[Ron Smith]

They filmed "The Way West" in Oregon. The scenes of the river crossing were filmed about 10 miles from here on the Willamette river.

A friend of mine was a busboy at the old Eugene Hotel, where the cast and crew were staying. I went with him to get his paycheck early on a Saturday morning. We were walking in the front entrance when I was looking at something over my shoulder. A girl, a car, a girl in a car , or something that really caught my attention.

I turned to walk in and I slammed into something really hard. I bounced back and was about to fall when a big hand grabbed each of my shoulders and held me. I looked up to see a big square jawed guy with a weeks growth of beard, really shaggy hair, and wearing sunglasses. He just said" Better watch where you're going son."

I apologized and he just stepped around me and walked away. My friend was standing there with his mouth open. I asked why they would allow someone who looked like that stay in the hotel(this was the mid sixties, and clean-cut was still in, here in hillbillyville). He just stammered "That was Robert Mitchum!"

My only claim to fame...