Page 21 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper March/April 2018 Edition

The Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot Film 21

The Patterson-Gimlin

Bigfoot Film

Continued from Page 20

Bob Heironimus was a sturdy, hulking
26-year-old laborer who lived a few doors down
from Bob Gimlin. One day Gimlin told
Heironimus that Patterson would pay him $1000
for a day's work on a film set wearing a costume.
Heironimus readily agreed; that was a lot of
money. He met with the men once or twice to try
on a gorilla suit and make some adjustments.
Then one day, he drove down to Willow Creek.
He spent the night at their camp, and the next
day they shot the footage.
ANE's money had also been used to buy
the gorilla suit. It came from Philip and Amy
Morris, established makers of gorilla suits for
carnivals. They told Greg Long that they had
recognized the suit when they saw Patterson's
film on television, and that Patterson had asked
their advice in modifying the suit to make the
arms longer. They'd even shipped him extra
synthetic fur, made from a material called
Dynel. They also advised him to put a football
helmet and shoulder pads on the suit wearer to
make him look enormous. Not surprisingly, happy but outwardly grumpy, frustrated with
when Greg Long asked Bob Heironimus about society's conventions that expected him to be OPEN CASTING CALL
the suit, he also mentioned that he wore a less than he wanted to be. But even at that young
football helmet and shoulder pads inside of it. age, he was dying of cancer. Roger may have If you are experienced in any of the following
had a year left or five, and his thoughts were types of divination and would like to be
Bob Heironimus then went home, where his consumed with providing for his beloved wife considered for a part in a new television
mother and two brothers also saw the suit, and while still being the rascal that he needed to be. series, our producers want to hear from you:
waited patiently for his $1000. In accordance When Roger put that film cartridge into his
with his character, Patterson never paid camera, it wasn't with the careful eye of a Aeromancy
Heironimus a dime. When he saw the film hit it cinematographer. Nor was it with the deliberate Astragalomancy
big, Heironimus feared prosecution for fraud for mischief of a hoaxer. It was with the vivacity of Bibliomancy
his role in its production, and so made no further a happy-go-lucky shortcutter, a candle doomed Cartomancy
efforts to collect, nor ever spoke up about it to to burn half as long, and desperate to burn twice Dowsing
anyone. A groundless fear perhaps, but very real as bright. His thoughts were on Patricia and with Necromancy
for an honest and innocent young man. squeezing in one final success, a roll of the dice, Numerology
The camera store had to file charges for a lottery ticket. If his Bigfoot movie failed, he Rhabdomancy
theft against Patterson to get him to finally would die as the obscure debtor as which he'd Palmistry / Chiromancy
return the camera. ANE lost every penny of their been cut out; but if he won, he'd be the flash in Pyromancy
investment; Patterson immediately abandoned the pan that he needed to be to sustain his wife Scrying
their pseudo-documentary and, in essence, stole and justify his years of skylarking. Roger Seance
the film clip that was rightfully their intellectual Patterson made the gamble he needed to make. Talking Boards
property. It was only 30 years later that Greg The wheel of fortune spun, and as it does every Tarot Cards
Long was able to piece together the entire story once in a great while, it made Roger the winner. Tasseography
by talking to all of those involved. Holes still It turned Bigfoot into a real monster that walked
remain; for example, Al DeAtley claims to have across the clearing and into legend and The Digital Broadcast Network in Hamilton
no recollection of where or when he supposedly permanence. (www.digitalbroadcastnetwork.ca), Ontario is
developed the film, or how he received it from Just over four years later, Roger looking for Psychics, Mediums, Tarot Card
his brother in law. The October 20 timeline is Patterson lay in bed and drew his final breaths. Readers, Palmists, Runes Readers, and other
clearly impossible as given, but no evidence The film had been a great success, and brought practitioners of the divination arts for their new
could be found to provide actual dates for when in a constant stream of money unlike anything TV series.
the film was actually shot or developed. With he'd ever known. Patricia securely owned
much credit going to Greg Long, we now have a enough of the film rights to sustain herself. This Casting Call is open to practitioners in
reasonably solid reconstruction of the film's When he finally closed his eyes, Roger went to Canada, U.S., Europe and Australia.
complete history, with plenty of space in the that great Bigfoot pasture in the sky, without
gaps to fill with anything more plausible than ever having compromising the eternal youth that Combined, the executive producer and director
the Patterson-Gimlin claim of the world's was in his makeup to be. He never paid his bills. of this series have over 45 years’ experience
luckiest Bigfoot hunt. He never sold hours of his life. He never put in including projects that have been aired on
In 1967, Roger Patterson was a young an honest day of someone else's work. He never OLN, Destination America, and CTV.
man, only 41 years old. He was strong and sacrificed his lack of principles. He never gave
If you would like to be considered for a part of
exuberant — an amateur boxer known for up being untrustworthy and living his few years
walking on his hands on the small town's main on his own terms. Yet, perhaps it was that this television series, please email your CV,
street — too lazy to take a regular job, too much insistence on being who he was that caused his which must include your area of expertise,
experience
and
headshot
to
in love with his wife Patricia, and too many stars film to outlive nearly everyone else of his day. dts@digitalbroadcastnetwork.ca and visit us on
in his eyes to stick within the confines of the Even as a hoax, the Patterson-Gimlin film is line at www.digitalbroadcastnetwork.ca.
even the flamboyant rodeo. He was inwardly perhaps the most honest film ever made. []