IT HAPPENED ONE WEEKEND (1974)
Starring
Palmer Rockey
with
Cookie Ann
Ron DiSalvo
Linda Wallace
Sherry Moore
Edited by
Palmer Rockey
Music by
Palmer Rockey
Produced by
Palmer Rockey
Written by
Palmer Rockey
Directed by
Palmer Rockey
An ABBA production
A Cook-Rock release
Initial MPAA rating: PG (1974)
SCARLET LOVE version submitted for a PG rating (1980)
Edited for re-rating of R as LOVE IS DEEP INSIDE (1980)
Constantly tinkered with over the course of 10 (some say 20) years, different versions of this Texas-shot obscurity were released between 1974 and 1983 - maybe even later - under the titles IT HAPPENED ONE WEEKEND, IT HAPPENED ON SUNDAY, SCARLET WARNING 666, SCARLET LOVE, ROCKEY'S STYLE and LOVE IS DEEP INSIDE. Anything I have to say about the late, legendary d.i.y. filmmaker/con man Dr. Palmer Rockey would simply be a reiteration of what has been written elsewhere, so I've included a few informative links at the end of the post in addition to a couple of pieces I found in Dallas (1974) and El Paso (1975) newspapers. Most people in the cult of Rockey first became aware of his endlessly morphing movie through its bizarre soundtrack LP, which itself was released in two different versions -- first in 1979, then in 1980 with two bonus cuts (!) -- both times under the ROCKEY'S STYLE title. All versions of this movie have apparently vanished without a trace, but I've posted a link to the screwy soundtrack, which will be a treat for anyone who can get through Philosophy of the World in one sitting. Please read everything here and then go to the links; the story of Palmer Rockey is maddeningly incomplete, but fascinating and worthy of much further exploration.
ROCKEY'S STYLE soundtrack LP available for download from the Mysteryposter blog.
Review of the ROCKEY'S STYLE soundtrack LP here
Here's more on Palmer Rockey
More info on the SCARLET LOVE edit can be found here
16 comments:
You simply cannot invent this material. I'm sure every town had at least one or two Rocky Palmers, most never achieved his level of success.
Seriously, I do not even know why I continue MY series entitled MOVIES THAT FELL THOUGH THE CRACKS when its obvious you are the king here!
I poked through some public records and discovered that Palmer Rockey was born in 1922 and evidently raised by a single mom (Joy Rockey) in Seattle, Washington (at least as of the 1930 census). Looks like he served in the Army during WWII, was married for about ten years around the time he made the film, and died in California in 1996.
There was also one listing for a Dr. Palmer L. Rockey in L.A. with a birthdate of 1975, but I've found no other trace of this person. Could there be a little Palmer Jr.? Who knows...
Wow, amazing. Could anyone that was able to download the soundtrack re-upload it somewhere? Looks like that blog is now gone :(
my mother (Sherry Moore) appeared in this movie... twice....
Rocky thought she died so well that he wrote her in as her twin sister to kill her again...
when she was in the coffin, as she lay still, he knocked the coffin HARD when he fell on it in his grief, she was thinking "OMG he is going to shut me in this thing!" so she opened her eyes to see what was going on...
Rocky only took ONE take...
so, in the key grief scene as she lay dead in the coffin, the corpse quickly opens its eyes and then promptly closes them
My mother remembered that Rocky was so concerned that this movie be eligible for an Oscar that he moved heaven and earth to get it shown at least once in a theater... which they did, mostly because MOST of the Dallas movie scene was involved in it at one time or another over its many years of creation.
does anyone have a copy of the movie or seen it ??
lybbenlyl@gmail.com
Cookie (Rockey's ex-wife) is writing a book about him. She is trying to set up a blog, so keep your eyes open for it.
DullKit
any updates on Cookies blog?
palmerrockey.blogspot.com
is where my blog is
Cookie Ann Rockey
would it be possible to repost the palmer rockey album, the link is dead unforunately... i actually downloaded it from there years ago but lost the hard drive it was on! anyway thanks for a great article!
The premiere was held at a Movie theater in the then new development of Richardson, TX. The mall where the theater was located was close to Canyon Creek Country Club if I remember correctly. I was thirteen and Palmer buttonedholed My Brother, myself and a friend in the parking lot of the mall. He gave us free passes but we did not see the movie.
He saw himself as a big time producer. He reminded us of Jethro Bodine when Jethro decided to become a producer/agent.
I saw the movie at the Galleria in Houston, in probably 1981 or 1982. I went to SMU with the girl in the opening scene. I didn't know she was in the movie and when I saw her in it, that's why I stayed to watch the whole thing. Man, was that movie bizarre. And bad. Really, really bad.
As I was leaving, a young couple came into the theater and asked me how I liked the movie. "Worst movie ever," I said. "Whatever's playing in the other theater, go see that instead".
I took two more steps and guess who I ran into?
Yep, Palmer Rockey. Either he hadn't heard what I said to the young couple, or didn't care. He was very nice and asked me what I thought of his movie. All I could say was, "I went to school with Amy." He thought that was cool.
For some unknown reason, I bought the soundtrack album. I think I still have it and I think it's still in its original plastic (I never opened it).
The IMDB page has a comment from a poster who claims to have seen a trailer for a version of this movie, under the title "Rockey's Style," in Knoxville back in the mid 1970s.
I did a little searching around and discovered that Palmer Rockey registered a handful of screenplays at the U.S. Copyright Office:
CRY OF HORROR (1963)
CASTLE MAGIC (1965)
VULTURE MAN HORROR (1965)
PRINCE OF PEACE (1968; revised version, 1970)
PEOPLE (1971)
I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a copy of a real live Palmer Rockey screenplay, if they're available somewhere...
I did a little searching around and discovered that Palmer Rockey registered a handful of screenplays at the U.S. Copyright Office:
CRY OF HORROR (1963)
CASTLE MAGIC (1965)
VULTURE MAN HORROR (1965)
PRINCE OF PEACE (1968; revised version, 1970)
PEOPLE (1971)
I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a copy of a real live Palmer Rockey screenplay, if they're available somewhere...
FOUND!!!!
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/great-reads/la-et-c1-ct-film-orphans-deluxe-entertainment-20150205-story.html#page=2
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