college's radio station, the two
began yet another collaboration. Beau adapted the story and
wrote the script for the audio production of “Unguarded
Moment” ( from the short story collection: The
Hills of Homicide). He assembled and directed a cast of
actors that he and Paul had met while working in the film industry.
Paul produced and edited the one hour drama.
In 1988 Louis L’Amour passed away. Paul came on to help
organize Louis’ library and personal papers. Paul worked many
long hours with the L’Amour family and a few helpful friends
to sort through the incredible volume of materials left behind.
As this project drew to a close Beau and Paul began work
on another audio program. This one “Merrano,
of the Dry Country” (from the short story collection: The
Strong Shall Live) was intended to stretch the boundaries
of the medium as far as they could figure out how to take them.
Working with cutting edge material (this is Beau praising his
own writing), modern equipment (now, hopelessly outdated), and
a fine cast, the two created another ‘experimental’ audio show.
Over the next few years Paul worked for Billboard Magazine
and The Software Labs and Beau began restructuring Louis L’Amour
Enterprises to help it continue to exist without Louis' presence.
The company experimented with several different ventures in
the mid nineties including a successful fiction magazine (closed
down when Bantam, Doubleday, Dell sold the division) and a syndicated
radio show, Louis L’Amour Theater. Thirty, carefully edited
(by Beau and Paul over a lot of late nights, cheetos and Diet
Coke), versions of the Bantam audio programs appeared as weekly
episodes on over 200 stations nationwide in 1993 and 1994.
In 1994 Paul left Los Angeles to manage The Software Labs
office in Seattle, Washington and Beau made another brief but
unsuccessful attempt to figure out how to work in both movies
and publishing at the same time. Eventually The Software Labs
reorganized and Beau realized that the gulf between making movies
and getting movies made was far too wide. Both needed something
to do so that they could justify staying up far too late, pushing
buttons and staring at blue light (Computer Monitors).
Through the miracles of modern technology we are back together
here on this website, trying to make available everything that
you would ever want regarding Louis L’Amour and his work. Not
only will we sell all the books and tapes but we will also create
new products, many of which Louis envisioned but never had time
to develop.
Paul still lives in the gloomy northwest, is happily married
and the proud father of an active boy. Beau is just waiting
for an excuse to move away from the oppressive stench of melting
egos and fear that permeates what passes for air in Southern
California.
Have you got a comment, problem, question, answer? E-mail
us.
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