The Cowboy and the Frenchman

[claaa7]

I was watching this strange little film from Lynch again last night (i've seen it on YouTube before) but i finally got my hands on the Short Films DVD to see it properly. it struck me that this has A LOT of the same people as Twin Peaks involved, and in a way it feels like a pre-cursor to "Twin Peaks" in a very off beat way. especially the weirdeer stuff of the second season which makes you imagine Lynch might very well have been more involved in some of that stuff than many like to think haha. It was written and directed by David of course, his first time working with Harry Dean Stanton and Michael Horse, it has Jack Nance. Dean Hurley is featured as a guitarist (who also played on a few tracks from the series), Johanna Ray did the casting, Frank Silva did the set design, Catherine Coulson was the camera assissant cinematographer was constant Lynch co-conspirator Fred Elmes (though i don't think he ever worked on Peaks, right?).

it was done around '88, shortly after "Blue Velvet".. imo it's a must see for "Twin Peaks" fans, there's a lot of absurdist humour, like the cliched locals of their respective geography and communities which sometimes played into Peaks, and it also has that warm tone in both it's writing and visuals. i can see a quite natural (though not straight or simple) evolvement from "Blue Velvet", "The Cowboy", "Twin Peaks" season 1, "Wild at Heart", "Twin Peaks" season 2, "On The Air", and "FWWM" though the latter definitely takes a strong left turn along with episode 29. fun little film this though!

btw, was "On The Air" created and run simultaneously with "Twin Peaks S02", right after it was finished or after "FWWM"?

ps. i wonder if this was how he got to know Michael Horse which led him to casting him in Peaks?

[Jerry Horne]

OTA was summer '92. June or July.

[claaa7]

OTA was summer '92. June or July.

it aired between June and July '92 in its US premiere but i'm more wondering when it was actually shot. i know Lynch said he got the actual idea for the show during production of a Twin Peaks episode where a lot of thing Went terribly wrong and they had the ABC producers breathing down their neck expecting them to deliver this hit show.

[AXX°N N.]

I love this short so much, it's a travesty criterion nixed it from the Eraserhead Bluray.

[Saturn's child]

Great write-up claaa7, I'm another big fan of this short. Nice to know who was doing what behind the scenes too.
I'll have to dig the boxset out that has Cowboy and the Frenchman, it's been awhile since I've seen it (I also really like 'The Boat' [I think it was called?] off the same disc).

[claaa7]

I love this short so much, it's a travesty criterion nixed it from the Eraserhead Bluray.

my "Eraserhead" DVD has the complete documentary Lynch One as the bonus... i've actually never seen Lynch Two. "Cowboy" seems kind of jarring with "Eraserhead" though, i'd prefer "Grandmother" and "Alphabet" as bonuses (and maybe "Six Men...")

Great write-up claaa7, I'm another big fan of this short. Nice to know who was doing what behind the scenes too.
I'll have to dig the boxset out that has Cowboy and the Frenchman, it's been awhile since I've seen it (I also really like 'The Boat' [I think it was called?] off the same disc).

never liked "Boat" or a lot of the stuff he did for DavidLynch.com like "Darkened Room"... but is that the same DVD. "The Short Films of DVD" features his early shorts from "Six Men Getting Sick" to "Preminition of an Evil Deed" (Lumiére) (1968 to 1996 or something), then there's another DVD with "Boat" and a lot of other shorts called "Dynamic: Best Of David Lynch.com" with all his digital shorts u to 2007. not a big fan.

[AXX°N N.]

my "Eraserhead" DVD has the complete documentary Lynch One as the bonus... i've actually never seen Lynch Two. "Cowboy" seems kind of jarring with "Eraserhead" though, i'd prefer "Grandmother" and "Alphabet" as bonuses (and maybe "Six Men...")

The Criterion DVD has all his pre-Eraserhead shorts and also Premonitions Following an Evil Deed, which I feel fit very well. I agree it would be jarring to have Cowboy on the same disc -- I always thought it would pair well with Wild at Heart, if criterion were ever to release that.

[AXX°N N.]

my "Eraserhead" DVD has the complete documentary Lynch One as the bonus... i've actually never seen Lynch Two. "Cowboy" seems kind of jarring with "Eraserhead" though, i'd prefer "Grandmother" and "Alphabet" as bonuses (and maybe "Six Men...")

The Criterion DVD has all his pre-Eraserhead shorts and also Premonitions Following an Evil Deed, which I feel fit very well. I agree it would be jarring to have Cowboy on the same disc -- I always thought it would pair well with Wild at Heart, if criterion were ever to release that.

[SpookyDollhouse]

I believe it wasn't included with Eraserhead on Blu-ray due to a rights issue. All the other shorts are owned by David himself.

[claaa7]

I believe it wasn't included with Eraserhead on Blu-ray due to a rights issue. All the other shorts are owned by David himself.

he managed to release it on his own DVD "The Short Films of David Lynch" though, and that was released on Absurda?

i agree with Axxon N though, it wouldn't fit on the Eraserhead DVD at all but if they ever did an "On The Air" box (please please please), that would be perfect on there.. "Wild At Heart" would work well too or even "Blue Velvet" or a "Twin Peaks" set.


Something I always wondered about though, what the HELL is what is known as "Alphabets 2" and "Alphabets 3" that has been floating around the net.. some pretty creepy stuff, though they are obviously outtakes from the filming of "The Alphabet".. has some great scenes and even an insert of Lynch directing. how that leaked is beyond me.

[SpookyDollhouse]

I believe it wasn't included with Eraserhead on Blu-ray due to a rights issue. All the other shorts are owned by David himself.

he managed to release it on his own DVD "The Short Films of David Lynch" though, and that was released on Absurda?

i agree with Axxon N though, it wouldn't fit on the Eraserhead DVD at all but if they ever did an "On The Air" box (please please please), that would be perfect on there.. "Wild At Heart" would work well too or even "Blue Velvet" or a "Twin Peaks" set.


Something I always wondered about though, what the HELL is what is known as "Alphabets 2" and "Alphabets 3" that has been floating around the net.. some pretty creepy stuff, though they are obviously outtakes from the filming of "The Alphabet".. has some great scenes and even an insert of Lynch directing. how that leaked is beyond me.

That was then and this is now. I tried digging up an article I saw about it which I'm referring to, but rights changed hands at some point and Criterion simply didn't pursue it for the Bluray which ended-up keeping focus with Lynch's short films anyway. It was a "delay the disc or release now" sort of deal.

[Mr. Reindeer]

Something I always wondered about though, what the HELL is what is known as "Alphabets 2" and "Alphabets 3" that has been floating around the net.. some pretty creepy stuff, though they are obviously outtakes from the filming of "The Alphabet".. has some great scenes and even an insert of Lynch directing. how that leaked is beyond me.

Wasn't aware of those. From a quick glimpse, I think it's the same material that was included on the Lime Green Mystery Disc under the title "16MM" -- a 15-20 minute assortment of outtakes and experiments from Lynch's very early career.

[claaa7]

Something I always wondered about though, what the HELL is what is known as "Alphabets 2" and "Alphabets 3" that has been floating around the net.. some pretty creepy stuff, though they are obviously outtakes from the filming of "The Alphabet".. has some great scenes and even an insert of Lynch directing. how that leaked is beyond me.

Wasn't aware of those. From a quick glimpse, I think it's the same material that was included on the Lime Green Mystery Disc under the title "16MM" -- a 15-20 minute assortment of outtakes and experiments from Lynch's very early career.

what's interesting is that i'm pretty sure that only parts of it are from that 16MM mystery bonus which makes it even stranger.
"The Alphabet" is a great little film for sure

[AXX°N N.]

Wasn't aware of those. From a quick glimpse, I think it's the same material that was included on the Lime Green Mystery Disc under the title "16MM" -- a 15-20 minute assortment of outtakes and experiments from Lynch's very early career.

what's interesting is that i'm pretty sure that only parts of it are from that 16MM mystery bonus which makes it even stranger.
"The Alphabet" is a great little film for sure

I didn't know about these supposed second and third alphabets, and google is not helping -- do you have a source, or link to info?

[claaa7]

Wasn't aware of those. From a quick glimpse, I think it's the same material that was included on the Lime Green Mystery Disc under the title "16MM" -- a 15-20 minute assortment of outtakes and experiments from Lynch's very early career.

what's interesting is that i'm pretty sure that only parts of it are from that 16MM mystery bonus which makes it even stranger.
"The Alphabet" is a great little film for sure

I didn't know about these supposed second and third alphabets, and google is not helping -- do you have a source, or link to info?

this is Part 2 i believe, definitely shot during the same time / day, with Peggy Lynch in the outfit.. creepy stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j13ZuGgcqd0

and here is Part 3.... very, very strange how this even leaked. it's been floating around for a few years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OgyCfWA0x0