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One of the fun parts of doing these stories for Smoke Signals is hoping to catch a glimpse of a side of people we did not previously know. A quick google before our scheduled interview revealed some notes about Dave's work on movies, so we began and ended there because his stories were just so rich.

The interview began with a typical girl question, "Did you meet Tom Cruise on the set of Far and Away?" "Oh, I met him and Nicole when they were both in a good space in their lives. They were two of the sweetest young kids. Being able to work on this epic production of Ben Hur proportion and working with Ron Howard was an experience of a lifetime."

Who is this Dave Powell and this whole world of Hollywood movie making? Well, it turns out, it began back when Dave was just in high school. He got his start as a costume designer, which, as his career grew, had him as a key costumer for movies such as Silverado, Lonesome Dove, Volcano, The Good Old Boys and Sea Biscuit to name just a few. "Getting involved in the movie industry and becoming a costume designer happened by pure fluke. Slim Pickens was a friend of my Dad's and Slim asked me to make him a buckskin/trapper outfit. I had no idea what I was doing but I made it and he loved it. A while later, I got a call from a guy wanting to know if I would be interested in designing the costumes for a new movie they were working on about the Blackfeet Indians called Winter Hawk. At $250 week in the 1970s, I figured what the heck! I was so green. I had no idea about making movies, and I didn't even know what a call sheet was!"

But Dave was a quick study and soon parlayed his natural ability for creating authentic costumes for period movies into working in a world he had never anticipated. "I'd work on movies in the summer which paid for my art school in the winter and allowed me to work with the fine mentors and illustrators, I did."

So back to this amazing movie career...Chatting with Dave he admits he never talks about this side of his life because he feels like a braggart. Well, heck, these are great stories! Working on Lonesome Dove was quite an experience he recalls. TJ as he refers to him (that's Tommy Lee Jones to you and me) owns several of Dave's paintings as a result of the relationship they formed while on the set together. One of the paintings Dave did for TJ was one of him as the infamous Captain Woodrow F Call. A side note from Dave about this painting was the subtle mistake he made when painting this work. "Being left handed, I accidently painted the gun on the right side instead of the left. He (TJ) noticed it, but kept the work anyway." And now for Rick Schroder's character, Dave recalls showing Rick "one of my paintings of a hanging and the look of sorrow in the cowboy's eyes. This really inspired Rick's portrayal of his character." That's pretty cool!

We talked for a long time and each of Dave's stories about working in this heavy-hitting world of Hollywood was more interesting than the next. CAA artist, sculptor and costume designer extraordinaire indeed! Dave retired from costume design after finishing Sea Biscuit. "I figured this was a heck of a way to go out - ride out on top."

A look at Dave's prolific career across the board begs the question - "But you still do the High Noon Show...?" "Oh, I wouldn't miss it. High Noon is so important. It showcases the importance of our Western heritage with the sophistication that is critical to ensure that the younger generations learn and develop an interest about it. We have to work together to preserve this heritage and High Noon is so important in this effort. I will always support what they do and, besides, it's just great fun." As for Dave's own three children, are they interested in Western stuff? "Well,...they always get something Western for Christmas and I haven't heard them complain!" he says with his infectious laugh.

Now that Dave is retired from his Hollywood career, the interview turns to his art. When asked if there is one of his paintings that is his favorite he replies, "Boy, that's a 60 Minute kind of question. There are parts of my paintings that I would consider favorites to me but I'm never completely satisfied with my work and don't ever want to be. I worked with way too many 'self-satisfied' personalities on the movies, it taught me never to go there." Dave is continually inspired by history and has an extensive collection of both historic books and historic photography. "By reading about history and looking at old photographs, it really inspires me to look at how things were, the people involved - that's where I get my inspiration. It also helps me keep my feet firmly planted on the ground."

So there you have it... the Dave Powell we knew through museums, galleries and private collections has hours and hour of captivating stories about his life and times on the sets of some of the most major motion pictures ever made. Next time you see Dave, ask him who really made Captain Augustus Gus MacCrae's hat worn by Robert Duvall in Lonesome Dove...Sorry Dave, I just had to do it. No one will ever consider you a braggart.

davepowellstudios@yahoo.com

Robert and Nieta Bradbury were living in Portland, Oregon when twin sons Robert Adrian and William Curtis Bradbury were born on January 23, 1907. Their parents, being show people, toured the vaudeville circuit so the twins were often left with their paternal grandmother at the family ranch in Washington. The boys soon joined their parents as part of their act. Later the family moved to Glendale, California where the boys' father began a lengthy film career as a director and writer. In 1920, R.N. Bradbury took home movies of their two sons on vacation which led to them being distributed by Pathe Studios - Adventures Of Bill And Bob.  The two boys later became involved in high school athletics, Bob in baseball and brother Bill, the better athlete of the two, excelled in both football and track and field. Bill joined high school classmate, Marion Morrison (aka John Wayne) and played football for the USC Trojans.